Early Studies and the Egyptian Connection Shareen began her studies with Diane Webber and Jamila Salimpour in 1967, and later Ibrahim Farrah and Feiruz Aram. She began teaching in 1972 and was the first belly dancer on California's Central Coast. She acquired a renewed interest in both performance and instruction during many extended stays in Egypt, beginning in 1985 when she danced and studied in Cairo. During the 1988-1992 summer seasons she performed raks al sharqi at Parisianna, opening for Lucy; El Leil, the largest nightclub in the Middle East; the five-star Sunset Nightclub, opening for Sohair Zeki; and Siag Pyramids Hotel. Observing Egyptian dancers, especially Nagwa Fouad and Sohair Zeki, for literally hundreds of performances, has provided Shareen with a unique perspective on current Egyptian movement. She has also benefited from both group class and private study with Mohammed Khalil, Mahmoud Reda, Nagwa Fouad, Mona el Said, Dina, Ibrahim Akef, Hala El Safy (who gave Shareen her name), Raqia Hassan, Nadia Hamdi, Aida Nour, Dandesh, Amani, Randa, Tito, Lubna Eman, and the Benat Maazin of Luxor. Acknowledging Egypt as the current source of raks al sharqi, she has conducted her Dance/Study Tours to Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Alexandria, studying with the top performers and choreographers to the stars.
Teaching and Performing Worldwide Shareen has toured extensively, performing and conducting seminars in sixty major cities on five continents throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific Rim including Cairo, Egypt; Northern Israel; Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, Japan; Perth, Freemantle, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, Australia; Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand; Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; Turku, Finland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Amsterdam, Holland; London, South Hampton, Hinckley, and Norwich, England; Edinburgh and Inverness, Scotland; Hamburg, Cologne, Karlsruhe, Nurnberg, Bremerhaven, Darmstadt, Hannover, Berlin, Frankfurt, Weisbaden, and Munich, Germany; and Rome, Italy. Canadian cities include Vancouver, B.C.; Toronto, Ontario; and Edmonton, Alberta. In the U.S., she has taught and performed in New York City, Seattle, Spokane, Eugene, Las Vegas, Reno, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Denver, Austin and Dallas, Huntsville, Little Rock, Milwaukee, Hartford, Indianapolis, Springfield and St. Louis, Greensborough, Chesterfield, New Orleans, Honolulu, Anchorage, Miami Shores and Miami. She has also taught throughout California in Los Angeles, Hollywood, Long Beach, Anaheim, Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, Mendocino, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Visalia, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Oxnard, Goleta and her native city of Santa Barbara. |
Shareen El Safy
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