About
Raksanna Belly Dance offers belly dance classes with a full curriculum that includes beginner, intermediate, and advanced belly dance classes, as well as weekly classes. The program also offers private single belly dance classes, private belly dance class packs, workshops, and theatrical belly dance shows.
• Schedule: Weekly classes; additional workshops, private single classes, and private class packs are available
Raksanna Belly Dance has been in operation since at least 2003, with nearly two decades of training and experience and a copyright of 2003–2024 under Raksanna Productions Inc. The program is led by Raksanna, a performing artist, choreographer, author, director, and educator who directs Raksanna’s Dance Ensemble, Raksanna’s Near East Dance Ensemble (NEDE), and the professional dance troupe Raksanna’s Desert Flames. She has nearly two decades of training and experience, including over 25 trips to Egypt to study, train, and perform with leading choreographers and teachers, and she has traveled to Egypt over 40 times to learn from the very best. Her performing and teaching experience includes work in the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, Egypt, and Israel, and she serves as an artist in residence at the Eola Community Center in Aurora, Illinois. All faculty members are hand-picked and fully trained through Raksanna’s intensive Middle Eastern Belly Dance Apprenticeship program.
The program’s stated mission is that Raksanna has dedicated her life to promoting this art form with elegance, sophistication, and beauty. Raksanna is an award-winning dancer and choreographer and was the first American artist to be featured at Randa Kamel’s RAQS OF COURSE dance festival in Cairo. She has been a featured instructor at Raqia Hassan’s AHLAN WA SAHLAN festival for four years in a row and is the officially published author of her original work Confessions of a Belly Dancer. She collaborated with world-renowned composer Yassir Jimal to produce her first CD album, Mirage, which features original music for belly dancers. She and her troupe, Raksanna’s Desert Flames, were 2nd Runner Up in Stellar Advantage’s International Professional Troupe Competition in 2010, and she placed 2nd in the Queen of Raks Sharqi competition in 2007. Her recognitions include being named in the Cambridge List of Who’s Who in 2010, multiple nominations by Zaghareet magazine for “Instructor of the Year” and “Favorite Cabaret Dancer of the Year” in 2007 and 2008, being named “Best of Aurora” by the U.S. Local Business Association in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and receiving a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Community involvement includes serving as artist in residence at the Eola Community Center in Aurora, Illinois, and being a featured presenter at universities, colleges, public schools, and cultural events and festivals. The program offers performance opportunities throughout the year and a dance company for dancers interested in sisterhood, performing, and fun, with small class sizes and a defined teacher-to-student ratio. Testimonials from adult students and families describe experiences in belly dance classes, workshops, and shows such as the “Hip’s Don’t Die Murder Mystery” and the production Confessions of a Belly Dancer, as well as comments on instruction, community, and enjoyment of classes and performances.
Last updated May 27, 2026.
• Schedule: Weekly classes; additional workshops, private single classes, and private class packs are available
Raksanna Belly Dance has been in operation since at least 2003, with nearly two decades of training and experience and a copyright of 2003–2024 under Raksanna Productions Inc. The program is led by Raksanna, a performing artist, choreographer, author, director, and educator who directs Raksanna’s Dance Ensemble, Raksanna’s Near East Dance Ensemble (NEDE), and the professional dance troupe Raksanna’s Desert Flames. She has nearly two decades of training and experience, including over 25 trips to Egypt to study, train, and perform with leading choreographers and teachers, and she has traveled to Egypt over 40 times to learn from the very best. Her performing and teaching experience includes work in the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, France, Egypt, and Israel, and she serves as an artist in residence at the Eola Community Center in Aurora, Illinois. All faculty members are hand-picked and fully trained through Raksanna’s intensive Middle Eastern Belly Dance Apprenticeship program.
The program’s stated mission is that Raksanna has dedicated her life to promoting this art form with elegance, sophistication, and beauty. Raksanna is an award-winning dancer and choreographer and was the first American artist to be featured at Randa Kamel’s RAQS OF COURSE dance festival in Cairo. She has been a featured instructor at Raqia Hassan’s AHLAN WA SAHLAN festival for four years in a row and is the officially published author of her original work Confessions of a Belly Dancer. She collaborated with world-renowned composer Yassir Jimal to produce her first CD album, Mirage, which features original music for belly dancers. She and her troupe, Raksanna’s Desert Flames, were 2nd Runner Up in Stellar Advantage’s International Professional Troupe Competition in 2010, and she placed 2nd in the Queen of Raks Sharqi competition in 2007. Her recognitions include being named in the Cambridge List of Who’s Who in 2010, multiple nominations by Zaghareet magazine for “Instructor of the Year” and “Favorite Cabaret Dancer of the Year” in 2007 and 2008, being named “Best of Aurora” by the U.S. Local Business Association in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012, and receiving a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Community involvement includes serving as artist in residence at the Eola Community Center in Aurora, Illinois, and being a featured presenter at universities, colleges, public schools, and cultural events and festivals. The program offers performance opportunities throughout the year and a dance company for dancers interested in sisterhood, performing, and fun, with small class sizes and a defined teacher-to-student ratio. Testimonials from adult students and families describe experiences in belly dance classes, workshops, and shows such as the “Hip’s Don’t Die Murder Mystery” and the production Confessions of a Belly Dancer, as well as comments on instruction, community, and enjoyment of classes and performances.
Last updated May 27, 2026.
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