Asharah
SAT: 3p - 5p ~ The Cymbalist Movement: Integrating Finger Cymbals into Your Dance.
BIO: Asharah has been performing since the age of six as a dancer, figure skater, and singer. As a bellydancer, she is best known for her dramatic fusion of tribal and cabaret styles, but also has extensive experience in Turkish, Egyptian and American bellydance. She recently earned her Level 2 certification in the Suhaila Salimpour format, and aims to blend this format with American Tribal Style bellydance. Her technique, musicality, emotional expression, and finger cymbal playing skills have been noted and admired around the world. She is deeply grateful to Alexia (Kim Leary), Artemis Mourat, Suhaila Salimpour, and others who have guided her along the way.
In addition to traveling around the world to teach sold-out workshops, she teaches regular tribal belly dance classes at two of the Washington, DC, area’s finest dance studios, Joy of Motion and Saffron Dance. She released her first instructional DVD Modern Tribal Bellydance, produced by WorldDanceNewYork, in January 2008, which has received excellent reviews from all styles and levels of dancers. She is also featured on the groundbreaking DVD Gothic Bellydance: The Darker Side of Fusion, produced by World Dance New York. From 2003-2005 she performed with the avant-garde troupe Martiya Possession and before that was a two year member of Raks Odalisque, Princeton University’s Middle Eastern dance troupe. She also provided live percussion and graphic design for Maduro’s debut release Shimmer Sustain.
Asharah is not only an accomplished dancer but also has a B.A. in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University. Ever since her childhood, Asharah has been deeply interested in Middle Eastern arts and culture. She believes that every belly dancer must know the history and culture of this dance, whether she is performing it in its traditional forms or fusing it with others.