Epsom bellydance

About

My name is Nadia, and I teach bellydance classes for adults (beginners and lower-level improvers) in Epsom.

I teach classical Egyptian and fusion styles. I offer a flexible class that I tailor based on which attendees join my courses. I’m fully insured, hold a Level 1 teaching certification with Belly Dance Now (formerly JWAAD, a UK accredited body).

I’m also a trained Macmillan volunteer. I teach gentle bellydance – as part of the therapy offerings – to ladies undergoing cancer treatment.

How bellydance found me:

My passion began watching women dance at weddings and engagement parties in Algeria. I’m mixed heritage Algerian-British, Kabyle (one of the Amazigh native North African tribes). I loved watching and partaking in the community connection and joy. After moving to the UK, I gravitated towards fusion bellydance. I love Arabic music, but the classical bellydance costumes and big smiles were intimidating for a shy girl. Fusion was also a space to wear my Kabyle jewels.  

My formal dance training began in 2009 attending weekly classes with Hannah Mi Anis. Hannah was a fusion dancer back then and performer with multiple artists. Her focus now is somatic Sacred Earth, Embodied movement and Ritual (SEER). Dancers constantly evolve. At the moment, my interest is Raqs Sharqui (Egyptian classical, Baladi), though I love exploring fusion and practise this regularly.

Over the yaers I have attended workshops with Philippa Moirai, Rachel Brice and any class I could save up for! I’ve also studied Turkish Roman with Rosy Summerbell and Ozgen and India Fusion with Colleena Shakti.  

People say my style is soft, feminine and elegant. Technique and musicality are foundations to my dance, though I always carry Hannah’s teachings about archetypes, storytelling, and elemental movement. As a teacher I watch my students and tailor the teaching: some want fierce, some want strong, some want ethereal.

As an instructor, my focus is on teaching technique and musicality so attendees get confident improvising over each course. Dance is a form of personal expression and that’s what I hope to empower my class attendees with.