Main Stage Performances
Hungarian-Canadian Cultural Centre
April 19th & 20th, 2007

Admission price included in Conference Package.
Tickets: $25 per evening for those not registered with the conference.

SOLOISTS ••• DUETS ••• ENSEMBLES

SOLOISTS

Ranya Renee • Linda • Lesya Starr • Roula Said • Leyla Zahar • Ferda Bayazit • Nath Keo • Mey Jen Tillyer
Hannan Sultan • Amani Jabril • Mayada • Saida • Namire • Ariane Vega
Hiba Al Kinani • Elise Olmi • Rachel Brookmire • Sofia

Ranya Renee
New York

Ranya, a leading Arabic dance artist in New York City, has been active in the field for 17 years.

Career highlights include solos with the Tunisian Troupe Nationale orchestra and two Lincoln Center festivals with Simon Shaheen’s Near East Music Ensemble.

A strong advocate for Arab cultural arts, Ranya gives educational presentations, produces company concerts and DVDs of dance to live acoustic music, and pursues studies in Arabic voice, oud, and music theory.

She travels internationally teaching Egyptian-style dance and Breathwork for Performance.

Ranya holds a B.A. in Theater and Linguistics from Yale University, and speaks seven languages.

Linda
Tennessee

Linda is a celebrated instructor, performer, chorographer, and organizer in the Nashville, Tennessee area.

She began studying Middle Eastern Dance in 1998.

She has performed all over the United States, Canada, and Peru. She is frequently invited to perform at regional, national, and international dance events and private functions.

Though often recognized for her unique and captivating “Belly Circles”, her work, first and foremost, is to promote the classical and folkloric forms of Middle Eastern dance while also embracing the modern performance styles.

Lesya Starr
Spain

Lesya began her dance training at the age of 5 in Toronto, Canada.  She began with Ukrainian dance, the dance of her family’s heritage, and rhythm gymnastics.

At age 17, she began to investigate dance as a source of personal expression and found herself attracted to Middle Eastern Dance. She began studying with Yasmina Ramzy and went on to study with Ibrahim Farrah, Amoura, Hadia, Farida Fahmy, Amir Thaleb, Hossam and Serena Ramzy and Mahmoud Reda.

Her studies also include East Indian Kathak, Bharatanatyam and Rajastani gypsy dance. She has also studied African dance, Azeri, Persian and Sufi dance forms, modern hip hop styles, Flamenco, Butoh.

She has danced as a solo artist and collaborated with other artists across Europe, as well as Lebanon, Turkey, Tunisia, Mexico, Brazil and Canada.

She has worked with Le Cirque du Soleil and she is currently studying and performing with Sashar Zarif.

Roula Said
Ontario

Roula is an inspiring teacher who has been sharing the wisdom and pleasure of Bellydance for over 18 years.

She has studied with some of the leading educators in the field including Yousry Sharif, Suhaila Salimour, Elena Lentini, Yasmina Ramzy, Aziza, Jillina, Mahmoud Reda, and the late Ibrahim Farrah.

She has taught workshops from coast to coast in Canada, as well as in New York and Michigan.

Along with her warm and creative teaching style, Roula also brings to students her fluency in the Arabic language and knowledge of the music.

As an Arabic musician, she sings and plays qanun and percussion, having studied with George Sawa, Simon Shaheen and master musicians in Syria.

She co-founded the Canadian global music ensemble Maza Meze with whom she often guests as the featured dancer.

She continues to sing, play and dance with her Arabic music group Doula, and in numerous projects with her husband David Buchbinder.

Leyla Zahar
Puerto Rico

Leyla Zahar started her most desired dream of creating an Oriental Dance and Cultural Center in 1984, where people could be educated in dance as well as Middle Eastern culture and customs.

She started in oriental dance at age 4, tutored by her Lebanese grandmother. Later on she received formal instruction in Raks Sharki from some of the most renowned teachers and performers of the genre, such as Sohair Zaki, Ibrahim Farrah, Nagwa Fouad, Yousry Sharif, Madame Busi, Morocco, Dr. Mohammad Geddawi, Serena Wilson and Raqia Hassan among others.

She has won recognition as “Belly Dancer of the Year 1999” at the Belly Dancer of the Year Pageant; she was also a winner at the Ms & Mr America of the Belly Dance Contest 2000 and her troupe: The Zahar’s Dancers, won the group category at the 2001 edition of the Belly Dancer of the Year Pageant. She has received the award of "Puerto Rico’s Distinguished Young Personality" in 1998.

