Meet our Instructors
Instructor Bios
Akmaral Kainazarova -
Kazakhstan
Akmaral Kainazarova is the Honored Аrt worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan, choreographer, danseuse, the founder of the “Centre for Indian Classical Dances, Almaty-Kazakhstan”, which is the only in Kazakhstan and entire Central Asia, performer and teacher of Kazakh folk dances.
Akmaral is the winner of Gold medal and title Champion of the World – 2003 in Hollywood, USA in nomination “ethnic dance” at Seventh World Championship of performing arts. In the year 2004 Akmaral became the first member from Kazakhstan at the International Dance Council (CID) within the UNESCO in Paris.
Follow Akmaral on Instagram: @kainazarovaakmaral
Apsara Afsanesara -
Poland
Apsara Afsanesara is a dancer, certified choreographer, dance educator, as well as an alternative model based in Warsaw. As the first one in her country, she specializes in Persian dance as well other silk road techniques. Other than that she is also a Tribal Belly dancer. Before she started her deep study in silk road dances she was trained in various styles of Indian dances. She also has experience in ballet, modern, jazz and contemporary dance techniques. She seeks her own form of expression by connecting the techniques she dances, finding inspiration in music, poetry, literature and film.
Follow her on Instagram: @apsara_afsanesara
Amir Etemadzadeh -
California, USA
Amir Etemadzadeh is a Middle Eastern musician, instructor, performer, and composer. Born and raised in Iran, he received extensive musical education form various masters. After arriving in the US in 2003 he expanded his portfolio to include world music drums. He is passionate about education and promoting peace through music and art. He currently manages his music academy "Amir School of Music."
Learn more about Amir through his website: www.amirschoolofmusic.com
Delsie Khadem-Ghaeini -
Colorado, USA
Born in Mashhad, Iran and raised in Colorado, Delsie is a Persian Classical and Contemporary Dancer based in Denver, Colorado. Delsie embodies the love of her Persian culture through dance. Delsie’s artistic composition is best described as emotive, delicate and playful and her audiences describe her as joyful, authentic and passionate. Delsie has been an educator for over twenty years and is most fulfilled when she gets the opportunity to share her passion for dance with others. Delsie is a certified dancer and certified teacher in the Shahrzad Khorsandi Technique also known as Contemporary Persian Ballet. Her Persian dance experience and performances include Classical Persian Miniature, Persian Contemporary, Ruhowzi, Persian popular dance, Baba Karam, and regional folk dances of Iran including Ghashghai, Lori, Bandari, Azari and Kordi. ⠀
Learn more about Delsie on her website: https://www.delsiedances.com/
Dilorom Madraximova -
Uzbekistan
Dilorom Madraximova is a professional dancer from and living in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She is the Lead Dancer in the Uzbek State Dance Company ‘Navbahor’ and has won multiple National and International dance championships. Dilorom Madraximova is a second-generation dancer. She is the Lead Dancer in the Uzbek State Dance Company ‘Navbahor’, winner of multiple National and International competitions, and the winner of the Nihop state award for top talent.
Follow Dilorom on Instagram: @dilorom_madraximova
Hally Buhalcham -
Toronto, Canada
Hally Buhalcham Isaak is an International performing Artist, Dance instructor and Choreographer. She has been dancing for most of her life and studying Central Asian and Middle Eastern dance for the past 25 years. Hally was born in Xinjiang, a province of Western China and currently lives in Toronto Canada. Her dance path was an entry point into her healing work which is so interconnected to her dance.
Since discovering different healing modalities, Hally has become a certified Reiki practitioner and a certified life activation practitioner from the Modern Mystery School. Hally's goal is to create space for all to feel the magic of the Universe; the passageway to love and light - sharing this practice with others is her greatest gift. Hally has dedicated her life to self healing and helping others heal through these practices.
Follow Hally Buhalcham on Instagram: @hally_dance
Hamed Matranlooyi -
Iran
Hamed Matranlooyi was born and brought up in Bojnoord, Iran. He holds a bachelor's degree in architecture and apart from his professional life he has dedicated himself to promoting the invaluable and unique Kormanji dance internationally. In this respect he has published a book on kormanji dance and its history through the meticulous study of the bygone years.
