About Sahira Zedaré

Sahira Zedaré is the director of Synergy Rhythm and Dance and the Synergy Sirens. Sahira performs and studies a variety of dance forms across the US and in Europe and has taught bellydance in Bloomington-Normal since summer 2005.

Sahira has over twenty-five years of training and performance experience in many dance forms, beginning with jazz, tap, and modern. She studied with Ariel Weiss Holyst, Karen Carlson, Kim Maniscalco, Karen Dearborn, Melissa Pomeroy, and Shelley Oliver, among others, and has also recently taken classes with Laurie Merriman, Sara Semonis, and Mo Miner.

In recent years she has also devoted her energies to bellydance, a dance of deep beauty and boundless joy. Sahira dances to embody the music and entertain the audience, as each performance provides an opportunity to be an ambassador for this art form. Her main styles are Raqs Sharqi and Fusion (sometimes called "Tribal Fusion"), mixed with her background in jazz and modern dance, as well as new training in popping, hip hop, Bollywood, and West African dance. She also performs with zills (finger cymbals), veil, double veil, scimitar, cane, wings, or tray of candles. Her dance resume is available by request.

Sahira Zedaré began studying bellydance in 2003 with Andreana and Pava Maroon in Peoria IL, joining their performing troupe in fall of that year. She continued studying and performing with them until 2005, when the pull to foster more bellydance community in Bloomington-Normal called her to begin teaching in her "home town."

Sahira continues her studies (there's always more to learn!) and has completed workshops from these outstanding teachers: Amel Tafsout, Amy Sigil, Artemis Mourat, Ayshe, Aziza, Blue Lotus Tribe, Carolena Nericcio, Darshan, Hadia, Heather Stants, Jillina, Kami Liddle, Kaeshi, Karim Nagi, Leyla Jouvana, Morocco, Rachel Brice, Shoshanna (CA), Sonya (IL), Tamalyn Dallal, Suhaila Salimpour, and Zafira Dance Company, among others. Sahira has received additional individual instruction from Kaeshi Chai (Director and co-founder of Bellyqueen), Eva Cernik, and Sonya of Arabesque Chicago.

Sahira Zedaré's skills include drumming with tar (frame drum), riqq, and doumbek. She is grateful for training with Carmine Guida, Dale Langdon, Kevin Hartnell, Daveed Korup, Patricia Storm, Karim Nagi, and others. Dancing and drumming generate a joyous synergy!

Sahira Zedaré is very excited about sharing the joy of bellydance with the Bloomington-Normal community. To see clips of Sahira's performances, visit the videos page. If you would like to hire her to perform for your event or to provide dance & rhythm instruction, please read more about Bellydance Entertainment or Group Classes.

Certificates and Awards

• Hadia Teacher Training Level 3, 2009
• Hadia Teacher Training Level 1 and Level 2, 2008
• Bellydancer USA Alternative Music Pro People's Choice, 2007
• Morocco Weeklong, 2006
• Tamalyn Dallal Teaching Certification, 2005

 Some Past Performances

• Entourage Lounge, Bloomington IL (multiple performances)
• Devil and the Deep Blue Sea II, Chicago IL
• Artemis Mourat Show, Muncie IN
• Dark Side Tribal Show featuring Sahira Zedare, Bloomington IN
• Rakkasah Spring Caravan, Somerset NJ
• Bellydancer USA 2007, Canyonville OR (Alternative Music Pro People's Choice)
• Tribal:Pura, Milwaukee and Bloomington IN
• Artemis Mourat Show, Chicago
• Bellydance on Bourbon Street, Chicago
• Blue Lotus Tribe's Tribal Revolution Hafla, Chicago
• Orientalisches Tanzfestival Europas (European Oriental Dance Festival), Duisburg Germany
• Morocco's Weeklong, New York City
• Bellies for Life, Champaign IL
• Cultural Festival, Bloomington IL
• Shoshanna Show, Chicago
• Not in Our Town "Taste of Bloomington," Bloomington IL
• Troupe Zahava's Spring Thaw, Springfield IL
• A Celebration of Dance, Peoria IL
• Belly Fusion Caravan, Allerton IL