FATEN
"Faten is such an inspiration in my dance. I feel such joy taking her classes. No matter how I was feeling or stressed before her class, I always leave feeling refreshed, happy, with new creative combos and a few 'aha' moments. She is an endless well of Egyptian dance knowledge and is generous with her teaching."
- Lauren "Zaira"
Faten is a generous and enthusiastic instructor, who spent over two decades delighting the international bellydance community. A native Egyptian, Faten began dancing at 11 years of age when she was selected to attend a dance school for children run by country's first-ever national folk troupe, and was one of the first dancers selected for troupe membership. A resident expert on Egyptian traditional dance, Faten offers extensive cultural and ethnographic knowledge and gives her students the ability to create informed folklore presentations.
Faten's classical Egyptian style captures the essence of all we admire in the Egyptian Danse Orientale. While dancing full-time and performing for entertaining heads of state, ambassadors, and royalty across the globe,
Faten earned a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature. With her husband, Shawki Naim, the top soloist in Egypt and the National Troupe choreographer, they created their own troupe, which traveled and performed around the world, and continues to serve as the National Folkloric Troupe of Egypt.
In the tradition of her ancestors, Faten captures the rich treasures of the old world to enrich the culture of her new American home. Her aesthetic is vibrant and imbued with the soulful emotion that is at the heart of this art form. Faten adds to this her very own quintessential feminine grace and passionate love and joy of the dance.
Faten is the founder of Al-Massraweya Dance and currently teaches workshops worldwide and Al-Massraweya techniques and performance classes in Arlington, Virginia.
VICTORIA
"It was such a pleasure to have taken a workshop with Victoria. She has a great teaching method, a gentle demeanor, and is such a talented dancer. I learned a lot from Victoria's classes..."
- Rachel M.
Victoria Teel is an award-winning bellydance performer and instructor who has worked with internationally-acclaimed artists, directors, and producers. In 2010, Victoria was chosen to participate in the world’s first ever bellydance reality show, Project Belly Dance. Victoria placed among the top six contestants, earning her spot in the Final 6 instructional DVD released in 2011.
Victoria subsequently joined Miles Copeland's Bellydance Superstars for the tour of Bombay Bellywood and the Club Bellydance tour, touring full-time for three years.
Victoria is internationally recognized for her unique fluid dance style and effortless execution. Her instruction method focuses on flow and on how to create a seamless piece of choreography for any style. She is the creator of the Teel Fan Method, a dance technique using fans and fan veils incorporating influences from Asian dances.
For more than a decade, Victoria has studied multiple dance styles including Egyptian, Turkish, American Cabaret, Egyptian Folklore, and Spanish fusion bellydance.
Today, Victoria is based in Raleigh, NC, and offers weekly online classes. She continues to work with the Bellydance Superstars, as well as teaching and performing around the USA and other countries.