He is a researcher dancer, choreographer, kormanji dance instructor and the supervisor of Chiksay folkloric dance group. Chiksay literally means a starry sky after snow, and Chiksay group has been attending professional international festivals around the world starting 2011. Chiksay group has had impressive achievements in the past years and above all,it has won the first place in the international dance festival in Georgia.
Follow Hamed on Instagram: @chiksay_group
Helene Eriksen -
Germany
Helene is a dance ethnologist, teacher, performer and choreographer of traditional dances of the Balkans and Islamic Orient as well as Argentine Tango and folk dance. She celebrated 40 years of teaching in 2019. She lectures and publishes on dance ethnology and costume studies.⠀⠀
She has conducted many research projects in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, the UAE, Oman, Uzbekistan and Pakistan and Argentina as well as with immigrant communities (particularly from Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey) in Europe and the Americas. She speaks English, German, Spanish, French, Bulgarian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, Turkish and Russian. She is an active member of the Study Group on Ethnochoreology (ICTM/UNESCO).⠀
For many years she has been leading dance and culture study tours to Morocco, Turkey, Armenia and Uzbekistan (Coming up: tours to Argentina!).⠀⠀
Learn more about Helene through her website: www.helene-eriksen.de
Helia Bandeh
Helia Bandeh is born in Shiraz, Iran and has established herself as one of the great Persian dancers of the modern era.
Her unique dance style is immediately recognized by her elegant, detailed, powerful and exquisitely delicate movements. She has performed with world class artists and instructed Persian dance all over the world, reviving this beautiful for of art along the way.
Through thorough research of Persian dance history, Helia Bandeh has created a unique dance style and method, that captures the essence of Classical Persian dance and adapts it to modern time. This unique method paves the way for Persian dance to be performed, instructed and to gain a foothold among new generations that can discover the great depth of this ancient form of art.
Being one of the Persian dance artists with great support both in Iran as internationally, Helia Bandeh takes a leading role in creating universal support for Persian dance aa one of the main art forms of Iranian culture.
Louchia
Louchia is International Dance Artist. She performed in many dance companies as a group member and as a solo dancer. Louchia has Bachelor degree in Performing Art (Dance/Choreography) and worked in State Ensemble of Moldova “Jok”.
She was a Principal Dancer of Bellydance Evolution Dance Company and Sahlala Dancer in Los Angeles. For 9 years she has danced with the Pars Nation Ballet, led by former Principal of Theater of Ballet of Iran Abdula Nazemi, Also for 3 years Louchia was part of “ Aman “ Dance Company. She Studied Central Asian Asian Dances With Veloyat Akilova, People Artist of Uzbekistan.
Louchia worked for many years for Persian community in Los Angeles, she participated in Nowooz and Mehrigan festivals in Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas and Chicago, and also she featured on many Persian music videos of Behzad, Mahmoud, Shohleh, Atta, Davood Bahboodi, Morteza, Serjik and Miras, and for many years she appears on Tasvir IRAN TV in Los Angeles as a guest star.
Louchia performed and teaches in Japan, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Indonesia, South Korea, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, Taiwan, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, Brazil, Argentina, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.
Learn more about Louchia on her website: www.louchia.com
Instagram: @louchiadance
Melieka Fathi
Melieka Fathi is a choreographer, instructor, and performer of Classical Persian dances. As the daughter of Iranian immigrants, her passion for Persian dance was paved through a sacred connection to Iranian art, and by exploration of her identity as an Iranian-American woman. She is the founder and artistic director of the Melieka Fathi Dance Company based in Los Angeles, California; and has worked with world renowned artists and organization in an effort to preserve and expand upon Iranian arts within diaspora
Natalie Nayun
Natalie has been dancing for more than 18 years, and has devoted her life to the study of dance from Tajikistan, Iran, & Uzbekistan. She has received grants & awards to study dance and conduct dance research in Uzbekistan & Tajikistan. Natalie is the Assistant Director of Ballet Afsaneh, Program director & teacher in the Afsaneh Dance Academy, and choreographer for Sorayya Dance Company out of UC Berkeley. Her hope is to share the beauty in these regions of the world through dance! ⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can learn more about Natalie on her website: www.nayundance.com
Nazanin Badiei
Nazanin Badiei, Choreographer, performer, dance instructor and author of “Unveiling The Secrets of Persian Dance” was born and raised in Iran where she started learning classical Persian dance at the tender age of seven under the direction of Hayedeh Kishipour.
