At the age of 32, having exhausted myself in the Los Angles theatre scene and the hectic lifestyle of an actress/dancer, I moved to a remote little Northern California town. There, in that magical spot between ocean and giant redwoods, I stumbled upon a middle-eastern dance class. It was then that I made the startling realization that, after 14 years of being a dancer, I was finally (through middle-eastern dance) on the verge of learning to truly dance. That was in 1993 and each day this dance brings something new and nourishing to my life. We are women. We carry history. We have deep stories to share and deep truths to tell. This ancient dance, passed down to us from the lineage of women who have come before, invites us… to dance our stories… to speak our truth.
Since that initial middle-eastern dance class I have been fortunate enough to travel to numerous workshops with many master teachers including Suhaila Salimpour, Aegela, and Hadia. I have also studied regularly with Jamila Zahran of Louisville, KY.
It is with deep joy and gratitude to my students that I open Mermaid Dance Studio. Mermaid Dance Studio is dedicated to creating a sanctuary for self-expression, and to bringing balance, joy and harmony through the creative process and loving expression of this beautiful dance.
Leah (Alia)