Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of dances do you perform?

Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performs folkloric Middle Eastern dances based on dances of the Levant, Egypt, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf. We also perform Egyptian raks sharqi, fusion dance, and a Western adaptation of Middle Eastern dance known as American Belly Dance.

Upcoming Performances

• Sunday, May 30: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performs in the Arab Show at the Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center between 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. and at the Dances of the Middle East Show between 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.
• Saturday, June 26: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performs at the International Music and Dance Festival in Leavenworth, WA.
• July 17 & 18: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performs at the Mediterranean Fantasy Festival in West Seattle, schedule tbd. The festival is produced by the Babylonian Ensemble.

Past Performances

• February 19, 20 and 25: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performed a selection of dances from North Africa, Egypt and the Levant for "Dances from the Middle East" for the King County Library System's "Many Voices, One Land"at the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue, at the Third Place Books Commons at Lake Forest Park Shopping Center, and at the Spring Hill Senior Living Center in Maple Valley, WA.
• November 29: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performed folkloric dances of North Africa and the Gulf at Winter Worldfest at Seattle Center, an event produced by the Ethnic Heritage Council.
• October 31: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performed at the Snoqualmie Public Library near Seattle, in a Halloween-themed performance, as "The Wild Women of Wongo." The performance featured alternative music, humor and spooky poetry.
• August 1-2: Shahrazad Dance Ensemble performed folkloric dances of the Middle East at Arab Fest, Seattle Center, produced by the Arab Center of Washington.
  
  

Members of Shahrazad teach at...

The troupe members are not teaching at this time. Please see the teachers on our links page. We've known them for a long time and their teaching credentials are excellent.

How long have you been dancing?

As a group, or individually? Shahrazad Dance Ensemble was founded in 1978 in Seattle. The current dancers have all been dancing with the Ensemble for more than 15 to 20 years. The troupe has a resume full of of performances at ethnic festivals, cultural events, gala shows, parties, events of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and science fiction conventions all over the Pacific Northwest. We represent more than 150 years of dance and performance experience. Most of us have also been solo performers of Oriental Dance in nightclubs and at festivals.

How much does it cost to have the troupe perform at my event?

We want to talk or message with you about it! Please click the link below and send us a message with some information about your event or party, and your contact information. We need to know the date. location and type of event, size of performing space, and the length of time of the performance you wish to have . We will be happy to discuss your event with you, determine how many dancers will participate, offer thematic ideas and a price. We want our performance to be an outstanding addition to your event.

How do you look so polished yet look like you're having so much fun?

We look like we are having so much fun because...well, we are! We enjoy sharing a vision of the music with our audience, and we are happy to be showing people these wonderful dance styles. We rehearse together once a week or more depending on our show schedule, and we practice independently to keep our skills honed. We strive to fill every performance with enthusiasm, excitement and a sprinkling of humor.

Do any troupe members have Middle Eastern ancestry?

We are asked this question more often by people who are from countries in the Middle East. Usually it's because they recognize dance and music they know and are charmed that we know it, too. They wonder if one of us learned the music and the dance from our mother and grandmother. None of us is of Middle Eastern ancestry. Troupe members have travelled to Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, and we have studied dance with some of the most notable teachers of the art.

Who makes up the choreography?

We are blessed that our artistic director is Inzar, one of the Pacific Northwest's notable choreographers of Middle Eastern dances and a leading choreographer and performer of American Belly Dance. She has choreographed much of our original repertoire. Due to her work, the Ensemble's dances are creative, challenging and fast-moving works. Her inspiration is drawn from long-time research and dance experience. Some of the dances in our repertoire were choreographed by our troupe member, Noura, and some by Melinda Shiraz. The whole troupe collaborates on dances by adding great new moves and the important element of polish. We also perform, by permission and with credit whenever possible, dances we learned from Mahmoud Reda, Zahra Zuhair of Los Angeles, and L'Emir Hassan Harfouche of Los Angeles and Lebanon.