Tehira

"The single identity of the troupe is almost like a soul because there is so much packed into it; all the history, emotions, and personalities of the dancers."

Tehira began her dance life as a student of classical ballet in Philadelphia. In 1985, she moved to New England, trading in point shoes for a pair of red high heels that led her into the exciting world of Latin dance and the Latin club scene.

After winning the New England Rumba Competition in 1992 and a brief stint teaching tango, she took a hiatus from competitive dance to complete an M.F.A. in poetry and raise her daughter.

She never abandoned her love for dance, and was delighted to discover a thriving Middle Eastern dance community composed of beautiful, strong women like her teachers Rose Champagne and Shifa. Tehira's love for belly dance is closely related to her love of poetry; both unleash the mystical power of the soul through close attention to form.

She is now happy to dance in bare feet--on stage with her troupe sisters and around the house that she shares with two border collies.

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