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Wings of Isis

About Afra

" . . . a dancer unafraid to take risks in the pursuit of excellence"

International teacher and performer Afra al Kahira has been an oriental dancer for more than 25 years and is one of the longest established teachers in the UK. She is recognised for her excellence in teaching and her exciting and often very different performance styles, which range from traditional Egyptian right through to her cutting edge experimental work. Afra introduced Wings of Isis to the UK and is famous for her stunning double wing numbers. Afra's double sword and sagat numbers are also popular with dancers and non-dancers alike.

"Dance for me is a lifelong  passion, a kind of vocation,
 it is an essential  part of who I am."
  © Afra Al-Kahira

Afra has been a dancer all her life. She started dancing aged 3 with ballet classes and has studied and performed Ballroom and Latin American to professional level (including teaching). In her late teens Afra caught the aerobics bug and qualified to teach it. She also began to experiment with other dance styles and has taken classes in jazz and flamenco for many years. Her real passion though is Middle Eastern Dance, both the classic Egyptian Oriental and folkloric styles, and her own exciting blend of drama, props and story telling, best described as Middle Eastern inspired experimental dance. Afra is also a member of Equity and has appeared as an actress in TV commercials and as an extra in numerous films. Afra is a qualified and experienced adult educator with over 20 years experience as an instructor. Afra has taught and performed internationally in several countries (her latest trips include being a guest teacher at Morocco of New York's weeklong seminars in Summer 2007 & Winter 2008)..

During her career Afra has performed in top restaurants, clubs, at major corporate events, theatrical productions, for major politicians, celebrities, and even for members of the Royal Family. She has appeared on stage with the likes of Morocco of New York, Vashti of London, Hossam & Serena Ramzy and Yasmina of Cairo. She is regularly invited to teach and perform at many UK events. You can read her current schedule here.

Afra has produced, directed and choreographed several shows including ' Nile Dance'. An innovative presentation of the history of Near Eastern Dance starring Morocco of New York, Vashti of London and the Kol Dance Cooperative.

Other achievements include the show 'Dance of Hope'. A sell-out show starring many of London and the South of England's most talented dancers, with Hossam & Serena Ramzy at the top of the bill. Afra organised this in just 3.5 weeks as a response to the appeal for help after the tsunami in S.E. Asia.

Afra is the UK's leading exponent of the art of dancing with Wings of Isis. She was the first dancer in the UK to perform with them, and she is particularly renowned for using double wings. Other skills include her breathtaking double sword and finger cymbals numbers and a wide variety of exciting props. Afra has won great praise for her performances to Arabic audiences at weddings and other special occasions.

She runs Celebrating Dance - a popular annual dance festival held each Autumn in Devon. The guest stars for 2009 are Morocco of New York and Tarik Sultan. Afra regularly host workshops with visiting overseas teachers. Most recently Morocco, Aziza of Montreal, Sadie of Denver, Yasmina of Cairo, and Dondi Dahlin. She also attends regular workshops to extend her own dance skills. Afra runs her own dance organisation (Al Kahira School of Middle Eastern Dance - ASMED) through which she mentors dancers and dance teachers from across the country. She edits and publishes Britain's oldest oriental dance magazine - Taqasim and writes articles for dance magazines all over the world.

In May 2008 Afra was voted Chairman of Britain's largest Arabic Dance organisation - the Mosaic Arabic Dance Network (MADN) and sees her role as one of helping MADN to fulfil its mission statement to promote Arabic and Arabic derived dance forms both here in the UK and beyond. She is backed by a talented and dedicated committee and everyone gives their time for free in order to help promote and support our dance.

Some of my greatest influences. . .

Teachers I have studied with or taken regular workshops with, who have helped me develop and grow as a dancer. This is not a definitive list of everyone I have ever taken a workshop with, just those with whom I regularly work or have worked with in the past and inspired me the most. (Listed in no particular order of importance)

Amina - My first teacher.

Morocco of New York - an all-round inspiration really, I just love working with her.

Vashti of London - an awesome dancer and wonderfully giving teacher, who has helped me tremendously over the years and is an absolute joy to work with.

Yasmina of Cairo - who is not only an extraordinary dancer, but is also a great teacher and wonderful to work with.

Ayshe of NYC. Arguably the world's foremost expert in the art of dancing with wings of Isis. I take time out to study with Ayshe whenever I visit New York so that I can continue to work on the skills that I have evolved over almost 8 years of dancing with wings.

Joe Williams - whose workshops in Delsarte gesture & movement principles have helped me add a deeper emotional depth to my dancing. Considered the world’s leading authority in Delsarte, he is known internationally for rediscovering the validity of Delsarte for the modern theatre and has opened up a whole new way of helping dancers make their bodies 'sing the music.'

Shareen el Safy - who helped me to redefine my dance style and whose technique did wonders for my back

Raqia Hassan - Gives new meaning to the essentials of modern Egyptian style.

Tina Hobin - who helped me recognise the importance of being both a 'professional' and an 'entertainer'.

Liza Wedgwood - Improved my baladi/shaabi, & gave me the confidence to try new things.

Medhat Fahmy - who helped me work on my spatial awareness when performing in a theatrical setting.

Aida Nour - a wonderful, 'sassy' dancer and extremely giving teacher, who also designs wonderful costumes!

On my trips to Cairo I have also studied with Dr Farida Fahmy and Mahmoud Reda of the Reda Troupe, two of Egypt's finest teachers. When possible I also take workshops with any of the current 'names' to get a feel for what's popular for a season.