MAJA, the Girl From the Nile, I AM MAJA, bellydancer, American Tribal, Egypt, goddess, sacred, India, gypsy, tribal, belly dance, middle eastern dance, dance orientale

—born in Cairo Egypt with Russian, Romanian, French–Jewish–Algerian roots. I lived in Brazil for any years, and now am an

American. My dance is a blending and reflection of the passion of my roots! My Dance is inspired by "Sacred Dance"—to honor and celebrate the feminine! I danced since 1990. I am teacher, performer, sponsor and director of the "Gypsy Tribe" troupe. I am proud to be teaching in so many different schools, community centers and dance academies, reaching out to so many women—expanding our Dance Art.

Three of my dancers— Amina, Ana and Grettel are teaching already in County Schools and studios and we are trying to build up a network, growing , expanding and reaching more and more women.

My dance is born of many sources of inspiration to create an individual Art Dance form. It becomes a multicultural journey where I blend and merge images and moves from the Ancient Egypt Temple Dancers bringing up a meditative state, so the Dance become a prayer, a blessing, an offering, to awake deeper levels and become a source of energy and healing creativity…I borrow movements and styles from Central Asia…travels through the passion, intensity of Drama and Beauty of sadness of Arab Spanish fusion…the wild free spirit, the gypsy soul …Explores the Sacred movements and the stillness from India, going through modern, folklore and Transdance from Egypt, Morocco and Afro–Brazilian bringing up our ancient, primitive wild tribal woman to express…Combine and do storytelling and Middle eastern dance for children, for after schools programs and libraries.

With the Gypsy Tribe

—we honor different cultures. We are multiple as the wind, as the oceans. We do the Fire, tumble, do Sword and Cane, Fan and Snake Charm. We do Zills, Tamborine and Shamadan. We are Ishtar and the 7 veils. We are flying skirts, cholis, turbans, tattoos, flowers, braids and transparencies. We dance the flow of the elements and power of transformation.

The Gypsy Tribe is growing, expanding, opening, changing, transforming, always in transition and exploring new directions. The Tribe is open to all the students and keeps moving on with new energy.

We were present and performing at—

Bright Visions—the largest New Age performance at the 1000 seats full to capacity Parker Hollywood Theater to create a fun loving, up beat, spiritual, empowering and comedic event with 10 dancers from the Gypsy Tribe and local renowned performers and live Music by Happy, Fadi & Band
With the Klezmer Band in concert at FAUniverisity
The Tribe Rising Stars performance at Zorba s Greek Restaurant
At Wild Oats Natural Market Birthday Bash
At local shows for Rakia Hassan, Shareen el Safy, Cassandra and Nadia Hamdi
In Greensboro for Suhaila Salimpour seminar
At Asian Festivals
At the Renaissance Faire in TY Park
At the Hollywood Performing Arts with the Academy of Dance
Grand Opening for the largest Muvico Theatre–Egyptian Temple
Independence of Israel Birthday's Bash for 4 years at JCC
Maja performed in Israel, in Honduras, and for the Super Bowl
Maja gives lectures and demos on the Art of Belly Dance at— "Women of Vision" monthly luncheon
"The Health Life Expo" at the Broward Convention Center
"Women's Journey"—Diversity & Sexuality—a yearly conference by Dr. Ann Lewis.
"Boca Country Club and Resort" members

