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Judges for 2016
JOTO judges are a professional and dedicated panel of festival organizers, instructors and famed dancers. Our judges will provide critique in audio and written form to assist dancers in their development. 1 on 1 discussion is available for an additional fee. Please email us if you have any questions or comments.
Ranya Renee- New York
Diamond Instructor
Ranya Renee, of New York City, began her performing career in theater, and has been bellydancing since 1990.
She tours internationally teaching Egyptian dance and performance skills, and has created three popular instructional DVDs: The Baladi, Modern Oriental, and Bellydance Taqasim.
Ranya co-directs the New York Theatrical Bellydance Conference, produces the new Classic Orientale Egyptian Dance Intensive, and has presented company work at numerous events and conferences.
She is a proud nerd of the bellydance, and also recently completed her master's degree in cognitive psychology.
Working with longtime collaborator Nabawy, a talented accordionist and educator.
Ranya is thrilled to be able to create an intensive baladi-focused weekend for the Jewels of the Orient!
Habiba- Philadelphia
Master Instructor
Habiba is internationally recognized as a performer, choreographer, teacher and authority on dances of the Middle East.
She has performed extensively throughout the United States and abroad. She has done extensive fieldwork in Egypt and Tunisia.
She has been outreach lecturer for the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and a Fellow of the Penn Middle East Center. Author of numerous articles on Middle Eastern Dance for national magazines, she is currently writing for The Chronicles of Belly Dance.
The American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (AAMED) inducted her into the hall of Fame in 1997 and The International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance named her Ethnic Dancer of the Year 2001, Habiba was honored with the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award by Jewels Of The Orient Bellydance & Wellness Festival.
Miasia- Maryland
Quartz Instructor
Miasia's goal as a teacher is to help each student get in touch with their natural rhythm and passion through the joyful art of Middle Eastern Belly Dance. She brings her experience as an international performer to the classroom, having been featured on Egypt’s first televised dance contest series, as well as sharing stages with such greats as Dina of Cairo, Fifi Abdo and Birgul Beray. Miasia’s teaching style reflects her belief that one can most truly appreciate this fabulous art by appreciating the cultures behind it as well.
With classes that are informative, fun and invigorating, Miasia is committed to creating a warm and welcoming classroom environment for her students to experience this wonderful art form. She believes fully that each person can best enhance their connection to themselves and their body through dance. Dedicated to opening the doorway of dance to include all bodies, shapes, sizes and abilities, Miasia has also taught low impact dance workshops designed specifically for people with varying mobility at conferences around the U.S. for the past 10 years.
Aaliyah Jenny- Utah
Emerald Instructor
Jenny C. Cohen, MSOT comes from a background of training in ballet, modern, hip hop, Near Eastern Dance, tap, and Polynesian Dance. After graduation from the prestigious Sargent College Masters Program of Boston University in Occupational Therapy, Jenny went on to work in general rehabilitation, orthopedics, pediatrics, cardiac and hand therapy while taking hip hop and tap classes at Broadway Dance in NYC and Jam in Long Island.
After the birth of her twins, Jenny C. began her study of Near Eastern Dance, Polynesian dance, became part of a by invitation only advanced hip hop class and also began teaching hip hop. Jenny C. was also Head Coach of the dance team at Pace University (Pleasantville campus), assistant coach/choreographer at her children's rhythmic gymnastics team in NJ, practice coach in her children's training (They were State/Regional/National Champions of baton, rhythmic gymnastics and competitive dance), stretch coach at a competitive dance school, a member of the Sera Solstice Studio NYC, and a hip hop instructor. She is currently homeschooling her two precocious sixteen year old teens. She is also happily married to her wonderful soul mate and alpha leader to her three dogs and three cats.
In her spare time, she is Aaliyah Jenny, a professional dancer specializing in world fusion with Near Eastern dance influences, teaching at Velveteen Serpent Studion in Salt Lake City, and most importantly a student of movement every opportunity she is given. She honored to count as her mentors Gia al Qamar, Aszmara, Rachel Brice, Sera Solstice and Donna Mejia. She has participated in Rachel Brice's 8 Elements Training Program Initiation & Cultivation. In January 2014, Aaliyah Jenny won 1st place in the Pro Tribal Fusion category at The East Coast Classic and was invited to perform in the Gala show at the Hanover Tribal Festival in Germany June 2014 where she placed 3rd in the Tribal Star Competition. She also won Bellydance Masters 2016 Pro Fusion Category and is the Jewels of the Orient 2016 Grand Champion Pro Fusion Tribal winner.
In the near future, Jenny C plans to launch her non-profit program Karma Rhythmics while taking steps to pursue her PhD, write her book and introduce her newest trio with her kids "Made In Heaven” to the dance community.
