SAFIYA NAWAAR is one of the most recognized traditional belly dance artists in the eastern United States. She is the founder and director of Arabesque World Dance in downtown Lexington, Ky. where she teaches classes as well as hosting workshops and gala shows throughout the year. When she isn’t creating and directing her own theatrical dance productions, she often travels to perform and teach at large events across the country…and in 2017 her travels will bring to Cairo, Egypt where she will be teaching and performing at a week-long festival in October. Involved in the performing arts her entire life, she feels fortunate to have many years of Classical Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, and Theatrical Dance as a solid foundation before getting involved in Belly Dance. Her specialties include Raqs Sharqi, Egyptian, Lebanese & Turkish Orientale, American Cabaret, Turkish Rroma, Classical Persian and Tribal Fusion. She prides herself not only in the more traditional forms of Raqs Sharqi, but also in the conception of her own modern fusion of bellydance, utilizing all the elements from her diverse dance education. She is also the director of Troupe Hala Alimah who perform in Stage Shows, Cultural Festivals, and Corporate Events throughout the Eastern U.S. Safiya and her troupe have wowed Con audiences with their unique dance performance cosplay choreographies that included Star Trek, MadMax, and SteamPunk themes to name a few. For the 2017 Lexington Comicon, Safiya will be taking the stage as a soloist as well as teaching a workshop on dance isolations for both ‘Pops & Locks’ and ‘Slinky & Sinuous’ moves that create a great foundation for any dance enthusiast. So, come and get your Groove on!
