Gathering for Belly Dance Fun and Education

Sausan began her trajectory into the world of dance at the precocious age of three. She embraced her talent to dance and ear for music while in Spain where her family moved to from California. She began her training in Spanish Flamenco and for the next two years in Alegrías and Sevillanas, as well as the castañelas (castanets).

In 1959, at age four and a half, Sausan’s family left for Bangkok, Thailand where she attended school through the ninth grade. During that time, she discovered Thai Classical dance and for the next nine years studied the native dance and its culture, performing in ceremonial and national events, including her Majesty the Queen’s birthday. At age 14, Sausan moved back to the United States where in her last two years of high school ventured into Scottish dance adding to her resume of performing arts.

In 1972, after graduating from high school, Sausan again followed her love for dance and began her studies in belly dance at Jodette’s Belly Dance School located in Sacramento, California. Up until this point she continued to dedicate herself to expanding her knowledge and understanding of other forms of dance and music, but upon discovering raqs sharki (belly dance), she realized that she finally arrived home. She devoted herself full time to her studies with Jodette for five years, and in 1977 she moved to San Francisco to seek out further training and performance opportunities.

While working towards mastering the belly dance, Sausan again stepped into the demanding world of dance and in 1980 she got her first show at the Bagdad on Broadway in San Francisco. In addition to Bagdad, she also was seen to perform at the Greek Taverna on Columbus Street, the Marrakesch on O’Farrell Street, El Mansour on Clement Street, the Athena Taverna in Oakland, and the Casablanca in South San Francisco.

In 1984, she began dancing at The Grapeleaf, a Middle Eastern restaurant, located in the outer Richmond District of San Francisco, and in 1986 joined forces in matrimony and as business partners devoting full time to the restaurant and the dance. During this time Sausan began her journey into the Middle Eastern culture embracing its cuisine and language, starting the first Middle Eastern packaged prepared food line under the label name of Culinary Clyde’s, which would flourish for the next ten years in over 100 natural and health food stores in Northern California.

From 1986 on, while continuing to master the dance, Sausan devoted herself to establishing belly dance in San Francisco. She sponsored numerous belly dance workshops with well-known belly dance instructors, produced several named belly dance functions, catered numerous events, and published and distributed a belly dance quarterly as well as an annual belly dance guide, both of which were distributed to over 2,000 Bay Area belly dance residents and over 25,000 belly dance residents worldwide.

Sausan also expanded her mission globally. She traveled throughout the world, dancing in more countries than any other belly dancer in history (including the North and South Pole).

In early 1999, Sausan acquired the Grapeleaf and joined forces with Dr. Hatem El Sayed. After almost a year of renovation, Sausan and Hatem opened Al-Masri (The Egyptian) in December 17, 1999, which makes Sausan the only belly dancer to own an Egyptian restaurant. Numerous distinguished and honored guests attended this event, including Her Excellency, Hagar Islambouly, the Consule General of Egypt. Within the first six months, Al-Masri was written up in numerous well-known magazines, periodicals, and featured on radio and television programs. Al-Masri, in its fourth year, is the most reviewed restaurant in Northern California.

In October 2002, at the request of the San Francisco Fine Arts Museums, Al-Masri hosted the Eternal Egypt exhibit at the San Francisco Legion of Honor. On a publicized evening during the exhibit, Dr. Hatem el Sayed lectured about the cuisine of Egypt, Sausan Academy’s lead dancer performed an Egyptian style belly dance, and Sausan demonstrated her skills as the most accomplished Egyptian chef in Northern America.

After studying, dancing, and performing all over the world for 28 years, in 2000, Sausan once again took step into the demanding world of dance, but not as a student, as an instructor. She began coaching private students in Egyptian dance technique using the Egyptian film industry’s famous dancers of the early Twentieth Century as the backbone of her curriculum. Since that year, Sausan’s students including Samar, Amany, Amal, Noora, Nahar, Magda, and Gabriela have gone on to perform professionally at Al-Masri, representing the high standards of Sausan Academy of Egyptian Dance.

In 2003, Sausan officially opened The Sausan Academy of Egyptian Dance.

Watch my performances, instruction, and other videos on:
http://uk.youtube.com/user/sausanacademy

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