Fantasia Teachers 2024
Read more about our amazing teachers:
Fantasia is a celebration of bellydance and we are delighted to have some amazing teachers. The Fantasia Festival is the longest running bellydance festival in London. We will post information and updates in the Fantasia Community. Why not join us?
Randa Kamel
Our Cairo star for 2024 is the fabulous RANDA KAMEL
Randa is both an inspirational teacher and performer. She is in demand around the world and runs her own courses and festivals in Cairo. We are delighted she is joining us at Fantasia in February 2024.
For Randa Fans ………
We are offering a superstar package with Randa – which you can book on NOW. There are workshops on the 17th and 18th Feb 2024. The workshops with Randa on Sunday 18th February included in this package are limited to 30 places – so, we only have 30 Superstar Packages available. These are now sold out. You can book individually on the Saturday workshops with Randa which will be based in the main hall. A 2 hour technique workshop and a 2 hour workshop with an oriental choreography.
Ozgen Ozgec
Born in Turkey, now based in London. Ozgen trained as a dancer and worked as a professional dancer in Turkey before moving to London. Ozgen has established himself as an international star, teaching and performing around the globe. His performances are dynamic, emotional and mesmerising.
We are delighted that Ozgen is joining us to teach at Fantasia. Ozgen brings passion and skill to his dance. If you haven’t studied with Ozgen before, take this opportunity to do so.
Ozgen also holds monthly performance events in London which are extremely popular.
Yasmina of Cairo
Yasmina of Cairo is a performer and teacher with a lifetime of experience that includes over 25 years based in Cairo, where she performed for nearly a decade with her orchestra, as well as dancing her way around many Middle Eastern countries. For the past 15 years she has run the Belly Dancers’ B&B in Cairo hosting dancers from around the world, and facilitating live music parties, workshops and connecting guests with Egyptian culture. She is also in demand teaching and performing worldwide at festivals and dance events.
Yasmina has produced seven music CD’s for dancers available online here: yasminaofcairo.bandcamp.com She has also produced five documentaries about the Egyptian dance scene, available in four parts here:
In our own words Part 1
In our own words P2
In our own words Part 3
In our own words P4
Now dividing her time between Cairo and the UK, Yasmina brings her depth of experience and international connections to Bellydance Now, and has helped develop the online course content. Along with Carmen Tormo, Yasmina has also been the driving force behind our annual competition, the Bellydance Now International Challenge. This has proved to be hugely beneficial to dancers, and is now in its second year.
Sara Farouk
Sara Farouk is both a trained dancer and an actor. She has featured in films and serials through her career. As a dancer, Sara studied at university then fell in love with Bellydance. She took groups of dancers to Cairo regularly for many years introducing them to the culture and dance scene. She now runs Randas course and festival, taking bookings and helping ensure they run smoothly.
When based in London, Sara ran regular classes and workshops. In Cairo she teaches workshops and mentors dancers. Her unique way of accessing and sharing information about music and dance really makes a difference. Sara has inspired many dancers through her career. We are delighted that Sara is teaching at Fantasia.
Katie Alyce
Katie Alyce is an international performer, choreographer and teacher from London. She teaches regular belly dance courses in London, retreats around the world, and teaches workshops nationally and internationally.
Some of her performance highlights include being featured dancing in the BBC drama ‘SAS: Rogue Heros’, channel 4’s ‘complaints welcome’, Sky 1’s ‘A league of their own’ and performed for clients in Italy, Ibiza, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Bali and in the Maldives. Katie’s past clients include Sienna Miller, Salma Hayek and for the royal families of Bahrain and Qatar.
Katie recently taught at the International Bellydance Summer School to rave reviews. If you haven’t had the chance to study with Katie we can highly recommend her classes.
Yallar
is an internationally acclaimed teacher and performer currently working in UK. At the age of 18 she started to travel to “Ahlan wa Sahlan” and “Nile group” festivals in Cairo. Yallar is an experienced dancer and teacher who has performed on stages of Egypt, Russia, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Italy, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Turkey and UK. Yallar has a degree in “Dance and Rhythm Teacher” and Master’s Degree in Community Dance Leadership. Her thesis “Performance skills development in Belly Dance using contemporary dance training/teaching methods” built a successful base for her own unique teaching method.
Currently teaching in Coventry, Leicester and Birmingham as well as ONLINE
Naama Gelber
Originally from Haifa, Naama is now based in the UK. Naama is a qualified Pilates teacher as well as teaching bellydance. She combines her knowledge of these disciplines to create her own special brand of teaching skills.
Naama is a thoughtful teacher who works with her students to help them be the best that they can be. Naama has a beautiful flowing and graceful style which is a joy to watch. Naama teaches classes both in person and on line.
Last year Naama and her group performed on the open stage so we are delighted that this year she is joining us as a teacher.
Moyra Banks
Moyra is based in Edinburgh. She fell in love with Egyptian dance many years ago and travels regularly to Cairo to keep up with all the new trends. Moyra loves all styles of Egyptian bellydance from folklore to oriental and cabaret.
Moyra is a qualified JWAAD / BDN teacher, holds regular weekly classes in Edinburgh as well as teaching at festivals around the UK.
Moyra loves performing and works in several restaurants around Edinburgh as well as at weddings and festivals. She is a principle member of the Helwa dance company who toured the UK and featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where their show sold out.
We are delighted Moyra is joining us at Fantasia this year and sharing her love of Nubian music and dance.
Bonita
Bonita has been in love with dancing her whole life, enjoying a variety of dance forms from salsa to samba, tango to tap and Bollywood to ballet! However, her main love has been, for the last 25 years, Egyptian Belly Dance. Bonita has enjoyed being involved with belly dance as both a performer and teacher, as well as organising many haflas and shows including regular showcase ‘Club Baklava’ and theatre show, ‘Dance Queens of the Nile’ with the late great Hossam Ramzy. Indeed, Hossam and Serena Ramzy were Bonita’s mentors for many years, teaching her to play Egyptian tabla whilst acquiring an in depth understanding of Egyptian music, its composition and its relationship to dance. Through them she developed a deeper appreciation for Egyptian music and dance as well as a love for the many wonderful dancers of this amazing art form, who continue to inspire Bonita to this day. This is Bonita’s first time teaching at Fantasia and we hope you will join Bonita to explore the magic of musicality.
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