Sahara Dance

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Sahara Dance Washington DC's Center for Middle Eastern Dance
Boutique studio dedicated to creating community celebrating the joy and beauty of belly dance. Come shimmy!
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Sahara Dance, Washington DC’s Center for Middle Eastern Dance, is a boutique dance studio dedicated to celebrating the joy and beauty of belly dance. Founded in 2004, Sahara Dance offers over 75 weekly belly dance classes at three locations in DC and Maryland. The studio is home to 20 faculty members, 16 resident performance companies, and over 700 belly dancers. Seeking to elevate belly dance as a performance art and to create a community for belly dancers, Sahara Dance produces several annual theater productions. Our shows and classes highlight both traditional and experimental styles of belly dance and Arab folk dance. Come shimmy with us!

Thinking about our Costa Rica retreat? Tomorrow (Oct 9th) at 7 pm EST, we will offer a free zoom call for all interested...
10/08/2026

Thinking about our Costa Rica retreat? Tomorrow (Oct 9th) at 7 pm EST, we will offer a free zoom call for all interested with participation from and .official to share about what to expect from the retreat, from dancing to the location to delicious meals to fun excursions and activities. All participants in the zoom call will recieve a code for $200 off the retreat or $300 off if they register with a friend. The retreat is scheduled for May 1-8 2027 at the . Send us a message if you’d like to join and we will send the link! 💓🥰 🌱 🌊 🦥

Announcing our Fall 2026 Al Fanaanat Project Cast… We are thrilled to collaborate with Shahrzad on bringing her Saidi ch...
10/07/2026

Announcing our Fall 2026 Al Fanaanat Project Cast… We are thrilled to collaborate with Shahrzad on bringing her Saidi choreography to life. The following dancers impressed Shahrzad with the beautiful dance artistry they demonstrated in their auditions:

⭐️ Sophia
⭐️ Odiney
⭐️ Gretchen (Rehearsal Director)
⭐️ Christine
⭐️ An

Congratulations dancers! 💐

We’d like to give special recognition to Gretchen, who was selected by Shahrzad to serve as Rehearsal Director and Choreography Keeper for the Fall26 project. 🤩

Kudos to all the dancers who submitted videos for the audition. It takes courage and commitment to put our dancing out there for critique. This is one sure way to spur growth. We applaud you for stepping up to better your dancing in a way that may feel vulnerable.

We truly appreciate everyone who participated in the feedback and audition process. We see your dedication and are honored that you put the time, effort, and trust into this project to advance your dancing.

The audition aspect of Al Fanaanat is meant to select video submissions which showcase a professional level performance, including nuanced technique, movement quality, timing, musicality, and emotional expression, among other factors.

The feedback aspect of Al Fanaanat is meant to offer all dancers new insights on how to make more dynamic dancing. We hope this is where the true value lies for dancers seeking improvement to their artistry.

We hope all participants will celebrate the achievement of having learned a difficult choreography, practicing vulnerability, and opening themselves to hearing feedback.

We look forward to seeing Shahrzad’s saidi with this Al Fanaanat cast at our Fall Caravan show in December! 💓

Pilates for Your Belly Dance with Farida Shourbaji! Saturday Oct 10, 1:30 - 3:25 PMExplore how Pilates can support great...
10/06/2026

Pilates for Your Belly Dance with Farida Shourbaji!

Saturday Oct 10, 1:30 - 3:25 PM

Explore how Pilates can support greater body awareness and ease in your dancing. Farida brings 25 years of belly dance experience and 22 years of teaching classical Pilates to this workshop.

Bring a mat and wear comfortable clothes. This group workshop is not recommended for anyone with an acute or current injury or anyone who is pregnant.

Sign up at our website !

Awesome double workshop this past weekend with Mohamed Ali .seveen - we danced to modern Egyptian shaabi and saidi folkl...
10/06/2026

Awesome double workshop this past weekend with Mohamed Ali .seveen - we danced to modern Egyptian shaabi and saidi folkloric dance! Both were so much fun! Thank you Mohamed, we always enjoy learning from you! 💓

We are thrilled to announce we will be hosting superstar Mercedes Nieto for a 3-day Intensive in Washington, DC!!! 🤩😍🤩 ...
10/05/2026

We are thrilled to announce we will be hosting superstar Mercedes Nieto for a 3-day Intensive in Washington, DC!!! 🤩😍🤩 April 2 – 4, 2027. Limited spaces will be available. Topics coming soon. Tickets on sale now on our website.

