Fantasia Teachers 2025
Read more about our amazing teachers:
We are really excited by our amazing line up this year. Read about our teachers here.
Oxana Bazaeva
Our Cairo star for 2025 is the fabulous Oxana Bazaeva.
After being placed in the top 3 in ‘El Rakassa’ – Egypts first ever televised bellydance competition, Oxana was immediately in demand to perform in Cairo. She moved there permanently and has been one of the most sought after dancers since that time. I have seen her perform at 6am in the all night cabarets, at some of the best restaurant venues in Cairo and at top class society weddings.
Oxana came to teach and perform at Fantasia in December 2019. Her workshops went down a storm and her performance in the Gala show was electric. Take this opportunity to study with her – and don’t miss our Gala show …. it will be epic! We are delighted to welcome Oxana back to the UK and so excited that she is part of Fantasia again.
Levana
Our European star is the amazing Levana. Not only is she a fabulous teachers and incredible performer but she runs an international festival ‘Etoiles d’Orient’ in Palma de Mallorca.
Khaled Mahmoud
Khaled brings the essence of Egypt to Fantasia. Khaled is in demand internationally to teach at festivals so we are delighted he is joining us. When Khaled first came to the UK he started to teach and perform at Fantasia which gave him a platform to launch himself in the UK. Now he teaches workshops around the world.
We are lucky to have him back at the Fantasia Festival. Khaled is teaching a workshop on ‘Baladi’ – bring that authentic Egyptian feel to your baladi!
Khaled is also performing in our Gala show on Saturday night.
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.
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 third year.
Josephine Wise
Jo is a master teacher with forty-five years’ experience. She has run classes and workshops and performed in London, around the UK and all over the world, including Egypt, Europe and the USA. She created the JWAAD Teaching Diploma course for Bellydancers, and the JWAAD Summer School (now the International Bellydance Summer School) in 1990. She created the original Fantasia Festival in 2000. She is renowned for her supportive and enjoyable teaching style, her imaginative choreography and her ability to make everyone feel welcome in all her workshops and events.
Kay Taylor
As part of the BellyDance Now team, Kay organises both Fantasia and the International Bellydance Summer School. As Farida Adventures Kay takes groups of bellydancers to Cairo to soak up the culture and to see as many dancers as possible in all the different settings.
Last year Kay was out of action with a torn tendon but this year she is back teaching. Kay brings a great energy to her classes and though you work hard, Kay ensures everyone has fun too. Kay not only organises these iconic events but also teaches regular classes in the North east both in person and on zoom. Kay loves to help students achieve their full potential and inspire them to be the best they can be.
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.
Dorte Evelyn / Ishtar
Dorte Evelyn, also known as Ishtar, is an International bellydance teacher and performer known for her captivating performances and strong stage presence. Her background as an actress and theatre choreographer teamed with her extensive training in Ballroom, Latin, Jazz and Middle Eastern dance, gives her an incredibly varied wealth of dance knowledge as well as elegant dance intensity. Having taught and performed all over Europe and in the Middle East, she is now based in Surrey, England where she teaches locally as well as internationally online.
Tevec Ibrahim
Award winning Turkish bellydancer based in London. Tevec teaches regular class as well as workshops both around the UK and internationally. Tevec is an inspiring and generous teacher. Feedback from her workshops is always excellent. From technique to Turkish romany, from culture to cabaret. We are delighted that Tevec is joining us this year.
Jamilah Aziz
Joanne Miller
Joanne is based in the North East where she performs regularly at various venues. Joanne also teaches at festivals around the UK. She is known for her friendly and approachable teaching style. Joanne briefly took to the Cairo stage when covering for another dancer. This experience fuelled her desire to dance.
Joanne mesmerises audience whether dancing to an emotional classic or a funky shaabi number. At Fantasia she is going to share some of her signature shaabi moves.
Moyra Banks
Back by popular demand. Moyra is a JWWAD trained teacher based in Edinburgh where she teaches regular classes as well as performing at many of the city’s top venues. Moyra loves the Egyptian style and travels to Cairo regularly to keep up to date with trends. Moyra also teaches at festivals around the UK and is a firm favourite at ‘Shimmy up North’. Her classes at this years International Bellydance Summer School also got rave reviews.
Moyra breaks down technique, explains everything and empowers you to achieve more than you thought possible.
Joelle Barker
World percussionist and Drummer Joëlle Barker specialises in Arabic percussion- finding her feet as a youth with renowned Egyptian Musicians including Ibrahim El Minyawi and Sheik Taha. Since then she has moved through many disciplines in drums and percussion, from Frame drums, Latin percussion, cajon to drum kit and much more. She has recorded with many artists, including Ruby Turner, Celloman, Ric Sanders (Fairport convention), Dave Randell of Faithless and Above and Beyond, as well as working with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal Ballet and West End theatre productions.
She is currently freelancing in a variety of acts, touring the UK and beyond, including full music shows, rhythm and blues bands, folk bands and her solo and duo acts- Bakhita and Beelive. You may also find Joëlle working alongside DJs, as a workshop leader and teacher.
Joelle is teaching a drumming workshop and drumming for Levana in her workshop on tabla solos. Joelle is also accompanying the dancers who enter the drum solo competition.
Naama Gelber
Naama has been a Pilates and Bellydance Teacher for the past 10 years with qualifications in Corrective Exercises, Senior Fitness, Nutrition and Pain Management. She uses all her expertise to inform her classes and help her students. Naama taught a sell out workshop at Fantasia and we are delighted she is joining us to teach at this years summer school. Naama has had excellent reviews from all her workshops. Take this opportunity to study with her.