Belly Dance Life
Belly Dance Life
Iana Komarnytska
All insights into belly dance lifestyle
Ep 393. Devin Alfather: When One Dance Form Is Not Enough for Everything You Want to Say
Devin Alfather is a multidisciplinary dancer and entertainer specializing in theatrical Fusion Bellydance, Egyptian Raqs Sharqi, MENAHT and world fusion dances, as well as burlesque, circus, fire performance, and other dance forms. A multi-award-winning performer and instructor, she is dedicated to both technical development and deeper understanding of the cultural sources behind the forms she studies. Her performances often combine belly dance with theatrical storytelling, props, fire, balancing work, veil, zills, Isis wings, and other visual elements, allowing her to create highly distinctive experiences for a wide range of events. Alongside performing across Texas and beyond, Devin teaches workshops for detail-oriented dancers and continues to study source materials and artists while developing her own multidisciplinary approach to movement and performance.
Sep 22
1 hr 16 min
Ep 392. Silvia Brazzoli: Dancing Through Miscarriage and Rediscovering Your New Self
Silvia Brazzoli is an international belly dance artist, instructor, artistic director, yoga teacher, and visual artist based in Italy. She began studying oriental dance at the age of 18 and has since performed and taught across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Known for her elegant, feminine style and empowering approach to teaching, Silvia continues to explore oriental dance and other movement traditions as part of her ongoing artistic development. In Italy, she runs her own school and directs the Silvia Raqs Group, while also organizing events and retreats. She has received numerous international competition titles and has performed with world-renowned companies including Jillina Carlano’s Bellydance Evolution and Manca Pavli’s Amaya Dance Company. Her work brings together dance, yoga, musicality, body awareness, creativity, and a strong belief in the lifelong evolution of the dancer.
Sep 15
1 hr
Ep 391. Moria Chappell: The Uncomfortable History of Sexuality and Dance
Moria Chappell is an internationally renowned performance artist, dance instructor, researcher, artistic director, and costume designer specializing in Fusion and Experimental Belly Dance, Temple Dance, and Indian Odissi Classical Dance. Over more than two decades, she has performed, taught, and researched ancient dance traditions in over 50 countries, exploring connections between movement, ritual, mythology, and ancient trade routes. A principal dancer and later Artistic Director of the Bellydance Superstars from 2005–2015, Moria is known for her archetypal performance style and Muscular Belly Dance Technique, emphasizing precision, isolation, and individual expression. She is also a principal dancer, teacher, and Assistant Director of the Urvasi Dance Ensemble, studying the Mahari tradition of Odissi under Dr. Ratna Roy. Her work brings together movement research, theatrical production, and a lifelong fascination with the ancient roots of dance.
Sep 8
1 hr 49 min
Ep 390. Nisaa (Heather D. Ward): How Egypt Celebrates Belly Dance While Stigmatizing Its Dancers
Nisaa (Heather D. Ward) is an instructor, performer, and researcher of Egyptian dance based in St. Louis, Missouri. Specializing in Egyptian raqs sharqi as well as baladi, awalim, ghawazi, and other Egyptian folk and traditional dances, her work focuses on understanding dance within its broader sociocultural and historical context. With academic degrees in anthropology and history, Nisaa has studied with internationally renowned artists as well as Egyptian traditional entertainers and has been teaching Egyptian dance since 2003. Her research into the history of Egyptian dance and its professional practitioners led to the publication of Egyptian Belly Dance in Transition: The Raqs Sharqi Revolution, 1890–1930 and her latest book, Raqs in the City: The Belly Dance Landscape of Cairo. Through her teaching, performance, and research, Nisaa works to deepen understanding of Egyptian dance as both a living art form and a reflection of the history and culture that shaped it.
Sep 1
1 hr 40 min
Ep 389. Jrisi Jusakos: How to Dance With Musicians Instead of Just Dancing to Music
Jrisi Jusakos is an Australian dancer, choreographer, educator, and producer with more than 35 years of experience in dance. Born in Chile to a Greek family and raised in Australia, she first connected with Arabic music and dance through Sydney’s Lebanese community before beginning her formal belly dance training as a teenager. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a major in Contemporary Choreography and has extensive training in Raqs Sharqi, ballet, jazz, contemporary, flamenco, and Persian dance. Her career has included professional performance in Sydney’s Arabic live music scene, international study across Egypt, Lebanon, Germany, and New York, and the founding of the Hathor Persian Dance Ensemble. Today, her work centers on musicality, improvisation, artistic individuality, and the relationship between dancer and live musician, while she also creates accessible movement programs for seniors, mixed-ability participants, and culturally diverse communities.
