Shira

Shira from Shira.netJulie Elliot (also known as Shira) is known worldwide for her work as a researcher, author, and publisher of information on Middle Eastern dance, music, and culture. She has been interviewed by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for stories on Middle Eastern dance, and is highly sought after as a contributor to magazines centered on this art form. 

Her website, www.shira.net, is the most comprehensive and most linked-to Oriental dance web site in the world. She serves as a staff writer for three publications focused on Middle Eastern dance, including Jareeda, Gilded Serpent, and Zaghareet.


Although she had already been dancing many years by then, in 1997 Elliot began her serious study and research into the historical and cultural foundations of Middle Eastern dance. For continuing education, she has traveled three times to Turkey and seven times to Egypt.


Her academic credentials include:

  • Bachelor of Arts. University of Iowa. 1979, double major in journalism & French
  • Master of Business Administration. University of Iowa. 1982.

At this time, Elliot is based in Iowa City, Iowa, USA.

--Danya; Las Vegas, NV "Push through your mistakes with the confidence and energy you want to emote on stage, even during rehearsals and drills. If you shake your head or wrinkle your nose through mistakes in practice, you can bet you'll do it on stage as well."

 

--Naimah; Las Vegas, NV "Keep a dance journal. You never know when inspiration might strike, so keep a notepad with you to write down choreography ideas. Let the natural world spark your imagination. Sometimes the simplest things like the curve of a flower petal, or the sound of rain against the window can be the beginnings of ...