45 Years Under My Hip Belt & Counting... Slide Show 1978 - 2022
all costumes designed and handmade by Aszmara
"Dance is Emotion In Motion"
"Dance is emotion in motion" describes accurately the quality of Aszmara’s dance. She is one of New York’s best interpreters of the ethnic dance. She impresses through her expressive stage presence and interprets the music with her own blend of modern and ethnic Arab and Turkish dance. The New York Times describes her dance as "intense".
Throughout her over four decade career, performances range from cabaret entertainment to full concert stage creating themed concert events, folkloric and innovative dances. Workshop sponsors in the USA and Europe repeatedly bring her back for her vast knowledge and informed teaching conveying technical and performance skills. Her teaching style is highly energetic and as a master teacher she teaches master and beginner’s classes with the same enthusiasm. Her workshops, thus, are highly appreciated both by professional dancers as well as by beginners.
As one of the leading figures in the field of the Oriental Dance, she is also one of the founders and principal dancers of the AMMED Award Winning Middle Eastern Dance Company, Oriental Images as well as co-founder/co-director of SaZ Dance Theatre, a multi-cultural woman’s dance company. Aszmara's instructional DVD, Belly Dance... The Secret Desire won high praise from Habibi magazine.
Aszmara YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gA0y--mtyaqLYzZnOtzAQ
"Dance is emotion in motion" describes accurately the quality of Aszmara’s dance. She is one of New York’s best interpreters of the ethnic dance. She impresses through her expressive stage presence and interprets the music with her own blend of modern and ethnic Arab and Turkish dance. The New York Times describes her dance as "intense".
Throughout her over four decade career, performances range from cabaret entertainment to full concert stage creating themed concert events, folkloric and innovative dances. Workshop sponsors in the USA and Europe repeatedly bring her back for her vast knowledge and informed teaching conveying technical and performance skills. Her teaching style is highly energetic and as a master teacher she teaches master and beginner’s classes with the same enthusiasm. Her workshops, thus, are highly appreciated both by professional dancers as well as by beginners.
As one of the leading figures in the field of the Oriental Dance, she is also one of the founders and principal dancers of the AMMED Award Winning Middle Eastern Dance Company, Oriental Images as well as co-founder/co-director of SaZ Dance Theatre, a multi-cultural woman’s dance company. Aszmara's instructional DVD, Belly Dance... The Secret Desire won high praise from Habibi magazine.
Aszmara YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1gA0y--mtyaqLYzZnOtzAQ
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1980's - 2022
Online Weekly Classes and Monthly Workshops
United Federation of Teachers - Belly Dance Classes Westchester & The Bronx 2022
College of New Rochelle - Phys Ed Dept Adjunct Professor - Belly Dance & Meditation since 2002
Advisor Black Ice Step Team at The College of New Rochelle 2008 - 2013
Workshop & Master Class Series in Manhattan
Commissioned choreographies since 1987 for New Rochelle Opera Company
JazzCo Eastchester Dance Project since 2015
2011 through 2018 Intensive Dance Retreat Weekends at Wainwright House
2019 Intensive Dance Retreat Weekends at New Dawn Foundation
Senior Center Classes & Educational Programs throughout Westchester, NY
Yearly Educational Dance programs at New Rochelle Library
Since 1980's Ongoing class schedule in Manhattan, New York & Connecticut;
Instruction, coaching & choreography for dance companies and solo performers
2018 Research Assistant to Sahra Saeeda in Upper Egypt’s folkloric music & dances
International Performances & Workshops
Uhuru World Festival: Week long Workshop & Performance. Soloturn, Switzerland
Lenk Symposium for Music & Movement in Lenk, Switzerland
Performance & Workshop Tours through Switzerland: Zurich, Bern, Luzern, Winterthur, et al.
1989 - 2003 Yearly Week long Dance Workshops in Switzerland
Week long Workshops in Toscana, Italy
Trinity College, Dublin
Dublin, Belfast, Galway & Cork, Ireland
Performance Tours in Egypt, Greece, Turkey, France, Bahamas & Bermuda
National Performance & Workshops
2013 Associate Director of Curated Concerts for New York Theatrical Belly Dance Conference
2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010 Master Teacher & Performer Theatrical Belly Dance Conference, NYC
2011, 2010 Master Teacher & Performer Folktours Music & Dance Camps, PA & NJ
2003, 2001, 2000 & 1999 Festival of the Nile, Florida
Mahrajan Concert 2007, Brea California with Sahra Saeeda & Angelika Nemith
Late 1970's - 2000 Regular Performer in all the major NYC nightclubs: Fazil’s, Baba’s, Darvish, Marrakesh, Ibis...
