Ep 337. Amera Eid: The Journey of Growing a Belly Dance Scene in Australia

Amera Eid is one of the leading figures who brought belly dance to Sydney and helped it grow across Australia. For more than 40 years, she has performed and taught around the world, sharing her love for the dance with students and audiences everywhere. She is also a talented fashion designer who created the first belly dance boutique in the Southern Hemisphere in 1987, creating stunning costumes for performers, fashion shows, and films — from Moulin Rouge to Kylie Minogue’s Sydney 2000 Olympic outfit. Beyond dance, Amera is deeply committed to foster care. As a foster carer and adoptive mum, she works to recruit, train, and support others in giving safe and loving homes to children in need.In this episode you will learn about:- The challenge of pursuing belly dance with no family support and almost no local training opportunities in the 1980s.- Founding one of Sydney’s first belly dance schools and a boutique that became a hub for dance community.- Working as a professional dancer across the Middle East, preferring Lebanon over Egypt for contracts.- Returning to Australia due to industry age bias and shifting focus to teaching.- How Australia’s belly dance scene differs from Europe in competitions and festivals.Show Notes to this episode:Find Amera Eid on Instagram, Fb, YouTube, and website.Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.comCheck Earn What You Deserve Training for belly dance teachers at www.sharqui.com/social.Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast