Rachel Kay Brookmire is the founder and director of Sahara Dance. Since 2000, Rachel has taught belly dance to thousands of students throughout the Washington, DC area. She is also the creator of Sahara Dance Foundations, an intensive program for training belly dance teachers.

Her teaching style emphasizes postural alignment, contextual awareness of Arabic music and culture and a celebration of femininity. Recognized for her detailed, structured teaching approach, Rachel’s classes focus on community, quality movement execution, musicality, playfulness and individual expression.

As a longtime student of meditation and mindfulness practices, she seeks to integrate relaxation, body awareness and the cultivation of joyfulness into her dance offerings. At this retreat, her classes will explore playful, heart-centered themes to develop grace and gentleness in your dance practice and deepen awareness through mindfulness and yin yoga.  Rachel has participated in Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Sarah Powers and Mindful Schools Teacher Training. She is currently enrolled in Jack Kornfield & Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program.