About us
MISSION STATEMENT
This educational annual event is dedicated to further the understanding of Middle Eastern Art through dance and music in all its styles and forms. Our focus is to build a strong dance community in NY by bringing awareness to the diverse cultural and beautiful rich art of an ancient world, preserving the past and exploring new ideas of dance and choreography. Year after year we invite International Master Teachers to come and share their knowledge and talents with hundreds of dance lovers from all over the world.
MEET THE ORGANIZERS
Mohamed Shahin is an inspirational instructor, world-renowned instructor, performer, and challenging choreographer of Egyptian Oriental Dance and Middle Eastern Folkloric Dance.
A native of Cairo Egypt and originally trained as a mechanical engineer, Shahin discovered his passion for Egyptian Dance at the young age of fifteen. Shahin developed a complex methodology of instruction that has made him a Master teacher beloved by his students worldwide, today. Shahin currently lives in New York City but has been touring internationally full-time since 2004.
At Shahin’s workshops, students fall in love with his friendly personality and the level of perfectionism and fine attention to detail that sets him apart as an instructor of Middle Eastern dances. He is a master teacher/ choreographer of Classical, Traditional, and Modern Oriental Plus all Egyptian Folklore styles, His explanations of technical breakdowns of the body isolations, movements, and combinations that make up his elaborate and challenging choreographies, Shahin’s talent and expertise have taken him around the world to teach workshops, perform and judge international dance competitions in major dance festivals in many countries throughout North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa, as well as the founder, and Organizer and instructor of Annual CLEOPATRA Egyptian Dance Festival in Cairo – Egypt, as well as organizer and owner of annual NYCairo Raks Festival in New York City – USA, and also founder, and Organizer and instructor of the Annual DANCE LIKE AN EGYPTIAN Intensive Week in Cairo Egypt.
Shahin, speaks Arabic, English & Russian which adds to his great array of skills and enables him to instruct students in these 3 languages. Shahin produced the “Dance Like An Egyptian” instructional DVD series, they are a great asset for those who study Egyptian dance but are unable to attend Shahin’s workshops. Shahin has 8 instructional DVDs on the market currently, as well as producing new Music Albums for Bellydancers.
To learn more about Mohamed Shahin’s work, please visit his YouTube Channel Shahin wishes to thank all those who support and inspire him on his journey in dance.
“If to dance is to dream, then you make dreams come true” – Mohamed Shahin
Founder of Magick Productions Group, whose credits include several off-Broadway shows, as well as numerous records including various genres such as Dance, R&B, Classical Arabic and Children’s music as well as DVD’s in dance instruction and a film for kids. Hanna and his wife, Jehan, later founded subsidiary company, Bellydance America, in 2007 after organizing several group trips to dance festivals in Cairo and personally importing costumes and accessories back to the U.S. The popularity of this venture led to the first Bellydance store to be opened in New York City and now includes other services such as custom costume designs, alterations and rehearsal studios with a diverse offering of dance and music instruction. A native Lebanese, Hanna Hanna’s knowledge of the Middle East provides a truly authentic and insightful experience for his customers and friends interested in this art form through his passionate discussions of Arabic music and poetry. Hanna is a proud member of the New York Arabic Orchestra, lending his voice not only to the choir, but also on the Board of Trustees to help share and revive interest in classical Arabic music. In addition, Hanna plays percussion in several other NY-based Middle Eastern ensembles. Aside from his entrepreneurial pursuits and passion for the arts, Hanna utilized his natural talent for leadership in successful real estate management for many years.
Jehan is a dancer, choreographer, singer and songwriter of Iraqi/German heritage whose music is a magnetic blend of sensual vocals, exotic melodies and driving rhythms creating a diverse range of songs from traditional Arabic to Meditation/Trance, Rock and Club. A respected international star in the dance world, Jehan has performed and taught for decades. She has studied folkloric dances of the Middle East and North Africa, Oriental dance, Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African, Hawaiian, Japanese Butoh and Flamenco which has led to collaborations with artists in other genres. She has been a popular instructor at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo many times, has taught for Amir Taleb’s Festival in Argentina, at Karima’s school in Japan and at many other schools and festivals around the world. She has done theatrical performances and films from the temples of Thailand and Lebanon to the pyramids of Mexico and Egypt. Jehan has worked with numerous celebrities where she choreographed, costumed and styled music videos and theatrical productions, as well as, performed in concerts and at parties with Cheb Khaled, Ishtar of Alabina, Kat Deluna, Asi El Halani, Hisham Abbas, Bebe Zahara Benet and many others. Her music and dance is also popular for haute couture fashion shows for designers such as Soucha, Titus and Anan Jon.
She is the founder and director of the Temple of Jehan, a dance school dedicated to not only preserving Middle Eastern dance traditions – the roots she grew up with – but also by exploring evolutionary styles. She is a pioneer fusionista, introducing many props which are now part of most dancers’ repertoire; new, dynamic & exciting dance vocabulary; and circus arts with her unique twist by reintroducing acrobatics reminiscent of the dances documented in ancient Pharaonic Egypt and Greece. She is the eternal student and continues to challenge herself and her glamorous troupe, Bellydance Raks Stars. Jehan’s other company, D.R.E.A.M. TEAM (Dancers Raising Energy Awareness Money) performs throughout the tri-state area at consciousness-raising and charitable events.
consciousness-raising and charitable events. As Producer/Artistic director to several groundbreaking, Off-Broadway, Middle Eastern-inspired shows including “Goddessdance”, “Cirque Arabesque”, “Tradition, Myth & Fantasy I & II”, Jehan exhibited an infinite ability of creativity and brought this dance form to new heights, continuing to inspire current and future generations.
Jehan co-founded Bellydance America with her husband, Hanna Hanna, to bring to New York City its first ever bellydance store where she continues to share her immense knowledge in costuming, dance & theatrics.
