Saqra – Her bellydancing resume is impressive with a list of competition wins too long to detail here.  She has taught in  the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Japan, and has a video series featuring original choreographies and instruction.  She also directs Saqra's Raqs el Sehr Dance Troupe and has a band with a new CD! Mediterranean RaqsBand http://www.raqsband.com   http://www.saqra.net.  Saqra taught today’s workshop, “[fill in the name]”.

"Internationally in demand --- and with over 30 years in this dance form --- award-winning Saqra is still having an amazingly good time doing what she adores. 17 titles are currently available in her instructional DVD series. She hopes you enjoy her just half as much as she loves to dance for you. WWW.SAQRA.NET

“Saqra is a powerful dance artist and a master instructor. Her fluidity, grace, and technical skill is highlighted by her friendly demeanor and clear joy of the dance. She did not inherit the diva gene.

Saqra's ongoing participation and education in this dance form began in 1977 and has taken her to learn with many of the best dancers in the world, studying in America, Canada, Turkey and Egypt. Saqra continues to travel and study both in the USA and abroad and prides herself on proper research for anything she teaches. Folklore, fakelore, and stage creativity.... all three valuable but different things that need to be clearly presented as what they actually are and Saqra works hard to do that.     

*Nationally and internationally in demand as both instructor and performer, Saqra has been repeatedly incredibly honored to be a frequent featured performer and instructor at the largest belly dance festival in America: Rakkasah West (annual March - Richmond, CA), a frequent featured performer and instructor at Rakkasah East (annual Oct - Somerset, NJ), and has taught and performed at many other premium long-running annual events including the legendary Morocco's Weeklong Retreats (NY), Amaya's Shake-and-Bake (NM), MEDA's Annual Gala (Canada), Shireem's Shimmy By The Sea (TX) and Shireem's Shimmy At Sea (the Caribbean), Jareeda Magazine/Mezdulene's Retreat (OR), Wiggles Of The West Competition (NV) and many, many more. Several troupes in North America have received grants to intensively study with Saqra.           

*Saqra has a firm belief that every dancer has their own natural and achieved style and that no dancer should be required to copy someone else exactly. She believes that there is a freedom in as natural a dance form as Oriental dance that should allow the blooming of the personal style and spirit of the dancer, and she approaches instructing with a genuine love for the individual student.”

Saqra is a powerful dance artist and a master instructor. Her fluidity, grace, and technical skill is highlighted by her friendly demeanor and clear joy of the dance. She did not inherit the diva gene.

Saqra's ongoing participation and education in this dance form began in 1977 and has taken her to learn with many of the best dancers in the world, studying in America, Canada, Turkey and Egypt.

Nationally and internationally in demand as both instructor and performer, Saqra has been repeatedly incredibly honored to be a frequent featured performer and instructor at the largest belly dance festival in America: Rakkasah West (annual March - Richmond, CA), a frequent featured performer and instructor at Rakkasah East (annual Oct - Somerset, NJ), and has taught and performed at many other premium long-running annual events including the legendary Morocco's Weeklong Retreats (NY), Amaya's Shake-and-Bake (NM), MEDA's Annual Gala (Canada), Shireem's Shimmy By The Sea (TX) and Shireem's Shimmy At Sea (the Caribbean), Jareeda Magazine/Mezdulene's Retreat (OR), Wiggles Of The West Competition (NV) and many, many more. Several troupes in North America have received grants to intensively study with Saqra.

Her award-winning choreographies as both a soloist and director of three different dance troupes has led to a long catalog of instructional DVDs available for home study.              

Saqra   is a master instructor whose video series is often used by other instructors to enhance their teaching techniques. Her clear method of breakdown and explanation and use of layered concepts make her workshops a challenge to all levels and an inspiring experience, without making them impossible for the newer dancer!

Saqra has a firm belief that every dancer has their own natural and achieved style and that no dancer should be required to copy someone else exactly. She believes that there is a freedom in as natural a dance form as Oriental dance that should allow the blooming of the personal style and spirit of the dancer, and she approaches instructing with a genuine love for the individual student. She has produced hypnosis CDs for stage fright and for ease of remembering choreography and expects to release more in the future.        

Saqra has placed or won in a stunning number of competitions beginning in 1988 – titles really too numerous to list — but she has stopped competing since 2001 due to her extensive and wildly increasing teaching/travel schedule, her event production schedule (an over 18 year old annual festival: Showcase in OR, and over 6 year old "Bootcamp" Retreat in Seattle), her constantly increasing instructional DVD series shooting schedule, and with the 2002 creation of her dance band: Mediterranean RaqsBand -- she plays lead melodic on the keyboard, and yes, CDs are available along with musical notation for keyboard players.  

Saqra was voted: "Best Kept Secret of 2005" and "Teacher of the Year 2008" by Zaghareet Magazine.