Afsana's Dance Bio

Afsana has been teaching belly dance professionally since 2001 in both Calgary and Halifax. Her classes are a fun, non-threatening environment in which to learn new movement and cultural information.

Her love of the dance comes through clearly in her teaching, and Afsana is delighted to share her knowledge with her students. Additionally, Afsana is recognized by her peers for building a strong technical foundation in her students. Her enthusiastic instruction and attention to technique have earned her invitations to teach at workshops across Canada.

Afsana has been performing belly dance since 1998, and regularly creates her own choreographies. Dancing since the age of 5, Afsana has also studied highland, ballroom and modern dance. She draws on this rich dance base to choreograph both traditionally-inspired belly dance pieces and fusion pieces, all of which are audience favourites. Afsana's working knowledge of performance and choreography allows her to prepare students for performances and to help them find their own expressive voices in belly dance.

Afsana continues to expand and refine her own understanding of belly dance by studying with internationally acclaimed belly dancers including Hadia, Morocco, Yasmina Ramzy, and Sahra Saeeda. She is connected to the local Calgary belly dance community through her participation in the semi-professional belly dance company, The Little Fish, under the direction of Jumanah. This ongoing learning assures that Afsana's belly dance knowledge is current and dynamic, an asset to her students and audiences.