Often described as 'dynamic, engaging and moving' Marta is a belly dancer and admired instructor like no other in the Washington, D.C. area. Her distinctive lyrical and earthy style, technical skill, and heartfelt musical interpretation continues to captivate audiences, students and master dancers alike.

Unique in her ability to fully interpret Oriental and tribal styles of belly dance, Marta also blends flamenco, tango, modern dance, Latin dances and aspects of classical Indian dance into her contemporary fusion projects while maintaining a genuine foundation of both Egyptian and American 'Orientale' in her classical works.

Marta deeply believes this dance form has the capacity to inspire and empower women, teens and girls, and is committed to support accessible, high-quality training, and the growth and establishment of belly dance as a recognized art form. 

Marta performs at private events and shows, and teaches in varied venues throughout the D.C. area, across the country, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Recognized for her sincere dedication to learning and teaching, Marta offers weekly classes, workshops and private sessions in the D.C. area. 

For over ten years, she has rigorously studied Oriental (Egyptian, American and Turkish styles) and tribal (Jamila Salimpour/Bal Anat format, Fat Chance ATS® & tribal fusion) with nationally and internationally acclaimed master teachers, becoming one of a few instructors in the region to hold recognized teaching certifications in varied styles of belly dance. Apart from her belly dance concentration, she is also a dedicated flamenco student, continuing her training locally, in NYC and at the Amor de Dios Academy in Madrid, Spain.

A nurturing and demanding instructor, Marta approaches teaching from a holistic perspective, emphasizing technique, stylization, and musical interpretation while helping students understand how each movement initiates, feels and flows through their individual bodies. With a clear historical and cultural foundation, she invites more advanced students to fuse their own creativity, where appropriate, allowing for the exploration of each one's unique voice. 

Through her own independent studies and her certified doula/labor assistant work (ALACE & The Farm Midwives), she brings knowledge of women's health into her teaching; currently working to finish a curriculum that incorporates childbirth education and belly dance for mothers-to-be. Lastly, Marta is committed to using dance and other forms of creative movement in her work with under-resourced communities (in the U.S. and Latin America) to support engagement, healing, leadership, community building and skills development among women, teens and girls. To this end, she actively volunteered for over 3 years at the Sitar Center for the Arts as well as BloomBars and has completed several community based initiatives including a month-long project in Lima, Peru. She continues to provide special workshops and classes in varied under-served communities throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. She will continue traveling throughout 2012 putting the finishing touches to this new vision.

Marta has been a faculty member at award-winning institutions including Joy of Motion Dance Center (JOM), Dance Institute of Washington (DIW), Sahara Dance, and the MamaSita Cultural Center (home of the Belly Dancers of Color Association). She currently conducts classes at BloomBars and at her private home studio, Move Your Belly, both in Columbia Heights, DC.

In her other work, Marta is a partner and lead consultant with Movement Matters, a group that provides technical assistance and training to local and national non-profits, and mentors community organizers and popular educators using a values-based, culturally competent approach to social justice work.

Note: If you are an advanced/pre-professional student, consider additional classes with Artemis Mourat, Faten, Latifa, Lotus Niraja, Piper, and Yasmin Henkesh, master teachers in the D.C. area.


TEACHERS/GUIDES & INSPIRATION

~ Aziza
~ Artemis Mourat
~ Carolena Nericcio
~ Danilo Rivera
~ Elena Lentini
~ Faten
~ Jill Parker
~ Miguel Cañas
~ Suhaila Salimpour
~ Tamalyn Dallal
~ Ulrika Frank
~ Yasmin Henkesh


CERTIFICATIONS, etc.

~ Level 2 certified (SSBD) Suhaila Salimpour Format* (training in level 3. received permission to teach format.)
~ Level 1 certified (JSBD) Jamila Salimpour Format* (training in level 2 & 3. received permission to teach format.)
~ ATS® teacher (level 1 & 2) certified by Fat Chance Belly Dance®/Carolena Nericcio
~ Artemis Mourat intensive: ethics & fundamentals of dancing professionally (2005)
~ Rachel Brice weeklong intensive (2005)
~ Tamalyn Dallal teacher training/advanced weeklong intensive (2006 & 2010)
~ Oxford Academy of the Arts/Spanish Dance Academy (level 2 certification. training in level 3)
~ Ulrika Frank flamenco theory and history, 3-month private study (2007)
~ Jill Parker east coast immersion (2009)
~ Faten Salama's Al Massraweya certification (2009)
~ Violeta Luna performance art & theater weeklong immersion (2009)
~ Aziza (Portland/Montreal) professional & teacher weeklong immersion (2010)
~ Artemis Mourat Turkish Oryantal & Rromani weeklong intensive & 3-day follow-ups (2010 & 2011)
~ Amel Tafsout semi-private weeklong intensive (2010)
~ Tina de Souza Sacred Dance/Art theory and ritual (2011)

Private classes, master workshops, and/or general workshops attended include:
Amar Gamal, Amaya, Amel Tafsout, Amir Thaleb, Amy Sigil, Antonio Reyes, Ansuya, Carmela Greco, Colleena Shakti, Delilah, Dina, Domba, Fifi Abdou, Genevieve Guinn/La Genoveva, Lola Greco, Heather Stants, Jillina, John Compton, Kajira Djoumahna, La Tati, La Truco, Laurel Victoria Gray, Leila Farid, Lotus Niraja, Michelle Joyce, Mohamed El Hosseny, Mohamed Shahin, Nadirah Nasreen, Nanna Candelaria, Noor-Jihan, Nourhan Sharif, Paulette Rees-Denis, Rachel Brice, Rachel George, Raquia Hassan, Rashid, Sadie, Saphira, Sausan, Sharon Kihara, Sonia, Vashti, Yasmina (DC), Yasmina Ramzy, Yousry Sharif, and Zahra Zuhair.

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