Mentors to develop your dance

We have a host of fabulous teachers to help you on your journey through our ‘BDN International Challenge’.  Click on this link to book on the BDNIC

Our mentors include teachers from Cairo, Europe and the UK.  

Yasmina of Cairo and Carmen Tormo host regular mentoring chats on Zoom to discuss what is needed through the competition and answer any of your questions.

In addition to this, you can contacted of the amazing teachers below.  You book private lessons with them (each will have their own rate and you pay this direct to the teachers).  These teachers will help you prepare your piece for the competition but more importantly look at developing you as a dancer.  Remember the BDN International challenge is about your journey.

 

Brenda Diaz (Cairo/Argentina)

Brenda is a star of the Cairo dance scene. Before taking to the stage in Cairo she won many competitions and has also judged competitions around the world.  We are delighted she is one of our mentors.  Brenda judged the BDNIC 2022/23 final and this year will continue to mentor dancers on their journey.

 

 

Shahrzad (Cairo/USA)

Also a star of the Cairo stage, Shahrzad has a very authentic style and amazing technique to share.  As an experienced judge, we think Shahrzad has lots to offer as a mentor.  Shahrzad helped several dancers through their journeys in 2022 and all said how much it helped their development.

 

 

Abeer Will (Egypt/Germany)

Abeer has judged many competitions and brings a wealth of experience to her role as mentor.  She is particularly knowledgeable about traditional Egyptian folk and baladi styles.  For authenticity you should study with Abeer.

 

 

Julia Farid (Ukraine)

Julia teaches and performs internationally and has judged many competitions.  We are delighted she is offering to mentor some of you despite her busy schedule.  BDN are brining Julia to the UK in August 2024 to teach at our annual Summer School.  Book your place on this week long course.

 

Yasmina of Cairo

Yasmina is the brains behind this non competition as she likes to call it.  It really is about the journey and developing your dance skills.  Yasmina is passionate about helping dancers achieve their potential – these challenges are designed to push and develop you as a dancer.  

 

 

 

Levana

Joining our mentoring team for the first time in 2024, we are delighted to welcome Levana.  She runs the acclaimed Etoiles D’Orient festival in Mallorca.  Known as a passionate teacher and inspiring performer, Levana is perfect to join our mentoring team.  A pass to the festival is one of our prizes.
Levana has been dedicated to oriental dance for more than 20 years, apart from being trained in other disciplines such as ballet and being a high-level competitive gymnast, which has led her to have an elegant style and great presence on stage.

Levana is joining us to teach at Fantasia 2025.  She will also be one of the judges of our BDNIC final.  Levana has judged many competitions so knows what is looked for.

 

 

Sara Farouk (Cairo/UK)

Sara is based in Cairo and brings a wealth of knowledge to her role.  She has mentored several professional dancers along their dance journey in Cairo and is looking forward to extending her mentoring role with BDNIC.

 

 

 

 

Serena Ramzy (UK)

Serena is an amazing dancer and teacher.  She teaches internationally and has a lot of experience judging competitions.  Known for her beautiful musicality, Serena will make a great mentor.

 

 

 

 

Zara Abdel Rahman (Cairo/UK)

Zara is a professional dancer in Cairo, teaches internationally and produces the Zameena magazine.  A font of knowledge, Zara will make a wonderful mentor.

 

 

Lorna (Scotland)

Lorna lived and worked as a professional dancer in Cairo but is now based back in her native Scotland.  Her vast experience will certainly help any dancer develop.  She continues to teach, perform and judge competitions internationally.  Lorna mentored the winner of category 3 in our BDNIC 2022/23.

 

 

 

Maelle (Dubai/France/UK)

Maelle is currently based in Dubai.  She has won competitions, judged them and performs internationally.  Maelle loves a bit of theatre and will be a great mentor.

 

 

 

Kay Taylor (UK)

Kay has judged competitions and is an experienced teacher who is committed to helping her students achieve their full potential.  Kay believes developing our dance is an ongoing journey and loves the mentoring role.

 

 

 

Ishtar Bellydance (UK/Denmark)

Ishtar has judged many competitions.  She is not only a teacher and performer of bellydance but also brings her acting skills to bear.  Ishtar is looking forward to sharing your dance journey and mentoring you through the process.

 

 

 

Carmen Tormo (Spain/UK)

Carmen has been ‘placed’ in several competitions and also judged international competitions.  Carmen has lots of experience with European festivals and has her own style.  She will be a great mentor to help develop choreography and technique.  Based in Valencia, Carmen has embraced Zoom as a teaching method.

