Keti Sharif for the Gilded Serpent

The Gilded Serpent presents
Keti Sharif

My passion for dancing began when I was 17, when I took my first Oriental dance class. The music and shape of Arabic dance fascinated me. It was never a 'planned' career, but I guess I got swept up in the fun; the festive aspect of dance for the sheer joy of it, the celebration, the sense of discovery. Dance became the pacemaker in my life - I literally moved to wherever it took me. I've lived in Turkey, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and now Egypt. I eventually gravitated to the place that felt like home; Egypt is where my heart is.

So, quite organically, my career took shape as a dancer, teacher and performer. Spending many years researching dance, I integrated my studies into a BA in Fine Art History, focusing on geometry, music-space relationships and Islamic pattern and architecture. Australian publishers Allen and Unwin recently published my book 'BELLYDANCE', which was a satisfying way to see all those years of research collated into a streamlined format.

In my dancing days, performance was always fun - my audiences included The King of Malaysia, Crown Prince of Selangor, Prince of Pahang, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Princess of Morocco, Prince of Oman plus contracts at the Cairo Ramses Hilton, Starcruises Asia Pacific and the world's largest Casino - Genting Highlands.

Recently, I've moved away from Oriental dance as a career to focus on my main project - World Dance Aerobics. I've been anticipating this change of direction and have prepared for it in the last few years by creating instructional videos and the A-Z BELLYDANCE teaching system. Based on the A-Z system, World Dance Aerobics is exciting, modern dance fitness that draws on elements of sacred geometry, natural body movements and cultural dances of celebration. WDA is my passion, my life's work - I absolutely love creating the programs - they bring together everything I know about the transformative power of dance.

Keti's website http://www.ketisharif.com
www.pulse8fitness.com

Articles on Gilded Serpent by or about Keti Sharif
2-6-08 The Secret of Saiidi Song and Dance-Straight from the Horse’s Mouth by Keti Sharif
"Saiidi". Say this word anywhere in Egypt (including El Saiid) and colloquially it implies someone who is funny, backward - a loveable, gullible character with salt-of-the-earth village simplicity. To call someone “Saiidi” is a local term or endearment for a likeable buffoon!

10-29-06 Opening a Bellydance Studio, Tips for Success by Keti Sharif
She has recently retired fully from bellydancing but offers great advice on business plans for dancers wishing to expand their hobby into a career.

8-28-06 Bellydancing, Mythology and Astrology: Exploring the creative character of dance expression by Keti Sharif
Is dance a ritual, a means of celebration, a form of entertainment, or something more? Could it be a mode of human expression that harnesses the secrets of the universe?

3-7-06 Streets of Cairo- Egyptian Rhythm, Language and Dance by Keti Sharif
Cairo's streets are much like its dance – streams of freestyle movement guided by intuition rather than rules. There are no 'principles' as such in both circumstances – it’s the organic-ness of Egyptian life that creates order in chaos.

11-16-05 Belly Dance Secrets for Fitness and Rejuvenation by Keti Sharif
The most important factor in sustaining an exercise program is the 'fun factor'; Belly dancing comes with great music, exciting moves, noisy coin belts and its own special dress code.

3-12-05 Keti Sharif’s A to Z Advanced Stage Instructional DVD and booklet review by Monica Berini
It is rare that an instructional video marketed to advanced dancers follows through to actually challenge experienced students or performers. This one does.