About Anjela

Anjela is an enchanting performer of Egyptian dance arts that has been charming local and national audiences with her playful engagement and stellar smile since 2009. Based in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, she is known for her confident and sassy stage presence, precise hip work, smooth lyrical style, and for the infectious joy she brings to stage and screen.

Anjela’s professionalism, reliability, and enthusiasm for contributing to the success of events have made her a sought-after guest artist and ensemble performer. She delights the restaurant scene as a featured entertainer, and has been a full member in two dance companies: The Blue Lotus Middle Eastern Dancers and Al-Bahira Middle Eastern Dance Theater.

Anjela’s fervent drive for continuous study has her continually seeking out mentors and teachers, especially of SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) origin, to grow and improve in this beautiful dance and be a respectful participant in this cultural art. Her influences include Twin Cities luminaries Cassandra Shore and Margo Abdo O’Dell, long-time teacher and troupe director Julianna, and NYC-based performer and former Julliard instructor Joe Williams, a student of NYC dance legend Morocco. Anjela credits the work and coaching of Alia Thabit as informing her commitment to presenting Arab dance in a way that remains true to the cultural context of the art.

Anjela’s has extensive and varied performing experience. She won both the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice awards in the international competition "The Elements Belly Dance Project" ran by Ashley of Belly Dance Norway. She was cast as the Wicked Witch in a full-length dance play of The Wizard of Oz, which sold out locally and was relaunched for the Minnesota Fringe Festival. She has collaborated with troupemates to perform at cultural events for The Egyptian American Society in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and Arab World Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For more than a decade, she has produced an annual presentation of bellydance for the mainstage of MarsCon, a long-running science fiction convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

As a modern Egyptian style dancer, Anjela aims to connect with people, help them forget their troubles, and make them feel special. It is her great honor to create happy memories for her audiences and to share the tremendous beauty of the dance and music from Egypt, the Levant, and Turkey. She hopes that in watching her dance, viewers are reminded that all around the world, we are connected by our common experiences of love, longing, hope, and happiness; and that there is joy and pleasure in allowing yourself to be physically and emotionally moved by music.

  • bellydancer wearing a rhinestoned purple dress dances with silk fan veils

  • bellydancer in light pink 2-piece costume dances in front of a green background

  • bellydancer in a purple and blue costume twirls with a bright pink veil in front of a large outdoor statue

  • bellydancer in a pink 2-piece costume twirls onstage

  • bellydancer in a maroon coin costume laughs and smiles

  • bellydancer in a green costume dances with a nay and oud player in the background onstage

  • bellydancer with long brown hair is photographed mid-hair flip

  • bellydancer in a coral-colored costume poses, smiling, in a flower garden

Why Hire Anjela?

I’m Experienced. I’ve been dancing professionally since 2009, and I’ve performed at all kinds of events: cultural festivals, private parties, corporate events, restaurant entertainment, Fringe Festivals, conventions, and more. I’ve performed on stages large and small, in back yards, in pole barns, in online shows, and more.

I’m Professional. I require a contract to reserve my time and protect your investment. I take your professional reputation seriously. I look up song translations to avoid unpleasant surprises. I’m sought after among my fellow dancers for tips on stage makeup and costuming. I put rhinestones on EVERYTHING. I have an extensive collection of professional costumes from the finest ateliers in Cairo and Istanbul. If your event has a color scheme, odds are excellent that I can match it! Need a look that’s more conservative? I have many dresses, and costumes suitable for some regional styles of dance.

It’s All About YOU! My job is to make your guests feel special, and to shine a spotlight on you and/or your special guest(s) and make you look good. One of the magical things about Arab dances is that they consider the energy exchange between the performer and the audience to be essential to the performance. I perform with that in mind!

What You See Is What You Get. There are some bellydancers whose websites only feature pictures that are 5–10 or even more years old! You don’t want to get catfished by your entertainer. Most of the photos on my site are from the past 5 years. If I have purple hair in the photo, it was taken no more than 3 years ago. (And yes, I have purple hair now.) Want to see my recent dancing? Visit my YouTube channel!

I Carry Performer Insurance. This helps protect you and your venue. Before you book a bellydancer, ask them if they carry this special kind of insurance.

I’m Larger Than Life! In certain venues, if the stage area is on the same level as the guests, it can be hard for the people in the back to see the intricate and exciting hip work that this dance is celebrated for. Standing 5’9” (and taller in heels), I know those extra inches of height can make the difference between your guests getting to see all the action and just seeing a head and shoulders gliding above the crowd.

Hablo Español. Aunque no lo hablo perfectamente, puedo conversar bastante bien! Tengo una colección de música árabe que está influenciada por el idioma y la música española.