Thread: Best Egyptian Style Dancers in US?

There is a question on Oriental Dancer forum, similar to this about clips of USA dancers who dance Egyptian style. Just wondering who are your favorites? Thanks!

Tamra-Henna from Southern California
Bahaia from Austin

Those two are my favorite.

Jillina and Aziza and Ava Fleming technically don't count, right? They're some kind of American-Egyptian hybrid. Zahra Zuhair and Tamalyn Dallal...do they count?

oh, yes, and T-H!! She definitely counts. ..g.:

I also like Roxxanne, who's very Egyptian style.

Nasila, I would say those are more American style--but not exactly AmCab if that makes sense. Jillina, Ava, and to an extent, Aziza have more of a modern influence (Jillina and Ava have definite hip hop influence, too).

I think of the modern Egyptian style as more of the "over there" style--it's a little more improv/laid back and sexy than the Jillina BDSS style.

Roxanne is a great example of the laid back sexy Egyptian style.

SAHRA fir eeffs sake. tina

I agree about Tamra Henna, Roxxanne and Bahaia also..g.: . Bahaia is definately a favorite of mine!!! She has that classical Egyptian style that I enjoy so much.

I consider Sahra Saeeda and Shareen El Safy masters on Egyptian style ..g.: !

Originally Posted by tattood1

SAHRA fir eeffs sake. tina

Cassandra from Minnesota, Lilah Perry from Portland, and Astryd from Eugene/Egypt! Astryd lives in Egypt half the year and then comes back and teaches all the wonderful stuff she learned in Egypt. She is also on Raqia Hassan's videos.

I Love Bahaia too!

Originally Posted by Tammyraks

I consider Sahra Saeeda and Shareen El Safy masters on Egyptian style ..g.: !

Yep, yup!

i don't know that ava has any hip hop influence, or if so I can't imagine how it could be overpowering her many many years of arabic/egyptian. although i haven't been in touch with her so much recently, her primary training is from angelika nemeth, and sahra 'saeeda' kent. i do recall that she took up ballroom after moving to phoenix though.

Originally Posted by mish_mish

Nasila, I would say those are more American style--but not exactly AmCab if that makes sense. Jillina, Ava, and to an extent, Aziza have more of a modern influence (Jillina and Ava have definite hip hop influence, too).

I think of the modern Egyptian style as more of the "over there" style--it's a little more improv/laid back and sexy than the Jillina BDSS style.

Morocco and my teacher Khalidah

http://youtube.com/watch?v=06EzRLyXKIYand Lucy of Dc
YouTube - Lucy of DC - Om Kolthoum - Hayarti Albi Ma'ak

Cassandra, Astryd deMichele, and Lilah Perry!

Originally Posted by mish_mish

Tamra-Henna from Southern California
Bahaia from Austin

Those two are my favorite.

This..g.: same ones for me,and Jillina.

Virginia.

Also: Ranya Renee of NYC. Saphira of DC.

Sahra is my top favorite Egyptian style dancer in the US, easily.

Lucy (DC) is up there for me. A dear friend and a great dancer.

Debbie (formerly Lammam) is also up there. She's just so laid back and wonderful.

Damiena (Baltimore) is now up there for me - seriously she is a real hidden secret and she's great.

Aziz - my old teacher from Utah who's now retired , seriously one of the best I've seen, even after all these years.

I have great respect for Astryd, Zahra Zuhair, Cassandra Shore and Shereen el Safy as well.

Miasia (dc) is a maybe for my list - no doubt she's a great dancer, I'm just trying to decide if she's Egyptian style enough for this list. She's a cross-over dancer.

The rest mentioned above either I don't feel I've seen enough of yet, or I don't know if I'd really consider them Egyptian enough for me. I'm sure I'm forgetting some great ones, but these were the one's off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by shems

Sahra is my top favorite Egyptian style dancer in the US, easily.

Lucy (DC) is up there for me. A dear friend and a great dancer.

Debbie (formerly Lammam) is also up there. She's just so laid back and wonderful.

Damiena (Baltimore) is now up there for me - seriously she is a real hidden secret and she's great.

Aziz - my old teacher from Utah who's now retired , seriously one of the best I've seen, even after all these years.

