Email: roxanne@roxxanne.com, PHONE: 213-712-0917
Roxanne Shelaby performs throughout Southern California bringing her unique dance style combining her Lebanese heritage and Egyptian soul.
Roxanne is fortunate to have grown up surrounded by Middle Eastern Arts. Her love of Middle Eastern music and dance flourished as a child, growing up at the family owned “Fez” and “Cascades” nightclubs.
She began performing at the age of 16 at the request of Farida Fahmy (lead dancer of the national dance troupe of Egypt) to represent The Reda Troupe. Roxanne has studied extensively with master teacher and choreographer Sahra as well as with Farida Fahmy, Zahra Zuhair, Vivianne and Feiruz Aram.
Roxanne performs with and is Assistant Director of Sahra’s “Ya Amar! Middle Eastern Dance Company”. She apperead with the group in many Southern California performances including “The Nations of San Diego International Dance Festival”, “The Second International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance” at Orange Coast College - CA, “Sahra and Ya Amar! present Al Dumia” live in concert in Brea and Hollywood - CA and “RA - the Eclipse of the Sun”. Roxanne also accompanied Ya Amar! to Tokyo, Japan in 1999 performing a featured solo in two sold out theater performances.
Roxanne also produces “Hypzotica,” a weekly Middle Eastern Dance show and club night.
Roxanne teaches ongoing classes and workshops locally and internationally in Egyptian style Belly Dancing as well as Lebanese Dabke in the Los Angeles, California area.
Roxxanne teaches workshops on a variety of subjects including both Oriental and Folkloric Styles.
The following is a list of possible workshop options:
Ooey-Gooey Oriental Undulations
Intermediate/ Advanced Level
3 hours
Enhance your dance with “ooey-gooey” undulations that will maximize your torso and hip work. Enrich your dance with thefocus on timing and stretching the movements to capitalize on the richness of the music.
Drum Solo Intricacies
Intermediate/Advanced Level
3 hours
Maximize your shimmies and layering movements! Take your drum solo to the next level with detail oriented internal movements and interpretation of those movements through a deeper understanding the music.
Assaya (Cane)
All levels
3 hours
Learn to dance with the Assaya the Middle Eastern way. More than tricks and props, the cane can be incorporated into your Oriental routine and danced with in a femininity and elegance. Egyptian and Lebanese Folkloric elements of the cane dance are also included.
Egyptian Choreography
All Levels
3 hours or more
An emphasis on basic elements of an Egyptian Oriental routine: Entrance, opening, taqsim, drum solo, exit. Combinations featuring exquisite Egyptian movements and how to achieve a deeper connection to the music will round out the workshop to provide a soulful and complete Egyptian routine.
Lebanese vs. Egyptian Oriental
All levels
3 hours
Learn the differences between Lebanese and Egyptian styles of Oriental dance. A series of combinations will elaborate the basic elements of each style and the similarities and differences between the two.
Lebanese Oriental
All Levels
3 hours or more
Learn about Lebanese Style Oriental Dance from its roots in the Lebanese Folkloric Dance Style “Dabka” and how this, along with social and historical factors has developed the distinct Lebanese Oriental Style.
“Dabka”
All levels
1½ hours-social style only
3 hours social & basic performance styles
6 hours social & performance style w choreography
Learn the social folk style of dance from Lebanon and the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan & Iraq). Focus on origins of the dance, costuming, music and cultural factors which formed the dance. The workshop begins with widely known social dances and graduates on to performance style, which includes movements, combinations and choreographies for the stage.
”Khaleeji”
All levels
1½ hours
This energetic hair tossing dance from the Persian Gulf can be performed as a choreography in itself or be included into your Oriental routine for spice! Learn the signature hair tossing movements and much much more!!
