Teachers 2024
These are the following teachers who have been invited to the Danish Open Bellydance festival 2024. Please visit our workshop page for full information about workshop topics and timetable. You can also vist our competition page with information about who will judge the competitions.
Jillina Carlano from USA will be joing us for the second time at Danish Open Bellydance, and agin also as director of BDEx.
The one and only Jillina has over 30 years experience, she has been producing results with dancers all over the globe. Current artistic director Bellydance Evolution and BDExperience.
1999-2020 – Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers Company.
2003-2009 – Artistic Director and Main Choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars.
Career Highlights include 2023 World Cultural Festival, Lollapalooza, Follies Berger of Paris, and Theater Mohammed V in Morocco.
In 2009 Jillina created Bellydance Evolution which has taken the art to a higher level, appearing in over 29 countries and featured at Mawazine festival in Morocco.
Since 2016 she established Jillina’s BDExeprience that presents theatrical dance and serves to elevate and educate dancers globally.
In 2020 she supported over 300 dance studios/teachers with her #2getherWeMove program.
She continues to find deep reward in sharing the art of bellydance through coaching, choreography and productions.
Leandro from Argentina will join Danish Open for the first time in 2024. Leandro is an Argentine dancer, teacher and choreographer with more than 20 years in dance, received from the Amir Thaleb Arabic dance school as well as a teacher of the same, received from UNA (Argentine National University) as a postgraduate in choreographic composition.
Director and choreographer of his ballet Raksa with 10 years on stage, former principal dancer of the Arab dance company, one of the most important Arab dance companies in Latin America (Arabian Dance Company), as well as Arab and Indian dance, he has formed. from the age of 9 in contemporary dance, ballet, jazz, currently in ballroom dance and Tango.
He has traveled with his dance to more than forty countries such as Egypt, Morocco, India, the Emirates, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Greece, Ukraine, Korea and Germany, among others, sponsor of three schools in Argentina, he has been part of events organized by Unicef, Cruz Roja among others with the purpose of helping others.
Kathreen Derouet from Czech Republic, is an old member of the Danish Open Bellydance family. And we are so happy to have her with us once again.
Katka “Kathreen” Derouet from Czech Republic has dedicated her life to dance, for more than 30 years. Her elegant and emotional dance style has fascinated dancers all over the world and her students adore her way of teaching, which is full of important details, expressions, feelings and connection between body and soul.
She just recently directed her own beautiful dance film “7 Elements” for presenting raqs sharqi in an artistic way.
Luna from Mexico is with us again for the second time. She has been involved in the art world since she was a child, training ballet, jazz and synchronized swimming, where she represented the state of Aguascalientes for 8 years, moving from there to another type of performing arts, urban dance and contemporary dance; in 2007 she tried Middle Eastern dance and found her true passion.
In 2014, she graduated from “Belly Gym Escuela de Danza Arabe” completing the training program as a Bellydance performer and instructor. In 2015, she graduated as part of the first and only generation in Mexico of the Certification for dancers and teachers of Oriental Dance by Munique Neith. Continuing her studies with relevant professors from all over the world.
She has record of prizes, certificates, diplomas and certificates of her studies and participation throughout her training as a professional dancer and instructor, national and international, highlighting among them her integration to Bellydance Evolution (currently co-director, choreographer and main role), to the International Ballet of Munique Neith, to the International Ballet & Company Wa Nour Al Ayoun of Virginia Méndez, to Triad Dance transnational company of dances of the Middle East and co-director of Jillina’s Bellydance Experience.
In 2017 she opened her own dance school, Casa Luna. Dance home. In addition to teaching classes, she is in charge of the “Colectivo Lunar” (Fusion Dance Company). She already took her dance through all the continents, teaching and performing.
Yaël Zarca from France will join the Danish Open Bellydance family in 2024.
Yaël Zarca, is one of the top leading bellydancer today. Living in Paris, Yaël travels for workshops and performances all over the world. With the knowledge and skills she possesses, Yaël conveys her passion with generosity and enthusiasm.
She attaches great importance to musicality and the interpretation of emotions, while relying on impeccable technique and a great variety in her choreography. She combines her mastery of different styles of oriental dance, her constant artistic research and her desire to communicate with the public, to offer alternately a sensitive and inspired bellydance, elegant and sweet creations, or festive and catchy choreographies.
She is indeed a diamond in a rough, highly respected and sought after. One of the master you will not want to miss!
Hanan from Sweden has been with us many times, but this is the first as master teacher and judge.