Ferda Bayazit
Turkey

Ferda’s dance career began at age 4. Excelling in dance, she completed the Royal Academy of Dance ballet program with honours. She had her first belly dance lesson at 13 while visiting her Turkish father in the Bay Area of California.

Since that first lesson, she has studied with renowned instructors such as Raqia Hassan, Yousry Sharif, Suhaila, Hadia and Jillina.

She has performed as a soloist in Canada, the US and Turkey, and as part of the popular troupe Earthfire in Canada and the US.

She has taught ongoing classes and has given workshops in Canada and the US.

Currently, she is living and dancing in Istanbul, Turkey where she has been studying Turkish dance forms with various celebrated Turkish dancers.

However, her favourite and speciality is the powerful Turkish Rom style of dance, for which she is now highly sought after for workshops when visiting Canada.

Nath Keo
British Columbia

Nath Keo was born in Kav Lan Refugee Camp and immigrated to Canada at the age of nine.

This multi-faceted artist has since released two music albums, a book, and a dance instructional DVD.

Nath Keo is also a dance icon having performed and instructed workshops across Canada, US, and South East Asia; in both the Cambodian Classical and Folkloric, as well as Middle Eastern (belly dance) forms.

He has studied dance with some of the foremost instructors.

In February 2006, Nath was ordained as a Bikkhu Therevada Buddhist Monk at Wat Tuol Taong, Cambodia.

His influences both in entertainment and spirituality have kept him a unique and inspiring artist.

Mey Jen Tillyer
Hong Kong

Originally from Toronto, Mey Jen took her first Bellydance course thirty years ago, at Freddy’s Dance Academy. Her first teacher was Jasmina Mehdi.

Since that first lesson 30 years ago, she has been going to school, working and raising a family. But that has not stopped her from travelling, and studying with many great artists and teachers in the art of bellydance.

Her most influential teacher, was Hadia with whom she has had a great many adventures performing on the West Coast and Europe.

Mey Jen is an active performer, choreographer and instructor in Hong Kong. For the past 14 years, she has conducted Middle Eastern Dance classes at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.

In 2003, she started the Oasis Dance Centre, Hong Kong’s first and foremost studio for bellydance.

Hannan Sultan
Ontario

Hannan Sultan is an instructor and award-winning belly dance performer.

Based in Toronto, she has delighted audiences from Seattle, Washington to Istanbul, Turkey. As a teacher, she has taught from coast to coast.

During her formative years as a dancer, Hannan undertook intensive training with Aziza of Portland, Oregon. Her movement training includes bellydance, ballet, yoga, and jazz dance.

A dedicated artist, Hannan has participated in countless bellydance classes and workshops, regularly travelling to learn from such world-renowned instructors such as Raqia Hassan, Aida Nour, Tamalyn Dallal, Randa Kamal, and Dina.

Captivating stage presence, endearing persona, and excellent dance ability make Hannan a highly sought-after entertainer.

Hannan is the owner of the world's largest bellydance community website, www.bhuz.com. She has recently co-produced the DVD AZIZA's Ultimate Bellydance Practice Companion and the just-released DVDs, Beginner Belly dance with Hannan Sultan Volumes 1 and 2.

Amani Jabril
Georgia

Amani regularly travels the United States, Europe, and the Middle East to study the many dances she performs.

"Classical" styling as well as contemporary trends in individual dances are incorporated into her choreographies and instruction -- keeping the culture alive, and the dances fresh and vital.

Anong her many honours, she was one of ten dance professionals selected from around the world to participate in the First Cairo Intensive Professional Workshop & Seminar with Mahmoud Reda & Farida Fahmy; Cairo, Egypt.

She has also been invited to lecture at the Second International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance (Costa Mesa, CA), and earned local area honors for her contributions to Middle Eastern dance, and service as a member of the judges panel at the MEDINA dance competition and workshop in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mayada
Ontario

Since discovering Middle Eastern dance in 1994, Mayada has become a dynamic teacher, popular performer, creative choreographer and creator of Canada's first Bellydance magazine: MID-BITS!

She has taught classes across Toronto at various venues including Arabesque Academy, The Royal Ontario Museum, Ryerson University, York University, and The Toronto Bellydance Collective.

In September 2003, she opened Flow Fitness, giving her the opportunity to share her experience and expertise by teaching at her own studio.

Mayada's performance highlights have included the Egyptian Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, Caravan (Cairo & Istanbul pavilions), United Nations Millenium Summit (New York City), International Conference On Middle Eastern Dance (Los Angeles) and theatrical presentations Descent Of Ishtar, and Isis.

Mayada also appeared as a regular soloist at Arabic restaurants, clubs and special events.

