Most belly dancers use a special name when they dance. Ideally the name is chosen for its meaning, not just because it sounds pleasant when spoken. It took me a long time to choose a name because I wanted one that fit me then, but which would still allow me to grow and change without outgrowing my name.

Shahina Belly Dance Artistry
Shahina is an Arabic name meaning "falconess." I chose it as an inspiration to keep soaring ever higher and more gracefully. Yet, like a falconess, I am never truly free but always return to my falconer, fledglings, and worldly responsibilities.

Some say that the Sanskrit name Shahina means “gentle, soft and tender.” In Lebanon the Sanskrit meaning of Shahina is taking as "one who watches over."

My poems, particularly Shahina, The Falconer, Forty-Two and Lost In The Elements, explain and define Shahina with a sublime style that the simple text on this page or in my editorial cannot hope to equal.

Troupe Zephyra
Zephyr is the Greek word for the west wind; a warm, gentle wind that brings with it all good things and the hope of a better future. The falconess soars upon these winds.

Zephyra, under the artistic direction of Shahina, is comprised of western dancers, doing our best to honor and unite the ancient Middle Eastern origins of belly dance with the modern day madonna that lives and breathes within all women from all cultures.

Asfoura Maidens
Asfoura is an Arabic word for "fledging," a little bird still under the wing of its mother. Not yet a soaring falconess, members of Asfoura are Shahina's pre-teen maiden dance troupe.

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