She continued learning a variety of Persian Folklore dances, such as the Azari, Bojnordi, Kordi, Ghasem Abadi and Bandari. She gradually grew in reputation after becoming a member of a renowned group of Persian dancers called “Shiftegan-e-Del”. During the 1990s, when she was a teenager, she had several performances in the most famous event hall in Iran; “Talar-e-Vahdat”. In her mid-twenties, she started choreographing and performing pieces that were completely her own.
After she moved to Los Angeles in 2010, she decided to further her formal education of dance choreography by enrolling at Santa Monica College. Later on, she was introduced to the Global Motion Dance Company at the school. Once she became a prized member of the company, Nazanin brought Persian dance for the first time to their show, presenting it to a diverse, mostly non-Iranian audience.
Learn more about Nazanin on her Website: www.dancetitute.com
Reza Hampa
Reza Hampa is an amazing dancer who lives in Tabriz, Iran. He has been dancing since he was a young boy. He has his own dance company and has helped many other dancers establish Azeri Dance groups. We are honored to have him teach on the platform! Reza Hampa is from Tabriz, Iran. In 2011 he joined the Tabriz Dance Group under Mr. Ghaffarnezhad. In 2016 Reza started his group Papaqli Tabriz and since then has helped other dancers establish dance groups all around Iran. He has over 100 apprentices. In 2016 & 2017 he produced a Folklore dance & music festival in Baku City where there was over 180 dance & music artists.
Follow Reza on Instagram: @papaqlitabriz
Robyn Friend
Robyn Friend is a first-generation Bulgarian-American and life-long dancer whose interest in the languages, culture, and dance of the Silk Road began at its western end, in the Balkan region of the Ottoman Empire. Her encounter with Iranians while a teenager led her interests further east. She began her studies of Persian classical dance in informal settings, and later with Leona Wood and Haleh Farjah. Her first lessons in Iranian regional dance began with Iranian friends at UCLA, where she also pursued studies in Iranian languages (and earned her PhD) and world traditional dance.⠀⠀
Working as a Persian dancer in the famous Delilah restaurant in Los Angeles during the 1070s, Robyn was able to watch many women dance who were born during the later years of the Qajar period. What she learned from these women combined with her other studies led her to her personal interpretation of the Qajar dance style. Robyn is now considered one of the premier sources of knowledge about Qajar dance, and has received the mark of approval from the founder of the International Qajar Studies Association, Mohammad Eskandari-Qajar.⠀⠀
Robyn has taught many of the prominent teachers of Persian dance active today, including some who are teaching in this program: Natalie Nayun, Sharlyn Sawyer, Helene Eriksen, Hannah Romanawsky, and Helia Bandeh have all studied Persian dance with her.⠀⠀
Learn more about Robyn on her website: www.robynfriend.com
Roshana Nofret
A soulful and versatile interpretive artist, Roshana Nofret is a world-renowned performer, instructor, and choreographer based in Miami, FL. Known equally for her more traditional dance work as well as her seamless fusions of traditional and contemporary dance elements, she strives to retain the original essence of each dance while respectfully adding her own artistic voice. ⠀⠀
She has passionately studied and pursued a career in Persian/Iranian dances for the last 13 years. In this time, Roshana has received the gift of many beautiful experiences that have established her presence within the Iranian community: from cultural events, festival and museum appearances to artistic collaborations with highly acclaimed Iranian performing artists both locally and abroad. She has a profound love for this culture and art form and enjoys nothing more than sharing the beauty of it with others. ⠀⠀
Roshana directs a dance company in South Florida known as MECA Dance Ensemble, which specializes in the Persian Dance Arts in addition to a wide variety of dance expressions from the Eastern world.⠀⠀
Learn more about Roshana on her website: www.roshanadance.com⠀
Samia Karimi
Samia Karimi is a dance artist, teaching artist and choreographer who immigrated to the U.S. from Afghanistan at the age of 5. Her curiosity to reconnect with her culture brought her to the Bay Area where she has been training and performing with Ballet Afsaneh since 2015, under the artistic directorship of Sharlyn Sawyer. Samia has also been studying dance and performing with Nava Dance Collective under the directorship of Miriam Peretz. She has performed at numerous private and community events as well as several Afghan music videos. Samia’s previous dance training and performance focused on both cabaret and tribal belly dance (2004 – 2007). Samia envisions a world where dance is celebrated as an art form everywhere and hopes to teach dance in Afghanistan one day.
