Kadayif
Artistic Director - Principal Instructor
Kadayif is a well-known instructor, performer and seminar sponsor in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. She currently owns and is the principal instructor for The American BellyDance Studio located in Lutz, Florida
Kadayif began dancing at age five with formal training in ballet, modern and jazz. She later studied Belly Dance with local and international instructors. Her additional dance credits include training in ballroom, country western, clogging, and ice dancing.
She has danced in nightclubs, on cruise ships in the Bahamas and in Turkey and Egypt, at local and International Belly Dance Festivals and Events, State Fairs, and educational venues. She recently had the opportunity to dance on a video with The Red Elvises to their popular hit "I want to see you bellydance".
She and her students routinely participate in fundraising productions, educational performances for schools and adult activity centers.
She is best known for her elegant, flowing veil performances filled with crisp isolations and rhythmic hip movements. Her ability to move dancers in intricate patterns on stage during precision choreography is also a trademark. A practicing Registered Nurse, Kadayif has a working knowledge of the human body, which helps her maximize her students talents and abilities. Her greatest teaching tool is the ability to present material in a clear, concise method, which allows students to learn in a fun environment.
A former President of the Florida Association of Belly Dance Artists and the Bay Area Middle Eastern Dance Association Kadayif stays involved in the current world of Belly Dance. Her involvement in these associations as well as the Florida Dance Association and the American Dance Association allows her to promote Belly Dance and to provide knowledge and education about this dance form to anyone interested.
She continues to promote the dance by sponsoring dance seminars and performances throughout the year including a Semi-Annual BellyDance Cruise, the Ms American BellyDance Pageant, "We Come to BellyDance" GALA BellyDance Show at USF, Quarterly BellyDance Hafla and Student Holiday Review as well as managing a full dance curriculum at the Studio.
.
Kadayif began dancing at age five with formal training in ballet, modern and jazz. She later studied Belly Dance with local and international instructors. Her additional dance credits include training in ballroom, country western, clogging, and ice dancing.
She has danced in nightclubs, on cruise ships in the Bahamas and in Turkey and Egypt, at local and International Belly Dance Festivals and Events, State Fairs, and educational venues. She recently had the opportunity to dance on a video with The Red Elvises to their popular hit "I want to see you bellydance".
She and her students routinely participate in fundraising productions, educational performances for schools and adult activity centers.
She is best known for her elegant, flowing veil performances filled with crisp isolations and rhythmic hip movements. Her ability to move dancers in intricate patterns on stage during precision choreography is also a trademark. A practicing Registered Nurse, Kadayif has a working knowledge of the human body, which helps her maximize her students talents and abilities. Her greatest teaching tool is the ability to present material in a clear, concise method, which allows students to learn in a fun environment.
A former President of the Florida Association of Belly Dance Artists and the Bay Area Middle Eastern Dance Association Kadayif stays involved in the current world of Belly Dance. Her involvement in these associations as well as the Florida Dance Association and the American Dance Association allows her to promote Belly Dance and to provide knowledge and education about this dance form to anyone interested.
She continues to promote the dance by sponsoring dance seminars and performances throughout the year including a Semi-Annual BellyDance Cruise, the Ms American BellyDance Pageant, "We Come to BellyDance" GALA BellyDance Show at USF, Quarterly BellyDance Hafla and Student Holiday Review as well as managing a full dance curriculum at the Studio.
.
Yaasmina
Assistant Teacher
Yaasmina came to the world of bellydance in 1994, studying with several different instructors in Gainesville, Florida where she developed strong foundations in Egyptian and Turkish cabaret, American Tribal, and various regional folkloric styles. Over the course of these past 16 years she have further honed her technique in the Tampa Bay area and attended workshops with many touring national and international master instructors. Equally fond of dancing solo and with a troupe, she performs regularly as a member of Troupe Shifting Sands and as the Assistant Teacher with Kadayif’s American Belly Dance Studio. Her personal dance philosophy is that for someone to truly come into their own as a dancer, they need to truly hear the music (not just time signatures) and allow themselves to feel the music deeply internally so they can then interpret it externally through their movement. One of the nicest compliments she’s ever had was, “you dance so expressively that even a deaf person would be able to hear the music just by watching you.”
Yaasmina is a member of Troupe Shifting Sands and has won numerous awards at the studio including Student of the Year 2003, 2004, 2008.
Lucinda
Student Teacher
Lucinda is a member of Troupe Shifting Sands and Kadayif's Karavan Dancers. She was named Student of the Year in 2007 and has won numerous other awards. She assists with the Wednesday 6pm and 7pm classes.
Jazerra Amun
Student Teacher
Jazerra Amun is a member of Troupe Shifting Sands and Kadayif's Karavan Dancers and she assists with the Tuesday 7pm and 8pm classes
She was named Student of the Year in 2009 and specializes in Classical Egyptian style Bellydance.
She was named Student of the Year in 2009 and specializes in Classical Egyptian style Bellydance.
Nadirah
Student Teacher
Nadirah is a member of Kadayif's Oasis Dancers and Kadayif's Karavan Dancers and she assists with the Tuesday 6pm class.
She was named Student of the Year in 2010 and specializes in Tribal/Folkloric style Bellydance.
She was named Student of the Year in 2010 and specializes in Tribal/Folkloric style Bellydance.