Maja was honored—

to be teaching and performing at the "Seminar Flamenco and Middle Eastern"—4 classes on Goddess Dance, Arab–Spanish Fusion and American Tribal style, at the University of the Performing Arts, sponsored by Renowned Flamenco teacher and director, Damaris Ferrer
to be teaching an Arab Spanish Fusion Seminar and performing in Aug 2000, in Adelaide, Australia, (read newsletter) sponsored by Beautiful Zalika, director of the famous Henna Nights Belly Dance School, and editor of "The Ghawazee Gazette" the 1st BD magazine in Adelaide
to have sponsored the 1st South Florida Magical BD Fest, in March 2000, with 9 renowned magical teachers from around the country—Atesh(VA), Azur Aja(TN), Eva Cernik(CO), Fatima al Wahid(CA), Maja(FL), Maria & Olivia from the Ghawazee(PA), Taaj(VA), Zhor(TN), Kajira Djouhmana(CA), Delilah(WA), Elena Lentini(NY), Laurel Gray(DC)
to have sponsored 3 Intensive Merging seminars with 9 most renowned local teachers
to have produced the shows—"The Gypsy Celebration", "Ancient Egypt", "The Rising Stars" & "The Gypsy Trail", a multicultural journey show through different cultures
and to have taught in a series of seminars "Goddess Dance in the 5 Elements", "Under and Behind the Veil", and "The art of Sword"
to have taught classes for Kids for after school programs at Dimension Studio
to have told childrens' stories merging middle eastern dance and props for libraries, birthdays and after school programs expanding our Art to the little ones
to have sponsored 'The Meeting of the Tribes' Seminar and Show in March 2001, with Gypsy Tribe(OR), Hahbiru(SF), FatChance (SF) and Ghawazee troupe Cristina, OOla and Olivia(PA)
to have sponsored Wonderful Teacher YOUKTA (AR) in Jan 2002
to WIN 2 Awards of Zaghareet Golden Bellies as the BEST PROMOTER and the BEST EVENT for the MEETING OF THE TRIBES - 2001
to have sponsored the SPIRIT OF THE TRIBES - march 2002 - w/ teachers Amel Tafsout (Algeria), Jill Parker & Rose Harden from Ultra Gypsy (SF), Gypsy Caravan and musicians (OR), Zia Ali director of Awalim Dance Co (GA), Zafira Dance Co (PA).
to have performed w/ the Gypsy Tribe at PAN AFRICAN JAM for the City of Ft. Lauderdale - April 2002
to Teach in Winter Haven, Fl sponsored by Hozhuni from Enlightenment Dance
to promote different multicultural workshops - w/ Flamenco, and Classical and Folkloric Dances from India w/ most renowned teachers.
to sponsor the.....Spirit of the Tribes 2003 with Neha Shah (India) /// Neefa & Safa (PA) from Khafif Middle Eastern Music & Dance Indo - Jas - guest drums master /// Dalia Carella (NYC) /// Jill Parker - Rose Harden & Ultra Gypsy (SF)/// Zia (GA) from Awalim Dance Co--/// Urban Tribal Dance Co. (San Diego-CA) - /// Fatchance Belly Dance (SF)/// Maja (FL)
Spirit Of The Tribes 2004 With Rossah (Nv) ///Yasmela (Wa)/// Luna (Fl)/// Kassar (Nj)/// Daveed Korup (Pa)/// Rachel Brice (Ca) //// Domba (Az) /// The Circle Dance Co (Or) ///urban Tribe (Ca) /// Spirit Of The Tribes 2005 With Leila Haddad (Fr)/// Kamille (Ca) ////
Zafira (Pa) //// Kami Liddle (Nv)//// Atash Maya (Ca)/// Sri Tarasita (Ky) /// Kassar (Nj) /// Unmata (Ca) //// Necholae (Tn) ///// Miguelangel (Fl)/// Riz Fire (Fl) //// Megha (Al)///
teaches in HAWAI in 2004 - Different Styles
teaches in BRAZIL for the MABRUK FESTIVAL in 2004
teaches in ORLANDO in 2005 @ the BLue Lotus Center - Arab Spanish and the Stillness of the Goddess.
monthly Celebrations at the Goddess Store in Hollywood
travels every year with groups to Egypt and in the near future....also to India

To you Women—

…I believe in Magic, in the power of transformation, I believe in the power of the ritual.
…When we move and dance together, we merge, emerge, discover, uncover the mysteries of Belly Dance and unveil the secret woman within. We are the Source and with our Dance we celebrate the Sacred Feminine and the Female Spirit. We perform Belly Dance in the spirit in which we believe it was done in ancient times: as a Dance about Birth and the Power of Woman, to stimulate and bring up our Creativity and promote Healing. I believe that our Inner Life gives us the Movement and concentrate in the Inner Spaces.
…When we move, we heal the Earth around us. Our bodies weave ancient symbols and universal patterns…we design circles, spirals, snakes, crescents, infinities, create wings and put our essence to be in movement alive, and feel aligned and in balance with the Universe. The Dance is in the stars…the moon…the trees, in the sunrise and sunset, in the waxing and waning of the moon…in the light breeze and passionate winds and inspiring waves of the Ocean…in the blood rushing through our body…in our breath and the beat of our heart.
…When we move, we search for roots and connections with the past, our moves and images connect us with the dance of our ancestors, our intuition, and moving through our most sacred space, we empower ourselves in our daily life…We are here to reconnect all the women we have in our womb, in our roots, in our communities, to become One.
…The more we move, more our inner Goddess will grow in our life. As our moves grow, our awareness of life grows…I am blessed to be surrounded by so many beautiful women, watching them expanding discovering, unfolding to a new dimension. It makes me grow. It gives me such a lift for life. After a class I am in constant ecstasy, proud and delirious.
…Our dance transforms. Our dance imposes no restrictions. It doesn't matter our shape, age of level. It is a display of the inner strength and Beauty of Women. It is beyond any routine. Belly dance does not exclude us; it embraces us, as we grow bigger or older.
…I don t care to dance for princes or for super stars. I want to dance for you, to you, I dance for you women goddess, mother, sister, little girl, grand mother and lover.

