Shahrzad raqs biography of rory

This installment of Dancer Origin Stories features the positively magical Shahrzad. 

Since childhood Shahrzad has been immersed in the dances of the Middle East and North Africa.

Now based in Cairo, Egypt, she travels around the world to teach and perform.

The first time I encountered her was in 2014, when her performance at the Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive inspired an immediate standing ovation.

About a year later, I was planning a visit to Cairo and heard that she was there.

She was kind enough to arrange a private lesson for my group. Her teaching skills were deeply impressive and I have been a huge fan every since, hosting her for two intensives at my studio in Portland, Maine, visiting her in Cairo a handful of times, and, since her online studio has been ramping up in recent years, thrilled to take a number of her live online classes and workshops—including ones that she has been organizing with Egyptian artists.

Let’s