Saida
Poland

For Saida, it all started during a holiday in Tunisia, where belly dance was an attraction on a tourist program.

She watched the dancers emanate a combination of subtlety, mysterious femininity, pride and strength, which captivated both male and female audiences. She had experience in jazz, afro, salsa and flamenco, so it was fascinating to discover a new, exotic dance technique and culture.

In 1998 she had her first lessons with Gamila, a professional Tunisian bellydancer.

She soon discovered, Bellydance came in different styles and that it's origins go back thousand's of years deep into Arabic culture and traditions. Her growing passion and need to fully understand the meaning of each movement, took her to Turkey where she studied under Shadia.

She perfected her technique with teachers including:Nazir Merzo, Dr. Mo Geddawi, Randa Kamel, Prof. Hassan Khalil, Serena and Hossam Ramzy, Lubna Emam and Momo Kadous.

In August 2005, by the invitation of Momo Kadous, she performed at the prestigous Belly Dance Talent Display, at the Frankfurt International Theatre.

Namire
Italy

Namire started dancing as a child when she studied ballet technique and earned a ballet degree. But a natural inclination was revealed when she tried oriental dance and became fascinated by Raks Sharki and Oriental folklore.

Studying with such Egyptian master teachers as Farida Fahmy, Mahmoud Reda, Farouk Moustafa, Nagwa Fouad, Aida Nour, Khaireyya Maazin, Zizi Moustafa, Lubna Imam, Raqia Hassan, Freiz, Waffa Fazzi and Shalaby, she dedicated herself to the pure traditional Raks Sharki style and its preservation.

She is known for her delicate moves and the peculiar sinuosity of her arms. Those beautiful arms have gotten her work performing her oriental style in classic and ancient music concerts.

In Italy she is member of National Oriental Dance Commission.

In September 2006 the Italian National Association Dance Teachers adopted her book Raqs Sharqi, tecnica della danza orientale as the Italian official book of bellydance technique.

She founded the oriental dance centre Maha in Lecce (Italy). She is the artistic director and choreographer of Nuur dance company.

Hiba al-Kinani
Ontario

Hiba Al Kinani started dancing during her teen years. Initially, her desire to learn to dance stemmed from her Arab roots. "I always wanted a way to feel connected to my heritage, because I grew up in Canada and did not, unfortunately, have access to an Arab Community here in Guelph." Upon coming across a documentary about bellydance, she instantly knew Middle Eastern Dance was the missing link.

She began studying with Kara Culp. Within a year she was teaching at Kara’s dance school, and at the University of Guelph. She then opened Rakasseh Studio in 2002.

She taught classes at Arabesque Academy as well as apprenticing with the Arabesque Dance Company before distance made her unable to continue.

She has studied with her mentor Yasmina Ramzy and workshopped with Hadia, Roula Said, Mayada and Jillina.

Her busy life didn’t deter her from accomplishing such goals as holding Ontario’s very first Bellydance festival RaksFest, producing her own instructional video Drum Solo Technique Volume 1, and being the focus of a Bellydance documentary Raqs Sharqi: It’s No Hootchy Kootchy, and in 2004, founding the Halawa Middle Eastern Dance Company.

Šlise Olmi
Quebec

Elise Olmi is a dancer from Montreal.

She decided to try out oriental dance in 1999 because of the wonderful Turkish and Arabic music that she had discovered during trips to the Middle East.

She became instantly hooked. Šlise received her training through numerous Oriental dance intensives she attended in Canada, the US and Egypt, and feels at ease in both Turkish and Egyptian-style Oriental dance.

Traveling is her passion, and she has been going to the Middle East for over 15 years, and taking every occasion to go see dancers in the Middle East in formal or informal settings.

This furthers her knowledge and comprehension of the great variety of dances and music from this amazing part of the world.

She sponsors workshops and organizes shows in Montreal and is the owner of www.cicekpasaj.com boutique.

Rachel Kay Brookmire
Washington, DC

Ariane Vega
Quebec

Sofia
Ontario

At the very young age of twelve, Sofia will perform her solo debut at the International Bellydance Conference of Canada to an Oriental choreography by Yasmina Ramzy.

She began formal training almost 2 years ago with the Arabesque Junior Troupe under the guidance of Arabesque Academy teachers Yasmina, Mary and Laura.

Since she was born, she has attended almost all of the performances by Yasmina Ramzy and Arabesque Dance Company so it was inevitable that she would become a Bellydancer someday.

She has also trained in Ballet and Hip Hop. Her virtuoso ease of technique is a wonder to all who witness her dance artistry.