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INBC's Directory of Belly Dance & Music Instructors

If you are interested in studying the dance or music of the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, Andalusia, etc. you are in the right place.  INBC has members who are experience teachers for dancers of all levels (from the belly dance curious to the advanced) and all belly dance styles (raqs sharqi, cabaret, folkloric, Romani, fusion, group improv/FCBD® Style, etc.)  We also have members who offer lessons on various Middle Eastern instruments.

Click on a region to find an instructor near you!

Please contact the teacher directly for rates, class schedules, etc.

Rebecca Koetz (Crown Point/Merrilville)

Rebecca Koetz

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: Cabaret,  Folkloric, Fusion, Improv Team Sync (ITS)

Teaching Base & Methods: Aerobic, Prenatal, Muscular, Skeletal, Technique, Therapeutic, Traditional & Weight Loss

Experience: 10 years dancing, 2 years teaching, mentored by Kat Lebo in Lafayette, IN, and Purdue Mirage Bellydancers. 

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Children, Seniors, Teens & All Genders Welcome

Doni Palmer (Fort Wayne )

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: Egyptian Folkloric, Fusion, ITS

General Ages & Genders of Students: All Genders 

Ashley Donaldson (Indianapolis & Carmel)

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: Oriental, Egyptian, Fusion, and fitness

Teaching Base & Methods: Technique, Artistry and Fitness

Experience: I teach weekly dance classes in person and online based in my Carmel, Indiana studio. I am available for workshops and performances, both in and out of town. Please contact me for pricing and scheduling.

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Teens, and Seniors

Jeana Jorgensen (Indianapolis & Carmel)

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: ATS®, Fusion, Tribal

Teaching Base & Methods: Aerobic, Core Training, Technique

Experience: I’ve been belly dancing for over 16 years, and teaching for 8 years. I’ve obtained the General Skills certificate and Teacher Training for American Tribal Style® in the FatChance BellyDance® format. I currently direct the ATS® troupe Indy Tribal and a student troupe, Mandali Tribal Sisters.

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Children, Seniors, Teens, All Genders Welcome

Kat Lebo/Shuvani (Lafayette)

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: My dance style is predominantly American Orientale, with Egyptian, Lebanese and Turkish influences, and folkloric styles. I am available to coach and or critic your dancing, to coach you in dancing improvisationally. I can help you choreograph your own piece, or choreograph a piece specifically for you.  I am also available for coaching, critique, choreography, and basic zil and drum instruction. Retired from the Bare Bones Belly Dance program sponsored by the West Lafayette Parks & Recreation Department 1995-2020.

Teaching Base & Methods: Contact me to let me know how I can help you. While I am offering no recurring dance classes, I am available to teach zilling and basic drumming. I am also able to help you recognize various rhythms used in MENATH dance, and to teach you to play them on zils and doumbek. My approach is the same as it was when I was actively teaching: spreading my love of this dance to new students, teaching students to appreciate themselves for what they are — not what someone else tells them they should be, and on having fun. After all, if it isn’t fun, why would we work so hard at it?

Experience: I began belly dance at the Lafayette YWCA in 1974 with Kokomo instructor, Pat Koontz. I also studied with Charmaine of Chicago and did summer intensives with Dahlena in Evanston, as well as more seminars, workshops and week-longs than I can remember! I taught my first class in West Lafayette back in 1976 and taught at West Lafayette’s Morton Community Center from 1995 through 2020. I danced and choreographed for a local troupe, Raks al Sehr, for a little over twenty years (late 1970s to early 2000s). From the the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, I performed at restaurants in the Indianapolis area, including The Parthenon in Broad Ripple (now out of business I believe) and The Acropolis in Southport.

I am the former director of the Bare Bones Belly Dance program, part of the West Lafayette Parks and Rec offerings and of its student troupe, Troupe Oasis, which is both a dance troupe and a drum group that performs at many Greater Lafayette area festivals such as Mosey Down Main Street and occasionally the Taste of Tippecanoe. The troupe has done multiple appearances and events like Dancing In The Streets and Global Fest, as well as planning an annual stage show, and even doing a couple of half-time shows for the Lafayette Brawlin’ Dolls, our local flat track roller derby team.

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Seniors, Teens, All Genders Welcome

Adam Riviere (Indianapolis)

Contact Info:

Music Styles: Classical Arabic/Egyptian, Turkish, Moroccan, & Cabaret

Instruments Taught: Darbuka/Egyptian Tabla, Riq, Frame Drum/Daff/Tar, Mazhar, Finger Cymbals/Zills/Sagat

Experience: I have studied and performed Middle Eastern music for nearly 30 years. I have taught music for just as many years, having the honor of studying and learning with MENAHT style musicians. I want to share my knowledge with anyone willing to learn.

