★ Belynda Azhaar ★ Middle Eastern & World Dance Artist Currently based in Seoul, South Korea; travels worldwide. Using music and dance: For artistic expression, physical well-being, and internal healing; To bridge the cultural gap, bringing people together.

About Belynda Azhaar

Dr. Belynda Azhaar, PhD, is a professional Performing Artist (actress, dancer, musician, singer), Instructor, and Choreographer with more than 20 years experience in TV, stage, and screen productions.

As a performer, Belynda is known for her musical approach to dance, innovative theatrical concepts, and special skills such as dancing on a drum. She combines her acting, musical, and dance skills to create powerful performances - from soulful, to playful, to exciting! She is equally comfortable performing elegant Egyptian raqs sharqi as she is bone-chilling Dark Fusion, and can switch between these distinctly different styles with ease.

Belynda Azhaar has been involved with adult education and corporate training since 1995, and brings a wealth of teaching experience to the classroom. She is quickly gaining popularity worldwide for her well-organised, inspirational, and fun workshops, and has taught workshops and performed in Australia, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam. She teaches Egyptian dance (classical, modern, and folkloric), Modern Tribal Fusion (specialising in Dark Fusion), and traditional dances of the Middle East, Maghreb, Balkan, and Central Asia areas. Her students range from absolute beginners through to professional dancers. Belynda is also in demand for choreography commissions, for both solo and troupe performances.

Actively involved in community work, Belynda Azhaar has performed at and organised many fundraiser charity events. Most notably, she organised the Aid Gaza Benefit Night (AGBN), which raised about US$3,000 for the UNRWA Special Gaza Appeal, and performed with Chinese celebrities at a special charity show in Deyang, China, for victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Belynda has organised annual World Belly Dance Day fundraiser events in Korea since 2009 which have donated approximately US$5,000 to local Korean women's charities. She created and manages the "Bellydance Events in Asia" Facebook group, and founded MECDACK (Middle Eastern Culture & Dance Appreciation Club in Korea).

Belynda considers herself an eternal student of Middle Eastern arts, and regularly travels overseas to improve her dance skills and experience the culture behind the dance. She has attended numerous classes with master dancers, and continually strives to improve and push the boundaries of creativity. Belynda would like to take this opportunity to thank the following teachers for their inspiration: Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy, Essam Mounir, Nour, Tamra-henna, Tamallyn Dallal, Karim Nagi,and Kamellia. Belynda's passion for ethnomusicology and dance ethnology has driven her to research Al-Andalus and the Silk Road, and she plans to conduct field research in Central Asia the near future.

Music is the driving force behind Belynda's dance. She is a continual student of Middle Eastern music and instruments including Arabic percussion (sagat, tabla, def, riq) and the oud. She has studied (live) with Karim Nagi, Issam Houshan, Mansour, and Youssef.