Today we’d like to introduce you to Aziza Nawal.
Aziza, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved to Atlanta over 25 years ago from Alabama. I have always been fascinated with the music, art, and cuisine of other cultures and Atlanta is a perfect place to indulge those curiosities. I made a point to find restaurants that challenged my senses and discovered a Moroccan restaurant that featured belly dance performances. I went, and I was hooked; I wanted to learn more about this art form. I found a class at Georgia State University, then joined a local dance troupe, with whom I performed at several festivals during the Olympics including being asked to take part in the Paralympic opening ceremonies. I hoped to take this to another level, so I eventually found a teacher who performed at local restaurants. Within a couple of years, I found myself performing weekly at a local Middle Eastern themed restaurant.
Since then I have taught and performed across the country as well as in Brazil. I have performed on FOX’s 30 Seconds to Fame, BET’s Hell Date and on a live television show in Istanbul, Turkey. I have taught local weekly classes since 2002 and performed with the national touring company Belly Dance Superstars and more recently Belly Dance Evolution. Currently, I perform regularly at two local restaurants: Taverna Plaka and Nicola’s and love every minute of it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There have been many struggles with teaching. I have wonderful, loyal students and when I think back to the class I attended in the mid-90s and compare to today; it is disheartening that we don’t see the same numbers in attendance. I’m not sure if this dance form is just not ‘in style’ or that our snackable culture doesn’t lend itself to the commitment that learning dance demands. I take the good with the bad, with a smaller class my students get more attention and we form a stronger community. We share a journey through dance and learn from each other.
I have met many challenges as a performer, most notably the misconceptions of this art form. This dance is more properly known as Raqs Sharki in Arabic which translates to Oriental dance referring to the eastern region of the word that includes the Near and Middle East. This dance represents embodies strength, beauty, and joy but is often viewed as something lascivious which is unfortunate. I hope through performing and teaching I can somehow dispel these misnomers and show students and audience members the beauty of the music and movement.
Belly Dance by Aziza Nawal – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In addition to performing, I teach weekly classes at Atlanta Fusion Belly Dance Studios. I specialize in teaching Middle Eastern dance fundamentals, technique used in regional dances from the Middle East as well as restaurant performing skills. Over the years I have culminated a wealth of knowledge from my studies with the best artists from Egypt and beyond. I still train with my mentors and hope that I have inspired others. I believe that my experience, patience and sense of humor keeps students coming back and audiences wanting more.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
It is difficult to measure success in art by just looking at analytics. As a performer, I can say that I’ve won a handful of awards, performed with notable musicians and I feel successful in those things, but I am constantly striving for artistic excellence. The biggest indication of success for me as a teacher is when a student excels in their dancing and attributes it to my instruction. I judge my success one performance and class at a time. Did I get a good reaction, is the feedback from students positive? Like any artist, I’m my worst critic.
Pricing:
- Weekly Classes Drop-in rate $10 in advance
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.azizanawal.com
- Email: azizanawal@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azizanawal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/azizanawal/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/azizanawal
- Other: https://www.atlantafusionbellydance.com/
Image Credit:
Studio Jaki, Kismet Photography
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