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Children, Seniors, Teens, All Genders Welcome

Jenny Smithson/Zhenna (Muncie)

Contact Info: 

Dance Styles: Oriental, American Cabaret, and Tribal Fusion.  Spring Session (Jan-May)–Belly Dance for Beginners, Intermediate/Advanced Belly Dance on a variety of topics; Summer Session (June and July)–Seminars in Various Topics for all ability levels; Fall Session (Sept-Dec)–Belly Dance for Beginners, Intermediate/Advanced Belly Dance on a variety of topics

Teaching Base and Methods: Oriental, American Cabaret, Shaabi Mahraganat, Balkan Fusion, Hip Hop Fusion, Sword, Veil, Zills, Cane, Beginner Doumbek/Tabla

Experience:  Dancing since 2006; Teaching since 2011; For a full Belly Dance Vitae–see my website.

General Ages & Genders of Students: Teens and adults of all gender identities are welcome.  Youth classes (ages 1st through 8th grade) are offered during some sessions if there is enough interest (please call Cornerstone if there is interest).

Liz Wray/Limelight Liz (Indianapolis & Fishers)

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: Fusion

Teaching Base & Methods: Technique, Artistry and Theatrics

Experience: Teaching since 2005

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Seniors, Teens & All Genders Welcome

Donna Barbrick Carlton (Bloomington)

Contact Info:

Dance Styles: Cabaret, Egyptian, Folkloric, Turkish

Teaching Base & Methods: Technique, Therapeutic, Traditional

Experience: Teaching since 1989

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Teens

Virginia Hojas (Bloomington)

Contact info:

Dance Styles:  FCBD® Style

Teaching Base & Methods:  Virginia has been belly dancing for 12 years. She completed her FCBD® General Skills® in 2010, her FCBD® Teacher Training in 2012, and FCBD® General Skills Modern and Classic® in 2015. In 2016, Virginia was selected to complete the FCBD® Advanced Teacher Training at Fat Chance Belly Dance® in San Francisco, becoming one of only 18 FCBD® advanced teachers in the world. In addition to belly dance, Virginia is a Yoga Alliance certified Vinyasa instructor (RYT-500) and an Orangetheory® coach.

Experience:  Virginia first discovered FCBD® style in 2006, while looking for belly dance videos online, and, when she saw a video of Fat Chance Belly Dance® she immediately fell in love and knew that was the style of belly dance that she wanted to learn. She was then living in Athens, OH, and started driving an hour and a half each way on Wednesdays to take classes with Sacred Shimmy. A year later, she moved to Bloomington, IN, where she started studying with Dark Side Troupe and became part of the troupe and, eventually its director.

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults, Children, Seniors, Teens, All Genders Welcome

Bette Lucas (Bloomington)

Contact Info:

Dance Styles:  Cabaret, Egyptian, Flamenco

Teaching Base & Methods:  Core Training & Pilates

Experience:  30+years dancing, 25 years teaching

General Ages & Genders of Students: Adults

Samira (Evansville / French Lick)

Contact Info: 

Dance Styles: American Cabaret, Egyptian, Folkloric, Romani, Turkish Oriental, Tribal Fusion and Fire Performance.

Teaching Base & Methods: Instructor certified in The Magic of Bellydance, American Cabaret, and Bellydancing From The Heart Method. Group Fitness Instructor Certified through NETA. 

Experience: Growing up immersed in the world of dance at her brother’s studio, movement became Samira’s second language. In 2006, she discovered belly dance, which quickly blossomed into a lifelong artistic passion. Since then, she has become a versatile performer, instructor, and fire artist. Her repertoire encompasses a rich tapestry of Middle Eastern dance styles, seamlessly blended with American Fusions.  – Dance Resume

General Ages & Genders of Students: Anyone with an interest in the feminine styles of Middle Eastern Dance are welcome in my classes. That means any experience level, body type, age, race, or gender. Any energy that feels unsafe in the classroom to anyone of any identifier will not be tolerated.

Jamila Zahran (Louisville)

Jamila

Contact Info: 

Dance Styles: Classical and Folkloric Egyptian . Please see autobiography at jamilazahran.com

Experience: Directed Nejoum al Raks for 15 years; performed in Kentuckiana area, Missouri, Ohio, Illinois; Founding member of MEDSOK based in Louisville, KY. Actively involved with Arab American Association in Louisville, KY.

General Ages & Gender of Students: Teenage & Adult Women

Shyama/Stygian Dance (Highland, IL/Greater St. Louis Area)

Shyama

Contact Info: 

Dance Styles: Metal & Dark Fusion, Beginner-Advanced.

Experience: In 2020, I founded the dark fusion dance community, the Stygian Collective, which allows dancers from all over the world to connect, share, and grow together in a unique, supportive, and collaborative online platform that feels like a true family. Certified Level One Belly Dance Blueprint Instructor. Organizer/Producer of The Descent & Ascension online festival weekends

General Ages & Genders of Students: All ages, genders, pronouns, etc. Everyone is welcome with Stygian Dance.

Interested in being part of the dance and mustic instructor directory?

Click the button to submit your request to be included in the directory or to update your current listing.  Effective 2025, you must be a professional level member of INBC to be listed.

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