Instructors - Nefertiti Middle Eastern Dance Group

Teachers

The teachers at Nefertiti Dance are:

Jameerah - All Levels and Performance Teacher
Miss Nicky - 'Beginners and Basic Fun' Class Co-Teacher
Lorna - Youth Group Teacher
Amani - 'Beginners and Basic Fun' Class Co-Teacher
Suhaylah - 'Beyond Beginners' Class Teacher

Jameerah

Jameerah has been learning and performing Middle Eastern Dance since 1998, starting in Kununurra, in the remote north Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Jameerah moved to Hervey Bay in 2003, joining Faryha's Raks Sharqi 2004 which became Nefertiti Middle Eastern Dance in 2004 when Faryha retired. She has been teaching since then.

Jameerah's favourite dance styles are veil, taqsim and cane.

She has a particular interest in the development of poise, posture and confidence in students.

In 2006 Jameerah successfully completed a 10 day teacher's training course at the Belyssa Academy of Danse Orientale in Perth.

She has completed a 3 day instructor's course with the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER), including safe technique.

In September and October 2006 Jameerah participated in a cultural tour of Turkey, where she was able to experience Turkish dance styles first hand, and where she also taught a dance workshop. She travelled to Egypt in 2008 and 2010

Jameerah is a qualified adult educator, community developer and university academic. She brings these skills into her dance teaching.

Jameerah has extended her knowledge of Middle Eastern dance by undertaking workshops with:

Keti Sharif (Egypt and W.A.)
Ayehsa (Perth)
Hossam and Serene Ramsy (Egypt)
Donna Stefanovic
Lorelle Hawes (Brisbane)
Leonie Sukan (Sydney)
Ayelet Ashkar (Byron Bay)
Tamara Taylor (Brisbane)
Liza Laziza (Cairo)
Jenika

Safaa Farid
Shamira (Adelaide)
Nirvana
Sabaya
Lubna Emam (Egypt)
Maya
Belyssa (Perth)
Margaret Cunningham (Brisbane)
Hadia (Canada)
Caroline Evanoff (Cairo)

Amir Nadir (Dof Training)
Randa Kamel (Egypt)
Päivi Mielikäinen of Farrah (Sydney)
Yasmina (Cairo)
Jehan Larazra
Safaa Farid - Arabic Singing (Cairo)
Mohamed Kazafhy (Egypt)
Trisnasari (Underbelly - Melbourne)
Amina (Cairo)
Jrisi

Miss Nicky

Miss Nicky was born and raised in Hervey Bay and joined Nefertiti Dance in 2008.

Her childhood was immersed in music. Throughout her school years she was a member of the choir and strings ensemble after mastering the violin at a young age, performing regularly at events and functions, and competing at local eisteddfods.

Nicky studied advanced music into and throughout high school where she learnt a variety of musical histories and was able to experiment with a range of instruments. During her schooling years she was a part of her school's dancing group where she studied mainly contemporary dance and was able to showcase her skills successfully through a range of dance competitions.

Her active participation in the music realm was temporarily put on hold as she entered and completed her university studies. Nicky has a bachelor and masters degree in Education.

Nicky's love of dancing was re-sparked after seeing the colourful Nefertiti Dancers performing at a local event. Shortly after this she attended her first Nefertiti Dance class and fell in love with Middle Eastern style dancing. Her favourite dance styles are contemporary cabaret, bollywood and hoop dancing.

Nicky has been mastering the art of hoop dancing since 2009 and has employed a range of methods to further her skills. She performs regularly at a variety of events, festivals, functions, and talent quests with Nefertiti Dance.

Nicky travelled to the United States of America in December 2010 where she attended a Middle Eastern concert and participated in hooping workshops.

Nicky co-teaches the 'Beginners and Basic Fun'class (see classes page). She thoroughly enjoys educating and helping people with their journey into the wonderful world of dance.

Lorna

Lorna is the talented Youth Group teacher and co-ordinator for Nefertiti Dance.

She is a qualified educator for students with disabilities and uses these teaching skills in her dance classes.

Lorna commenced learning bellydance in 1990 in Caboolture with Rasheeda.

Upon moving to Hervey Bay in 2003, her interest in this art form was renewed and she joined Faryhas Raqs Sharqi group taught by Rusni K'Abdullah. Later, that group evolved to become Nefertiti Dance.

Over this time Lorna has learnt technique and a variety of styles including Raks Sharqi, Khaleegy, Saiidi, Melaya Luff as well as Bollywood and Gypsy Romany and drumming.

