Majda Anwar is a dancer, choreographer and instructor in Atlanta and the surrounding metro area. Known for her strong performances and stage presence, Majda performs and studies all styles of belly dance from Classical Egyptian to World Fusion Tribal.
Photography by Matt Odom
Majda began been belly dancing at the age 5, learning the dance through her Jordanian family. At the age of 11, she decided to start formal training, and sought out classes and instructors that taught the classic Egyptian style. In April of 2007, Majda received her General Skills Certification in American Tribal Style belly dance from Carolena Nereccio of Fat Chance Belly Dance and earned her Suhaila Salimpour Level 1 Certification in 2009. Majda keeps current with both tribal and cabaret styles of belly dance through studying with as many master instructors as possible, and also conducts research of the history of Middle Eastern dance, music, and culture.
In search of a performance outlet, it didn’t take long for Majda to come across Atlanta’s premier belly dance company Awalim. Majda first saw Awalim at the Georgia Renaissance Festival and fell in love with the company’s professionalism, musicality, and costuming. She joined the company in 2006 after attending Ziah’s classes for about a year and enjoys the opportunities that Awalim has given her.
In the fall of 2008, Majda returned to the violin to study Arabic music with Dr. Wael Mahalowy at the American University of Cairo. She also began studying the qanoon (zither) to deepen her understanding of the Arabic mode system of the maqmat. In addition to studying music and the Arabic language during her 5-month study abroad in Egypt, Majda took private instruction from noted Egyptian dancers and choreographers such as Raqia Hassan, Diana Tarkan, Nevein Ramez, and Mahmoud Reda and joined the American University in Cairo’s folkloric dance troupe for the semester
Since 2005, Majda has taught multi-level, weekly classes at Georgia Tech where she earned her Undergraduate degree in Marketing at the School of Business. She also conducts workshops in Atlanta and around the Southeast. For more information on her classes and workshops, please visit www.majdaanwar.com or e-mail her at Majda.anwar@gmail.com.
