Keti Sharif is an Australian dance teacher, performer, and choreographer who lived in Egypt for two decades, directing the Sphinx Festivals and collaborating with legends Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy. Creator of the A-Z Bellydance methodology—taught to over 6,000 students in 40 countries—Keti combines live Egyptian music, cultural dance traditions, and somatic movement to deepen musicality, artistry, and wellbeing. Her vision of belly dance as both a healing path and a communal art has shaped her global teaching, performances with international artists, and her role in preserving Farida Fahmy’s legacy through publications and archives. Today, she continues to teach, write, and inspire dancers worldwide through her studio, online academy, and cultural projects.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Connections between Chinese medicine and Zar rituals.

• The concept of “movement connectivity” and how body halves, upper-lower, and spinal movements influence creativity and decision-making.

• The contrast between authentic Egyptian embodiment and Westernized, fast-paced choreographies.

• Keti’s unique experience training with Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy, and their complementary teaching styles.

• Farida Fahmy’s writing legacy, the preservation of Reda troupe history, and the emotional journey of documenting her life.

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Payal Gupta is one of India’s most sought-after master teachers of belly dance, celebrated for her structured classes, private lessons, workshops, performances, and intensives. Since 2008, she has trained over 10,000 students from all walks of life, earning recognition as a leading figure in the field. Coming from a culturally rich background where the performing arts hold deep value, Payal has been passionate about dance since the age of seven, exploring a wide range of styles before finding her true calling in belly dance. An Electrical Engineering graduate and lifelong dance enthusiast, she eventually chose to leave her corporate path to pursue dance as a career, sharing her love for belly dance with students across India and beyond.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Overcoming shyness and stage fright, and later guiding her own students through performance anxiety.

• The role geography played in Payal’s early success as one of the leading local teachers in her area.

• The difficulty of leaving behind her 15-year dance “empire” in Bangalore and starting over in Mumbai.

• Lessons that motherhood taught Payal, and the concept of nurturing students instead of just teaching them.

• Comparing dance life and opportunities in Mumbai and Bangalore.

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Rachel Brice is an internationally renowned dancer, teacher, and choreographer recognized as one of the key figures in the evolution of tribal fusion belly dance. A former member of the Bellydance Superstars and artistic director of The Indigo Belly Dance Company, she blends decades of experience in American cabaret, FatChanceBellyDance Style, and world dance traditions with her own distinctive artistry. Based in Portland, Oregon, she founded Studio Datura, created the 8 Elements of Belly Dance training, and continues to share her work worldwide through Datura Online and international tours.

In this episode you will learn about:

• Rachel’s first spark for belly dance and the role of goth culture and live music in eventually shaping her unique dance style.

• The downside of early success: why it can make you afraid to risk and try new ideas.

• Behind-the-scenes lessons from her Bellydance Superstars experience on leadership, rehearsal discipline, and handling pressure on tour.

• Why she believes “do what you love and you’ll never work a day” is a myth — and what actually happens instead.

• Rachel’s plan to partially retire in 2029 so she can return to more play, creativity, and collaboration.

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