Lorna has performed at many festivals, functions, community activities and restaurants. Lorna travelled to Egypt in 2010 to experience the culture, history and music of this delightful country.

Lorna has enhanced her personal development in bellydance by attending workshops by local and overseas artists such as:

Belladonna
Caroline Evanoff
Melissa Christina
Rose Ottaviano
Lubna
Mohamed Kazafy

Shamira
Jamal Zraika
Hadia
Safaa Farid
Jehan Larazra
Andy Busuttil

Amani

Amani means: wishes, aspirations, hopes

Amani has been studying and performing Middle Eastern Dance (belly dance) since commencing with Nefertiti Dance in early 2008.

Amani’s first dance experience was in the form of ribbon dancing at the age of five. Through ribbon dancing she developed a love of music and movement. At this very young age she could not commit to dancing, instead pursuing a career in swimming based on the advice of her swimming coach who saw the potential in training her for competitive swimming.

While Amani did not realise it at the time she was in fact destined to return to dancing in 19 years, at which stage she would discover the joy of Middle Eastern Dance.

In 2008 Amani began weekly classes with Nefertiti Dance. Her first dance teacher Jameerah instilled in her a love and passion for Middle Eastern Dance - from the different styles of belly dancing, to the different dance rhythms and instruments used in Middle Eastern music.

Her favourite dance styles include: classical Egyptian, beladi, bollywood, taqsim and khaleegy. She loves dancing with a veil, cane or zills which she can competently use to play beladi rhythms throughout her dance.

Amani can also play Arabic rhythms on her violin and tabla which she believes are important instruments for understanding the rhythms behind the music she dances.

Sharing her love of Middle Eastern Dance is very important to Amani, which is why she regularly performs in the Fraser Coast region.

She has taken part in many of the Fraser Coasts cultural festivals and fund raising events.

Amani has extensive teaching experience as she completed a Bachelor of Education in 2007 and a Masters of Education in 2010. She has experience teaching young children through to adults having worked in many schools in the Fraser Coast and tutoring university students. She also has first aid training.

Amani attended her first Middle Eastern dance workshop at Tiaro 2009 and is keen to continue to further her dance knowledge and experience by taking part in future dance workshops and a dance teacher training course.

Suhaylah

Suhaylah spent nearly 30 years as a fitness professfional before 'discovering' belly dance in 2007.

In the early 80's Suhaylah was part of the first group of people in Europe to gain a recognised fitness qualification and the first person to become a gold-level athletic coach with aerobics as her discipline!

Working nationally and internationally, Suhaylah ran a variety of fitness classes - beginners, intermediate and advanced - as well as specialist classes including ante and post-natal; fitness training for a rugby union team; physical and mentally disabled groups, chair-bound elderly and Olympic-level athletes.

Suhaylah's life drastically changed after a period of ill health and belly dance was a major part of her recovery. The gentle, flowing and very natural movements of belly dancing help with mobility and core-strength without causing stress to weakened muscles and joints. Belly dance is low impact and you only do what you are capable of achieving.

Suhaylah is very passionate about this dance form (and loves the opportunities to dress up and perform) but it is the feeling of 'sisterhood' that totally amazes her - belly dancers throughout the world are there for each other. After the 2011 floods, Suhaylah formed Shimmy in the Sun and dancers throughout Australia (including Nefertiti) together raised nearly $12,000 for the Premier's Flood Appeal.

Her first beginners belly dance class was in 2007 in Tin Can Bay, and Suhaylah has since expanded her knowledge by attending many classes and workshops including the Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival, the Balkan and Middle Eastern Dance Music (BAMEDAM) camp and American Tribal Style. She has studied a wide variety of Middle Eastern styles plus gypsy, tribal, bollywood and even had a go at sufi whirling (whirling dervish).

Suhaylah loves almost all forms of belly dancing, from the traditional folkloric styles through to cabaret and tribal styles. From soft, flowing veil dances through to high energy Bhangra (Bollywood), Isis wings to swords, Suhaylah brings her own style and energy to the dance.

She strongly believes that it really doesn't matter if you think you can't dance, or that you have two left feet! Come along anyway - belly dancing has so much to offer. Classes are mostly about having fun, whilst also getting fitter, making friends, having a giggle, learning about other cultures and feeling feminine. If you want to you can get dressed up in coin belts, scarves and flowing skirts and perform (at Nefertiti there is no pressure to perform - if you don't want to we respect that). Bellydance is a beautiful, expressive way to dance that you can do to your level of ability and Suhaylah really wants to share that with you!.