Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Portugal, Czech Classes

Last Updated on February 4, 2024

Brescia, Italy

Teacher: L’Aura dance association.

Email contact: info@asdlaura.it

Location of classes: Brescia, Italy.

Level of lessons: from beginners to professional level.

Time and cost: Weekdays afternoons and evenings and Saturday mornings. For more up-to-date times and costs, please contact L’Aura directly or check www.asdlaura.com.

Types taught: Sharki and folk.

Classes take place at the A.S.D. L’Aura, Scuola di Danza Orientale e Percussioni, Via S. Francesco d’Assisi 10, 25122 Brescia, Italy.

Other information: L’Aura is a sports association based in Brescia, Italy, entirely dedicated to the study and divulgation of Middle-Eastern and Egyptian dance, both classical and folkloric.

L’Aura also provides courses on Arabic rhythm, percussions, Arabic language and other forms of dance, such as tribal fusion, Hawaiian and Polynesian dance and Bollywood dance.

In addition to running regular Egyptian and Middle Eastern dance courses, L’Aura organises workshops, seminars, meetings, trips, festivals and shows.

The sports association L’Aura has been founded by Laura Cernigliaro, who is one of the teachers among other qualified oriental dance instructors teaching at the school.

West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, Scotland

Teacher: Tara Dakini

Location: West Kilbride, North Ayrshire, Scotland.

Level: All levels starting with new students and then lessons for improvers and also those at an intermediate level.

Beginners Workshops: Aimed at those who have never done any belly dancing before, the workshop includes a short talk on the history & development of belly dance, and a chance to learn some basic moves and a short dance.

Great fun! Free if you book on the 10-week course.

10-week beginners’ courses: Fun and friendly courses that are a great way to tone up and get fit whilst having a fun evening out.

In each course, we learn a new belly dance choreography as well as covering the basics of belly dance techniques.

Each course is 10 weeks long and suitable for complete beginners as well as those who have done some belly dancing before (most students spend a year in beginners classes before progressing on to improvers level).

If you’d like to come along please wear loose clothing like a tracksuit or skirt but not jeans. We dance in bare feet or soft ballet shoes.

Booking is essential as places are limited.

10-week improvers’ courses: these classes are aimed at those who already know the basic belly dancing moves, such as hip circles, hip drops, snake arms and feel confident doing them having spent already a few terms studying with me or another teacher.

Improvers classes allow these students to progress to the next level.

These classes are still fun and relaxing, but at the same time, a bit more challenging and students will learn new more advanced movements, combinations and choreography.

Types Tara can also teach: I teach Egyptian-style belly dance and use lively Arabic and Arabic Fusion pop music in my classes. I sometimes incorporate Spanish and Tribal Fusion influences into my choreography.

Experience & style: Tara has been teaching since 2004 and been dancing since 1998 and is a popular teacher.

She originally learnt with Pauline Sayhi in Cambridge and has taken classes and workshops with a wide variety of teachers from the UK, US, and Egypt.

She focuses on teaching good techniques in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Lisbon, Portugal

Teacher’s name: Yolanda.

Location of classes: Santos/Lisboa. Lisbon, Portugal.

Level of lessons: from beginners to advanced.

Time and cost: Normally evening classes. For detailed times and prices email Yolanda directly or check www.yolandadance.com.

Types taught: Egyptian classic, Baladi and folkloric.

Also has classes with live percussion i.e. drum solo with live music!

Other additional information: The classes taught by Yolanda are structured in 7 different levels: Beginners 1, 2 and 3; Intermediate 1, 2 and 3 and Advanced.

From the first level to the top level, students will cover different aspects of belly dance, starting from the basic posture and technique to isolations, layering movements, choreography, improvisation, Arabic rhythms and musical interpretation.

Yolanda also teaches props, such as a veil and cane, as part of the programme.

In addition to these modules, there are additional modules available for advanced students, including flamenco fusion belly dance and strengthening and preparation techniques for belly dancers.

Before becoming interested in oriental dance, Yolanda trained for several years in various types of dance, including Argentinean tango.

Londonderry, NI

Teacher: Nini Dibb

Location of classes: NEWRY, Londonderry.

Level: Beginners

Time and cost: Various days according to the time of year. Email Nini for the latest.

