Sohaila’s Shining Stars™️

When I received my dance name from my main teacher at the age of 16, that started me on this journey to become a belly dancer and start dancing live on stages, I didn’t know just how much my name would get passed on. My name Sohaila, means “A Star in the Sky”.  Thru the years teaching I felt the need to start a dance troupe. When I was finding a name for my new troupe I didn’t have to look far. Since these beautiful dancers were stars I felt it appropriate to use my name in it, thus the Sohaila’s Shining Stars™️ was formed in 1999. I formed this dance group to promote Middle Eastern Dance at street fairs, festivals and events to promote this amazing and beautiful dance form to leave a legacy for our next generational upcoming dance artists who want to learn this dance.   I have gone thru many dance students through out the years coming and going, some fallen, but one thing remains a fact, the ones that have integrity and remember where they came from, are always Shining Stars!

Cherry had studied ballet, jazz, modern, and hip hop and obtained a B.A. in Dance from UCSD. In 2010, when she saw a bellydance class offered at her local gym, she was excited to try it out and has been hooked ever since. Cherry even danced with Sohaila’s Shining Stars while pregnant in 2011. Cherry has enjoyed learning from Sohaila so much, she became a certified trainer in Sohaila’s bellydance fitness format, NewVo. Cherry also enjoys watching Sohaila’s collection of retro videos of her dancing in the Middle East (available on Sohaila’s online hub). In short, she is a big fan and has been honored to study under a teacher who has broken down teaching bellydance to nearly a science. Today, Cherry continues being a happy student and dabbles in solo choreography, which is still out of her comfort zone.

Maria; I took some belly dance classes at the YMCA and I loved them but unfortunately they closed the class.   Ten years later, I watched a belly dance video on YouTube of Sohaila and I was totally impressed with her performance.  I started looking for a class and I couldn’t believe that Sohaila was teaching in my city. Being a Shining Star for one year in Sohaila’s class is one of the highlights of my life.  She keeps inspiring me and challenging me to improve my dancing. Besides dancing, I love being an early childhood educator and nature. I have a degree in Social Anthropology and I am a certified preschool teacher. I am from Mexico city. I love dancing!

Farasha is one of the new members of Sohaila’s Shining Stars. With her passion for humanity, she has devoted her professional life globally in executive coaching, performance and sport mental coaching, education, and leading a non-profit organization. Her efforts are to promote maximizing one’s potentials and harmonious ways to interact with others from various cultures. She is also a published author in several languages, filmmaker, and speaker worldwide. Farasha met Sohaila and fell in love with Belly Dancing as an artistic way to express self and strengthen not only physical but also mental and spiritual being. While she had no previous formal dance training, she’s been dedicated in her daily training and practices. She believes dancing is a universal language regardless of styles, and she hopes to contribute to the joy and sense of connections among diverse audiences, with Sohaila’s Shining Stars.