"The dancer enters the room to the sounds of Arabic guitar gently opening the phrases of a classical cabaret song. Making her way to the Persian carpet in the center of the floor, all eyes gather to her. As the drums begin, and she moves with grace to the music, her spell begins, and the dance unfolds. Sparkling eyes and a bright smile charm her onlookers. A shimmering veil and gems and sequins move upon her costume, casting reflections of fractured light to the eyes of her audience with each effortless movement. For the moment, all else is forgotten, and there is only the dancer, becoming one with the song, becoming one with the audience, and becoming one with the dance! And all too soon it is over, and she bows, collecting applause before she glides away, leaving her spellbound audience behind...
If it sounds like a scene from a classic Egyptian film, it isn't. This happens weekly in Chicago, Illinois, for this is the home of Sonya, and this is what she does best. Anyone who has seen her dance will attest to her presence on the stage, in the nightclub, or in the restaurant. Such a dedicated and talented performer is certainly fated for great things. Sonya hopes every day for greater opportunities to learn and teach and perform her chosen craft. All of her life rotates around the celebration of womanhood and femininity that is Raks Sharki, or belly dance. It is this intense focus and stubborn will to succeed that drives her, and she hopes to be an inspiration to other young dancers everywhere. This dream, and her passion to follow it, has carried her to her current state of recognition as one of the rising stars of the Midwest."
Sonya discovered belly dancing in Spring of 1996. She quickly became a dedicated lifetime student of all things belly dance, from the history of the dance to its most contemporary styling, from folkloric to fusion, from the music in all its forms to the traditional costuming & makeup, from teaching it to the glorious performance of belly dance itself! Her firm grounding in Egyptian style Arabic dance would be the foundation she built on forever. 6 years as a principal dancer in 2 dance troupes where she performed folkloric, traditional, cabaret, and themed or "interpretive" Mid-East dance in more than thirty-five choreographed theater shows in her first 8 years, fusing her study of Tahitian, Polynesian & Bollywood/East Indian with flavors of Oriental & Andulusian dance.
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
Belly Dance
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