Mohamed Shahin!
Performances
Amala Gameela is a talented and passionate Middle Eastern Dance Artist based in the Lehigh Valley, PA area specializing in folkloric Middle Eastern dance and Egyptian cabaret. She is a sought after performer, enthusiastic instructor, and event producer who presents traditional Middle Eastern dance with beauty, culture, and professional artistry... Read Full Bio
Abzahrah, Amala Gameela’s Professional Middle Eastern Dance Compnay, will transcend your guests to a beautiful oasis through the art of Middle Eastern Dance. Allow Abzahrah to take you on an enchanted carpet ride with friends, family, and fun!
Make your next event memorable with Amala Gameela!
Performances
Amala Gameela's background of various belly dance styles surpasses the traditional, beautiful movements and reaches deep into the rich culture, the historical background, and eclectic music. Workshop content includes specific instrumentation and rhythms, appropriate costuming, musicality, combonations/ choreography, culture, expression, and stage presence with hand outs and music provided. Amala is anxious to share her love and knowledge of belly dance with dancers of all ages, shapes, and levels in a positive atmosphere.
Explore Traditional and Modern Egyptian Cabaret
Experience the elements of a traditional cabaret show and how to incorporate props into your belly dance performances with whimsical veils, enticing finger cymbals, mesmerizing floorwork, sensual fans, shimmering wings, and breathtaking sword and candle balancing.
- Entrances and Exits: The two most essential elements of any performance. Learn how to graciously greet your audience, draw in your crowd, and leave a positive, lasting impression. Amala will teach you how to interpret entrance and exit rhythms with fluid traveling combinations while analyzing body expressions. Veils, wings, and veil fans can be incorporated.
- Taqsims, Chiftitellis, and Masmoudi: Master the slow section of the typical belly dance set with serpentine circular movements, luxurious undulations, and subtle shimmies. Amala will share the secrets to sensual floorwork with dramatic height changes and tantalizing body alignments. Investigate performance improvisation with the intoxicating sounds of the nay, oud, violin, accordion, and kanoun. Veils, fans, swords and candles can be incorporated.
- Baladi: One of the most misunderstood components of Egyptian dance…referring to a rhythm, a song, a dress, a musical progression, a group of people, or all of the above? Amala will differentiate among the many definitions in specific context and provide a detailed description of the musical progression variations along with a logical repertoire of movement.
- Drum Solos: Conquer the drum solo with confidence! Allow Amala to demonstrate how simple and fun a percussive song can be with rhythm identification, hip articulations, body isolations, and theatrical character expressions.
- Egyptian Pop Choreography: Amala will show you how to create your own original and exciting choreography by breaking down her own playful routine and explaining her elementary approach with innovative movement combinations, traveling steps, musical patterns, instrumental phrasing, and song translations. Finger cymbals, veils, and fans can be incorporated.
- Egyptian/ Latin Fusion: Belly dancers all over the globe are fusing Middle Eastern belly dance with dances from around the world. Amala will illustrate how to correctly and successfully fuse belly dance with other dance styles. In this workshop Egyptian and Latin music, movements, costuming, and culture will be united through a spicy and sassy choreography. Finger cymbals, veils, and fans can be incorporated.
Find out about upcoming workshops hosted by Amala!
Immerse Yourself in Folkloric Middle-Eastern Dance
All belly dance styles in some way shape or form evolved from folkloric Middle Eastern dance. Amala Gameela is one of the few dancers who has studied these traditional dances, captured their authenticity, and is eager to share them with you.
- Saidi: Sometimes known as the famous Raks Al Sayya (stick) dance of Upper Egypt, and one of the most popular folkloric Middle Eastern dances. Explore the Egyptian culture from the melodic mizmar to the deep tabla beledi with swaying galabayyas. Enjoy sizzlin’ hot Saidi combos, whether you’re new to Saidi technique, or ready to attempt double stick movements. Cane(s), stick(s), and finger cymbals can be incorporated.
- Ghawazee: Discover the earthy gypsy movements of Egypt’s timeless public dancers, an essential foundation for all belly dancers, with emphasis on Binat Mazin style. Finger cymbals are incorporated.
- Hagallah: Experience the percussive Western Bedouin dance of Egypt with the Hagallah’s distinctive hip movements and cheerful clapping.
- Fellahin: Capture Egyptian farming traditions and dances characterized by the ballas, oversized galabayyas, and flowing head viels with matching mandils.
- Nubian: Learn the joyful folk dance of Nubia, where Egypt’s own performance groups thrive, with Amala Gameela. Grab your tarha and experience the Egyptian culture behind this fun and simplistic dance style with innovative movements.
- Simsimiyya: Have a blast learning this theatrical fisherman’s dance of the Suez Canal district, recognized by its Charleston style steps, high energy movements, and jumps to the unique, dynamic sounds of the Simsimiyya.
- Melaya Leff: Master the grace of Egyptian dance with the soft, playful expressions of Melaya Leff with emphasis on stage presence, characterization, and music emulating the Alexandrian way of life.
- Shamadan: Explore the traditional Egyptian wedding dance (Zeffah al-arusa), performed with a lit candelabra balanced on the head.
- Moroccan Shikhat: Uncover the sensual movements and hip articulations of Morocco’s public dancers.
- Tunisian: Tunisian Dance is characterized by vigorous hip twisting to accentuate the highly rhythmic and syncopated music. Signature dances include balancing a water jug on the head and dancing with scarves.
- Khaleeji: Unveil the feminine Persian Gulf dance style with shuffling steps and hair tossing in vibrant thobes.
- Pharoanic: Connect with ancient Egyptian beliefs with an interpretive dance depicting murals on the walls of the pyramids.
Event Productions
As a tremendous lover of birds and wildlife, Amala Gameela sponsors professional shows and benefit haflas geared toward donations for animal rescues and non-profit wildlife organizations. A hafla refers to a party, usually thrown by a belly dancer involving Middle Eastern performances. Amala’s haflas have grown from simplistic student showcases enjoyed by close friends and family to formal shows featuring her students, local, and professional performers complete with live music, vending, authentic food, and even intimate animal encounters, which are now attended by the community!
Amala is ecstatic to combine her passions by sharing the art of Middle Eastern dance and assist wildlife rehabilitation centers, conservation groups, animal rescues, wildlife sanctuaries, and parrot organizations while educating the public…she is proud to have raised and donated over $7,000 thus far!
As an experienced, enthusiastic educator and an advocate for cultural arts, Amala leads discussions and lectures, often joined by Abzahrah, with performance demonstrations, cultural, and historical background at libraries, hospitals, health and senior centers, schools, Girl Scout events, and colleges on ethnic and folkloric dances of the Middle East.
Amala Gameela has also recently begun producing educational dance workshops and professional gala showcases by bringing international superstars to the Lehigh Valley in her efforts to share and sustain authentic Middle Eastern performing arts, such as her first and successful endeavor featuring Mohamed Shahin of Cairo in 2010.