Frequent Guest Artist in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania
Ethical Cultural Society
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Niklaus/Louis Choreospace, Washington Square Church with Elena Lentini & Co
Scottish Rites Auditorium, Hollywood, California with Ramzi El Adlibi Dance Co.
Teaching / Coaching / Choreographer
Adjunct Professor at The College of New Rochelle since 2002
Advisor Black Ice Step Team at The College of New Rochelle 2008 - 2013
JazzCo Choreographer Eastchester High School since 2014
Artist in Residence Oak Lane Country Day School, PA
Since 1980's Ongoing class schedule in Manhattan, New York & Connecticut;
Instruction, coaching & choreography for dance companies and solo performers
Workshop & Master Class Series in Manhattan
Guest Artist & Teacher in New Hampshire, Vermont, Florida, Boston,
Connecticut, New Jersey & Pennsylvania
Workshop Series in Stamford, Connecticut
Workshop Series in Newburgh, NY
Weekend Workshops in New Jersey, Boston, Vermont & New Hampshire
Commissioned choreographies for New Rochelle Opera Company, & New Rochelle Civic Theatre
Yearly Educational Dance programs at New Rochelle Library
Dance Companies
Oriental Images Workshops & Concerts 1986 - 1995
Artistic and Co-artistic Director with Carmen & Majda, choreographer, producer, performer & instructor
Oriental Images was formed in the mid 1980's along with Carmen Evans and Majda Mudell Fisher with the idea to educate and entertain audiences with the rich culture of the Middle East.
For 15 years they produced yearly events which were highly regarded in the Middle Eastern Dance community with workshops and concerts presenting folkloric and classic Oriental dance for the theater stage.
In 1997, Oriental Images received the AAMED Hall of Fame award.
Annual Workshops in New Jersey & Pennsylvania
American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Hall of Fame
Recipient of AAMED Hall of Fame Award 1997
SaZ Dance Theatre 1988 - 2010
Co-artistic Director with Robert Koch, choreographer, producer & performer
In 1988, Aszmara with Roberta Koch co-founded SaZ Dance Theatre, a groundbreaking Multi- cultural dance company. Classical Indian, Spanish, Afro-Haitian, Cuban and Middle Eastern techniques were blended with modern movements to create an exciting and eclectic dance form. NYC productions were at The Knitting Factory, The Moving Company, Movements Afoot, Evolving Arts Theatre at Dance Space, SounDance Repertory, and in 1993 and 1996 had two week long runs at SoHo's Ohio Theatre where Jack Anderson of The New York Times wrote their production of "Out of Time" was "explicitly dramatic" and "a fascinating assortment of brief pieces.”
NYC Evening Length Productions of:
"Out of Time"
"Time Sojourns"
"Non-Stop Belly-Dance"
"Veiled Threat" Performance Venues:
Ohio Theatre
Evolving Arts Theatre
Movements Afoot
Knitting Factory
SounDance Repertory
Dance Space
Morocco's Tent Theater
Online Weekly Classes and Monthly Workshops
United Federation of Teachers - Belly Dance Classes Westchester & The Bronx 2022
College of New Rochelle - Phys Ed Dept Adjunct Professor - Belly Dance & Meditation since 2002
Advisor Black Ice Step Team at The College of New Rochelle 2008 - 2013
Workshop & Master Class Series in Manhattan
Commissioned choreographies since 1987 for New Rochelle Opera Company
JazzCo Eastchester Dance Project since 2015
2011 through 2018 Intensive Dance Retreat Weekends at Wainwright House
2019 Intensive Dance Retreat Weekends at New Dawn Foundation
Senior Center Classes & Educational Programs throughout Westchester, NY
Yearly Educational Dance programs at New Rochelle Library
Since 1980's Ongoing class schedule in Manhattan, New York & Connecticut;
Instruction, coaching & choreography for dance companies and solo performers
2018 Research Assistant to Sahra Saeeda in Upper Egypt’s folkloric music & dances
International Performances & Workshops
Uhuru World Festival: Week long Workshop & Performance. Soloturn, Switzerland
Lenk Symposium for Music & Movement in Lenk, Switzerland
Performance & Workshop Tours through Switzerland: Zurich, Bern, Luzern, Winterthur, et al.
