Sonya is a multi-award winning dancer & ambassador of Pan Arabic Dance based in Chicago, teaching both locally & nationally her varied styles of Oriental Dance since 1999. In 2004 she opened her own 2-studio dance school "Arabesque Dance", where she gives home to other instructors while embracing all traditional and modern cabaret styles as well as tribal style bellydance fusion in her 4,500 square foot venue. Arabesque & Sonya proudly sponsor numerous annual events, ranging from nightclub haflas to 500 seat theater shows. Tempering fusion with knowledge, Sonya sought her certification in teaching Mid East Dance in Cairo Egypt June 2006 by Mahmoud Reda & Farida Fahmy, after 10 years of dedicated dance training & she is also “Hadia certified” in Levels 1 & 2. The perpetual student, she strives to be an example to the new generation & uplifting to the expectations of what is belly dance, as a performer, a mentor, an event sponsor, competition judge, troupe director, video producer, and artist.Specialties: Performance & Instruction; Classic Oriental "Belly Dance" in Cabaret-Style & Egyptian Dance, in addition to prop work with Veil (such as double veil, veil-poi, fan-veils), stick/cane/Assaya, Sword, Shamedan (candelabra helmet) & dancing with Finger Cymbals/zillar/segat.
Listed skills include Dance, Choreography, Entertainment, Improvisation, and 45 others.