08/23/2026
✨ Professional Statement — our Director and Raqs Sharqi Artist, Educator & International Judge
Honored to perform and judge at Golden State Raqs Competition.
Competition and awards have always fueled my commitment to excellence. They’ve kept me accountable to my mission: sharing the knowledge, depth, and love ❤️ I carry for Raqs Sharqi, and guiding every student to become the strongest, most authentic version of themselves.
Since 2007, I have traveled to Egypt regularly to study folklore and Oriental dance in true cultural context, learning directly from master teachers, musicians, and communities who preserve these traditions. My training and performance experience span a wide range of regional styles, including:
• Hagallah — the celebratory Bedouin women’s dance of Marsa Matrouh
• Saidi — Upper Egyptian stick traditions and musical heritage
• Moroccan — regional rhythms and Amazigh influences
• Iraqi Kawliya, Hajja and Chobi
•Dabke Lebanese
•Tanoura (Sufism) — spiritual whirling traditions
• Sinai Bedouin — tribal movement vocabulary and storytelling
• Milaya — Alexandrian theatrical style
• Ghawazee — traditional Egyptian street‑dance lineage
• Nubian — Sudanese‑Egyptian folkloric movement
• Awalim — classical roots of professional Egyptian dancers
Over nearly two decades, my troupe I have earned multiple international awards in Egypt, including distinctions from the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival from 2007 and attending yearly through the 2026 summer festival season. These achievements reflect not only artistic skill but a lifelong dedication to cultural accuracy, musicality, and professional integrity.
In addition to performing and teaching, I have served as a judge for major competitions from online for Ukraine, and in person in Mexico, and the United States. My judging philosophy centers on authenticity, stage presence, musical understanding, and respect for the cultural roots of each style.