I have great respect for Astryd, Zahra Zuhair, Cassandra Shore and Shereen el Safy as well.

Miasia (dc) is a maybe for my list - no doubt she's a great dancer, I'm just trying to decide if she's Egyptian style enough for this list. She's a cross-over dancer.

The rest mentioned above either I don't feel I've seen enough of yet, or I don't know if I'd really consider them Egyptian enough for me. I'm sure I'm forgetting some great ones, but these were the one's off the top of my head.

I haven't seen the others, but I'd like to second Lucy and Damiena!

Cassandra, Zahra Zuhair

Sahra is one of my favorites-- also one of my favorite teachers ever.
Ranya Renee (my main teacher right now)
Shareen el Safy- I just saw her dance and took workshops with her for the first time.
Yowalka of NYC is a hidden secret but hopefully not for long.
I haven't seen them live yet but I love Lucy of DC and Bahaia too
Anyone know where I can see Debbie, Roxxanne on video? Thanks!

Ditto what Shems says (though I haven't seen Damiena dance).

And I would add Yasmin of DC also.

All the others that have been mentioned really don't have the authentic Egyptian feel through and through the way these dancers do.

Sedonia

Originally Posted by shems

Sahra is my top favorite Egyptian style dancer in the US, easily.

Lucy (DC) is up there for me. A dear friend and a great dancer.

Debbie (formerly Lammam) is also up there. She's just so laid back and wonderful.

Damiena (Baltimore) is now up there for me - seriously she is a real hidden secret and she's great.

Aziz - my old teacher from Utah who's now retired , seriously one of the best I've seen, even after all these years.

I have great respect for Astryd, Zahra Zuhair, Cassandra Shore and Shereen el Safy as well.

Miasia (dc) is a maybe for my list - no doubt she's a great dancer, I'm just trying to decide if she's Egyptian style enough for this list. She's a cross-over dancer.

The rest mentioned above either I don't feel I've seen enough of yet, or I don't know if I'd really consider them Egyptian enough for me. I'm sure I'm forgetting some great ones, but these were the one's off the top of my head.

I am really happy to see so many people naming Cassandra as Egyptian-style, because I always believed she was (albeit with her own personal Cassandra humour and theatricality shining through) but someone informed me she was "American Cabaret" the other day. It seems this person considered American Cabaret to be more about feel and presentation than format, though. I feel somewhat mollified!

Hi Amyraks,
You can find Debbie Lamman & Roxxanne performances on Bahaia's "Cairo Heat Wave" DVD and a couple of Little Egypt DVDs.

Originally Posted by amyraks

Sahra is one of my favorites-- also one of my favorite teachers ever.
Ranya Renee (my main teacher right now)
Shareen el Safy- I just saw her dance and took workshops with her for the first time.
Yowalka of NYC is a hidden secret but hopefully not for long.
I haven't seen them live yet but I love Lucy of DC and Bahaia too
Anyone know where I can see Debbie, Roxxanne on video? Thanks!

Originally Posted by Azhia

Virginia.

Virginia is so jazzy...I think she's great, but I don't think of her when I think of Egyptian style.

Zari, I'm thinking of the Ava I saw at Rakkasah 2004. She was totally about the pops and locks. I haven't seen her dance in a few years, so maybe she's changed her style? I'm usually not totally clueless about those kinds of influences, but maybe this time.

Virginia in a Soraya kind of way which means South American Egyptian !..g.:

Tamra-henna/LA fan, here, for teaching Egyptian style.

By the by, Mish, I wouldn't put Ava in Egyptian either - more Jillina-esque than that.

I would add Amina Goodyear (my teacher). I like Amina's connection to the music.

Note: Debbie Lammam now uses the name Debbie Smith (her performances are probably listed under one name or the other). Debbie also has a wonderful connection to the music.

Shems--I would add you to the list, too.

Cheers,

Rose

Lucy of DC for sure. I think she really embodies modern egyptian.

I guess when I saw Virginia it was on the Sharif Gala tape (the one containing Aida Nour's fabulous chair butt shimmy) so perhaps she had adapted her style to fit more Egyptian characteristics? And I also saw her at the Mahmoud Reda workshop. So perhaps I have not seen enough of her and the times I had, she seemed to be performing more Egyptian style.