The Gilded Serpent presents...
Feiruz Aram
Las Vegas
Feiruz began her professional dance career in Hollywood, California in the late 60’s and has performed, studied with or was influenced by such renown Oriental dancers as Ibrahim Farrah, Sultana Ibrahim, Nahed Sabri, Serena (New York City), Achmed Hussein and Raqia Hassan.
In 1976, Feiruz traveled to Cairo, Egypt on a sabbatical from her teaching position at Long Beach City College where she instituted the first for-credit class at a community college. She returned in 1977 after having performed for international audiences at Sahara City, a nightclub in the heart of the Giza Desert. This experience strongly influenced and enhanced her knowledge of the music and culture of Egypt. As a teacher, she attempts to communicate this knowledge to her students.
Upon retuning to the United States, she gathered the professional dancers in the Los Angeles area, including Marta Shill, Marie Silva, Jenaene Rathor,and Samra Jenkins together for the purpose of forming a union for the protection and betterment of work conditions for Southern California dancers. Twenty-six hears later, this guild is going strong with 1000 members locally and across the U.S, the “Cairo Carnivale” held the first weekend in June in the Glendale Civic Auditorium.
As a dancer, Feiruz believes that balanced musculature contributes to a dancers’ ability to follow through with her movements. Her style of dance shows amazing strength and control while always graceful and feminine. Her flawless execution of the various moves and moods of belly dance awes audiences of all backgrounds.
Feiruz’ style reflects her rich experience as a headlining entertainer on both Coasts of the United States and Internationally. Because of her exceptional understanding of and feeling for the music and culture, Feiruz has the ability to make her audience become part of the music whenever she dances.
In conjunction with her impressive career as a dancer, Feiruz has become an accomplished and popular teacher of Middle Eastern dance. She graduated from California State University with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and has a lifetime teaching credential the Community College level. At present, she teaches weekly classes and conducts frequent workshops in Southern California, throughout the country and internationally. She is a featured performer at special events locally and nationally. Many of her students have gone on to professional teaching and performing careers of their own.
In addition to contributing so much to the world of Belly Dance as an entertainer, writer, lecturer, instructor, choreographer and show producer, 1973, she produced the very first convention for Middle Eastern dancers, and again in 1974 aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor with over 500 attendees. Feiruz is a pioneer and continues to have a profound impact on the dance community. She is excited to see this art form go global and mainstream.
Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Feiruz Aram
- 10-17-05 How MECDA Began
M.E.C.D.A., (Middle Eastern Culture and Dance Association) is a nationwide organization which began in 1977 for the purpose of organizing working dancers, sharing information between teachers...
