Latifa (Lynda Wilkinson) is a performer, instructor and troupe director from Severna Park, Maryland. She studied for over ten years with Ibrahim Farrah and was recently honored as one of his protegees during the Ibrahim Farrah Dancers week-long workshop in New York. Latifa believes that it is important to understand the historical and cultural roots underpinning Middle Eastern Dance; she recently completed a Master's degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University and was awarded a fellowship to study Arabic in Cairo during the summer of 2000. (Of course, being a dancer, she took advantage of the opportunity to study with Egypt's top dancers and attend Raqi Hassan's dance festival!) Latifa is past president of the Washington Area Mid-East Dance Association (WAMEDA) and co-director (with Litani) of the Middle Eastern Dance Guild. Latifa is director of Banat al-Beled, a professional dance troupe.