Connect with Samia on Instagram: @silktiger
Shahrzad Khorsandi
Shahrzad Khorsandi was born and raised in Iran and moved to the Bay Area in 1980. She studied Dance and Performance Art at CalArts, has a BA in Dance, and an MA in Creative Arts from San Francisco State University. She specializes in classical & contemporary Persian dance and has been trained in various other dance styles. Shahrzad has been faculty at various Bay Area Colleges, and is the founder and artistic director of Shahrzad Dance Academy (SDA) and Shahrzad Dance Company (SDC), in Berkeley, CA, and is the author of the book, The Art of Persian Dance. Currently Shahrzad is working with an international team of neuroscience researchers on the effects of dance on the brain. This project is supported by the British Academy in London and Max Planck Institute in Frankfurt.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
You can learn more about Shahrzad on her website www.shahrzaddance.com⠀
Tara Pandeya
Tara Pandeya is second-generation dancer, cultural activist and choreographer who is dedicated to the promotion of dance forms from Central Asia. Tara worked as a principal dancer with Cirque du Soleil and is the first westerner to perform the National Ensemble of Tajikistan. Tara has performed & created dance programing for charitable organizations in over 35 countries. She has conducted theoretical dance research through the Rockefeller Foundation & CECArtslink in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, East Turkestan, Pakistan, India and Russia. Most recently, Tara has created original works for UNESCO, the Bauhaus Festival & at Royal Albert Hall. She holds an MA in Dance Anthropology from Roehampton University and is a 2019-20 Fulbright Scholar. Tara’s solo work has been featured on BBC, in the New York Times and in Dance Magazine.⠀⠀
Learn more about Tara on her website: www.taradances.weebly.com
Guest Instructors
Aisan Hoss -
California, USA
Aisan Hoss is a dancer and choreographer from Tehran, Iran. She started studying and performing Iranian dances with Hayedeh Kishipoor at the age of twelve and teaching at the age of eighteen. She then pursued a BA at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Contemporary Dance in London, and obtained her MFA in Dance and Choreography at Mills College in Oakland, California. While at Mills, she received an Innovator Award sponsored by E.L. Wiegand Foundation. After her residency at Ballet Afsaneh as the company's Assistant Artistic Director, choreographer , and dancer, Aisan founded her own dance company, Aisan Hoss and Dancers. ⠀
Make sure to connect with Aisan on Instagram: @aisan_hoss
Anthony Shay
Anthony Shay is professor of Dance and Cultural Studies in the Theatre and Dance Department of Pomona College, Claremont, CA. He is the author of seven monographs, and author or co-author of four volumes, the latest (with Barbara Sellers-Young), the Oxford Handbook of Dance and Ethnicity (2016). He authored two recent monographs, The Dangerous Lives of Public Entertainers: Dance, Sex, and Entertainment in the Middle East (2014) and Ethno Identity Dances for Sex, Fun, and Profit: Staging Popular Dances Around the World (2016). His latest book is The Moiseyev Dance Company: Dancing Diplomats (Intellect Books, in press 2018). He has recently lectured on “What is Music? What is Popular Persian Music?” at Yale University, First Symposium on Persian Popular Music, January 27, 2018, and “The History of Staged Folk Dance” at Siamsa Tire, the Irish National Folk Theatre, Tralee, Ireland, May 11, 2018. He was founder and artistic director and choreographer of the AMAN Folk Ensemble and the AVAZ International Dance Theatre during which he created over 200 choreographers. He received several NEA choreographic fellowships, California Arts Council Lifetime Achievement Award, and a James Irvine Choreography Fellow.
