My mom, aunties, grandmother, and great-grandmother grew up dancing to Taarab music, which was influenced by a number of different regions, including the African Great Lakes, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, and North Africa, much like our style of belly dance. You can learn more about our music tradition in this video. We grew up dancing in rooms without men, so you'll find that most of my in-person events honor that tradition. Our cultural practice is about connecting with your body, building strength, letting go of stress, and dancing in community. It's not about performance, and it's not usually taught in a classroom setting with a teacher. It's passed down from generation to generation, and it's made for every body because everybody in the room is meant to join in. You can learn more about our style, "kucheza kiuno" meaning "waist dance", in this video. I share more about our style of dance and its origins in my Belly Dance Basics online program, which you can join at this link.

Our style of belly dance is made for every body because it's a community-based practice, so everyone who wants to participate does. There are no strict rules—everyone accommodates their own body's needs and we all learn from each other. I try to show it from different positions (standing, sitting, and lying down) in my online programs, and you're welcome to try it from whatever position works best for you! If you're worried about cultural appropriation, I recommend trying your best to promote and support dancers/teachers who are sharing from their own traditions. You can learn a little more about my perspective on cultural appropriation in this video, which I'm sure will continue to evolve. And if you want to go a little deeper, check this video out for my perspective on the danger of using "cultural appropriation" to shame Black women in belly dance. While my in-person events are usually hijabi-friendly (without men), my online programs are open to anyone who wants to learn. You can explore my online offerings at this link.

My mom is from Tanzania, East Africa, and my dad is Scottish-American. Like many communities in East Africa, my mom's ethnicity is complex. While we don't have all the answers, you can find more details about our background in this video. I share a more in-depth explanation of my ethnicity and our belly dance tradition in my Belly Dance Basics online program, which you can explore at this link.

Because my mom was born and raised in the port city of Dar es Salaam, our clothing is as multi-ethnic as we are. I wear a variety of different dress styles. On any given day, you can find me in a casual dera (see video), a fancy abaya (see video), a pocketed kitenge dress (see video), or a traditional baloch-style dress (see video). The scar we often tie around our hips is called a kanga in Tanzania or a leso in Kenya (see video for how to tie one). You can also just use any long scarf—we often use hijabs. It's difficult to find the same clothing that I get from Tanzanian family members in the United States, but I highly recommend checking Etsy and buying from individual East African sellers. I often sell dresses at my in-person events, which you can explore at this link.