I want to explode and dance on the streets. I want to see the glitter in your eyes, the sparkle in your smile, the opening of your heart. That's what makes me move. You are my reflection. I am yours.

Come out to the light…wear your beads, coins and tassels, your veils and transparencies, your colors and mysteries and transform for one magical breath…A memento into your essence…Dive into the ethereal…and together let's move, mood, shimmy and transform …undulate, flow, glow, heal and celebrate…create, meditate, let the soul smile and dance, enhance, express, explore and give a chance to our essence, to experience a new vocabulary, a new language of our spirit, to rediscover and invade our privacy and feel the exotic, mysterious, the feminine, the sensual dance of our Heart.

I had many teachers, beautiful women and every one touched me with her Beauty and inspired me no matter the shape, size or levels of technical prowess. I am always amazed by the possibilities this dance provides for us to create and produce and never ending learning. It is a Magical Dance.

But I learn with my first teacher Youkta that we can look &search for many teachers, but only you, will bring up your own inner dance. It's a work for a lifetime.

I bless my teachers and all the women around me that I share my dance with. I am here grateful and thanks to them they give me the chance to learn, explore and make me move on to my spiritual path.

What Students say about their Transformation through Belly Dance

"As my body started to loosen up and my heart started to grow, I learned not only the movements involved but their origins and purpose and I began to grow as a person as well. I wish I had Started earlier…" (Susie Butterfly)
"I always thought that taking Belly Dancing would be fun, but I did not realize the intensity and passion that I would feel that is different from any dance classes. It opened up different avenues in my life and made my spiritual senses deeper…" (Karen del Sordo)
"Deep in my soul there had always been a 'Belly Dancer' trying to escape. I asked to myself who held the key to unlock the mystery of this wonderfully spiritual dance? Finally my longing to dance was to be realized when I discovered Maja… As I learn the movements of this ancient dance I feel a newfound sensuality arising in me…" (Tammy Lewis)
"Strength—The veil sensual—It is strong yet delicate—gives me power …" (Paola Marcante)
"I feel inadequate and unworthy, awkward and clumsy…Instead I was met and welcomed by a warm atmosphere of sisterhood! I experienced peace of mind, endurance, creativity, sharing and a love of life…" (Donna)
"Before I started this class I was kind of sad and depressed about my image of myself…In a short time I had spent in your classes, I had made a big turn around and feel a lot better about who I am. You made a difference in my life…" (Mari Fresquez)
"Growing up in a small town in the mountains of Virginia, my father was a factory worker and my mother was a stay at home mom. I was never exposed to the arts, never feeling very feminine, never pampering myself, till I found your class… This is now like a hunger to me, I just want more, more, the dance, the gatherings, the sharing… You have given me the feeling that I am accepted for what I can do and not rejected for what I have not yet learned to do…" (Mary Pierce)
"I found it especially encouraging to have so many people come up to us after the show to congratulate us, to tell us how beautiful we looked, and to ask about the costumes …The Gypsy Tribe is a beautiful part of you made with all your best energies. The world needs beautiful things as it already abounds with so much hardness and negativity…And you as the caretaker of a created object such as The Gypsy Tribe, will always encounter difficulty in protecting it from the negative forces which seem bent on destroying anything beautiful in this world… I am grateful to you for helping me to climb out of the 'hole' I had built for myself in life…" (Lorraine)

Maja "the Girl from the Nile"

Maja
"the Girl from the Nile"