There are so many wonderful reasons for wanting to do this beautiful dance

Read more reasons why here in this published article for an Arabic publication
What draws British women to learn bellydance?

Teaching

I love teaching, I am a warm teacher with a mischievious streak!
I have wide experience as a teacher and performer
I have been teaching since 1992

Qualifications
I qualified as an Hilal School -Raqs Sharqi Society teacher in 1990 and obtained a City and Guilds 7303 certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector in 2007

As a Teacher it also entails numerous legal obligations such as PPL, and insurance for example (available through NADA as well as Mosaic both of which are venerable Arabic Dance institutions in the UK).

My qualifications as a Massage therapist are incorporated into my kinaesthetic teaching style for I am a "hands on" Teacher

A number of my early students are now Teachers themselves
Some are still working on the Arabic Parties and Restaurant circuits in London

What to expect from my classes. For workshops not all of these would apply but there would be a session plan hand out and notes

• Choreographies taught but emphasis is on feeling and improvisation
• Free style dance every class
• Props-veils and sticks supplied
• Class party with performances regularly
• All students encouraged and assisted with their own creative performances
• Class nights out regularly scheduled
• Hand outs and syllabuses supplied
• Plenty of resources shared and access to my Student data base for all those who commit in advance
• Promoting Arabic culture is an important part of my teaching practice. Here is an example
• Guest performers attend class to inspire and motivate my students
  

Prize winning students I have taught are :

Roxane Grant image taken by Philip Chohan	Cynthia (Tabone) image taken by Derek Lee
Winner of Miss Bellydance UK 2013 and 3rd Place in Bellydance Trophies in 2013 Roxane was my student for many years	MIss Bellydance Mania 2010 adjudicated by Nagwa Fouad and Randa Kamel Cynthia is now based in Australia

I have built up a considerable private practice and data base
I also occasionally still work in Adult Education
I still have ongoing training with Egyptian dance teachers and others who inspire me
My favourite genre of music : Tarab

My work
I work in schools with a National Dance Agency.
I have worked with MIND and many other charities
And with

• Television Production companies
• Sports and Development Teams and fitness centres
• Health Care Providers
  

I work mostly in London but I also work Nationally and occasionally Internationally

I teach men, children and women of different ages and cultural backgrounds, abilities and disabilities

Live music Tuition
I have taught many times with live music for the Raqs Sharqi Society
And worked with Guy Schalom and the Baladi Blues band on a number of occasions both teaching and performing with NADA ,Raqs Sharqi Society and also with Lisa McKain in Birmingham

I intend to continue providing tuition with live music and also hosting Live Arabic music events

Clicking on the links below will take you to the relevant sections beneath which cover different aspects of my Teaching Practice

Teaching in Schools

Productions

National Teaching

Judging

International

Funded Teaching
Having taught for many years I have been most fortunate to have been funded by different sources. I have been funded by numerous bodies including The Arts Council, Millennium Fund the Big Lottery and NADA

Health Sponsored

Performance Related Teaching

• Arts Council Sponsored
• Live Music
  

My Research and Published articles

Planet Egypt

Reviews of Anne's work (by others)

Community

The Future

Health Sponsored
Health Sponsored
Funded by the Big Lottery this was a 3 year project

In 2006 I began working with Health Professionals, connected to Haringey PCT (Haringey Primary Care Trust) to improve fitness levels and encourage better life style choices

This was a project to quantify the health benefits of exercise and featured in Mosaic Magazine.
Read the article here

Performance as part of Teaching

Arts Council Funding
I have over 20 years experience as a performer. Touring East Anglian theatres as part of Arts Council funding with Cassia. Cassia existed in the 1990s as a Touring Dance Company funded to present theatre shows, and also to provide tuition in secondary schools from London to Grantham and East Anglia

Playlists of my performances a number of which are with live music can be found here

Live Music -Teaching with live music

Image of Anne with The Baladi Blues Band 2012 with much loved Sheikh Taha on accordion. Photo credit: Dana Al-Gharabally

This event was sponsored by NADA -a workshop (fully sold) and an evening performance in Nottingham with the talented Midlands dancers curated by Janet Rose. This is an example of the many events I have been part of with live music.