Please visit www.dance18.com for more information on Aaliyah Jenny’s travels and Jenny’s Transformation on FB for more details on her battle and victory over breast cancer.
Belladonna - Maryland
Ruby Instructor
Belladonna is a modern fusion belly dance instructor, performers and show producer from Washington DC. She is also a certified yoga instructor, fire dancers, troupe director and artist.
Inspired by the power and healing dance can evoke she belies that self expression is essential for ones well being, and hopes her performances inspire others to find a passion they want to pursue.
She is best known as a pioneer of modern sword dancing, and for her theatrical performances, creative concepts and her ability to break down and teach complex subject matter.
She has been a guest performer with international superstars such as Amanda Palmer, Beats Antique, Corvus Corax, the Bellydance Super Stars and the Indigo. She has also had the honor of being a featured instructor at national and international festivals such as Tribal Fest, Art of the Belly, Rakkasah Spring Caravan, Tribal Alchemy, Elevation, Awakening Persephone, 3rd Coast Tribal, Gothla UK, FesTribal de Quebec, Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive, 3rd Coast Tribal, Tribal Revolution as well as many private events, medieval events, cultural events and parties.
She is the creative director and producer of the annual Raven’s Night Soiree’, the Vixen Variety Show and co producer of the Monthly DCTribal cafe. She also is the director of three student troupes, BellaTrix, DashKhaleen and Khalasar.
Nadira
East Coast Classic Organizer
Nadira from Hampton, Virginia organizer of the East Coast Classic.
Celebrity Guest Judge
Maia Alexandra- New York
A dynamic dancer with a flair for fun, Maia Alexandra is best known as a performer for her on stage charisma and ability. Maia blends old school American cabaret flavor with a contemporary technique, bridging the gap with a sense of humor and savvy moves! Teaching the art of dance since 1999, Maia has a deep love and respect for all forms of movement.
Maia understands that to every skill there is no one "key" to learning. She uses many different instruction methods and lives for those "lightbulb over the head" moments when a student comes to life in class! She has been a featured instructor to many prestigious festivals and events including Rakkasah Spring Caravan, the Las Vegas Bellydance Intensive, Art of the Belly, Waking Persephone, Starwood Festival, Saqra's Showcase, and more.
Amustela- Maryland
Aquamarine Instructor
Amustela is an award winning performer, producer, instructor and choreographer based in Northern, VA. Her greatest love and the bulk of her performance experience has been in American Cabaret and is an expert in the “5 Part American Raks Sharki Show”. Her awards include People’s Choice Grand Champion 2004 East Coast Belly dance Classic, First Runner up Jewel of the Nile 2004, Josephine Baker Award for contribution to dance, 2nd Place Troupe 2005 East Coast Belly dance Classic, and third place Jewel of the Nile 2006 and Best in Business Jewel of the Nile 2006. Amustela was honored to have been selected as one of the Celebrity Judges for the belly dance reality series "The Belly Dance Project” in 2011, and as a judge for the Belly Dance Nationals Competition in Baltimore MD. Amustela has taught workshops and advanced dance lectures in the “Know Your Dance Roots” series and has been a featured artist and instructor at “Art of the Belly” 2013, Dangerous Curves 2015, WAMEDA, Tiraz Dance Network and many other events.
Amustela has produced and written several successful dance shows mixed with theater in Northern Virginia. She appears in the DVD “Core Training for Belly Dancers with the Fitness Pharaoh Gerson Kuhr, and is in demand for many events, restaurant venues and film projects.
Her dance style is largely described as “American” style danse orientale or Vintage cabaret. This style incorporates many influences of the dance as it evolved in the United States from Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Armenian, Greek and Eastern European immigrants. Amustela is considered an expert in American Cabaret and an aficionado of the Golden Age in particular in the style of Samia Gamal, Tahiya Karioka and Namia Akef.
Nadirah Nasreen-DC
Nadirah Nasreen has been performing and teaching in the DC area for 16 years, and enjoys dancing to her native Egyptian and Greek music.
She teaches Egyptian Cabaret Style Belly Dance in Rockville, MD. Her classes emphasize the use of phrasing and musicality to learn and design usable combinations.
Her workshops include zill and drum solo technique and choreography, sword, cane, veil, wings of Isis, and Turkish/Greek Oriental and she is a regular performer at Pasha Kentlands Restaurant. Nadirah placed first in the Grand Champion Category at the 2002 East Coast Belly Dance Classic, third in the Performing Artist category at the 2003 Double Crown Competition (Portland, OR) and first in the Troupe Category at the ECBDC in 2004, and has judged at the Belly Dance Nationals.