Amara |
| Comments or experiences to share about Amara? Let us know! |
 |  |  |  |  |  |
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 staged folk dances including
raqs al-assaya and debke. 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 (LA),
Elbasha (LA), and Mamounia (LV). She has also been
highlighted in numerous videos by IAMED, BDTV, and
EEMED.
Amara teaches Beginning through Professional level
classes in the Los Angeles area. She is also a featured
instructor at many belly dance events throughout the
United States, offering workshops and classes in:
American cabaret, staged-folklore from the Middle East
and North Africa, experimental performance and
concepts (X-MED), sword, veil, double veil, assaya, zils,
floor work, and How to Teach Dance.
Amara is known for her innovative teaching methods. In
her studio classes, she stresses strong foundational
technique through combinations of choreography,
improvisation, solo, and group work, while she also
helps students explore the workings of Middle Eastern
dance and their own individual needs. In addition,
Amara presents information about the history of Middle
Eastern and Belly Dance, differences between various
genres, and issues facing dancers today. 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 an instructor at California State Polytechnic
University, 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 long-term dance
engagements at Moun of Tunis (LA) and Pars (LA). They
have also been invited to perform at numerous
functions for IAMED, UCLA, Las Vegas Belly Dance
Intensive, 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, now in its ninth season. She has
also hosted a monthly showcase and co-founded
“Dance Under Construction,” a UC system wide dance
conference. Her newest projects include “X-MED,” a
workshop series presenting tools and methods for
creating experimental Middle Eastern dances and “How
to Teach Middle Eastern Dance,” a seminar series
designed for new and seasoned teachers to learn and
practice new pedagogical styles.
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 in
Dance Performance. Currently, Amara is a doctoral
candidate at UC Riverside’s PhD program in Dance
History and Theory.
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 staged folk dances including
raqs al-assaya and debke. 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 (LA),
Elbasha (LA), and Mamounia (LV). She has also been
highlighted in numerous videos by IAMED, BDTV, and
EEMED.
Amara teaches Beginning through Professional level
classes in the Los Angeles area. She is also a featured
instructor at many belly dance events throughout the
United States, offering workshops and classes in:
American cabaret, staged-folklore from the Middle East
and North Africa, experimental performance and
concepts (X-MED), sword, veil, double veil, assaya, zils,
floor work, and How to Teach Dance.
Amara is known for her innovative teaching methods. In
her studio classes, she stresses strong foundational
technique through combinations of choreography,
improvisation, solo, and group work, while she also
helps students explore the workings of Middle Eastern
dance and their own individual needs. In addition,
Amara presents information about the history of Middle
Eastern and Belly Dance, differences between various
genres, and issues facing dancers today. 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 an instructor at California State Polytechnic
University, 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 long-term dance
engagements at Moun of Tunis (LA) and Pars (LA). They
have also been invited to perform at numerous
functions for IAMED, UCLA, Las Vegas Belly Dance
Intensive, 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, now in its ninth season. She has
also hosted a monthly showcase and co-founded
“Dance Under Construction,” a UC system wide dance
conference. Her newest projects include “X-MED,” a
workshop series presenting tools and methods for
creating experimental Middle Eastern dances and “How
to Teach Middle Eastern Dance,” a seminar series
designed for new and seasoned teachers to learn and
practice new pedagogical styles.
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 in
Dance Performance. Currently, Amara is a doctoral
candidate at UC Riverside’s PhD program in Dance
History and Theory.
| "Continue increasing your analytical and descriptive dance vocabulary. " |
Ya Helewa!
| An Evening of Experimental Middle Eastern Dance Oct 17th, 18th & 19th and Oct 24th, 25th & 26th View Preview: |
| Click here to view high quality videos on Amara's Web site |