The Gilded Serpent presents...
Narah
Narah is a performer and instructor based in Morgantown, West Virginia. As a child, she took tap, ballet, baton, gymnastics and piano lessons; in Middle and High School she was a cheerleader. She began Belly Dancing in 1993 and has studied Turkish folkloric, Egyptian Cabaret, American Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion Style Belly Dance. Narah holds a Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy, a certification in Yoga for the Special Child ™ and is a Reiki II healer. She feels these studies help deepen her teaching and performing skills. Narah has taught along the East coast and has been invited to teach internationally.
In 2005, Narah and her students undertook a performance tour which took them to several cities and allowed them to connect with the many dancers they invited to join them in the shows. From this tour was born the Fire of the Soul DVD, a collection of Narah’s solos and group performances of her and her students, the Tribe of Fire. Narah and her sister Jala have made two DVDs together; Okhtee, a performance DVD demonstrating their unique Tribal Fusion style and Tribal Fusion Technical Foundation, volume 1; an instructional DVD that breaks down movements and combinations key to strong dance technique. Narah’s studio, The Earth Movement Studio enjoyed over a year in a public space where Belly Dance, Middle Eastern Music, Pre Natal Exercise, Yoga, Massage Therapy, Herbal education, and more united as a dance and wellness center. Though Narah closed the public studio to have a relaxing pregnancy, she moved the Earth Movement Studio back to her home and now teaches there and in the community. Narah feels that being a mother has transformed her as a dancer.
June 14th, 2008, is Narah’s next workshop and show date in Morgantown, WV. The workshop is Bodacious Belly Dance moves, combos and layers. The show is titled “Hips Around the World” and will feature Raqs Shabi, Raqs Assaya, Dunyavi Rom, Bollywood/Bhangra Belly Dance fusion, African-Belly Dance fusion, American Tribal Style Belly Dance, Tribal Fusion Belly Dance and Flamenco. Morgantown is an hour and ½ south of Pittsburgh, PA, about 3 ½ hours east of Cleveland, OH, about 3 ½ hours west of D.C. and about 2 ½ hours north of Charleston, WV.
Narah’s website, www.TribalBellyDance.net, not only has her current teaching and performance engagements, but also contains an extensive costume page with free costume patterns; a history page with a Belly Dance history outline and her research papers on Belly Dance history and costuming; web video clips and a directory of West Virginia Belly Dancers.
Narah manages the West Virginia Belly Dance Tribe on Tribe.net where dancers, drummers and fans from around the state and beyond come together to discuss events, topics and issues of interest. The Earth Movement Studio Tribe, also on Tribe.net, is an online centre for discussions of studio events, creativity and holistic health. You can find her Tribe.net profile at people.tribe.net/narahbintdurr and her MySpace profile at www.myspace.com/narah.
Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Narah
- 6-10-08 Bellydance Grows in West Virginia
It has allowed us to build upon the ties we already have and extend them to other dancers, making a community of sharing and support.
