World Dance
Ancestral Roots to Global Rhythms
Dance has been part of my life since my earliest memories — a birthright passed on to me by my grandfather, a revered folkloric dancer in Macedonia. In our village, he taught me the rhythms, steps, and soul of Balkan dances — a rich cultural mosaic woven from Macedonian, Turkish, Greek, and Roma influences. These dances, learned in circles and shared through generations, taught me that movement is cultural memory, and music is the language of kinship.
When I moved to Chicago, I carried those rhythms in my bones. In 1992, I began formal study of Middle Eastern dance with Jasmine Jahal, and my journey deepened through study with master teachers worldwide, including the legendary Mahmoud Reda. I was struck by how naturally Middle Eastern dance flows through the feminine form — sensuous yet strong, elegant yet rooted. As I explored it more deeply, I discovered its therapeutic potency: it awakens intrinsic muscles, breath, emotion, and a profound sense of self-expression.
Today, my world dance offerings are an invitation to enter world cultures through embodiment — to feel the pulse of another land, its people and its history – in your own hips, feet, belly and bones. Whether Balkan or Middle Eastern, these forms bring participants into joyful connection with themselves and each other. My grandfather told me, as I left Macedonia for America in my youth, “You will always find your brothers and sisters in the dance.” His words remain true. In circles of dancers across the globe, I’ve found family, healing, and joy — and I welcome you to join me in that circle.