The Mother of American Belly Dance: Jamila Salimpour
If you have ever taken a Belly Dance class in America, you can thank Jamila Salimpour for her influence. Not only did she codify and...
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231-313-5577
Amira Hamzar's School of Rak
"Rak'n Lives, One Step At A Time"
Celebrating 22 Years of Belly Dance!
Award-Winning & Certified
Professional Global Dance Instructor
Based in Northwestern Lower Michigan
African, Belly Dance, Cheer, Bollywood, Burlesque, Hip-Hop, & Hula
amirahamzar
- May 10
- 1 min
Teacher Spotlight: Neon
Teacher Spotlight: Neon An instructor, choreographer, and performer, Neon is also the founder and owner of World Dance New York; an...
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amirahamzar
- May 9
- 2 min
Teacher Spotlight: The Belly Twins
Veena and Neena Bidasha, otherwise known as the Belly Twins, began their dance career in early childhood. There was always Indian music...
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amirahamzar
- May 6
- 1 min
Teacher Spotlight: Dolphina
Founder of the GoddessLifeCenter and creator of the Goddess Workout®, Dolphina kick-started the billion-dollar-a-year women's empowerment...
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amirahamzar
- May 4
- 2 min
Teacher Spotlight: Jillina
Jillina is a worldwide sensation in the world of Belly Dance, but she comes from a strong background of Jazz, Ballet and Hip-Hop. All of...
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amirahamzar
- May 3
- 2 min
Teacher Spotlight: Rania Bossonis
Known the world over, Rania is a mutli-award-wining Belly Dancer, AFAA certified fitness instructor, and NESTA certified personal...
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amirahamzar
- Apr 27
- 4 min
Let me Lei it out for you!
Hawaii is synonymous with the flower Lei. Have you seen in TV shows or in movies, someone arriving in Hawaii, is given a Lei and a kiss...
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amirahamzar
- Feb 28
- 3 min
Happy Holi, the Spring Festival of Colors
Happy Holi, the Spring Festival of Colors Also known as the Festival of Love, the Festival of Colors, and the Festival of Spring, Holi is...
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amirahamzar
- Feb 3
- 2 min
The Empress Tarot Card: The understanding of Wisdom, the Wisdom of understanding
For the 2023 Tarot-themed show, I chose the Empress card for my solo piece. Here is a little background regarding the card. Key Points:...
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amirahamzar
- Feb 2
- 5 min
You Cane Do It! What You Need to Know About Belly Dancing with a Stick.
The typical westerner would probably associate dancing with a cane with Jazz or some other modern dance style, but did you know that...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 31
- 2 min
The Meaning Behind the Three of Wands Tarot Card Routine
My student dance troupe, Ragnar Rak, has a routine in the upcoming online Tarot-themed showcase. For this show, we chose the Three of...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 13
- 2 min
Why You Should Learn to Play the Finger Cymbals
An important part of Middle Eastern Dance, Finger Cymbals are four small metal discs played by Belly Dancers worn "on each thumb and...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 13
- 2 min
Say What? How to Speak Drum in Plain Language For Better Finger Cymbal Playing
When I teach Finger Cymbals, I will alternate how I call out the rhythms: "by the numbers," right-and-left, or using the Middle Eastern...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 13
- 4 min
What's That Sound? How To Make Different Tones with Your Finger Cymbals
"When you first start out, it’s best to use just the basic sound, but as you advance, you can add different sounds." Choosing from the...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 12
- 2 min
Count On It: How to Count While Dancing
Most of my students are not what I call "counters." Instead, they are more intuitive when responding to music. However, it is valuable to...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 12
- 2 min
How to Find the Perfect Set of Finger Cymbals
"If you would like to try symbols, experiment to see which kinds work best for you. You should be comfortable using them. Symbols should...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 10
- 2 min
How to Add Elastic to Your Finger Cymbals
How to Add Elastic to Your Finger Cymbals Now that you have your set of Finger Cymbals, it's time to add the elastic so you can start...
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amirahamzar
- Jan 9
- 2 min
The Divine Evolution of Finger Cymbals
Turkish: Zills, Sil-Sil Arabic: Sagat, Sunouj Persian: Zang East Indian: Manjira or Manzira Farsi: Salasih The cymbal was an ancient...
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amirahamzar
- Dec 13, 2022
- 2 min
Evolution of Belly Dance: Mata Hari the "Femme Fatale"
Evolution of Belly Dance: Mata Hari the "Femme Fatale" Born in the Netherlands in 1876 as Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, the infamous...
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amirahamzar
- Oct 16, 2022
- 1 min
Tools For Emotional Wellness
October is Emotional Wellness Month. Mental or emotional health is absolutely vital to our overall wellness. Stress comes at us from all...
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