There are a lot of beautiful dancers in our field, but Mercedes Nieto has always stood out as an artist with a very distinct voice.
Her dancing feels deeply rooted in raqs sharqi while still being completely her own. Her style feels romantic, nostalgic, nuanced, and deeply emotional. There’s a femininity to her work that feels timeless without feeling stuck in the past. Whether she’s dancing traditional tarab or something more contemporary or fusion-based, the work still feels like Mercedes. That’s rare.
Mercedes is based in Budapest and has spent years performing and teaching internationally. She founded the Nymph Oriental Dance Company and CAIRO! Fest Budapest, has taught at the Nile Group Festival in Cairo, and has shared her work with dancers in more than 40 countries. She has also produced music for oriental dancers in collaboration with musicians in Cairo.
What is so interesting about Mercedes is how she developed such a recognizable artistic voice while staying connected to the roots of the dance.
For dancers, especially those who have spent years developing technique, that question becomes important. At some point, it isn’t only about learning more movements. It’s about figuring out what you want your dancing to feel like, what you want to say, and what makes your work your own.
Mercedes is one of those artists who seems to have figured out how to do that.
She also has a subtle technical grace that dancers can learn a lot from. Nothing feels forced or overly busy. There’s space in her dancing. She lets the music breathe. And there’s an emotional quality to her work that draws you in without feeling performative for the sake of being dramatic.
That combination – technique, musicality, restraint, emotion, and individuality – is what makes it especially exciting to have her teaching in our home studio.
Three Days, Three Different Ways of Working
The April intensive gives us three different entry points into Mercedes’ approach.
Friday, April 2: Raqs & Flow | 6:00-9:00 PM
Friday begins with training, technique, drills, and presence.
This is the chance to get into Mercedes’ movement vocabulary and understand some of the physical and artistic choices behind the way she dances.
Saturday, April 3: The Combination Lab | 1:30-4:30 PM
Saturday moves into the creative process.
Mercedes will work with different techniques and styles of music while exploring how movement develops from inspiration into something you can bring to the stage.
Learning combinations is one thing; understanding why a dancer makes certain choices – and how those choices become a personal style – is something else entirely.
Sunday, April 4: In the Mood for Tarab | 1:00-5:00 PM
Sunday turns toward classical Egyptian music and interpretation.
Dancers will work with choreography, musicality, lyrics, song mapping, and expression while spending real time inside a classical Egyptian song.
This is where so much of what makes Mercedes special comes together: her musicality, emotional depth, and ability to make traditional material feel personal and alive.
A Chance to Study an Artist in Her Prime
It’s not often that we have access to an artist who is actively touring, teaching, creating new work, and still very much in her prime as a performer.
Whether you’re interested in some of Mercedes’ technical subtlety or in understanding how an artist develops a voice that is truly their own, there’s a lot to learn from spending time with her.
We’re thrilled to welcome her to Sahara Dance, and hope this weekend gives dancers room not only to learn from Mercedes, but to think more deeply about their own path in the dance.
And we’ll have a special show connected to the weekend, too. More on that soon.
Mercedes Nieto Three-Day Intensive
April 2-4, 2027
For Intermediate and Advanced dancers