Here is a short presentation of dancers performing during the festival. More dancers will be presented continuously.
All of the dancers teach, so feel free to visit their website by clicking on their picture. Note: not all pictures are clickable.
Some of the dancers will be giving workshops during this weekend. More information will be posted under 'workshops'.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12TH
MS INNVIK, BJØRVIKA, DOWNTOWN OSLO
CC: NOK 210, tickets will be available through ticketmaster.no shortly.
Nirmel Kumari Mahe, Norway
Nirmel is a new generation dancer often seen performing at Taj Mahal in Drammen and at various restaurants in Oslo. She has studied oriental dance with a variety of local and international teachers. Among her previous teachers are Tina Rasmussen, Michelle Galdo and Helene Skaugen. Nirmel is a teacher at Studio Orient in Oslo and held the title as 'Dancer of the Year 2007'!
Shireen, Norway
Shireen performes regularly at the popular 'dance-restaurant' Cafe Habibi, whivh is a hotspot for Oriental dance in Oslo. She performs every Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. Her warm and delicate precense is charecteristic for her dance.
Shireen teaches for Mona Svenneby at Nesodden Ballettschool, where she started teaching in 2004. Everyone present at Oslo Oriental Dance Festival in 2008 remembers Shireen from her unforgettable disconumber!
Hilde Lund, Norway
Hilde is one of the pioneers in Oriental Dance in Norway, and founder of the first Norwegian school for Oriental Dance, Navlen Dansestudio. With her great repertoire, ranging from cabaret to North African and Egyptian folklore, she is a popular dancer, instructor and choreographer in demand all over the country. Hilde is one of the six dancers in Divas of Bellydance who recently performed during the Peace conference at the Oslo Concert Hall.

Tina Rasmussen, Norway
Tina has been dancing Middle Eastern dance for nine years, and tought for seven years.
She started the growing dance community in Drammen in 2001, where she runs 'Drammen magedans-skole', and teaches several levels. Tina has her training from Norwegian, Swedish and Egyptian teachers and dancers, and has trained with Michelle Galdo, Lee Figenschow, Kamelia, Aida Nour, Raqia Hassan, Mona El Said among others.
Tina has also trained ballet since the age of five and taken classes in jazz and modern at the Bårdar dance academy.
She also dances hula, hip-hop and ragga.
Tina regularly performas at restaurants in Oslo and has performed at the OODF in 2007 and 2008.
We are happy to welcome her back on our stage!
Marte Kjøll, Norway
A new dancer on the Norwegian dance scene, Marte`s main teachers in Norway are Hilde Lund and Michelle Galdo. She traveled to Egypt for the first time in 2007, and after 2 winters of training under Raqia Hassan, she has spent the last year studying with retired Egyptian dance star Amany and renowned folkloric teacher Ahmed Refaat. Throughout summer 09, whilst in Cairo, Marte danced at weddings, parties, and on the 5 star cruising restaurant Nile Pharaoh. She is often complimented on her musicality and playful stage persona.
This is the first time Marte performs at Oslo Oriental Dance Festival!

Shehrazade, Sweden
Lena Helt and her group will perform a fum shaabi melaya! Lena will be using this choreography in her workshop on Saturday.

