More about the Players:
Georges Lammam
Georges Lammam was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He is a solo violinist exemplifying the Arab style of instrumental improvisation. His repertoire spans a wide range of Arabic music from classical to contemporary. Having performed with some of the most well-known singers and musicians of the Middle East, his reputation as a virtuoso with expertise in maqamat (eastern musical scales, ornimentation, tones and melodic phrasing) precedes him. Georges has toured and is celebrated internationally alongside artists like Eddie and Gabriel Navia, and is passionate activist in humanitarian causes in Greece, Syria, Iraq and Iran. His work has scored and can be heard in multiple documentaries.
Janelle Rodriguez
Janelle has been teaching dance in Santa Cruz for nearly 2 decades. She has owned Desert Dream Dance Studio in Santa Cruz since 2008, and founded the dance company and music ensemble, "Desert Dream Music and Dance Company" in 2002. Passionate about dance study, Janelle received her Salimpour School Teaching 1 certification (formerly Suhaila Salimpour Level 5) in 2020 and is currently working on her Performance 2 (formerly Jamila Salimpour Level 4) certificate. She also teaches barre and pilates. Her thriving studio, Desert Dream Dance, has survived and expanded during the pandemic. For more information about Janelle and her belly dance classes visit www.JanelleDance.com and
Surreyya Hada
An international dancer, singer and instructor, Surreyya Hada teaches belly dance, barre and pilates in Santa Cruz at Desert Dream Dance Studio. Surreyya received her AA and Dance Major and African and Contemporary Dance Certifications through the Izzy (Isadora Duncan) award-winning City College of San Francisco, and her BA in Dance/Kinesiology at Saint Mary's College of Moraga as a LEAP program awardee, where she is completing her MA in Dance. Surreyya teaches and dances throughout the bay area and has performed and taught internationally. She is a Master Trainer in Pilates, and has trained and certified many of the Bay Area's leading pilates instructors and dancers.
Rose Harden
Rose Harden, multi-disciplinary artist, is a San Francisco native and proud member of the vibrant performance community in the Bay Area. Rose draws on her visual arts education(RISD BFA) to craft a unique experience for the audience. She played an integral role in the development of San Francisco's Tribal Fusion Belly Dance style contributing her artistry, chorography, and costuming to Ultra Gypsy, Barbary Coast Shakedown, and Beats Antique. Rose is currently a member of Kami Liddle's Gold Star Dance Co. and co-director of Dangerous Beauties. Along with dancing, Rose is a professional costumer, working with Bay Area bands and events as well as dancers. Her designs have been featured at New York Fashion Week, The Edwardian Ball, Belly Dance Superstars, and on film. Rose is an engaging and empowering teacher of dance, Pilates, and has just received her CYT 200 as she continues her own education. www.rosehipsdancer.com
Sabriye Tekbilek
An international performer and instructor of Middle Eastern dance whose stage presence and technique have been shaped by a lifetime of international performance and study. She is the daughter of renowned Turkish musician, "Haci" Ahmet Tekbilek, and Lisa Djeylan, once an international bellydancer herself. In 2005 Sabriye based herself in the Middle East where she has worked for over ten years with Lebanese agent Toros Siranossian through out the Gulf and North Africa. She also spent one year in Cairo working at the prestigious night club Haroun Al Rashid in the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel along side the legendary Dina. Sabriye has to date danced across the U.S., in Sweden, Norway, England, Turkey, Spain, Greece, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and India.