 

 

 

Rakiya el Maaza (Belgium)

Rakiya is a fabulous teacher and performer who has judged many competitions.  She loves a more theatrical style and always brings something different to her dance.  Rakiya looks forward to mentoring dancers through the BDNIC.

 

 

 

Katie Alyce

New to the mentoring role, Katie is based in London where she is a professional performer and teaches regular classes.  She wowed us with her performance to open the Fantasia Gala show in 2023.  Katie knows how to make an impact.  We are delighted to welcome Katie to the BDNIC mentoring team.

 

 

 

Yallar

Yallar is currently base in East Midlands, UK.  Teaching face to face and online classes in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham. Yallar has a degree in “Dance and Rhythm Teacher” and performs and teaches internationally.  Her thesis “Performance skills development in Belly Dance using contemporary dance training/teaching methods” built a successful base for her own teaching method.  Winner of the BDNIC 2023, we are delighted that Yallar is joining the mentoring team.

 

 

Amera Eid

Also joining the mentoring team is the fabulous Amera Eid.  Amera Eid, best known as a trail-blazing entrepreneur for bringing Belly Dance to Sydney and Australasia and contributing to its migration and integration into the multicultural Australian Dance scene.

An extraordinarily successful, enthusiastic, and determined businessperson with an array of creative skills.

An accomplished international performer and teacher with over 40 years of experience.  You can check out Ameras website here.

Sureya Hussein

Sureya is a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor based in London, UK. Her passion for dance stems from her Turkish culture where she has trained, taught, competed and performed in a variety of styles including Turkish Oryantal, Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, Egyptian Folklore, Turkish Romany as well as Tribal Fusion, Theatrical Fusion and Ballet.   Over the last 4 years, Sureya has won multiple awards including first place in the IDB dance championship, as well as medals in Turkey and Ireland. 
Sureya regularly teaches private classes, group classes as well as workshops around the UK and holds a mixture of pedagogical, fitness and performing arts qualifications. 

 

 

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FOLKLORE MENTORS

 

Abeer Will

 

Abeer has judged many competitions and brings a wealth of experience to her role as mentor.  She is particularly knowledgeable about traditional Egyptian folk and baladi styles.  Abeer trained with a folklore troupe at university in Alexandria and has gone on to make folklore her life study. 

 

 

Doaa Salam

Principle female soloist, choreographer and trainer in the Reda Troupe, Doaa is popular worldwide as a strong, experienced teacher of all styles of Egyptian folklore.

 

 

Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah is a principle male soloist in the Reda Troupe and a member of the Troupe for 20 years. He is also a master teacher and choreographer worldwide, in all Egyptian folklore styles.

 

 

 

 

 

Khaled Seif
For over 23 years, he has really enriched the oriental scene in Switzeriand and around the world.  Now he lives in France.
Concentration, ambition, mobility and fitness are the fundamental foundations of his education.
He is recognized as a rigorous instructor, and by the knowledge he gives to all dancers.
Khaled’s primary vision is always to push everyone beyond their own boundaries.
Author of Books:
1999 “Music, Rhythm and Dance”.
2003 “World of Shaabi Dance (folk Dances) in Egypt”.
2022 “Golden Era of Oriental Dance and Music in Egypt”.
2022 “Dance Technic”

 

Vanessa

Vanessa is a an American-born dancer, who lived and danced full-time in Egypt from 2008 till 2020–when the Covid pandemic brought her back to the USA.
To date, Vanessa is the first and only American woman to start and operate a production company in Egypt; she was choreographer and artistic director of a folklore troupe in Sharm el Sheikh, and folklore trainer to several theatrical productions.
Vanessa has held contracts in 5 Star hotels, in addition to dancing and acting in plays at Balloon Theatre—one of Cairo’s most famous establishments.
 
 
 
 
Shining
 
Shining (AKA Patricia Clark-Gilley) is a dedicated student and performer of Ghawaee (and Shamadan) dance styles, and basing herself in Luxor has developed a strong relationship with Khairia Mazin the last remaining dancer of the famous Mazin sisters of Luxor. She has documented  Khairiya’s life through interviews, and facilitated dance classes with Khairiya for dancers worldwide, as well as being a specialized teacher in her own right.
 

 

For more information go back to our BDNIC competition page here

To register and book your place on BDNIC 2024/25 go here.

Get in touch for more information

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