Alia Shams
Alia Shams danced when she was a child, though she started as a dramatic actress, qualified by the Spanish Conservatory, she worked for national and international advance groups.
Trained in classical ballet, contemporary, flamenco and other forms of dance.
She met the magic of oriental dance through Adnan Sharman, a Sufi master from Iraq.
The egyptians bautizied her in 1984 with the artistic name of Sahar Samara, that she used from her beginnings till year 1994 when she changed to Alia Shams
In Egypt she started to investigate the dance that was practiced in Pharaonic times.
Based on this and on her method developed for her belly dance teachings, she’s written "Elemental" and "Anuar al Andalus" that were presented and given a prix together with her group of Arabic musicians and dancers.
She’s danced in different countries and places in hotels like "El Minzah" (Tangier), restaurants: Damasco, Aladino, Pharaon, Jan el Jalili, etc. In Arab clubs like Sijilmassa (Casablanca), discotheques, etc.
Also she dances for congresses or popular gatherings on open air stages like in The Jaimas of Caños de Meca,or in palaces.
Her ritual dances with candle on her head have been required by expositions and cultural celebrations like in the pharaonic exposition (Casino de Expositions, Seville).
Alia is unique in creating powerful shows. She bases her dance on classical and traditional Egyptian technique, oriental dance, vibrating with canoon, table solos, nail solos etc and in conquering audiences with their participation on folk songs danced with cymbals or with the stick.
She was a pionere many years ago to dance to "Andalusi Music" during her work in Hotel Minzah Tanger. and when back in Spain she brought it back , after hundreds of years, to European culture through her performances with Orquestra Andalusi of Tanger and started to teach her dance interpretation of this music.
Amora Shams al-Nur
This international dancer amazes the audiences with her deeply traditional Egyptian Belly Dance techniques, and with her extraordinary creativity.
Specialists in Belly Dancing, confirm that she is one of the few dancers that still interpret music only using the muscles of her belly without moving hips or thorax, as in the ancient Egyptian days.
Experienced choreographer mixing Arab Dance, Contemporary, Classic Ballet and Latin moves like Salsa, Samba and Flamenco.
Her career has included ten years of classical ballet full-time student at the Professional Conservatory of Dance (Madrid and Seville. Spain) with complementary subjects as contemporary dance, gymnastics and music solfeo.
Amora’s mother was the 1st professional Egyptian Oriental dancer in Spain, therefore Amora grow up surrounded by the Pioneer Professional Oriental Arabic Dancers and MSusicians of Spain. In year 1993 Amora started to join her mother Sahar Samara (Alia Shams) classes, who also brought back to Spain the forgotten Al-Andalus culture from Morocco and Egypt on the early 1980’s.
The first venue where Amora danced was in the Egyptian restaurant Jan el Jalili, in Sevilla, Spain (1993) when she was just 17 years old. Since then she has been mainly dancing in Casablanca, Paris, London & all around Spain
1993-1995 - Dance assistant of Alia Shams, at Studios Posición Cero and at a Flamenco dance studio in Nervión both in Seville, Spain. While dancing in Suarets all around Spain next to Alia Shams.
1993-1994 - Jan el Jalili (Sevilla - Spain) & the Egyptian restuarant Los Faraones ("The Pharaoh", Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz - Spain).
1994/95/96 - Jaima de Caños de Meca (Cádiz - Spain) with live music and Los Faraones Egyptian restaurant.
In 1996 Amora started to use the arch as it is in the Antique 7,000 year old pharaoh drawings of Egyptian dancers described on the temples.
From 1995 to 1999 - Dance teacher at the "Academy of Arabic Dance Alia Shams", Seville, Spain.
1997-1998 - Sijilmassa andalusí palace restaurant & the Sheraton Hotel (Casablanca – Morocco). With live music. From March to July 1998 a Culture production in the Reales Alcázares de Seville (Palace) as Teacher, Choreographer and Dancer, specialist in Al-Andalus dance (Sevilla – Spain). European tour England, France, Switzerland, Germany dancing in parties and some restaurants as Omar Kayan in London. Elisèes Liban I, Baalbeck Washington and Fakhr el Dine restaurants (Paris- France). With live music.
1999-2000 - For her experience as Dancer, Teacher and Choreographer, Amora became Equity Member of the Professional Association of Dance (Madrid - Spain). Riad Salam Moroccan restaurant (Marbella - Málaga) Spain. With live music. Abohamed Egyptian restaurant (London - UK). With live music.
2001-2002 - Greek restaurant Elysee, the Moroccan Safir, and some parties in other restaurants like the Egyptian Abohamed, the Greek Apollonia & the Iraqi Baghdad. Mostly with live music. (London - UK)
2002-2003 - Al-Diwan Syrian restaurant and Assafir Jordanian restaurant (Barcelona – Spain). Dance teacher at Kundalini Yoga, Masala Centre, Dance teacher and choreographer at School of Dance Nuria, master dance teacher at Arsenal 5* Gymnasium, Barcelona, Spain. Dance teacher at Atenas Gymnasium, master dance teacher at Spejos, 5* Gym Puerto Banus, Marbella, Malaga, Spain.
2003-2004 - London restaurants: Greek restaurant Apollonia, Argelian Al-Casbah and Greek Alexander the Great. While teaching in different dance schools in London such us 02 Centre and Expressions Studios, Amora collaborated also with her students in Charity events for NGO organisations such as Marie Curie Cancer Care,..Dancing daily at Efes II, Turkish restaurant at Great Portland Street and the Turkish restaurant Mazic (London - UK).
August 2005 - Amora moves to Spain. Amora organizes the 1st Festival of Oriental Dance in Almuñécar, that took place on the 7th July 2006, all benefits went to Alzheimer Almuñécar Association. This Festival was reduced into about 1h show with Amora students, Alia Shams and Amora.
2005-2007 - Amora was dancing every weekend in the original Arabic Castle in Almuñécar as a Al-Andalus dancer for the Al-Andalus Government, Amora keeps teaching dance, organizing workshops bringing students from abroad and providing intensive private lessons to students who require this option. Performing also in the Egyptian Restaurant “Cleopatra Palace” near Marbella - Spain
2008 - Amora moves to Cairo, Egypt, where she gets in contact with the legends of Oriental Dance, Amora speciality. Amora continues teaching and dancing, but now from the birth of Belly Dancing, Egypt. She dances in Weddings and 5 * Hotels like Sheraton Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt.
Nowadays Amora is working between Egypt and Spain.
Biography
