Gracie Mandujano was born in Honduras, a land rooted in ancient Mayan traditions, and from an early age felt called to reconnect with life’s true purpose and the depth of her courageous spirit. Guided by yoga and dance, she returned to her physical body and divine power, dedicating herself to ancestral arts and becoming a healer and light worker. Her lineage eventually led her back to the ways of her ancestors, committing to the Camino Rojo and the Danza de la Luna, where she studies traditional forms of ceremony, prayer, and healing. Uniting these paths, Gracie and Estelle co-created a series of transformative containers under the school Modern Organic Dance & Sacred Arts, sharing this sacred space of essential growth with women and men across the world.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Gracie’s journey from dentistry to discovering tribal fusion and Oriental dance.

- The hidden energetics behind “inward” and “outward” movements in Oriental dance.

- How class energy, rhythm choices, and even the moon cycle shape her teaching.

- The story of healing a pre-cancer diagnosis through intentional dance practice.

- The birth of “Modern Organic Dance” and why belly dance didn’t feel like the right label.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Gracie Mandujano on Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Esmeralda Colabone has dedicated herself to Arab dance and culture since 1999. From 2002 to 2014 she worked with Belly Dance Brazil and Lebanon’s famed La Maison de L’Artiste, becoming the agency’s youngest dancer at 19 and spending 12 years performing across the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Syria, and Lebanon. She was the first Brazilian to tour the Maghreb and held one of Tunisia’s longest foreign dance contracts—experiences that shaped her both artistically and personally. After her “Enta Omri” video went viral in 2015, her influence spread worldwide. She helped popularize Lebanese style globally through her 2014 workshop and even co-created the first belly dance shoes with Capézio Brazil. A soloist, teacher, choreographer, judge, writer, and producer known as “The Turban Dancer” and “The Tunisian Treasure,” she has performed in 38 countries, inspiring dancers everywhere with her musicality, presence, and lived connection to the Arab world.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The painful gap between YouTube criticism and the power of her live performances.

- Feeling “outdated” in an industry racing with new trends and younger dancers.

- The birth of the Silver Tour and her decision to call it “one last time.”

- The hidden reason behind her tribute performances—and how they helped her survive emotionally.

- Feeling more like a displaced performer rather than a true teacher.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Esmeralda Colabone on Instagram, FB, website and Youtube.

Previousinterview with Esmeralda:

Ep 151. Esmeralda Colabone: Living The Truth: Motherhood and Dance Career

Ep 13. Esmeralda Colabone: Music as Your Guide & Mentor

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Leli Neeraja is a dancer and teacher who has dedicated over a decade to guiding others toward inner balance through movement. Her work is a continuous exploration of fusion between East and West, blending the grace of Indian classical dance with the expressive freedom of contemporary forms. She spends several months each year in India, deepening her study of traditional disciplines that help her explore and love her inner world. These experiences have profoundly shaped her artistic voice, where echoes of Odissi and other Indian styles merge seamlessly into her unique Fusion dance. Deeply inspired by the beauty, refinement, and spirituality of Indian culture, Leli feels a calling to share its essence in Italy—keeping her artistic journey ever-evolving through new encounters, discoveries, and creative adventures.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The spark that made Leli leave music to pursue dance full-time.

- How studying Odissi in India made her body “vibrate” with new awareness.

- The deep connection between dance and yoga through alignment and breath.

- Dance as her therapy for anxiety, anger, and panic attacks.

- Launching a handmade clothing line inspired by Indian textiles.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Leli Neeraja on Instagram, FB, YouTube, and website, and the Insta page of her dance wear collection. Info about her upcoming tour to India is available HERE.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Suhaila Salimpour, of Sicilian-Greek and Kurdish-American heritage, is a second-generation belly dancer and a pioneering figure in the global dance community. A former house dancer at the legendary Byblos nightclub in Beverly Hills, she toured internationally for over a decade, performing across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America. As the visionary creator of the first codified pedagogy and certification system in belly dance, she transformed both performance and teaching, building a worldwide network rooted in discipline, anatomy, and cultural respect. Now directing the Salimpour School of Dance, she continues her mother’s legacy through global online education, choreography, and community leadership. A recipient of the Gerbode Foundation’s 2024 dance award and the Isadora Duncan Special Award (2023/24), she also serves on multiple dance boards and is completing her MFA in Dance at Saint Mary’s College of California.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Suhaila’s decision to pursue an MFA in Dance after decades on stage

- The need for Arab and immigrant voices in academia

- Her research on how colonization codified cultural dance forms, and the idea of “outside and inside colonization”

- The growth of the Salimpour School into a full online institute

- Three generations of Salimpour women carrying the dance forward.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Suhaila Salimpour on Instagram, FB, YouTube, TikTok, and website.

Previous interview with Suhaila Salimpour:

Ep 156. Suhaila Salimpour: Renegotiating Your Dance Identity

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Badriyah is a professional oriental dancer based in Belgium, dedicated to Egyptian classical and folkloric styles, modern fusion, and the Golden Age of belly dance. With over a decade of teaching experience, she offers regular classes at Shoonya Dance Centre in Ghent and travels across Europe to teach and lecture. A former lead and troupe member of Jillina’s world-touring company Bellydance Evolution, Badriyah has performed more than 60 shows across 13 countries, from Hollywood to Morocco. Passionate about preserving dance heritage, she is also the founder of the Raqs Sharqi Museum project and a devoted collector of vintage belly dance artifacts dating from the 18th to the 20th century, bridging the past and present of this art form through both performance and research.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How becoming a mother and going through a divorce reshaped Badriyah’s life, art, and priorities.

- The transformation of her dream of “Raqs Sharqi Museum” from a private project into a global cultural collaboration.

- How the war in Gaza profoundly affected her worldview, anxiety levels, and artistic expression.

- Practical methods for managing anxiety and creative burnout — from micro-task planning to “first aid for the mind” through movement.

- Her unique approach to storytelling in Golden Era acts — blending historical recreation with deeply personal authenticity.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Badriyah on Instagram, FB, Youtube and website, as well as Raqs Sharqi Museum and Leylet Raqs festival. Find out more info about the T-shirt project mentioned in the interview HERE.

Previous interview with Badriyah:

Ep 147. Badriyah: Dreaming Big, Digging Deep!

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Melissa Gamal is an award-winning dancer, instructor, and event producer based in Toronto, Canada. As the director of the Ya Amar School of Dance, Melissa is dedicated to providing comprehensive training in Egyptian dance, blending refined technique with a strong awareness of history and cultural context. Her work has taken her across North America and to Egypt, where she continues her studies to bring the most authentic and up-to-date knowledge to her students. In recent years, she’s gained recognition for her elegant Golden Era style and her mastery of sagat—culminating in a remarkable performance at the Cairo Opera House in 2021.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The turning point that made her quit a stable 9-to-5 job to follow dance full time.

- The moment she decided to open her own studio instead of staying “comfortable” with already established organization.

- The story behind her performing as a zill player at the Cairo Opera House.

- The advice she’d give her younger self about self-doubt and body image.

- Why dancers must go beyond aesthetics and stand in solidarity with cultures of origin.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Melissa Gamal on Instagram, FB, YouTube and website. Watch Melissa’s performance at Cairo Opera House HERE.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Virginia Danielson (PhD, Ethnomusicology, University of Illinois, 1991) is an associate of the Harvard Music Department and a visiting scholar at New York University Abu Dhabi. She is the author of The Voice of Egypt: Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song and Egyptian Society in the 20th Century (University of Chicago Press, 1997), the first English-language biography of the Arab world’s most celebrated singer. Through rich ethnographic insight and historical analysis, Danielson traces how Umm Kulthum—known as “the voice of Egypt”—rose from rural beginnings to become a unifying cultural icon whose songs shaped modern Egyptian identity and Arab popular culture. Danielson’s work illuminates the complex interplay between gender, media, and nation-building in 20th-century Egypt, showing how one woman’s artistry transcended social boundaries to define an era.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How a village Imam’s daughter became Egypt’s most celebrated voice through talent, strategy, and relentless discipline.

- The clever business deals and radio contracts that secured Umm Kulthum’s financial and artistic independence.

- The myth-making and media control behind her carefully protected public image.

- The musical evolution of Umm Kulthum’s ensemble, blending classical Arabic poetry with modern Western instruments.

- Why audience described her concerts as a national ritual where “life stopped” every Thursday night.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Virginia Danielson on FB. You can find her book “The Voice of Egypt. Umm Kulthum, Arabic Song, and Egyptian Society in the 20th Century” on Amazon and other major book platforms.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Elen Oriental (Elen Chikhladze) is a Georgian choreographer and dance instructor from Tbilisi, specializing in oriental dance since 2002. Beginning her artistic journey at the School for Athletic Fine Arts and later the Department of World National Dances, she graduated with honors from the College of Choreography and the N. Pridonishvili School of Popular Dance in 2001. As President of the International Association of Oriental Dance in Georgia and founder of her own belly dance school, Elen emphasizes the historical depth, elegance, and physical artistry of the dance. Her teaching method combines elements of gymnastics, yoga, and dance to strengthen muscles and joints while fostering psychological readiness, enabling students to master the demanding yet captivating techniques of oriental dance.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The danger, stigma, and literal risks of working as a belly dancer in Georgia during the chaotic post-Soviet years.

- How Elen fought back against prejudice by going on national TV, writing in magazines, and reframing Oriental dance as an art form.

- The story behind her iconic Arabic–Spanish fusion pieces, why they made audiences cry, and why she later chose to move beyond them.

- The critical difference between “advanced” and truly “professional” dancers.

- Why she insists on studying with Egyptian teachers rather than chasing festival choreographies.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Elen Chikhladze on Instagram, and FB.

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast