Our Faculty
The faculty at Sahara Dance is committed to a shared vision of teaching belly dance as an art form. Working from a standardized curriculum, teachers emphasize strong technique, individual expression and contextual awareness of Middle Eastern dance and music. While each teacher has his or her own unique style and strengths, their shared syllabus ensures a comprehensive and thoughtful approach to belly dance instruction.
Allyson hopes to share with her students the joy of belly dance and the unique, individual expressions it generates. Years of experience as a college instructor have shaped her energy and flexibility in the classroom. and she is honored to be part of the artistry of Sahara Dance.
Ami has studied dance for more than ten years and brings an understanding of balance, rhythm and energy to American Tribal Style belly dance and Raqs Sharqi. She has participated in workshops with Kaeshi, Unmatta, Amar Gamal, Karim Nagi of Turbo Tabla, Nourhan and Yousry Sharif, Urban Tribal, Jill Parker, Fat Chance Belly Dance, Rachel Brice, among others ...
Sidqi (Brad Sidwell) has more than 25 years experience playing darabuka for belly dance and teaching classes and workshops in darabuka technique and rhythm. He has experience with Balkan and Middle Eastern drumming techniques, and a special interest in Turkish and Macedonian Romany rhythms ...
Brianne sought out belly dance classes after experiencing the beauty and unique expressiveness offered through this art form. She has been studying and dancing at Sahara Dance ever since.
Chiaki is a professional dancer who specializes in modern Egyptian bellydance. Drawing on her background in classical ballet, she brings grace and musicality to her dance and choreography. ...
Colleen is a leading member and the company manager of Raqs Caravan East and a member of Raqs Sahara.
Drawn to the grace and beauty of raqs sharqi and the spontaneity of American
Tribal Style, Dee Dee teaches and performs both traditional and tribal belly
dance. She brings an understanding of balance, posture and alignment to her
teaching from years of training in Anusara yoga...
Drawing on her background in competitive dance, Ebony brings her energetic style to raqs sharqi and the medium's dynamic combination of graceful and percussive movements. Her early dance influences include urban and electronic styles such as hip hop and house ...
Elysa has been with Sahara Dance since its founding in 2003. In addition to a choreographing and performing regularly with
Raqs Sahara, Elysa co-directs the Sahara Dance student companies and the Intermediate Repertoire class.
Eric Lofhjelm has been drumming for nearly 30 years. He played kit drums in rock bands in the 80s and early 90s, and has been cultivating his true passion for 'hand drums' ever since.
Originally trained in classical ballet and modern dance, Eshta was drawn to Middle Eastern dance by the contrast of fluidity and sharpness that can be found both in the dance form and its music.
A talented and accomplished composer and performer, Hicham El Anmari started his musical career at the age of 14 in the capital of Morocco. His love for music took him to music school and soon after he was playing in concerts, night clubs and weddings ...
Jennifer has danced all her life, though she found her home with the soulful richness of belly dance (raqs sharqi). In addition to her raqs sharqi studies, she has trained extensively in classical ballet and jazz as well as intensive study of Sivinanda & Vinyasa yoga.
Laura began studying raqs sharqi with Autumn Leah Ward, and continued studying primarily with Rachel Kay Brookmire. Laura has been influenced by her studies with Saphira, Elysa and Faten Salama. Laura is entranced by both the subtlety and organic grace of raqs sharqi, and the bolder, evolving styles of tribal belly dance ...
Melissa has studied belly dance for several years with Rachel Kay Brookmire and founding members of the Sahara Dance faculty. She has completed the Sahara Dance Foundations Teacher Training program and participated in several teaching assistantships. Sahara Dance’s community of rich and soulful women has drawn her further into this beautiful art form.
Michele looks forward to sharing her love of belly dance with her students and strives to make her classes both fun and instructive. Michele is inspired by the graceful, expressive styling of Raqs Sharqi as well as the experimental and ethnic fusion styling of American Tribal Style belly dance.
Born in Colombia, Monica's desire to study belly dance started out of curiosity and has evolved into an exploration of dance interpretation and femininity.
Rachel Kay Brookmire is the founder and director of Sahara Dance and a professional Oriental dance artist and instructor. A sought-after performer in the Washington DC region, Rachel specializes in modern Egyptian raqs sharqi. Her playful performance style is shimmy-rich and lyrical ...
Yvette has studied raqs sharqi with Rachel Kay Brookmire, Elysa and Saphira,and participated in workshops with Amar Gamal, Suhaila Salimpour, Karim Nagi of Turbo Tabla, Nourhan and Yousry Sharif and Mahmoud Reda ...
