Aalim Dance Academy is proud to present Scissortail Raqs with Kenzie! This event will be September 5-7, in Oklahoma City. Get your workshop passes HERE!

Friday, September 5, 7:00 PM - Welcome Show at Aalim Dance Academy, 2520 N. Meridian, Oklahoma City, OK 73107. Tickets TBA.

Saturday, September 6 - Oklahoma Contemporary, 11 NW 11th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73103

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Ebb & Flow (all levels)
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM - Short & Sweet Drum Solo (all levels)
7:00 PM - Scissortail Raqs Gala

Sunday, September 29 - Aalim Dance Academy, 2520 N. Meridian, Oklahoma City, OK 73107
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Focus on the Feet (all levels)
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM - Baladi Bliss (intermediate to advanced level)

Early bird pricing is $55 per class or $180 for all 4 classes. After August 1, pricing will be $65 per class or $225 for all 4 classes. Visit the Class Schedule tab to register.

NO REFUNDS, NO EXCHANGES.

EBB & FLOW - It's not about what you're doing, it's about how you're doing it. In this workshop, we will work on movement intention, movement quality, and seamless transitions through technique work and combinations.​ All levels.

SHORT & SWEET DRUM SOLO - It is always so fun to see how other dancers hear a tabla solo. Learn a short, sweet drum solo choreography perfect for tacking onto the end of a set!

FOCUS ON THE FEET - Our feet are the foundation of everything in dance and in life! Juicy hips, clean footwork, amazing shimmies... our connection to the floor is vital for all of these things and more! In this workshop, we will explore foot strength, pliability, and harnessing power in our dance from the ground up.

BALADI BLISS - Awaken your sense of play and bring the music to life in this baladi progression workshop. Kenzie will lead you through movement exercises, combinations, and structured improvisation to help you build confidence in responding to the music, explore dynamic range, and uncover your own unique baladi voice. Intermediate to Advanced levels.

ABOUT KENZIE - Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Kenzie is a second-generation belly dancer on a lifelong quest for deepening her connection to this art form. Her dance journey began with ballet and modern dance classes as a child, and she would often follow her mother to her belly dance classes, rehearsals, and shows just to watch and support.

As a teen, Kenzie studied ballet and modern under locally-revered instructors Kerry Ring and Lisa Taylor, along with attending summer intensives led by Carolyn Adams (Paul Taylor Dance Company) and Robert Battle (Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre). 

Kenzie's journey into Middle Eastern dance forms began in her early teen years, and by the age of 17 she was performing professionally at Arab weddings, festivals, cultural events, restaurants and hookah lounges in Buffalo alongside her mentor Faaria.

Kenzie earned her BFA in Dance from the State University of New York at Fredonia, where she was the recipient of several talent scholarships and took on leadership roles in Orchesis Dance Company, the Student Dance Organization, and within the dance program itself. 

Since graduating from college, Kenzie has invested heavily in her craft, traveling across the United States and around the world to study with well-respected leaders of her craft. She completed Journey Through Egypt 1 & 2 with Sahra Kent in Chicago in 2018 and went on to travel to Cairo, Luxor and Aswan in April and May 2018 for JTE 3 & 4.

Kenzie's infectious energy for the dance has made her a locally and regionally-renowned dancer and instructor. She has been invited to perform and teach at the Cornell University, University at Buffalo, SUNY Fredonia, Canisius College, and other local schools, and has performed for prestigious local institutions like Artpark, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and the International Institute. 

Kenzie was honored to win 1st place at the East Coast Classic competition in 2017, and took home the silver medal at the Euro Crown Competition in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2016. Kenzie is a Bellydance Evolution alumnus and performed in the world premiere of the company's latest production, "The Jungle Book" in Hanover, Germany.

With the strong belief that we cannot separate the dance from its culture, Kenzie makes time to travel to Egypt and actively collaborates with Arab musicians, artisans, and artists as often as possible. Through her efforts, Kenzie strives to support and uplift the cultures to which this exquisite dance form inherently belongs.