Roxxanne Shelaby is a Southern California–based performer, teacher, and producer whose work is rooted in her Lebanese/Brazilian heritage and a lifelong immersion in Egyptian Style Oriental Dance. Raised in her family’s legendary nightclubs, Fez and Cascades, she grew up surrounded by live Middle Eastern music and dance, learning directly from iconic artists such as Feiruz Aram, Marie Silva, Sahra C. Kent, and members of Egypt’s Komeya Troupe. Roxxanne began performing at age five and professionally at sixteen at the request of Farida Fahmy, later studying with masters including Mahmoud Reda, Fifi Abdo, Aida Nour, and Ahmed Hussein. She spent 11 years performing with and serving as Assistant Director of Sahra C. Kent’s Ya Amar! Middle Eastern Dance Company, appearing in major U.S. festivals and international performances. Beyond performing, Roxxanne produces the showcases with live Arabic music, teaches internationally, and is the producer/director of the acclaimed Fez Documentary, preserving the history of belly dance on the U.S. West Coast while honoring its pioneering artists.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The story of The Fez club in Hollywood and why it changed belly dance history forever

- The surprising origin story of the Maya movement term and the dancer it was named after

- The journey from “this should be a book” to creating a 90-minute documentary against all odds

- The loss of long-form performance and what modern dancers are missing because of it

- Why watching other dancers perform is as important as performing yourself

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Roxxanne Shelaby on Instagram, Youtube and website. For more information and purchase options, please visit The Fez Documentary website: www.TheFezDoc.com

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

Fascinated by the arts since childhood, Nivetha Shree discovered Belly Dance at the age of 21 and has since trained with renowned teachers around the world. She holds certifications in DanceCraft – Key of Diamonds by Zoe Jakes and Krysalis – Invocation by Kami Liddle, and is an FCBD® Teacher, proudly leading the first officially recognized FCBD® Sister Studio in India. A Level 2 Yoga practitioner certified by the Government of India, she integrates a holistic body–mind awareness into her dance practice and teaching. As a solo artist and director of Saara – The Tribe, Nivetha has performed on leading dance platforms and, through Saara – The Bellydance Space in Bangalore, cultivates a supportive environment where dancers grow with confidence and self-expression. Her performances and workshops across India, Germany, the UK, and Australia reflect her mission to share the depth, artistry, and joy of Belly Dance worldwide.

In this episode you will learn about:

- How growing up with a dancer father shaped Nivetha’s creative foundation and artistic discipline.

- Why costuming became an extension of her storytelling rather than just decoration.

- Her deep connection to music as the core inspiration for choreography and improvisation.

- The philosophy behind her fully improvised performances and how she accesses “flow state.”

- Co-creating energy with the photographer instead of just posing.

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Nivetha Shree on Instagram, 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

Snigdha Sachdev is a Delhi-based fusion belly dance artist and dedicated yoga enthusiast. A Biotechnology graduate with a master’s degree in Stem Cell Technology, she discovered her pull toward belly dance at a very young age. Her dance journey began with extensive training in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, and Kathak—foundations she later blended to deepen her belly dance technique and develop her own distinctive movement style. In 2019, Snigdha co-founded The Dance District, a studio that has since expanded to multiple locations across Delhi NCR. Today, the studio offers a range of dance forms, and Snigdha leads the belly dance division, where she continues to share her passion, discipline, and unique fusion approach with dancers across the region.

In this episode you will learn about:

- The secret to creating choreography that actually feels alive: improv first, structure later

- Her class-building process: 90 minutes of prep for every hour of teaching

- The “punishments,” the homework, and the tough-love philosophy her students know well

- Why collaboration thrives in India’s tiny but fiercely supportive belly dance community

- The ethics of taking inspiration vs. copying—and how she credits her teachers with integrity

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Snigdha Sachdev on Instagram.

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