About Layla Katrina

Layla was the Director of Entertainment and main dancer at the Casbah Moroccan Restaurant in Savannah, Georgia from 1999 till her move to Hawaii in September of 2005. She danced with the Garden Nile Bellydance Troupe on Kauai for a year and is now living on the island of Maui. Layla has been performing and teaching belly dance since 1987. She began dancing with Adnan Sarhan's Sufi students in New York City in 1985. She has studied dance meditation intensively with Dunya, and has worked with many teachers over the years. Layla's style is primarily Cabaret Belly Dance, with Egyptian and Turkish influence. Some of the dancers she has studied with and admired are Eva Cernik, Zhaleh Ferreshteh, Dalia Carella, Delilah Flynn, Elena Lentini, Morocco, Serena Wilson, Serena Ramzy. Most recently Layla has been inspired by magnificant theatrical performances of The Belly Dance Superstars, and was honored to be a guest dancer when the troupe performed in Jacksonville, Florida on their first USA tour in 2004.

Layla Katrina's signature piece is her Fire Dance, which she first performed in 1992 at Imperial Fez Moroccan Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. This dance was inspired by Eva Cernik's fire dance, though not taught to her by Eva. Layla also performs a Sword Dance and believes a dancer should give the sword the respect it deserves...it is a weapon. Her dance emphasizes that she knows how to handle the sword and can fight with it if she had to. Both the fire and sword dances show dramatic balance and isolation movement skills which belly dance is known for.

What sets Layla apart from other belly dancers is her practice of Dance Meditation. This creates depth to her dance that other performers may not have. She dances from the inside out. She feels the movements, the music, and expresses her soul in her dance. Layla enjoys interaction with her audience and makes them feel comfortable becoming part of the show. She often encourages others to dance with her and share the fun in the spotlight. Her vitality and engaging personality make the performance exciting for everyone.

Layla Caravan is the constantly evolving dance troupe Layla creates with her students. Layla Caravan has performed at many festivals and events throughout the South Eastern United States. Many of her students have gone on to become professional dancers and teachers themselves.

Dance Fantasy is a collection of outdoor stage shows that Layla directed in Aiken, South Carolina, during 1987–90. Her students and other local dancers were given an opportunity to perform in a lovely garden setting each summer. Layla used this venue to perform interpretive stories based on her own dreams. Dance Fantasy also showcased specific types of dance including cabaret and folk-style belly dance, as well as modern dance, jazz, and ballet. Her goal was to show the audience that belly dance is just as beautiful and valid an art form as more familiar dance. These performances were well attended and received.

During this time, Layla took private classes from Zhaleh Ferreshteh. Together, they created a troupe called Mirage Dancers, under Zhaleh's direction. Mirage Dancers performed many times in the Southeast and also in Layla's Dance Fantasy shows.

When the Olympics came to Atlanta in 1996, Layla heard Andes Music for the first time. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard. She enjoys dancing to this music, especially live when she finds Andes groups playing in festivals and on the streets. She has just begun to learn some of the traditional Peruvian and Ecuadorian dances, with the intention of creating her own unique dance. She incorporates her Middle Eastern vocabulary with the flavor of the Andes. Layla feels a deep and powerful connection to the haunting song of the Andean flutes and the playful dance of the strings just as she feels the many layered emotions and rhythms of Middle Eastern music. The challenge is presenting her creative dance in a way that is not percieved as misrepresenting authentic dances.

Layla's dream is to find a lucrative venue in which to revive her Dance Fantasy theatrical performances. She hopes to work with a variety of musicians, dance students, and professionals in this creation. She is inspired by the idea of fusing music and dances from many parts of the world; she sees strong connections between many musical traditions in the world. She enjoys the companionship of other artists and thrives on working in a group, learning from each individual. She appreciates what each unique talent offers and enjoys seeing how everyone adds to the final creation. Layla Katrina dances from the heart, has fun, and always leaves an audience exhilarated and moved by the experience.