Layla's Bio

Growing Up Dancing!   

As early as I can remember….  I have always had the passion for music and dance. It has been a major part of my life growing up!   When I was little, I could hardly wait to get to class each week.  I would dance in front of my mirror at home and even taught the other kids in the neighborhood to dance!  My parents would let me have my own dance recitals in our living room for the neighbors who would bring their kids to our house and we would dress up in my dance costumes or they would have their own.  We would do short tap dance, ballet or hula choreographies.  It felt so good at the end of the performances to hear the audience clap for us.  It was so exhilarating!    Little did I know back then how much this would influence my life and remain a large part of it today!

Once a dancer… forever a dancer!     

Over the decades my passion for dance continued to grow! Starting dance as a small child…to high school … to my first dance trip to Hawaii where I met The Legendary Hilo Hattie…. A Hawaiian Icon!…To being a high school baton twirler and a college cheerleader…. Dance has always been with me as my love of life and my spirit in dance grows. 

“I couldn’t live without dancing.  If I had never had the opportunity to discover that I could dance – that I wanted to dance more than anything – I know I would have been a different person , and I believe that I would not have had the happiness that my life has given me.”   * Melissa Hayden

Media influences! 

I have to confess…. I think my love of old Hollywood “sword and sandal” movies is what really got me interested in Bellydance!  The exotic music… the beautiful sheer chiffon “harem” style costuming was a great fantasy…. And the exotic music of far away lands was intriguing. 

On Cultural Experiences and Travels…

Taking classes though, really opened up my eyes to other cultures.  It has been a blessing in disguise.  Over the years I have met some fabulous people through the dance and through the cultures.  I have such a better understanding and appreciation of foreign cultures and lands near and far!   To fuel my eagerness to learn more about the Middle Eastern culture, I have traveled to Egypt where I had the opportunity to get up and dance with the Nubian dancers on a Nile cruise 2 nights in a row. On an earlier trip in Australia  I danced at a Greek restaurant on my first trip there,  then two years later went back to Australia and danced at Croyden Park Elementary outside of Sydney for the students.  I have been to Morocco where we ate meals in beautiful homes where the families were so generous and friendly…. and I have been to El Salvador, Latin America staying with a family and sharing their home life and doing some travel with them. I have many countries left to see!

Dance Experiences….

I have been a member of award winning Troupe Tangiers since 1988.  We have danced in various competitions in both Northern Ca. and Southern Ca.  We have also danced in The San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival to live music by “Marhaba”.  This was such an honor to be selected to perform out of 100+ acts that had auditioned that year! 

In addition to the 1st place awards of Troupe Tangiers… I have also been a member of award winning Raks al Baladi…. A duet dance company.   1998 and 1999 Raks al Baladi was 2nd runner up in the Belly Dancer of the Year competition in Northern California two years in a row.

I was also a house dancer at the Cairo Café in Mill Valley, Ca. for several years.

Instructors, Mentors and Inspirations… 

The following instructors  and dancers have helped to shape and influence my dance style throughout the years through instruction and observation.. Sharifa, director of Troupe Tangiers; Leea Aziz of Bellydance!; Leila Haddad of France and Tunisia;  Hafida Fusion from Morocco; Aisha who specializes in Dances of North Africa; and a new generation of dancers… Ariellah of the original Indigo from San Francisco and Rachel Brice original founder of the Indigo...  and many more that I can’t possibly list here.  

On Teaching….

In the last couple of years I decided to share my love of Middle Eastern dance and music by teaching my own classes.  (See the “classes” page for the current locations.)  During the last 3 years it has been a pleasure to meet the students and share in their development and in their dance successes!  They have danced at studio presentations, student recitals (Haflas), outdoor festivals and holiday celebrations and at El Morocco restaurant in Pleasant Hill, Ca.

I have had such a blessed dance life and hope to continue to share my dance knowledge and my learning experiences with others for many years to come…  Insha’allah!

 

Dancing is like life.  The lessons of one are the lessons of the other.
                                                                  * Savion Glover