RAQS CARAVAN EAST MEMBER; SAHARA DANCE RESIDENT TEACHER

Gretchen has been dancing at Sahara Dance since 2010 and teaching since 2016. She studies and performs multiple styles including Egyptian raqs sharqi, Egyptian folkloric, and fusion belly dance. In addition to her Sahara training she has also studied with top Egyptian performers and master teachers such as Dandash, Dina, Faten Salama, Mohamed Shahin, and Yasmina Ramzy, and has completed all four levels of Sahra Saeeda’s Journey Through Egypt program. She appears on stage regularly as a soloist and with Raqs Caravan East. As a choreographer she draws on all these experiences to do everything from very traditional balady to modern fusion, with a deep emphasis on understanding and embodying Arabic music in her dance. When not dancing she is a librarian by training, and is fascinated by studying the history and culture of Egyptian dance.