Yasmina Ramzy for the Gilded Serpent

photo by Sussi Dorrell

The Gilded Serpent presents
Yasmina Ramzy

Yasmina Ramzy, founder and Artistic Director of Arabesque Dance Company and Arabesque Academy, received her key training from leading instructors in the Middle East, including Mohammed Khalil, director of the National Folklore Troupe of Egypt and Aida Nour. She began performing, teaching and choreographing Middle Eastern Dance in 1981.

Since then she has toured extensively teaching workshops and performing. Yasmina’s artistic vision has been awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council and The Laidlaw Foundation. Her creative and unique choreography has received rave reviews in national and international mainstream media. Yasmina is well known for elevating the status of Middle Eastern dance. Her workshops promote the power of the female spirit and rich Arabic culture. She has produced 8 instructional DVDs, 6 performance DVDs and 5 music CDs that sell worldwide.
Yasmina Ramzy is a member of the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and serves on the Board of Directors for Dance Ontario.

arabesquedance.ca

Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Yasmina:
2-5-08 My First Mid East Gig by Yasmina Ramzy
Once we landed in Amman, we were greeted on the tarmac by solid lines of soldiers on both sides leading to the doorway of the airport, machine guns pointed towards the passengers. I don't recall ever seeing even one Canadian soldier in the flesh and blood, let alone a gun, let alone so many big guns and pointed at me. I don't think I blinked during that endless walk. We were clearly not in Hawaii.

9-26-07 Lifting the Veil by Yasmina Ramzy
I excused myself first and then asked her “why on earth would someone obviously not of Middle Eastern heritage actually choose to wear the veil?” She smiled knowingly and gave me an answer that still keeps me thinking today.

8-1-07 The Summer School of Khaleegy Dance, Dance Style from the Saudi Arabian Penninsula, by Yasmina Ramzy
The “moral police” and hotel security watched every move I made. All my phone calls were monitored. I was not allowed to talk to or get into an elevator with an Arab man.

5-18-07 A Report on the First International Bellydance Conference of Canada Part One- Lectures, Workshops, Panel Discussions by Diane Adams Photos by Lynette
April 18-22, 2007 Toronto, Ontario. Hosted by Yasmina Ramzy of Arabesque Academy in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, this International Bellydance Conference of Canada, the first ever on the Canadian dance scene, proved to be one of the top dance experiences in this reviewer’s 30-year career.

9-6-07 A Report on the First International Bellydance Conference of Canada Part 2 - Page 1 - Thursday Main Stage Photos by Denise Marino
April 19, 2007 Toronto California. Hungarian Canadian Cultural Center. Photos of Bellyqueen, Hunnan Sultan, Ranya, Rachel, Hiba, Elise Olmi, Nath Keo, and more...

Part 2- Performances- Page 2 - Friday Main Stage
Part 2- Performances- Page 4 - Saturday Gala Performance at Ryerson Theatre
Part 2- Performances- Page 5 - Sunday at Myth Restaurant and Lounge- coming soon!