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Meet Ustadza Azra of New Moon School of Bellydance

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Ustadza Azra.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up listening to stories told by my mom about life across the ocean. My mom spoke of the food, her siblings, and the struggle to balance the future with tradition. One of the stories I loved to hear about was the dance. My mom told me about family gatherings on her father’s side where women of all ages would roll their bellies, sway their hips and simply have a good time doing a dance most people would refer to as Bellydancing.

Living in America, far away from my grandfather’s side of the family, I had never dreamed of ever being able to be part of those stories. It was not until my 20s when I decided to really explore Bellydance.

I started training in improvisational tribal style Bellydance in Prescott, Arizona in 2005. I traveled and took workshops to expand my knowledge. When I moved briefly to Florida, I studied Modern Egyptian Style Bellydance and American Cabaret.

In 2012 I fell in love with Turkish Style Bellydance and began to focus on obtaining more training. I was lucky enough to meet my current mentor in Turkish Style Bellydance, Aslahan, in 2015.

In 2017 I became a Certified American Tribal Style® Bellydance Instructor and Sister Studio. This style of Bellydance is found throughout the U.S. and beyond. I felt that this style would benefit my students who tend to move. They would be able to find a teacher anywhere in the U.S. to continue their training.

By studying a variety of Bellydance styles I gained an appreciation and respect for the many faces of Bellydance whether they follow the tribal, cabaret or folkloric path. This has also led me to study the Turkish Oud and learn to sing in Arabic, Greek and Turkish in the hopes of giving my students the opportunity to dance to live music.

As the Director of the New Moon School of Bellydance, I have the privilege of being the first point of contact for many students in the Prescott area entering the Bellydance world. I offer Level one through three American Tribal Style® classes at Elks Performing Arts Center and Classic Bellydance at Yavapai College.

Has it been a smooth road?
Compared to others my path has been fairly smooth. Challenges mainly arose in trying to educate the public about the dance and finding a space to share my knowledge.

There are many misconceptions about Bellydance and some people have expressed hesitation in supporting anything connected to the Middle East. I believe that the arts can be a wonderful gateway towards understanding and respect for different cultures. I have had wonderful opportunities to give presentations on this topic at local libraries and in short workshops.

The Elks Performing Arts Center has been very supportive and I hope to reach out to even more people through the class I teach at Yavapai College.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I believe one of the things that sets me apart is my desire to lead students to the truth. I am also a librarian, and because of this, I am constantly doing research to separate the facts from the myths when it comes to the dance. I have no wish to spread fakelore to boost the dance. My students all know that when they ask me a question I will give them an honest answer. Sometimes that answer is “I do not know, let me get back to you.”

This is also true of my evaluations. I will give students positive but honest feedback. They all know that I want them to grow and succeed. As one student said, “I want to thank you for teaching this class, as it’s having a much greater impact on my life than merely learning a cool dance. I can’t stop coming back because of the joy of being challenged by new moves and the beauty of the dance and culture surrounding it.”

Is there anyone, in particular, you would like to recognize? Mentors, etc?
I feel that much of my growth as a dancer has come from my training with my Turkish Style Bellydance mentor Aslahan. She helped channel my energy into a dance form that speaks to me. She is also a Bellydance history geek which makes us two peas in a pod

As far as business success, my students can take credit for that. Their desire to learn keeps me going. There was a time when I thought about quitting the teaching side Bellydance, since running a business can take up a huge chunk of time. In those dark days, my students’ laughter and aha moments in class pulled me through. I am so grateful to them.

Pricing:

  • 6 week American Tribal Style® Level 1 class series $60
  • 6 week Classic Bellydance Level 1 class series $75

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Clark White Photography

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