executed the dance beautifully and it paid off ! Another key experience was Project Belly Dance , which was probably the most interesting competition experience I ’ ve ever had . I learned a lot about the nature of competing and the world of belly dance in general . Because Project Belly Dance was an interactive competition , meaning you interacted with the other competitors and also with the viewers , I learned a lot about my peers and all the variety of talent that each contestant contributed . I also learned that viewers can be really critical and quite harsh . Even if you win , you ’ re not everybody ’ s favorite . These experiences have been good because they keep me humble and keep me focused on what ’ s important : creating my own art , sharing it and knowing that it will resonate with some people and not with others . And that ’ s okay .
When I ’ ve had the chance to attend week-long dance intensives , those experiences have always benefited me and morphed my dancing into a totally new level of technique and artistry . Notable intensives have been Aziza ’ s professional development program , Jillina ’ s week-long in L . A ., for which I received a scholarship awarded to me by Jillina , and training and performing with Jillina ’ s Bellydance Evolution show . After a week of insane rehearsals , I participated in “ The Dark Side of The Crown ” in Washington D . C . and New York City in the summer of 2013 .
And speaking of Bellydance Evolution , I was invited by Jillina to open her most recent touring show , “ Fantasm ,” at the Dallas theater debut in July 2017 . I decided to open up the invitation to the very talented Dallas / Fort Worth belly
dance community . I choreographed a seven-minute dance that represented the different elements of air , water , fire and earth . The local community ’ s response to share the stage with me and learn my choreography was overwhelming and I was very honored for both the invitation from Jillina and my community ’ s support .
I ’ ve been fortunate to have such caring and supportive mentors over the years and their impact has helped shape who I am today . From my very first beloved teacher , Isis , to Bahaia who has generously given me valuable career advice on numerous occasions throughout the years ,
Jillina and Sa ’ diyya to Aziza , who I was awarded a mentorship with as part of my prize package from Project Belly Dance years ago , to Jillina who has always just been a phone call away .
Another key experience has been my international travels to perform and teach . The most memorable experience was in the summer of 2014 when I fulfilled a monthlong headlining tour of South East Asia performing and teaching workshops . The events in Indonesia , Malaysia and Singapore attracted students from all over those countries as well as from Australia , China , The Philippines , India and Thailand ! It was a wonderful experience connecting with people from other cultures through our mutual love of belly dance .
Bellydance Evolution in Dallas - 2017 - Photo by Carl F . Sermon