DANCE

Melissa is an award-winning dancer based in Toronto, Canada. Her fluid movement style and refined musical interpretation have made her an internationally admired Raqs Sharqi (bellydance) artist.

As an experienced instructor, her classes and workshops are sought after for her attention to technique as well as her knowledge of historical and cultural contexts. Melissa has been invited to teach and perform across Canada, the USA, and in Egypt. As a guest in this cultural art form, she travels regularly to Egypt for her own personal studies, in order to bring the most informed and up-to-date instruction to her classes.

Melissa is the Director of the Ya Amar School of Dance, with the goal of providing comprehensive training in various Egyptian dance styles. Melissa has also gained a reputation as a top-notch event producer for bringing rising stars, scholars and master instructors to the Canadian dance scene. In recent years she's become known for her Golden Era dance styling, and her mastery of Sagat (finger cymbals), and was invited to play at the Cairo Opera House in December 2021.