Samantha

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Samantha is a performer and teacher of Egyptian oriental bellydance and folkloric dances of the Middle East and North Africa.  A passionate and skillful artist, Samantha delivers radiant and authentic dance that enchants and delights.
Hailing from a family of artists, Samantha began training in ballet, jazz and modern dance at a young age.  Called by the music, Samantha journeyed into the study of cultural dance forms  She began her oriental dance training with Denise Enan in 1995 and has since trained with Sahra Saeeda, Hadia, Aida Nour and Mahmoud Reda, among others in North America and Egypt.
Passionate about traditional dance styles, Samantha has studied many folkloric styles, including; Algerian Berber (Kabyle, Chaoui), Moroccan dance (chaabi), Egyptian folklore (Saidi, Nubian), Lebanese Dabke, Khaleegy, Israeli dance, Persian dance (classical, Bandari), as well as Turkish Rom.
Beyond oriental dance Samantha is also adept at various West African and dance styles.  She has studied in Senegal, Guinea and Mali.
Complimenting her ‘hands-on’ dance training, Samantha also holds a degree in cultural anthropology and continues her research in the subject of dance.
Samantha’s dance reflects her many years of dedication and research for ethnic dance arts. She has combined her knowledge with a strong artistic vision. She founded Sanaa Dance in 2008 as a platform for artistic development and exploration.  Her ability to capture and communicate the essence of both traditional and contemporary dance makes her work innovative and original.  Some of Samantha’s choreographic and performance highlights include: Dusk Dances – Canada Dance Festival (1999), Festival du Monde Arabe (2003 and 2004), Festival Access Asie (2007 and 2008).

Samantha is a performer and teacher of Egyptian oriental bellydance and folkloric dances of the Middle East and North Africa.  A passionate and skillful artist, Samantha delivers radiant and authentic dance that enchants and delights.

Hailing from a family of artists, Samantha began training in ballet, jazz and modern dance at a young age.  Called by the music, Samantha journeyed into the study of cultural dance forms  She began her oriental dance training with Denise Enan in 1995 and has since trained with Sahra Saeeda, Hadia, Aida Nour and Mahmoud Reda, among others in North America and Egypt.

Passionate about traditional dance styles, Samantha has studied many folkloric styles, including; Algerian Berber (Kabyle, Chaoui), Moroccan dance (chaabi), Egyptian folklore (Saidi, Nubian), Lebanese Dabke, Khaleegy, Israeli dance, Persian dance (classical, Bandari), as well as Turkish Rom.

Beyond oriental dance Samantha is also adept at various West African and dance styles.  She has studied in Senegal, Guinea and Mali.

Complimenting her ‘hands-on’ dance training, Samantha also holds a degree in cultural anthropology and continues her research in the subject of dance.

Samantha’s dance reflects her many years of dedication and research for ethnic dance arts. She has combined her knowledge with a strong artistic vision. She founded Sanaa Dance in 2008 as a platform for artistic development and exploration.  Her ability to capture and communicate the essence of both traditional and contemporary dance makes her work innovative and original.  Some of Samantha’s choreographic and performance highlights include: Dusk Dances – Canada Dance Festival (1999), Festival du Monde Arabe (2003 and 2004), Festival Access Asie (2007 and 2008).

Sanaa Dance Company

A truly enchanting journey into the art of ethnic dance!

Sanaa Dance Company performs dances of the Middle East and North Africa.  Under the direction of Samantha Burnstein Sanaa Dance is dedicated to the research and presentation of traditional dance styles, from the social to the ritual, from the arabo-african diaspora.

The repertoire includes dances from Morocco (Chaabi- Raks el Sennyya), Algeria (Kabyle, Chaoui), Tunisia, Egypt ( Assaya, Ghawazee), Persian Gulf ( Khaleegy), Sufi Dervish.

 The only folkloric troupe of its kind in Quebec, Sanaa Dance Company has received rave reviews from audiences at events across Quebec including:

Festival Access Asie (2007, 2008)
Rangla Punjabi (2008, 2009)                 
Festival des Traditions du Monde de Sherbrooke(2010)
Please see Media page for videos of Sanaa Dance.

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