Sahara Dance

Thank you to all our Sahara Dance friends for your votes in the Washington City Paper “Best of DC” poll! Achieving second place “Best Dance Class” in DC, a large city with many great dance offerings, is a testament to the passion, love, and inclusivity you bring to our belly dance community! 💗 Let’s keep spreading the belly dance joy 🤗 ✨

Thank you for joining us for our Intro to Persian Dance this past weekend with Odiney .rhythms !! 💗 Is this a style you would like to learn more about? Share in the comments below!

Egyptian-Greek History & Combinations Workshop with Sophianna! .official 🇪🇬 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼 🇬🇷

Saturday July 18, 1:30-3:30 pm

In the 19th century, Alexandria became a hub for Greek immigrants who ended up integrating deeply into the entertainment scene of Egyptian music, theater, and cinema. A few notable dancers of the Greek-Egyptian community during that time included Nelly Mazloum, Kitty Voutsaki, and Nadia Gamal. While the Greek population in Egypt dropped significantly after the 1950’s due to political exodus, the influence of their presence remained. In fact, a cultural resurgence, “Nostos: Reviving Roots” program began in the late 2010’s, aimed at reviving the Greek heritage of Alexandria and honoring the “Egyptiotes” (Greeks of Egypt). In this workshop, we will do the same!

Nowadays, it’s very common for Egyptian and Greek pop-stars to collaborate and create Greek-Egyptian mashup songs. In this workshop we will learn a little history, and practice combinations to a variety of Egyptian-Greek music, so you’ll shimmy away with an increased awareness and understanding of this wonderful fusion.

This class is recommended for Intermediate and above as it will incorporate a variety of fundamental technical skills.

We’re so excited to introduce the Sahara Dance Living Library – a new digital home where you can continue learning, practicing, and finding inspiration whenever it fits your schedule.

Whether you want to sharpen your technique, revisit favorite performances, study rhythms, or keep dancing between classes, the Living Library gives you access to growing collections of classes and performances you can explore from anywhere.

For more than two decades, Sahara Dance has built an incredible collection of classes, choreography, performances, and teaching. Now, for the first time, that collection has a home of its own.

What is the Living Library?

Think of it as an online library of Sahara Dance classes, performances, rhythm studies, and exclusive teaching resources – designed to support your learning long after class ends.

Inside, you’ll find two growing collections:

🩵 Dance Training
If you’re looking to deepen your technique, build confidence, or keep dancing between classes, the Dance Training collection is designed for you.

- Rhythm studies for dancers, with live drumming
- The complete Foundations Curriculum (B1 – 3, Intermediate 1 – 3, plus choreo for each of those levels)
- Signature replay classes (Stretch and Flow, Sweat and Shimmy, and more!)
- New lessons added over time

🩵 Performance Collections

The Performance Collections bring together more than twenty years of Sahara Dance productions into one place. You’ll be able to revisit the complete Under A Desert Moon collection, enjoy selected Sahara Dance Caravan performances, watch special productions from our archives, and return to favorite performances whenever inspiration strikes.

For dancers, these performances become another way to learn – watching musical interpretation, group dynamics, stagecraft, and artistic expression unfold over time.

Become a Founding Member of the Living Library to make Sahara Dance learning available wherever you are.

We are thrilled the internationally acclaimed will return to Washington DC for our show August 23rd and workshops August 24-26!

Whether you’ve studied with Marta before or this will be your first workshop, her thoughtful approach offers something for every stage of your dance journey. Through focused training in technique, musicality, artistry, and improvisation, you’ll leave with practical tools you can bring into every dance.

Why Dancers Return to Marta: Many dancers return to Marta’s workshops because she doesn’t just teach combinations - she teaches how to think about movement. Her classes emphasize musical interpretation, intentional technique, and developing your own artistic voice, making every workshop valuable whether you’re performing professionally or dancing for personal growth.

Best Value: Register for the Discounted 3-Day Workshop Package

Experience the complete workshop series and save when you register for all three days. Each workshop explores a different aspect of artistry while building on the ideas introduced throughout the weekend.

Day 1 | August 24: Arabic Rhythms in Belly Dance

Strengthen your musicality through a deeper understanding of Arabic rhythm.

Day 2 | August 25: Lyrical Song: Dancing with Emotion
Learn how emotion and interpretation transform movement into artistry.

Day 3 | August 26: Mastering Improvisation
Develop the confidence to trust yourself and dance fully in the moment.

More information and to sign up: see our website under “Workshops”

It’s your last chance to sign up for 8 week classes for the second half of summer! This half semester of classes runs June 27 – August 22 but recordings will be received if the first week was missed.

Join a class series to strengthen your dance practice, get you moving, train with friends, and feel good in our bodies. Let’s learn something fun and dance together!

https://saharadance.com/classes/

This week! Introduction to Persian Classical Dance Workshop with Odiney .rhythms - July 11, 1:30-3:30 pm.

Come explore Persian Classical Dance, an elegant and fluid art form known for its beautiful arm and hand movements and graceful quality. Persian Classical Dance has its own structured movement vocabulary, with specific arm and hand positions, precise body lines, and fluid transitions that reflect the curvilinear, graceful aesthetic you see throughout Persian art, calligraphy, and music. Its roots go back to the Qajar dynasty (1795-1925), when the royal court elevated dance into a refined performance art, and it continues to be a living, evolving tradition practiced and taught by dedicated artists around the world today.

In this introductory workshop, we’ll start with a brief look at the history and cultural context of Persian Classical Dance to give you a feel for where it comes from and what makes it distinctive. From there, we’ll dive into the foundational movements such as the characteristic arm and hand positions, posture, and basic footwork that are at the heart of the style. We’ll also touch on how Persian music connects to the movement, helping you understand the rhythm and mood behind each gesture.

Whether you’re completely new to dance or already have experience in another style, this workshop is a wonderful opportunity to connect with a beautiful art form. All levels are welcome!

https://saharadance.com/product/introduction-to-persian-classical-dance-workshop-with-odiney-july-11-130-330-pm/