Banafsheh Sayyad
Master Persian sacred dancer, choreographer, transformational teacher and founder of Dance of Oneness®, Banafsheh Sayyad performs and teaches internationally, initiating people into the wisdom of their body, inspiring them to live their everyday life as a sacred dance. Banafsheh is one of the only dance artists who has mastered a fusion of high level dance technique with spiritual embodiment. She is among the few bearers of authentic Persian dance in the world, and the pioneer in creating a liberated feminine expression in the Sufi dance genre previously performed only by men. Her signature style of holy wildness has inspired many dancers and choreographers who have followed in her dance steps. With a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography from UCLA and a Masters in Chinese Medicine, she is dedicated to individual and collective healing through conscious dance. Banafsheh's award-winning work has been presented in North America, Europe and Australia. Her dance film, In the Fire of Grace traces Rumi's journey of the soul in dance. Based in Los Angeles, she performs and teaches across North America, Europe and Turkey.
Visit www.banafsheh.org to learn more about Banafsheh and her online courses
Khanzada Asfandyar Khattak
Khanzada Asfandyar Khattak is a Pakistani and Islamabad-based classical and fusion dance artist, choreographer, researcher and instructor. He learnt Indian Classical dance - Kathak and Bharatanatyam from the famous nonagenarian dance guru - Mrs. Indu Mitha Jee. Asfandyar is from the 11th generation of Khushal Khan Khattak, the Afghan Pashtun freedom-fighter and national poet of Afghanistan. In order to give a message of love and peace, Asfandyar creates dance fusion of Afghan Logari and tribal Khattak Dance with Indian Classical Kathak. He has danced in all major cities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Malaysia.
Asfandyar teaches Afghan dances, Khattak Dance, Attan, Logari, Qataghani and Indian Classical Kathak Dance at Islamabad and at Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He has a Masters degree in Business Administration & has been working for social sector in Pakistan since 2001. He uses his dance to fight for gender rights and social awareness.
Follow Khanzada on Instagram: @khanzadaasfandyarkhattak and on YouTube
Laurel Victoria Gray
Dance scholar, choreographer, performer, and costume designer, Laurel Victoria Gray specializes in women’s dances from Silk Road cultures and the Islamic World. Her articles have appeared in publications including the Oxford University Press International Encyclopedia of Dance, the Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, and the Encyclopedia of Women in Islamic Culture. She combines her degrees in history with decades of field research and teaches Global Dance History at George Washington University.
Lenay Seidalizadeq
Lenai Seidali-zadeh is a professional dancer, teacher and ballet master. She began dancing at the age of three, as she was born and raised in a creative family. From childhood to this day, she participated in many international, professional choreographic competitions, winning medals, prizes and is a laureate of many competitions, such as “” Testene Art ”(Italy),“ Choreography contest named V.Chabukiani ”(Georgia) and others ... Active stage and teaching life. Lenai continues her education at the Baku Choreographic Academy.
Among her first teachers were the best and most prominent figures of dance art, such as People's Artists of Azerbaijan Roza Jalilova and Jamila Bayramova. Its main task is to preserve the cultural heritage of Azerbaijan and transfer the beauty and subtleties of Azerbaijani folk dance to its students. Since this is its history, culture and part of life.In addition to the folk dances of her country, her repertoire includes dances from different peoples of the world. She is also a professional tanguera and has been practicing Argentine tango for about nine years and has opened her own school “Baku Tango Therapy by Macrobiosis Tango school”. As well as a children's folklore group.
“Lenay is also fond of photography, in particular dance photography...on her new platform @theartofmovement_baku”
Mamak Khadem
Bio, coming soon!
Mukaddas Mijit
Bio, coming soon!
Parmida Ziaei
Bio, coming soon!
Vouria Bouja
Vouria Boujar is a choreographer, teacher and a life-long dancer of Kurdi dance. He also plays and teaches “Dohol” which is a folk instrument. His studies are in ritual dance and he is a researcher in Kurdi culture and language. He started teaching Kurdi dance in 1998. He is also the founder and administrator of “Chia folk group”. He has his own Kurdi dance school. Vouria also stands in the first place in different dance and music championships, such as Katak (India) 2014, Baku (Azerbaijan) 2016 and 2017.
Since discovering different healing modalities, Hally has become a certified Reiki practitioner and a certified life activation practitioner from the Modern Mystery School. Hally's goal is to create space for all to feel the magic of the Universe; the passageway to love and light - sharing this practice with others is her greatest gift. Hally has dedicated her life to self healing and helping others heal through these practices.
Follow Voria on Instagram: @voria_boojar