Afet

                Afet has been dancing since the age of five.  She has studied Classical Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern Dance, Gymnastics, Tahitian, Hawaiian, Classical Spanish, Flamenco and Middle Eastern Dance.  In recent years, she has attended the Florida Dance Association’s, Florida Dance Festival to pursue her study of Ethnic Dances in African, Haitian, Jamaican, Filipino, Classical Spanish & Flamenco.   This year Afet approaches her thirty first year of study and performance in The Art of Middle Eastern Dance.  She has graced stages in Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Colorado and New York.  Afet performs professionally at the local and national level.

                In the field of Middle Eastern Belly Dance Afet began her studies in Ohio with Katina and Alia, both of Cleveland, OH.  She has studied with such noted master artists as Ibrahim Farrah (NY), Morocco (NY), Serena (NY), Dahlena (AZ), Suhaila Salimpour (CA), Amaya (NM), Cassandra (MN), Mahmoud Reda (Egypt) and Nadia Hamdi (Egypt) and many master artists not heretofore mentioned.

              With a baccalaureate degree in psychology and a minor in dance from Baldwin-Wallace College in Ohio, Afet has enjoyed a varied and exciting career.  She has been featured in numerous performances, including five years of Wisconsin Dance Ensemble's production of the "The Nutcracker," television shows, television commercials, video productions, Oriental dance performances, concert performances and a featured artist in newspaper and magazine publications.  

After arriving in Florida, Afet was invited to join “Sign Art Dancers.”  This unique dance company combines elements of sign language, Classical Ballet and Lyrical Jazz to express the art of movement to hearing and deaf people alike.  Afet was a featured Tahitian soloist at the half time show August, 1991 of the Tampa Bay Storm vs. New Orleans Arena Football.  She performed with the Storm cheerleaders.  In recent years, Afet was featured twice on the front page of a local publication, The Carrollwood News, with an article on Middle Eastern Dance and an article on “Sign Art Dancers,” both with a front-page, full color photograph.  She has been a featured soloist on the club circuit in the greater Tampa Bay area at various Ethnic Restaurants including Lebanese, Greek, Turkish & Arabic.  Afet has been a featured performer on the national level with such noted Recording Artists as “Eddie Kochak & Assemble” (New York, NY), “The Derbecki Assemble” (Parma, OH), “The Pyros Brothers” (Cleveland, OH), “Sirocco” (Capitola, CA), “Trans Arabian Sounds” Houston, TX & “The Sultans,” (New York, NY).

                  Presently, she keeps busy directing and performing with her troupe, “Afet’s Dancers of the Desert Sun,” a performing Middle Eastern Dance troupe whom in recent years earned first place in open category and top score in a small group in a local dance competition.  The choreography was “7,” by Prince, a fusion of Middle Eastern and Modern Jazz Dance.  Afet’s troupe has a children’s division as well as an adult division.  The troupe performs locally as well as statewide at such events as “ Fall Festival on the Nile,” Orlando, "Raqs Adunya Global Dance Festival,"  Gainesville, "St. Patrick's Catholic Church Fall Festival," Tampa, FL, "The Florida State Fair," Tampa, FL, "Fiesta Day," Ybor City, Sickles High School Rib Festival, and "The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center," Tampa,FL.  Afet’s recent passion is fusing Classical Spanish and Gypsy Dance Art forms.  She is also passionate about choreographing and performing the Art of Sign Language Dance.  Please see Afet’s web page for more details on The Art of Sign Language Dance.  Afet has received rave reviews locally and statewide for her choreography, her troupe, costuming and her electrifying performances!

                Afet teaches The Art of Middle Eastern Dance at Desert Divas Design & Dance in Tampa, FL.  She teaches children, teens, adults and seniors.  Afet is well known for her unique style, talent, grace, creativity and flare for costuming.  Afet has a love of children and business, which attempts to combine with her intense love of dance and eminent sense of professionalism.

You may e-mail Afet at afet@verizon.net.