1989 - 2003 Yearly Week long Dance Workshops in Switzerland
Week long Workshops in Toscana, Italy
Trinity College, Dublin
Dublin, Belfast, Galway & Cork, Ireland
Performance Tours in Egypt, Greece, Turkey, France, Bahamas & Bermuda
National Performance & Workshops
2013 Associate Director of Curated Concerts for New York Theatrical Belly Dance Conference
2016, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010 Master Teacher & Performer Theatrical Belly Dance Conference, NYC
2011, 2010 Master Teacher & Performer Folktours Music & Dance Camps, PA & NJ
2003, 2001, 2000 & 1999 Festival of the Nile, Florida
Mahrajan Concert 2007, Brea California with Sahra Saeeda & Angelika Nemith
Late 1970's - 2000 Regular Performer in all the major NYC nightclubs: Fazil’s, Baba’s, Darvish, Marrakesh, Ibis...
Frequent Guest Artist in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania
Ethical Cultural Society
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Niklaus/Louis Choreospace, Washington Square Church with Elena Lentini & Co
Scottish Rites Auditorium, Hollywood, California with Ramzi El Adlibi Dance Co.
Teaching / Coaching / Choreographer
Adjunct Professor at The College of New Rochelle since 2002
Advisor Black Ice Step Team at The College of New Rochelle 2008 - 2013
JazzCo Choreographer Eastchester High School since 2014
Artist in Residence Oak Lane Country Day School, PA
Since 1980's Ongoing class schedule in Manhattan, New York & Connecticut;
Instruction, coaching & choreography for dance companies and solo performers
Workshop & Master Class Series in Manhattan
Guest Artist & Teacher in New Hampshire, Vermont, Florida, Boston,
Connecticut, New Jersey & Pennsylvania
Workshop Series in Stamford, Connecticut
Workshop Series in Newburgh, NY
Weekend Workshops in New Jersey, Boston, Vermont & New Hampshire
Commissioned choreographies for New Rochelle Opera Company, & New Rochelle Civic Theatre
Yearly Educational Dance programs at New Rochelle Library
Dance Companies
Oriental Images Workshops & Concerts 1986 - 1995
Artistic and Co-artistic Director with Carmen & Majda, choreographer, producer, performer & instructor
Oriental Images was formed in the mid 1980's along with Carmen Evans and Majda Mudell Fisher with the idea to educate and entertain audiences with the rich culture of the Middle East.
For 15 years they produced yearly events which were highly regarded in the Middle Eastern Dance community with workshops and concerts presenting folkloric and classic Oriental dance for the theater stage.
In 1997, Oriental Images received the AAMED Hall of Fame award.
Annual Workshops in New Jersey & Pennsylvania
American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Hall of Fame
Recipient of AAMED Hall of Fame Award 1997
SaZ Dance Theatre 1988 - 2010
Co-artistic Director with Robert Koch, choreographer, producer & performer
In 1988, Aszmara with Roberta Koch co-founded SaZ Dance Theatre, a groundbreaking Multi- cultural dance company. Classical Indian, Spanish, Afro-Haitian, Cuban and Middle Eastern techniques were blended with modern movements to create an exciting and eclectic dance form. NYC productions were at The Knitting Factory, The Moving Company, Movements Afoot, Evolving Arts Theatre at Dance Space, SounDance Repertory, and in 1993 and 1996 had two week long runs at SoHo's Ohio Theatre where Jack Anderson of The New York Times wrote their production of "Out of Time" was "explicitly dramatic" and "a fascinating assortment of brief pieces.”
NYC Evening Length Productions of:
"Out of Time"
"Time Sojourns"
"Non-Stop Belly-Dance"
"Veiled Threat" Performance Venues:
Ohio Theatre
Evolving Arts Theatre
Movements Afoot
Knitting Factory
SounDance Repertory
Dance Space
Morocco's Tent Theater
