Jackie Barzvi is a raqs sharqi (belly dance) instructor and performer originally from Queens, NY, now based in North Carolina. She has been dancing all her life and focuses on folkloric dances from Egypt, North Africa, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. She recently created the first ever Mizrahi Dance Archive to highlight specific Jewish dances from MENA regions. She has been teaching Middle Eastern dance since 2011 and is passionate about creating environments where people can dance, connect, and build community. 

The Mizrahi Dance Archive's mission is to collect and organize the information we have of specific Jewish dances from MENA regions and to also bring these dances to life in fun and relevant ways to share with communities all over the world. The Mizrahi Dance Archive is an educational tool to showcase the diversity of the Jewish people and the deep connections between art, dance, and Judaism.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Following your heart and passion to dance

- Belly dance activities in Israel

- Jewish music for dancing

- Understanding the differences between Mizrahi and Sephardic communities 

- The influence of Jewish culture on dances in Morocco, Jemen, Tunisia, Uzbekistan and Egypt

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Jackie Barzvi on FB, Instagram, and website. Also, visit the Mizrahi Dance Archive at www.mizrahidancearchive.com.

Mizrahi music mentioned in the podcast:

Sarit Hadad

Dudu Tassa & The Kuwaitis

Yemen Blues

Lala Tamar

DANCE CHALLENGE with Iana: www.ianadanceclub.com/challenge

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club. New YouTube show “Artist Date” is available HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast