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- Feeling “outdated” in an industry racing with new trends and younger dancers.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