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• Sarin (Cheryl) 

• Shakira Massood-Ali (Debbie Scheel) 

• Patricia M. Davis 

• Ahliana 

• Candace

• Cynthia

• Etaira Ali

• Imari

• Jenna Ali

• Linda

• Lokelani/Shiraz

• Mike

• Moya

• Najda

"We are the keepers of this dance. Its past and its roots are in the Middle East, but its future is in our hands...always, always treat it with the respect it deserves."

Shakira Massood-Ali, whose maternal grandparents were from Syria, was attracted to the dance as a way of keeping her heritage. She began her career in 1977 in Kansas City, Mo., studying with Zaina Ali for 7 years and started teaching in 1984. Throughout her dance career, Shakira has also studied with Ibrahim Farrah, Cassandra, Leila Gamal, Judy Reda, Bert Baladine, Zahra Zuhair, Morocco, Dahlena, Dunya, Vasthi, Beata Zardo-Cifentus and Horacio Cifentus, and Rayah Hassan to name only a few. 

Her weekly inspiration comes from the students and teachers at Sirrom who she loves to watch dance (and borrow from) and grow. 

"The most important thing is to be able to feel the music and dance from the heart."

Sarin begin her career in middle eastern dance when a couple of friends signed her up and drug her, kicking and screaming, to her first belly dancing class in the early 1990's.  And she hasn't stopped dancing since, to the benefit of Sirrom students and staff. 

Her inspiration for the dance comes from Suhaila Salimpour from California, and Karen Barbee and Vashti from Texas. 

As one of the owners of Sirrom Studio, it is important to me that everyone that comes through our door be made to feel welcome and also that they have arrived at the right place to learn how to dance.  

My current dance passion is flamenco.  I am learning something new about flamenco every day.  Flamenco is a dramatic form of expression and I am able to incorporate some of my dance training in other areas in my flamenco dancing.

And I also love Bollywood class as it is fun, high energy and full of spirit !

"The more you learn and the more often you dance, the better you feel about yourself and your accomplishments."

Imari's also teaches hula. "The hulas were so relaxed and happy, I thought I'd try it. The Tahitian drums were another story. No one can sit still when they heard those exciting rhythms." 

"We are sisters in the dance that keeps us young and strong." 

Lokelani is the director of Sirrom's Aloha Polynesia troupe. She also teaches the beginner's Hawaiian and Tahitian dance class each Monday night. Students enjoy this form of exercise as they learn the various dance steps to beautiful music from the islands, as well as the culture of the islands. Lokelani has traveled to the Hawaiian Islands and has attended various workshops from the Polynesia Culture Center and others.

In addition to Polynesian dance, she is also the belly dancer known as "Shiraz." She appeared as the carnival belly dancer in the movie "Liar's Moon" back in the mid-1980's starring Matt Dillion.

Nadja

Nadja was introduced to the Middle Eastern culture at an early age. After returning to Texas, she began dancing with Sirrom in 2003; with the instruction of many great dancers like Shakira Massood-Ali, Linda Underwood, and Halimah, she has advanced through Sirrom in classical Egyptian and modern cabaret belly dance.

To further her education, she has studied with Momo Kedous, Vashti, Aziza, Ansuya, Jim Boz, and Leila Gamal, who have all influenced her style and inspired the direction of her journey in dance. These performers and their various workshops have been the thread that has sewn together the pieces of her art.

She has performed numerous times at Sirrom and several other venues. She is a gypsy at heart and will dance wherever there is a drum giving her the opportunity to do so. She has appeared in many troupe and solo performances. Nadja is a member of Solange Dance Company and teaches at Sirrom to continue this journey into culture and art for others.