Hanna Hanan Thorstensen is a Swedish dancer and choreographer. She was introduced to arabic dance styles as a child and is a highly merited and intensely appreciated artist, choreographer and teacher for many years. She has performed at a great number of venues around the world such as the Cairo Opera House; Alexandria Opera House; Globen, Shanghai Pearl Tower to mention a few. Since 2004 Hanan has been teaching on a regular basis in Malmö, Sweden, where she also started her own dance company Hanan Group in 2009. Since 2011 Hanan works as a soloist, assisting trainer and group dancer in Enkidu Dance Company led by the Iraqi dancer Mohanned Hawaz. Hanan is famous for her genuine style and interpretation and her choreographies, mostly performed by Hanan Group who has won several dance competitions in China, Sweden, Denmark and Egypt.
Laura Zaray from Finland, is a versatile dance artist focusing in Oriental Dance, MENAT folklore and fusion for over 20 years. She is the leader of Zaray Dancers & Jawahir dance teams, member of Enkidu dance company, trainer at prestigious CATT teacher training program and performer at several Bellydance Evolution productions. She has also performed twice in Egypt, Library of Alexandria together with the Reda Troupe at Mahmoud Reda shows both as a soloist and as a group member.
Laura has gathered her knowledge throughout the years, participating in international productions both as a performer and a director. In this project she welcomes everyone who is interested to focus & improve, in a friendly and supportive environment taking their artistry to the next level!
Annah Raqs from Sweden has been studying, performing & teaching Egyptian-style Raqs Sharqi & folklore for over 25 years. She’s known for her juicy hipwork & flowing movements, her musicality, and her vibrant stage presence. She often gets feedback from students about her deep knowledge of the dance, and her ability to guide each dancer to find the movements in their own body.
Her main focus as dancer & teacher is to convey & promote the dance as it is performed in it’s ”home” settings, both as a social dance and professional entertainment. Improvisation, musical understanding, and awareness of culture & traditions are core components of every class she teaches. Annah runs Fireflow Dance Studio & Basar based in southern Sweden, and gives classes both in studio & online. She offers private coaching to dancers & teachers and gives workshops by request on festivals & events. She is also the founder and artistic leader of Fireflow’s show group AlFayruz, with members from both Sweden & Denmark.
Annah is an active and well-known supporter of the dance community in the region. Most recently she is one of the founders of Raqesnii Schwai, a non-profit dance network in the Skåne/Öresund area arranging haflas & other events.
Noura from Denmark is a well-known dancer and teacher in Denmark – a dancer with her own style and a love for live music and improvisation. She has taught students in oriental dance and percussion for over 15 years. She loves the variation which the oriental dance offers and believes she will never stop learning new things about the dance.
We have had the honour of enjoying Noura on the Danish Open Bellydance gala show stage many times both as a soloist, in duets and with troupes. In the last couple of years we have been able to enjoy her so called Project X with dancers from all over Denmark in our Taste of the Orient show.
This year, she will give a workshop at the festival and experience a new project with dancers from all over. Together with Merrild, Noura has been organizing Danish Open Bellydance festival since 2012.
Marie Møller Jensen from Denmark is a well-known dancer and dance instructor in Denmark and a familiar face at Danish Open Bellydance. She has won our Soloist competition category several times and has also entertained us as our Gala Show hostess on Friday nights for the past couple of years. She won the live music competition at Camp Negum in Cairo, Egypt (dancing to the wonderful Fer’et Negum band lead by Safaa Farid) in 2019 and is known for her authentic Egyptian expression, soulful style and skillful musical interpretation.
Marie loves to soak up Egyptian culture, language and -not least- dance inspiration in Cairo. Her interest in the diverse socio-historical and cultural aspects of the dance, the Cairo bellydance scene and Egyptian music inspires her teaching in which she emphasizes these aspects in addition to thorough instruction in the physical movement patterns of the dance.
Dud Muurmand from Denmark is one of the Danish dance pioneers within theatrical fusion style! She has been teaching and performing professionally since 1995 – working artistically with many different styles of both traditional oriental dances as well as fusion: Skirt Fusion, American Tribal Style®, Tribal Fusion, Burlesque/Cabaret fusion and Theatrical dance.
Before dance, there was theater and drama – from a young age, Dud’s interest in the theater lead her through acting classes, theatre schools and cabaret productions. This interest has followed into her dance and have formed her artistic expression significantly.
She presents dances with both visual effects, strong emotional interpretations and very often with a tale from the shadow side of life – and inspired by the old burlesque theater style, ever so often also with a twisted humor and a dark smile.
Dud teaches regularly in Copenhagen, gives workshops both in Denmark and internationally as well as offering her own extensive program of online classes on Patreon.
Headmisstress Ann from Denmark is….
Danish Open Bellydance 