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 13TH
COSMOPOLITE, VOGTSGATE 64 OSLO
CC: NOK 310, tickets will be available through ticketmaster.no shortly.
NESMA, Spain
A Spaniard, Nesma resided in Cairo between the years 1993 and 1998, where she studied Oriental dance and Egyptian folklore.  During this time she performed as a soloist with her own orchestra in over 3,500 shows performed in the most prestigious halls of Cairo. She broadened her artistic career in the National Egyptian Folkloric Reda Ballet, as the only non-Egyptian dancer to form part of the company.Since then she has danced taught courses around the world. In Spain she founded her own school and a dance company: Al-Andalus Danza. In 2008 Nesma present the worldwide premiere of Dreams of Al-Andalus in the Cairo Opera House, a work inspired by Andalusian dance, music and poetry.
RANYA RENÉE, USA
RANYA RENÉE, one of New York City’s leading Egyptian-style dancers, began her career as a young actress and theater director, and has been dancing for nearly 20 years. A protégée of Yousry Sharif, Ranya also studies with Egyptian masters Mahmoud Reda, Aida Nour, Raqia Hassan, Mona el Said, and others. As a teacher, Ranya specializes in Oriental and beledi dance, Arabic music for dancers, holistic breathwork/energy work, and performance skills. She tours internationally, produces live events in New York, and conducts original research in the Middle East. A graduate of Yale University in theater and linguistics, Ranya speaks seven languages, including Arabic. Ranya has three new instructional DVDs available as well as her own performance DVDs. Visit www.ranya.net for more about her work.
Majken Wærdahl, Norway
Majken Wærdahl started dancing Middle Eastern dance in 1996 and has since she started studied with various teachers in Norway and abroad. After her first meeting with two renowned Egyptian teachers, Raqia Hassan and Aida Noor, she realized the importance of learning directly from the source and continued traveling to Cairo on a regular basis.
Majken is the first and only Norwegian dancer with a professional career from Cairo. During 2000-2001 she performed at several of Cairos most prestigious hotels and boat restaurants, such as Ramses Hilton, Mövenpick, Nile Maxime and Pharaon. Based on her experience of 300-400 shows in Cairo and as an active artist in Norway, Majken has developed a distinctive style. In 2004 she initiated the group Divas of Bellydance, the first and only Norwegian group consisting of professional bellydancers exclusively. Majken performed at Oslo Oriental Dance Festival 2006 and 2007, and was one of the judges at the Dancer of the Year contest in 2008. She is also teaching during the festival, check out the workshop schedule!
Lee Figenschow, Norway
Lee is a highly respected teacher, choreographer and dancer in Norway, known for her dynamic presence on stage. She is of Bulgarian-Norwegian descent and especially known for her Eastern-european gypsie-dance. She has performed at several prestigious venues in Norway and abroad, and has toured with bands such as Farmers Market and performed with the Bulgarian clarinet virtuoso Ivo Papasov.
She is one of the dancers in Divas of Bellydance, and one of the top dancers and teachers in Norway.
Lee is teaching a class in flow and veil technique during the festival.

Lena Helt, Sweden
Lena is one of Swedens most popular teachers and choreographer. In Norway she is especially known for her wonderful shaabi and has been an inspiration for many leading performers here.
Lena performed at the first Oslo Oriental Dance Festival and we are happy to welcome her back to our venue!
Lena is teaching shaabi on Saturday for intermediates, so don`t miss this great opportunity!
Suraiya, Poland
Award winning international performer based in Poland. In 2009 she was the winner of the Isis Award Competition - professional category at the International Bellydance Congress in London, UK, and also recieved the highest prize in the international Competiton in Los Angeles, USA, organized by bellydancer Jillina.
In 2008 she was awarded first prize in the International Raks Sharqi Competition for Professional Dancers in Prague.
She is a certified choreographer and international workshop teacher. Suraiya also owns the Arabic Dance Academy in Poland and the Artistic Agency "Suraiya". As a festival organizor she is the Artistic director and founder of "Egyptian Fever Festival" and "Sahara Dancers" Group. Besides bellydance she is acertified fitness and Pilates instructor and Master of International Relations and Diplomacy.
Christina Stjernholm, Norway
The winner of Dancer of the Year 2009 pases on the throphy and the title at the Friday Night Gala Show, and ends her year as 'Dancer of the Year 2009' with a performance for the Saturday Night audience!
Christina is one of the up-and-coming dancers in Oslo, and you can see her perform at various restaurants in the Oslo area. After winning the title of 'Dancer of the Year' in 2009 she has also started teaching at Studio Orient. Christina has studied Middleastern Dance for many years, with several of the leading instructors and dancers both in Norway and Cairo. She is active in the dance community and is a board member at Al Farah Oriental Dance Association, this year as the event planner.
Friday Night: Contest 'Dancer of the Year 2010', and performances with professional artists. Doors open at 19.00 and the show starts with the contest at 20.00.
Saturday Night: Fashionshow and performances with professional artists, including this years guestperformers - Nesma and Ranya Renee. Doors open at 20.00 and the show starts at 21.00.
Tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.no