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Dance Philosphy
Dance Styles
Cleopatra's Closet
Performance Highlights
Past Performance Experience
Formal Dance Training
Dance Philosophy
Life is dance and dance is life. Nimeera’s goals as a dancer are to travel, learn, perform, and share the beauty of the dances of the Silk Road. She focuses on studying the nuances between these different styles and the ways they have been blended and expanded along with the cultures they represent. Her solid life-long foundation in music, extensive movement vocabulary, and understanding of the cultural origins of these dances help her to share the very essence of these dances. In an effort to understand the origins of these beautiful dances, Nimeera immerses herself in the cultures of Morroco, Turkey, and India and studies French, Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, and Hindi.
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Photo by Sarah Skinner
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Dance Styles
Nimeera's styles include Moroccan, Egyptian, Arabic, Turkish, Central Asian, Persian and Indian, both in Classical Ethnic and Contemporary styles. It is very important when studying different styles both to be able to accurately portray the distinct differences that make each style unique, and to be able to blend them creatively. Her graceful Persian arms, playful Indian eyes, precisely synchopated Egyptian isolations, and dramatic Turkish energy all blend effortlessly in her own unique style. And yet she easily changes her style as needed to faithfully portray these different styles in their pure forms. The best possible compliment is when people from different nationalities mistake Nimeera for their own based on the quality of her dance.
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Cleopatra's Closet
Nimeera founded Cleopatra's Closet to provide unique and unusual accessories for dancers at affordable prices. In addition, they enhance the local dance community by providing a comprehensive source of Middle Eastern Dance information focused on the Washington DC Metro area.
Nimeera is grateful for her experiences with Cleopatra's Closet. She has been able to interact with so many influential members of the dance community as both a performing artist and a perveyer of fine quality dance accessories.
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Activities with the Silk Road Dance Company
Nimeera performed as an active member of the Silk Road Dance Company for seven years, since 1997. During that time she performed both as a choreography leader and
featured soloist. In addition, she served two years as
the primary seamstress, two years as Chief Financial
Officer, and three years as Music Coordinator.
The Silk Road Dance Company's repertoire "celebrates the delightful dance traditions and sumptuous costumes of cultures along this fabled trade route - the Great Silk Road." Laurel Victoria Gray, Artistic Director, has spent considerable time studying and researching these dance forms in the Near East. Her detailed reproductions of these individual dance styles has been an inspiration to Nimeera's own interpretation of Middle Eastern Dance.
Nimeera performed with the Silk Road Dance Company in several full-length concerts and feature performances in Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, North Carolina, Hollywood, Chicago, Texas, and on the Washington Monument Grounds.
Nimeera's involvement provided her with the opportunity to travel and perform at several prestigious venues, including the Warner Brothers in Hollywood, The Coronation of the Queen in San Antonio Texas, the Uzbek Embassy in Washington DC, and several times on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.
Silk Road Dance Company
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Performance Highlights
Nimeera has been dancing since she was two years old, and comes from a family of Middle Eastern Dancers. Her first opportunity to dance on television came as a member of Moon and Star in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). In 1991 she organized Gypsy Blue, a dance troupe based in New Jersey. Together they performed at several SCA events.
Nimeera added a regular modern Persian show blending elements of Baba Karam, Fellahin, and Bandari to her performances at Pars Famous Kabob during Nulruz 2001. Her modern Persian style of dance is firmly rooted in her study in classical and traditional Persian dance, yet carries the free spirit of contemporary Persian dance.
Nimeera performed at Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2001 in Cairo, Egypt with a full Egyptian music ensemble for and audience of top international dancers. One of her more interesting events was a processional for a Somalian wedding, complete with traditional dress, drums, and zagareets. She led a traditional Zeffa Procession al Shamdan in the Egyptian Embassy, Washington DC. Nimeera is honored to be the ONLY bellydancer to have performed in the Ronald Reagan Building, dancing Raqs al Shamadan with live flame for a very special event!
Nimeera has performed regularly at Laziza, La Kasbah, Pars Famous Kabob, Nader's Middle Eastern Cafe, Fettoosh, Exotic Marakesh, Hatam Kabab, Kebab Masala, Heritage India, and the Casablanca, as well as making several appearances at the Taste of Morocco, Noor Mahal, Sahib, Memsahib, Le Tarbouche, A Taste of Marrakesh, and many other locations.
Past Experience
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Formal Dance Training
Along the way, Nimeera has also spent several years studying ballet, folk dance, ballroom, latin, classical indian dance, and tai chi. In addition, she searches for sources of inspiration wherever it can be found.
She would like to credit the following instructors for her formal training.
| Amel Tafsout |
North African/Berber
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| Artemis |
Turkish Rom (Gypsy)
Turkish Style Oriental
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
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| Delilah |
American-style Belly Dance |
| Dina Foud |
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
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| Eva Cernik |
Turkish Rom (Gypsy)
Turkish Style Oriental
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| Habiba |
Egyptian Ghawazee
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| Keylan Qazzaz |
Kurdish |
| Kizlarkhon Dustmukhamedova |
Uzbeki |
| Laurel Victoria Gray and the Silk Road Dance Company |
Azerbaijani
Bandari
Egyptian (ancient, oriental, folkloric)
Georgian
Persian (modern, classical, folkloric)
Tadjik
Turkish
Uzbek (Khorezm, Bukharan, Ferghana)
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| Nadia Hamdi |
Egyptian Folkloric Cane Dance (Raks Assaya)
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
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| Noor Jihan |
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
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| Rhea |
Greek Style Bellydance |
| Samia |
Turkish Rom (Gypsy)
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| Saikantha |
Kuchipudi (Indian Classical Dance) |
| Suhair Zaki |
Classical Egyptian Oriental
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| Tayyar Akdeniz |
Turkish Rom
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Yasmin
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Classical Egyptian Oriental
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Nimeera would also like to thank the following artists for being such a wonderful inspiration:
| Amustela |
American Bellydance |
| Maduri Dixit |
Indian Film Dance |
| Miraj |
Turkish Oriental
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| Morocco |
Egyptian (ancient, oriental, folkloric)
Egyptian Candelabra Dance (Raks Shamadan)
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| Nyla |
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
Egyptian Candelabra Dance (Raks Shamadan)
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| Rasha |
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
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| Shahrzad |
Persian Bellydance
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| Suhaila Salimpour |
Egyptian Oriental (Raks Sharki)
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| Tehreema Mitha |
Bharatnatyam Modern Dance
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