Biography: Tina Enheduanna
Dedicated to the artistic representation of Oriental Dance
Performer at Middle Eastern clubs and restaurants in Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego, private parties, weddings, ethnic festivals, theater concerts, and women’s benefits.
Instructor of 10+ classes per week in South Orange County, CA.
Vendor of professional belly dance costumes, dancewear, supplies, videos and music Orange County representative for Joharah International and Nourhan’s Sharifwear line.
Producer of the annual Oriental Nights Weekend Celebration of Oriental Dance, with workshops and theater dance concerts.
Choreographer and Director of troupe Raksat al Zaman (Dances of the Ages)
Tina was seven years old when she discovered her hips. Inspired by the mesmerizing belly dancer in a 1970’s film, she added hips and snake arms to every ballet, jazz and gymnastics training session of her childhood.
As a drama major at Hofstra University in NY, she began to research Oriental Dance for the role of Salome. With formal classes in Oriental Dance she spent countless hours researching Arabic culture and history, Mesopotamian history, Romany (Gypsy) history, and related influences on Middle Eastern dance, including formal classes in African, Spanish and Indian dance forms.
In Boston, Providence and New York, she trained formally with master instructors including Morwenna Assaf, Nourhan Sharif, Shadia Maalouf, Yousry Sharif, Elena Lentini and Tayyar Akdeniz. She performed with Morwenna’s La Danse Oriental and Nourhan Sharif’s Nourhan Sharif Dance Company for several years. She worked closely with Nourhan in the production of workshops and events such as Arts in the Park Providence and the early Egyptian Academy of Oriental Dance galas and workshops.
Now based in south Orange County, CA, Tina teaches a full schedule and choreographs and directs the dance troupe Raksat al Zaman (Dancer of the Ages), specializing in class, creative and folkloric styles. She produces the annual Oriental Nights, featuring workshop teachers, student and guest performers. She also travels studying dance and music throughout the U.S., Europe and Egypt.
With a B.S. in Anthropology and B.A. in Spanish, as well as coursework in theater arts and travel, she has focused her studies on Arabic and Spanish dance and music while developing her personal style in theatrical Oriental Dance. Her personal mission in teaching and sharing this dance form is to unite people: uniting women in a dance that celebrates body, soul and friendship, and uniting people of different cultures through dance, music and common appreciation of art.
Tina keeps the dance close to her heart and highly respects the form, presenting the dance artistically and respectfully valuing its benefits to women. This is a dance form that celebrates life, instills confidence, and supports friendships among women of all ages.