A new class on Greek Tsiftiteli Combos by .official is available now in the Living Library! Learn the core movements ess...
10/02/2026

A new class on Greek Tsiftiteli Combos by .official is available now in the Living Library! Learn the core movements essential to Greek Tsiftiteli, a genre that originated in Anatolia and shares elements with Turkish, Romani, Armenian, and even Egyptian dance, yet is uniquely distinct in its sound and expression. 🇬🇷

Dreaming of a tropical belly dance vacation? 💭 Join us on Zoom Friday, October 9th at 7:00 PM Eastern to learn all about...
10/01/2026

Dreaming of a tropical belly dance vacation? 💭 Join us on Zoom Friday, October 9th at 7:00 PM Eastern to learn all about the Heart of Belly Dance Retreat in beautiful Costa Rica!

We’ll be sharing exciting highlights from this upcoming weeklong escape, which features the incredible master international artist Marta Korzun , along with restorative yoga and vibrant Greek dance classes with Sophianna .official . We will wrap up the dream week with a wonderful, celebratory hafla!

For over 20 years, Sahara Dance founder Rachel Kay Brookmire has hosted intimate, international dance retreats. She has developed the perfect, proven formula for artistic growth, deep relaxation, nature regeneration, and lifelong community friendships.

Our 2027 home is the world-class Blue Spirit Resort Center , an all-inclusive sanctuary just steps from a pristine natural beach. Enjoy a stunning infinity pool, gorgeous accommodations, and three delicious meals every single day.

🎁 EXCLUSIVE PERK: All live Zoom call participants will receive a special discount code for $200 off registration—or $300 off if you sign up with a friend!

📧 How to join:
Simply email [email protected] to receive your private Zoom invite link.

See you on Friday, October 9th at 7 PM ET! 🌴💃🏽🌴

Our Living Library keeps growing! This week we’re adding Veil Techniques & Combos with Gretchen, created as part of the ...
09/30/2026

Our Living Library keeps growing! This week we’re adding Veil Techniques & Combos with Gretchen, created as part of the Sahara Dance Intermediate 2 curriculum.

The training moves from veil basics into turns, wraps, tosses, framing, combinations, and a full choreography - giving dancers another way to practice the veil material we’re bringing into classes this fall.

Log in and start practicing! New to the Library? Use code SaharaDanceStudent20 for 20% off membership.

This Saturday October 3rd!! Two special workshops with Egyptian instructor Mohamed Ali .seveen !!! 1:30-3:25 pm - Egypti...
09/29/2026

This Saturday October 3rd!! Two special workshops with Egyptian instructor Mohamed Ali .seveen !!!

1:30-3:25 pm - Egyptian Modern Shaabi Workshop
ready to experience the energy, attitude, and rhythm of Modern Egyptian Shaabi Dance! This workshop explores the vibrant mix between oriental & street style of Egypt, combining powerful movements, playful expressions, rhythmic footwork, and authentic Shaabi flavor.

Participants will learn a fun and energetic choreography inspired by contemporary Egyptian Shaabi, while developing musicality, body isolations, hip movements, accents, and performance quality.

3:45-5:45 pm - Saidi
Saidi folkloric dance is one of the most prominent dances in Upper Egypt, based on the traditional martial art of Tahtib. This lively and energetic dance incorporates skills of flexibility and emphasizes the ability to control the cane or stick while framing the dancer’s movements. Your instructor, Mohamed Ali, will show you proper cane dance technique and how to control the balance between the cane and the dance movement.

Fall registration closes this week! It’s your final chance to join us on stage at the Summer Caravan on December 19th. T...
09/24/2026

Fall registration closes this week! It’s your final chance to join us on stage at the Summer Caravan on December 19th. Take one last look at options across technique, specialty classes, and performance training. Our website has all the details!

Address

4433 Wisconsin Avenue NW
Washington D.C., DC
20016

Opening Hours

Monday 6pm - 9:30pm
Tuesday 6pm - 9:30pm
Wednesday 6pm - 9:30pm
Thursday 6pm - 9:30pm
Saturday 10:30am - 3:30pm

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