All About Taaj

Taaj is a professional belly dance teacher and performer in the Charlottesville/ Richmond area of Virginia who burst on to the professional belly dance scene in 1996. After only one year of study, she started the international trade publication Zaghareet! with Avanha, was sponsoring workshops, vending, performing professionally, AND teaching. Taaj's absolute love of Middle Eastern dance made her want to experience all aspects of it and belly dance became her whole life.

Shortly thereafter, Taaj became the director of World Tribe, a troupe that performed in all the major festivals in the Hampton Roads area. This group performed a blend of cabaret, tribal, and folkloric styles.

Taaj made her first trip to Egypt in 1998. She returned in 1999 to co-host her first tour. The following year, she performed for the grand opening of the Oberoi Sahl Hasheesh in Hurghada. She has returned many times since then and has shared the wonders of Egypt with many touring dancers.

Taaj is the recipient of Tonya and Atlantis' Golden Lantern Award (1999), the Oasis of Color award (2006), and she's been acknowledged in Madison's Who's Who (2007). Taaj has produced 16 award winning students between 2002 and 2006. They won 37 trophies in 5 competitions. She took a break when she relocated, but hopes to add more award winning students to her resume soon.

Taaj has appeared on the WTKR morning show, and WNIS and WNOR morning radio shows. She was a guest on the "Rendez-vous with Lorraine" radio show as well. She has also been featured in print in Dimensions and  The Virginian-Pilot. She made a blitz of media appearances during the time period when the city of Norfolk instituted restrictions on belly dancing in restaurants in 2005. Due in large part to Taaj's outspokenness on the topic, the ACLU championed the belly dancers' cause and many of the restrictions have since been removed.

Taaj has been published in all the major dance magazines including Jareeda, The Chronicles, Gilded Serpent, Zaghareet!, The Belly Dancer Magazine, Raks Sharki, and WAMEDA.

Taaj has produced an instructional belly dance DVD for beginners. She is available to teach workshops near you. Contact us to set something up soon.