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Productions

Informal
We have regular class parties and class members are encouraged to develop their own style and creative work and perform them in class. They receive feedback for this and after corrections are incorporated they are encouraged to show their work to close friends and family.

The next step after supportive performances in the home environment is to then present their routines in our class parties.

Formal
Anne has organised, choreographed, directed and produced a number of Raqs Sharqi theatre performances from 1992 to 2006 for her students.

Anne wanted to provide performance and live training opportunities for her students and this is how Planet Egypt was originally conceived in 2002

There is also Planet Egypt ......in the section below

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Major UK Events
I take part in major dance events, both teaching and performing, and have worked with the following companies in the UK : Do check out the links to discover new places for you to enjoy good quality productions...

Brighton Orient , Majma , Jewel of Yorkshire, Fantasia, BAMBA and Midlands Arabic Dance Extravaganza, ,
Bellydance Trophies, Belly Dance Mania, and of course The Raqs Sharqi Society , Oxford Bellydance Bonanza and Balliamo

And also these festivals which appear to not have active links;
Pink in Nottingham, and Azhara Day of Dance and Raqs Brittania

I have established a foothold having visited numerous times in:

• Nottingham, championed many times by the sterling Janet Rose
• in the Yeovil area sponsored by the radiant Carolyne Taylor
• And with Siouxsie Cooper in Totnes, Devon
• Then there is the "Leeds Mafia" headed by Nawarra, Beverley Smith and Jan Husdon all of whom have hosted me

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Judging
I was invited as a Judge by Bellydance Trophies, in 2011/2012 where I had the pleasure to work (mentor) Maelle who became the first winner of this competition. Other candidates also chose me to mentor them too, some of them got quite close to the final ..... Roxane my regular student was 3rd placed in 2013

I also presided as a Judge at a competition as part of Fantasia the UK's longest established Festival in 2011 . I also worked as a Judge in Germany
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Teaching in Schools

As part of my work in Schools I was asked to write a class session plan for Key Stage 3 The NDTA (National Dance Teacher's Association) have featured, used, and credited my work in their publicity in Dance Matters magazine .

See Dance Resource Guide for teachers in primary and secondary education.
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Planet Egypt
It started as a Performance Platform in 2002 to train my students then went far beyond that
Much of my work with Planet Egypt can be found here
Aims
Achievements
Below is a flyer from Sahara Nights 2005

More information can be sourced here
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My Research and Published articles

See here for Key Stage 3


Arabic Press
What draws British women to learn bellydance?

Articles about Dance I have written, most of which were published, see here

Finally Anne's Research- an example of my Teaching Practice and information that I share with my students. The cultural aspect of this dance is most important to me
Zaar

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Reviews of Anne's work (by others)

Reviews about me (outside of my work with Planet Egypt) are here

Articles, Reviews, and Interviews about my work with Planet Egypt can be sourced here

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International
I was also part of an International festival in Hungary with Yasmina of Cairo, organised by Eva Green and her Associates.

I worked in Italy but I only worked as a Journalist and Judge (twice) in Germany .
Other collaborations can be found here

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Community
Community Building... from the very first steps Planet Egypt was a collective experience. The well spring for this was my Teaching Practice . It also featured in the early days quite a few of my London students. As time passed and ther performances became more sophisticated and polished those I featured were drawn from the National platform including those who I may/may not have at some stage taught. The platform became further enhanced with the massive demand and the inclusion of more International names . See the total performers archive here

The benovelence of the Community and the audiences helped it to sustain it's popularity for almost a decade. Watching the videos of the monthly shows demonstrates the exuberance and enthusiasm of the audience. This above all this is seen in a short video of the last event of Darbucka here filmed in January 2012

More information can be sourced here

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The Future
Before attempting to outline future plans I am very grateful for all the support over the years from my Team, Supporters and the Community. In writing this Biography which is long overdue it is evident that :

Anne=Planet Egypt
But I have always believed
Planet Egypt= Anyone and everyone who loves Arabic dance and music

And this is encapsulated in this script . This is Fussha.

El Elbi ashak kul ya gamil
It says "Every heart is beautiful"

And the song made famous by the Great Oum Kolthoum can be found here

This picture is sourced from The Arizona - a brand new live Arabic Music venue shortly opening in London.
Read more about it here

Yes, I have plans..... and will announce them soon. Thank you for your patience.......

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