Hello! I am Samira Saleem.

I have been dancing this beautiful art form of Middle Eastern dance for nearly 30 years.

This dance became a passion for me as I became completely intrigued by the challenge of combining the sensuous grace of the movements with the lilting, light-hearted—or sometimes sultry—melodies and the exciting, pulsing drum rhythms.

I took my first class in Middle Eastern dance at the University of Florida. In 1977, I moved to Delaware from Florida. It was destiny, for it was there that I found the teacher who was to bring me to a whole new level of dancing—a professional level—and that teacher was Nagwa Sai’d of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Until I found Nagwa, I was a shy and introverted student. Nagwa Sai’d was, and still is, a professional dancer. She is an American who mastered Middle Eastern dance the way most of us can only dream about—she lived and breathed this art form. Nagwa saw potential in me and asked me to join her folkloric Middle Eastern dance troupe “El Raks Sai’d.” Under Nagwa’s tutelage, I flowered as a dancer. The first time I performed with her troupe, it was scary because of stage fright. But . . . once again, I was hooked.

I loved performing. I studied with Nagwa and performed with El Raks Sai’d for 18 years. We performed dances from Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and more. Our troupe “specialized” in the traditional, folkloric-style dances passed down from ages past.

However, Nagwa also taught us “Danse Orientale”—the dance style commonly known today as “bellydancing.” The term “bellydancing” is an misnomer that has stuck, unfortunately, since the day Little Egypt came to the 1890 Chicago World’s Fair and the Victorian-era populace saw brief glimpses of her bare midriff—a sight which shocked them all!

Fortunately, this did not stop the advance in the Western hemisphere of this beautiful dance form.

During the years of performing with Nagwa's troupe, my confidence as a dancer grew and I began to dance on my own for birthday, graduation, and retirement parties and at some of the Middle Eastern clubs in Philadelphia and surrounding areas.

I have also studied with some of the greats in the Middle Eastern dance world—Suhaila Salimpour of California, Yousry Shariff of New York City, Cassandra of Minneapolis, Leyla Hakim of Egypt.

In August of 2006, I sponsored Nagwa in a workshop here in Jacksonville, Florida. She taught a 7-minute Egyptian cane dance in a day-long workshop. That evening, she performed in a show I produced called “An Arabian Night.” In 2007, I sponsored Maja—Girl from the Nile in a workshop, and she performed in the evening show “A Night in the Casbah.” Both shows also featured local dance artists—groups and soloists—at the Quality Inn in Orange Park, Florida. This year, I am sponsoring the beautiful Gina from Atlanta, GA in a two-day workshop and show called “Caravan to Giza.” Don’t miss it!!

So . . . that is my story and that brings us to now!

I will dance for you . . . and you will be happy!!

I will dance for your event,

your party,

your celebration,

your festival—

I will dance indoors or out.

I will bring you the magic of the Middle East!

I can even dance for you with my “partner”—my beloved pet boa constrictor . . . Abdul!!

Abdul is a magnificent reptile—a 7-foot beauty whom I have owned and loved for 9 years.

I am Samira the Snakedancer!

We dance happily together—Abdul and me—in gentle serpentine undulations, as if we have spent hours choreographing together.

We will dance for you . . . and you will be happy!!