MISSION STATEMENT

To create an international platform providing educational and social resources that highlight, celebrate, and promote minority dancers. We strive to build a network that connects and builds racial inclusivity within the Bellydance community.

ABOUT US

Meet our founders Cherra’ & Yannah

Cherra’

Ever since I was a little girl, music and dance were a major part of my environment. From singing in my grandmother’s church choir, singing and dancing with my Dad to Motown and Stack’s records while he cooked breakfast on Saturday morning, and playing violin in school and state orchestras through college.  All of these influences made the transition easy to making dance and music a part of my daily life as an adult.

I was introduced to Bellydance by her friend Gina Tate, who owned a dance studio.  I would watch the new adult Bellydance class from the lobby while waiting on my daughters to finish their dance classes.  I would fall in love with the music first and eventually venture into the Bellydance class and fall in love with movement that I felt was made for my “body type.”  I’ve been dancing ever since. It is my number one go-to in celebrating life!

When I’m not dancing you can find me raising two young queens (daughter’s Alannah and Abonie), road tripping, educating (nursing school, hospitals, dance studio, etc), working out in the gym, and being a typical extroverted Leo!  My joy above all joys is watching women I mentor, in any aspect, succeed!!!!  Every time I see someone I have had touched in a classroom, progress past what I have taught them, I get teary!  As an educator/teacher, my job is to give you the tools to be better than I ever could!  When that happens………I stick my Leo chest out with pride!  Then I cry!

Dance Bio

My first bellydance classes started with Diane “Daliana” Simmons studying Egyptian Cabaret and various other middle eastern style dance.  After a year of classes, I was selected to perform with Daliana’s Troupe Bellysima who performed locally in North Carolina and up and down the east coast for 6 years.  In 2014 I relocated to the Washington, DC area and found Sahara Dance. I began to take various dance classes from all middle eastern genres and became part of the dance faculty, teaching Beginner 1 and Beginner 2 dance classes.  I also performed with several in house-company troupes including, Raqqesat Nadia, Raqqesat Shimmypop, and Raqs Caravan East

I have the opportunity to take various workshops and classes from so many wonderful instructors in the industry including Amar Garcia, Ebony Qualls, Donna Meija, Kaeshi Chi, Sharon Kihara, Omoladune, Rachel Brookmire, Jennifer Tether, Sahra Kent, Zoe Jakes, Jilliena, Karim Naji, and Belladonna, just to name a few.

I currently hold a Journey to Egypt 1&2 Certification and a Bohemian Blade Level 2 Certification.

I always up for an opportunity to increase my dance history knowledge and explore the many path’s that this Bellydance journey choses to take me.

Yannah

I have lived in the Washington DC Metro area for over 20 years but am originally from Alabama. I have two children, both in their 20’s, and I’ve been belly dancing for almost 15 years. (I see you doing the math and trying to figure out my age lol!) Over the years I’ve had the extreme pleasure of dancing with, learning from, and even teaching some awesome Brown Girls. My introduction to belly dance came at Mamasita Studio under the tutelage of Sunyatta Amen.

I currently study under and perform with the incredibly amazing Ebony Qualls as a member of her ShimmyPop troupe. I am also a founding member of the belly dance collective Sacred Hips in Motion and the performance group Troupe Malkia.

My superpowers are: Creativity and the ability to get things “Done.” Must be the Virgo in me. I enjoy all things creative, working out, most outdoor activities, traveling, well-placed sarcasm, and eating Chipotle while binge-watching scary movies (zombies are my jam!). I love plants (even though I struggle to keep them alive) and I LOVE to laugh, be silly and joke around. Depending on what you find funny, you’ll either think my personality is hilarious or just so-so. BUT it will take you a while to even see my silly side because…

Did I mention I’m an introvert?

Dance Bio

My dance training began at Mamasita’s Dance & Wellness Studio in Washington, DC under the tutelage of Sunyatta Amen. It is here that I fell in love with belly dance and met many wonderful women, including some that would later become members of Sacred Hips in Motion, the teaching group I co-founded. I love to perform with like-minded women and am in two performance troupes: Troupe Malkia, the performance subgroup of Sacred Hips in Motion; and ShimmyPop, led by Ebony Qualls.

Over the years, I have studied under such notable dancers as Amel Tafsout, Alessandra Belloni, Tarik Sultan, Lotus Niraja, Zoe Jakes, Rachel Brice, Shahrzad, Rachid Alexander, Jillina, Rachel Brookmire, Belladonna, and Ebony Qualls. I have performed in local Washington DC venues including the University of Maryland, the Source Theater, American University’s Greenberg Theatre, the National Mall, as well as at various private events including birthday and bachelorette parties and weddings. Most recently, I had the honor of performing with Ebony Qualls in Paris, France, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

In addition to performing, I share my love of belly dance through teaching and exposing students to the many benefits of this art form. Other dance forms I enjoy include Afrobeat, Hip Hop, Tahitian, Polynesian, and ANY dance form that gets the body moving. In my spare time, I love to explore other creative areas such as painting, crafting, discovering new music, and helping people.

I currently hold a Bohemian Blade Level 1 & 2 Certification and am working on my Reiki Level 1 Certification with the goal of becoming a Reiki Master.
I believe that my vessel must be full in order to share, teach, and help others, therefore I consider myself a lifelong student when it comes to dance, and this thing called life.