Types taught: Wide range of authentic belly dance styles – Egyptian (Baladi, Saidi & Stick, Classical & Veil), Turkish, Moroccan, and Persian folk.

Nina Dibb is a freelance dance maker, dance teacher, performer, and artistic director of a Belly dance performing group.

She has performed for 20 years and trained originally as a dancer from childhood in Russia, where eventually she joined Russian folk dance, classical ballet and modern dance classes.

Continuing professional development in contemporary dance (BA HONS in Dance).

Interesting information: “I have a particular interest in teaching dance with a focus on developing different culture folk) dance styles, using different modern dance techniques and a variety of music styles, including alternative, rock, pop, hip-hop/rap, and classical music.

I also have a particular interest in dancing and teaching to world and folk music by fusing contemporary and Middle Eastern dance styles.

As a dancer, I like to express emotions through movement, as a facilitator I like to explore possibilities in creative work between professional and community dancers together in dance projects, and as a choreographer, I like to develop different dance styles into new styles/language or view in performances”.

Naples, Italy

Teacher: Eddy Sham.

Email contact: eddy.sham@libero.it

Location of classes: Naples, Italy.

Level of lessons: Beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Time and cost: all days different levels, advanced choreographic lessons, workshops and shows.

Types taught: Egyptian belly dance, modern sharky, fusion belly dance.

Other additional information: Eddy Sham is a dancer and choreographer with years of experience in dance.

She started studying ballet and jazz dance from an early age.

Later she came into contact with belly dance and she studied with the best teachers in the Arab world.

In 2000 she founded the Arabesque Centre, where she teaches belly dance with passion.

Interesting information: I love belly dancing and expressing my ideas through dance.

My next goal is to make my style known in Europe and also in other countries.

Oliveira do Bairro, Portugal

Teacher: LuuLuu El-Sayed.

Email contact: luuluu_el-sayed@hotmail.com.

Location of classes: Agueda, Ponte de Vagos and Oliveira do Bairro, Portugal.

Level of lessons: various levels.

Time and cost: Lessons on various days, in addition to the option of private classes for individuals or small groups which can be arranged.

Types taught: Egyptian style.

Other additional information: The aim of these classes is to achieve good posture, self-confidence and physical well-being through dance movements and also to meet new friends, thanks to this very old art form called belly dance.

Practising Middle Eastern dance has many benefits, including mental and physical well-being and stress relief.

Belly dance tones the whole body, including the core, the arms, the legs, and the abdomen.

Belly dance increases flexibility gives good posture, improves coordination, increases women’s self-esteem and allows women to discover their sensuality.

Interesting information: LuuLuu discovered belly dance in 2004 and studied in the dance school Sabor Latino for two years, from 2004 until 2006.

Since then she has been studying and attending workshops with various belly dancers, such as Joana Saahirah, Iris, Ashraf Hassan, Elsa Chamce, Cris Aysel, Maira Magno, Alessandra Forte, Maya Gaorri, Diego Sacco, and more.

LuuLuu has also appeared in numerous shows since 2007.

Prague, Czech

Teacher: Amira Cle.

Location of classes: Prague, Czech Republic.

Level of lessons: Beginners and intermediate.

Types taught: Egyptian belly dance.

Other additional information: Amira dances since 1996 and teaches since 2002.

Amira Cle started studying belly dance under Karima Komatsu in Tokyo, Japan, where she lives.

Karima is known to be the first Japanese dancer who succeeded in pursuing her career as an oriental dancer in Cairo.

Amira has carried on studying with Sadia Camille, an award-winning and sought-after artist to accomplish her goal to become a soloist.

At present Amira is an organizer of an international belly dance workshop and teaches workshops at Festa Orientale in Tokyo.

Teinen, Belgium

Teacher: Isis

Email contact: zohra_angel@hotmail.com

Location of classes: Tienen (Bost), Belgium.

Level of lessons: Advanced.

Time and cost: Contact Isis for updates.

Types taught: Classic and Fusion Bellydance.

Other additional information: National and international belly dance teachers ready to teach you here in Belgium.

Isis has been teaching for several years and looks forward to teaching you in Tienen, Belgium.

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Dr Valeria Lo Iacono

Dr Valeria Lo Iacono is a belly dancer and a dance researcher with a PhD in dance and heritage. Valeria also teaches and performs as a belly dance but also enjoys learning ballet, jazz dance and other dance genres.