Amara

Amara is one of the most versatile Middle Eastern dancers. She is well known for her entertaining and dynamic American belly dance style that is interspersed with sword, veil, double veil, and zil work. She is equally skilled in many folk dances including raqs al-assaya, debke, and khaleegy. Amara's experimental Middle Eastern dance is on the cutting edge and is perhaps the most varied out there with each work looking and feeling dramatically different.

Amara has performed as a soloist and in Middle Eastern Dance companies all over the United States. She has held long-term dance engagements at several Middle Eastern restaurants and nightclubs including Pars and Elbasha (Los Angeles), and Mamounia (Las Vegas). She has also been highlighted in numerous videos by The International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED), Belly Dance Television, and the EEMED series.

Amara is also known for her innovative teaching methods. In her studio classes, she stresses strong foundational technique while she also helps students explore the workings of Middle Eastern dance and their own personal needs. She has taught accredited courses on dance appreciation and Middle Eastern dance at UCLA and UCR and workshops at a number of universities and colleges. She is currently a professor at Cal Poly, Pomona.

In addition to teaching, Amara is the Director and Choreographer of Ya Helewa!, a Middle Eastern dance company which performs a diverse repertory of traditional and experimental improvisations and choreographies. Ya Helewa! has held a long-term dance engagements at Moun of Tunis and Pars (Los Angeles). They have also been invited to perform at numerous functions for UCLA, IAMED, The Knitting Factory, and Desert Sin.

Amara also produces numerous events. Her main focus is "An Evening of Experimental Middle Eastern Dance" concerts and videos. She has also hosted a monthly showcase and has co-founded "Dance Under Construction," a UC system-wide dance conference. Her newest project with other experimental Middle Eastern dancers, X-MED, is a workshop series presenting tools and methods for creating experimental Middle Eastern dances.

In addition to teaching and performing, Amara is also deeply involved with studying and researching Middle Eastern dance. Her interest began while getting her degree in Music History and Literature and a certificate in Ethnomusicology from The Florida State University. Amara's pursuit deepened when at UCLA she worked towards an M.A. in Dance Ethnology and an MFA. Currently, Amara is a doctoral candidate at UC Riverside's PhD program in Dance History and Theory. She is finishing her dissertation: "Dancing on the Fringe. Connections Forming An Evening of Experimental Middle Eastern Dance."

For more information about Amara and Ya Helewa!, please visit Amara's site at AmaraDances.com.