About Rose
Inspired by her Armenian-Lebanese roots and passion for dance since childhood, Rose, Middle Eastern Dancer embodies the true heart of Raqs Sharqi (رقص شرقي - Arabic for “Eastern Dance”), aka “Belly Dance,” engaging in the traditional art of improvisation – becoming one with the music in the present moment.
An international, lifetime performer, Rose has nearly 30 years of dance training and 20+ years’ experience as a teacher & choreographer of multiple styles from both the East and West.
Rose strives to create culturally sensitive and authentic Middle Eastern dance pieces, always bearing in mind – and sharing with her students – the region of origin and meaning of the songs she uses, aided by her Lebanese-born, Armenian father, as well as her own Arabic language skills and cultural research on the ground in the Middle East.
Rose’s Dance Background & Training
Rose’s technical skills are underpinned by decades of training in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern dance, and a variety of folkloric dances, as well as somatic practices intended to awaken internal awareness, including movement improvisation, Pilates, and yoga.
For the past 11 years, Rose has studied Middle Eastern dance – primarily Egyptian & Lebanese Raqs Sharqi (aka “Belly Dance”), Lebanese & Palestinian Dabke (دبكة - folk dance of the Levant), and Iraqi Kawliya dance, among others – with masters across the globe, including:
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in the U.S.:
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Angelina (the protégé & daughter of American Belly Dance legend, Dahlena
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percussion master Karim Nagi of The Arab Blues
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Surayah Al Muddaris of Chicago
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Sonya of Arabesque Chicago
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Najla Ferreira of Dubai
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the legendary Mme Raqia Hassan of Egypt
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in Lebanon:
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Pierre Haddad & Helena Cremona (students of the legend, Nadia Gamal)
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Dabke masters of the historic Caracalla Dance Theatre
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Dabke master Michel Traboulsy (Danza Group)
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in Egypt:*
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Shahrzad of Cairo
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Ghawazee dance legend Khyriya Mazen
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Saidi Raqs Assaya (Upper Egyptian cane dance) master Mostafa Booriy
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Nubian dance master Ahmed Awedony, a collaborator of Egyptian music legend, Amr Diab
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in Europe:
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world-renowned Iraqi dance artist Assala Ibrahim
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*Rose completed her Level-Four Certification in Journey Through Egypt (JtE) – a dance ethnology program led by the internationally-recognized performer & anthropologist, Sahra Saeeda, M.A. – in 2018, traveling to Cairo, Luxor & Aswan, Egypt, to study the arts, customs, & history of these culturally rich areas in the flesh. Rose plans to return to complete her Level-Five Certification in 2025.
Rose’s International Performance Skills
For nearly 30 years, Rose has performed dance on stages across the U.S. (from Chicago to Los Angeles, New York, Texas, Washington, and Florida); in Auckland, New Zealand; and with renowned musicians in Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, Egypt.
A lifelong choreographer, Rose created her first choreography at the age of 6, though she nowadays favors the Middle Eastern art of improvisation in most of her performances, in addition to choreography.
For the past 9 years, Rose has performed primarily to live music at classy Middle Eastern restaurants and hookah clubs across Chicagoland every week, and at private events – including weddings, birthday parties, and corporate events – throughout the United States on a regular basis.
Her Middle Eastern repertoire includes Raqs Al Shamadan (candelabra headpiece dance); Saidi Raqs Assaya (Upper Egyptian cane dance); sagat/sajat/zils (finger cymbals); Isis wings; veil, veil-poi aka “voi”; and LED props; as well as the zeffa/zaffe (wedding procession); Dabke; and Khaleeji (Arabian Gulf) and Iraqi (Kawliya) dances.
Rose’s Teaching Skills
Rose has taught multiple styles of dance to students of all ages and genders for over 20 years in a variety of settings, often volunteering to benefit at-risk youth, the disabled, and the elderly, not only in the U.S., but also in New Zealand and rural Venezuela.
As an instructor, Rose absolutely loves sharing her knowledge of Middle Eastern dance, music, and culture with her students in her group classes and private lessons every week, and at special class parties on a regular basis.