I love introducing women to the art of belly dance and showing them how belly dancing can help them find happiness and independence. 

 

Born in Uzbekistan, I grew up listening to songs from Turkey, Lebanon, and Egypt that were popular for Western artists to translate and sing. Becoming a belly dancer brought me freedom, creativity, and self-expression.

 

I began teaching belly dance because there wasn’t anyone offering classes in my town. I want people to experience happiness and independence in my belly dance classes and workshops. My approach to teaching belly dance is to dedicate time in each class to let people experience freedom, creativity, and self-expression through dancing and flowing to belly dance music.

 

I teach an open-level fitness-style class called Shimmy Chic Fitness, pop-up workshops, beginner belly dance classes, and open-level belly dance classes. I also host pro belly dance stars to teach workshops in Jacksonville, Florida. And I created the annual River City Raqs belly dance convention.

 

My professional dance career spans over 20 years of combined experience in Belly Dance and Latin dances like Salsa and Bachata. I’ve been featured/cast in:

 

• Cast in MTV’s Project Belly Dance (Season 2), 

• Cast twice in Belly Dance Evolution (a theater production)

• Won Belly Dance Masters competitions as a soloist performer and in a troupe (one of the top belly dance competitions in the industry)