Miramar's Danse Arabesque

Specialties include Sword, Double Veil, Double Cane and Tribelle Chic!

Traditional Performances include Raks al Shamadan, Raks al Assaya (cane), Raks Sharqi, Saidi and Hagallah

Favorite props include: Double Sword, Double Cane, Veil(s), Cape, Zills, Feather Fans, Glasses, Pot of Flames and Candelabra

OWNER & INSTRUCTOR:  Miramar’s Danse Arabesque & the BellyBoutique. Classes in Cross Junction, VA

Miramar has been studying, researching and performing Middle Eastern Dance for approximately thirty-seven years and has been teaching since 1987.

Miramar has performed in 100's of venues including: Athenian Restaurant (Winchester, VA), Bavarian Inn (Shepherdstown, WV), Timothy’s Restaurant (Fairfax, VA), Pita Inn (Charlottesville, VA), the Astor (D.C.), Casablanca (New Castle, DE), Casablanca (Alexandria, VA), Nick’s Airport Inn (Hagerstown, MD), Wayside Inn (Middletown, VA),
Hilltop Inn (Harpers Ferry, WV), Olde Post Office (Winchester, VA),  Coolfont Resort (Berkeley Springs, WV), Hotel Strasburg (Strasburg, VA), Lafayette Grill (New York, NY), and Roma's in Stephens City, VA,

Highlights of her dance career include performing with the Silk Road Dance Company  under the direction of Laurel Victoria Gray, entertaining troupes at a D.C. Desert Storm Welcome Home Party and performing at Sandal’s Resort in Nassau, Bahamas and KonTiki Resort in Bonaire.

Miramar has written dance articles and reviews that have been published in Jareeda Magazine (USA),  Habibi (USA), Chandra’s Mid-East Dance News (USA), Sahda (Vancouver B.C. Canada) and Sodabladet  (Stockholm, Sweden).  

Lectures and demonstrations include "A Little Noon Music Concert Series" at the Handley Library and featured First Night Winchester performer.  Miramar has performed on five local television programs and has been the subject of over a dozen
newspaper articles which included photographs.  Eight additional photographs of her have appeared in local papers over the years. Miramar was the cover model for the WAMEDA Newsletter, Vol. 22. No. 6, Nov/Dec 2001.

Miramar has studied with Egyptian dance artist Nadia Hamdi. In Istanbul, Turkey she studied with Sema Yildiz, Yeshim, and Birguil. She studied nationally with many master teachers including Shareen El Safy, Sahra, Kathyrn Ferguson, Eva Cernik, Roman Bert Balladine, Gamila el Masri, Habiba, Artemis, Delilah, Laurel Victoria Gray, Latifa,
Morocco, Tarik, Suzanna Del Vecchio and Suhaila Salimpour.  Locally, she has sponsored Sahra, Bedia, Shareen El Safy, Najia, Annette Federico, Dr. Robin Friend,  and Delilah in workshops and shows.

Miramar has taught belly dance workshops nationally in Fresno, CA, Winchester, Berryville, Stephens City, Purcellville, Warrenton, VA; Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, Berkeley Springs, WV; Hagerstown, MD; at the Joy of Motion in
Washington, DC.; Najia's Studio B in Philadelphia, PA; For the Women of Selket in Richmond, VA; for the Washington Area Mideast Dance Association; and the Tiraz Dance Network. Internationally, she taught belly dance workshops and private lessons at Kon Tiki Resort in Bonaire and in the Dominican Republic.

Miramar completed the Bachelor of Science Degree program at Shepherd College in 1991 with a Marketing major and Economics minor. She completed her Masters of Science Degree in Arts Administration from Shenandoah University, Winchester, Virginia in 2005 with a 3.99 GPA and received the 2005 Research Excellence Award for her thesis: A Criteria-Based Evaluation Study of the Code of Conduct for the Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association.

On a more personal note, Miramar is a wife, mother and grandmother. She resides on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia where she enjoys gourmet cooking with fresh herbs from her garden, bird watching, swimming, hiking and reading. A favorite hobby is astronomy and many nights she can be found observing stars and planetary nebulas at the Morgan County Observatory.  Miramar is formally a CIC (Crisis Intervention Companion) and volunteers in court for the Laurel Center (for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence) in Winchester, VA.

SELECTED COMMENTARIES

"Miramar, always impressive and fun - and WOW what a sumptuous costume (and it looked super on her!) Who else could carry off that delicious orange?"
Keylan Qazzaz reviewing Artemis Annual Dance Recital 1998 on the Med-Dance List, May 5, 1998.

"Miramar did a beautiful cabaret sword dance to "Sultanas Palace." An all around excellent performer, Miramar’s grace and beauty shine through in her dance."
Sara Hunt, Habibi, Vol. 17, No. 3., p 57.


"She (Miramar) is known for her range of style and boundless energy."
Joy of Motion Dance Center, Summer Workshop Brochure 99

"Teacher is lifting the veil of misconception from belly dancing . . . For Dottie Letchford of Winchester, Middle Eastern dance has given her inner expression. (Miramar) has instilled a sense of confidence that she never had before she says."
The Winchester Star, August 28, 1998

“And not to be outdone, Miramar’s grace and passion lit up the restaurant in her Greek-style dance, enchanting everyone.”
Dawn McCaslin, East Meets West (Again) at Tribal Odyssey Hafla II, review for WAMEDA, Jan/Feb 2003

“Miramar opened the program with a dramatic Shamadan routine.  She balanced a candelabra on her head while performing the traditional Egyptian wedding dance.”  
Susan Salpini, WAMEDA. Vol. 24, No. 6, Nov/Dec 2003.