Ever since I can remember I've danced. When I was a child, I did my own dance, often with other members of my family, entertaining members of my family and close friends. During my teen years, it was "Rock'n'Roll Forever!" Then in college and later, I became deeply involved in international folk dancing, while still rock'n'rolling, of course, mostly the dances of the Balkan and Mediterranean countries. Then I discovered Raqs Sharqi, often referred to in the west by the misnomer "belly dance", a Middle Eastern solo dance, nowadays usually performed by women. I adopted the stage name Leyla, later expanding it to Leyla Lanty to distinguish myself from other Leylas, and the rest, as they say, is history. I have studied dance with some of the finest teachers, both Arabic and American, in Egypt and in the US. I perform and teach Raqs Sharqi and Egyptian style folkloric dance, in private classes or in limited master classes in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Early in 1999, in Cairo, Egypt, the fabulous singer Khalil Abboud and I co-produced a recording of new Arabic music for dancing and listening, featuring Khalil's sensational voice and some of the best composers and musicians to be found in Egypt.
Write to me for information about performances, instruction, or CDs and cassettes,
or visit my website at www.geocities.com/leylalanty .Articles on Gilded Serpent by Leyla
4-27-07 Rhythms of Oriental Dance, Starring Nesma and Khamis Henkesh, DVD Review by Leyla Lanty
Nesma and Khamis's discussion of the complexity of Arabic music and dance is both appealing and easy to grasp.9-16-05 Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2005, Cairo a review and diary by Leyla Lanty
On Monday night, the opening gala was a great success in all senses of the word! It was one of the best large scale events I've attended.11-16-01 Giza Club Lecture, Wacky Woman Traveler- Leyla Lanty
Hard work and familiarity pays off.3-3-01 Giza Academy Awards of Middle Eastern Dance Video 2000 by Leyla Lanty
And the winners are.... Photos added on 5-1-01 take another look!12-27-00 Special Master Class Weekend with Amina Goodyear and Jacques al Asmar, by Leyla Lanty
....This is why there are many repetitions of words, verbal and musical phrases in Arabic music so that the musicians, singers, and dancers can build on movements with the repetition.9-24-00 Cairo's Costume Disasters by Leyla Lanty
Tacky, Bizarre, and Surprising Costumes Worn by Cairo's Stars of Oriental Dance