Aug 25
1 hr 47 min
Ep 388. Phaedra Darwish: What Belly Dancers Can Borrow From the Western System of Music Education
Phaedra Darwish is a Chicago-based dancer, musician, instructor, and cultural advocate with a background in instrumental and vocal music and musical theatre. Inspired by Arabic dance and music and their connection to her own heritage, she has spent more than 14 years performing and teaching throughout Chicago and across the United States, while also participating in cultural events, community fundraisers, and dance festivals as both a dancer and musician. Her approach to Oriental dance goes beyond movement, incorporating music, regional traditions, and cultural context. Through her teaching and professional performances, Phaedra is dedicated to increasing awareness, appreciation, and understanding of Middle Eastern dance and sharing the richness of her cultural heritage with wider audiences.
Aug 18
2 hr 1 min
Ep 387. Olena Sinelnikova: The Teacher Who Knows How to Create Stars
Olena Sinelnikova is an internationally acclaimed belly dancer, choreographer, and instructor from Ukraine. She is the founder and director of the Isfahan Dance School and the organizer of the Isfahan Bellydance Festival. An international judge and mentor to numerous Ukrainian champions and stage stars, Olena is recognized for her dedication to developing the next generation of dancers. She is also a winner of multiple national and international competitions, including first place at the Nile Group Festival in Cairo in both the Folklore Duet (2011) and Solo (2012) categories, and continues to teach and perform at festivals around the world.
Aug 11
1 hr 4 min
Ep 386. Kira Lebedeva: When Your Dance Career Outgrows Just Performing
Kira Lebedeva is a Tribal Fusion belly dancer, yoga instructor, and mentor from Lviv, Ukraine, with over 16 years of experience in dance and more than a decade of teaching. Known for her exceptional body control, fluid musicality, and expressive storytelling, she has become one of the leading artists in the international Tribal Fusion community. Her work is distinguished by a seamless fusion of technical precision and emotional expression, inviting audiences to experience dance as both an art form and a deeply personal story. In addition to her artistic career, in March 2022 Kira transformed her dance studio into a shelter for displaced Ukrainians following the outbreak of the full-scale war. Through both her performances and teaching, she continues to inspire dancers around the world with her unique blend of technical precision, creativity, and emotional depth.
Aug 4
1 hr 34 min
Ep 385. Maris: What a Real Working Day Looks Like for a Professional Dancer in Cairo
Maris is an Estonian belly dancer, instructor, performer, and recording artist who has built an international career across Europe and the Middle East. After beginning her dance journey in 2005 and teaching from 2012, she launched her professional career in Egypt with daily performances in Sharm El Sheikh before moving on to Dubai and eventually settling in Cairo, where she has become a sought-after performer at prestigious weddings, events, discos, and Nile cruise shows. She has also taught and performed in numerous countries worldwide and is widely recognized in the Arab world for her appearance in Mostafa Shawki's 2019 hit music video Maltashet El 2loub. In addition to performing, Maris regularly teaches workshops internationally and, in 2024, released an album of original music created specifically for belly dance performances.
Jul 28
1 hr 16 min
Ep 384. Nadia Sueoka: What Happens When Japanese Art Meets Middle Eastern Dance?
Nadia Sueoka is a Japanese belly dancer, choreographer, and instructor based in Singapore, with an international career spanning performances, teaching, and choreography around the world. Since beginning her professional career in 2005, she has trained extensively in Egypt and Turkey with world-renowned masters. Having traveled to more than 30 countries, she has developed a distinctive artistic style inspired by diverse cultures. An award-winning performer, Nadia is known for her powerful stage presence, exceptional musicality, and soulful improvisation. She has created over 100 choreographies in Oriental, Folklore, and Fusion styles. Her signature JAPANESE ORIENTAL FUSION series, which blends Middle Eastern dance with Japanese aesthetics, has earned international recognition for its originality and artistic vision. Nadia is the founder and artistic director of NADIA Oriental Dance Arts Singapore and NADIA ONLINE. She is regularly invited to perform, teach workshops, and serve as a judge at international festivals and competitions worldwide.
Jul 22
1 hr 8 min
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