About Taaj

About Taaj

Taaj started belly dancing in Virginia in 1996 and started teaching and performing professionally a year later. During that time, her troupe performed at every major festival in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.

Taaj began going to Egypt in 1998 and started facilitating sacred travel and belly dance tours the next year. On her first tour, she was invited to dance aboard the Oberoi Sheherezade. That led to a formal audition the following year and a contract offer in 1999 and Taaj performing at the grand opening of the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurghada.

Another highlight of Taaj’s career was opening for world famous Egyptian pop singer, Hakim, in Washington D.C. in 2004.

Taaj has a burning need to learn and share. During her career, she has been to countless workshops with every major instructor and many unknowns learning about folklore, history, culture, props and various dance styles. She began teaching workshops around the USA in 1999 and has sponsored over 30 events including the East Coast Classic Belly Dance Competition.

Taaj’s focus shifted to teaching around 2000. She dedicated herself full time to developing her students as soloists and they started competing. From 2002 to 2007, her students won 46 trophies from competitions in 4 states. In 2007, Taaj took the knowledge gained from coaching those students and turned it into the Belly Dance Trainer Certification Program so that she could share her award-winning techniques with other dancers and teachers.

Although she no longer teaches weekly classes and considers herself “retired” from performing, she continues to coach both dancers and instructors to help them reach their personal and professional goals.

See what others say about Taaj’s teaching, performing, tours, and products here.