In the Press:
* Samira featured in Belly Dance Japan!
More info soon
* Samira's photo is in the special Home Addition
(Montgomery) of the
April 27th Washington Post! She is featured in the May 2006 issue of Washingtonian
magazine. She is mentioned is a restaurant review in the Gazette. All of these were
for Taste Of Morocco, Silver Spring, which is featured again in Washingtonian
Magazine June 2007 as one of Washington's best restaurant deals!
* GE's Picture of Health Event featured two photos of Samira in Times Square, NYC.
* Zaghareet Magazine published a three part article by Samira entitled "How To
Negotiate a Gig".
* Sarah Skinner's article on doing a photo shoot in DC featured several area
performers, including Samira. It is online at Hip Circle Magazine.
* Shahrzad's The Belly Dance Store features some costumes modeled by Samira
* Samira featured in Belly Dance Japan!
More info soon
* Samira's photo is in the special Home Addition
(Montgomery) of the
April 27th Washington Post! She is featured in the May 2006 issue of Washingtonian
magazine. She is mentioned is a restaurant review in the Gazette. All of these were
for Taste Of Morocco, Silver Spring, which is featured again in Washingtonian
Magazine June 2007 as one of Washington's best restaurant deals!
* GE's Picture of Health Event featured two photos of Samira in Times Square, NYC.
* Zaghareet Magazine published a three part article by Samira entitled "How To
Negotiate a Gig".
* Sarah Skinner's article on doing a photo shoot in DC featured several area
performers, including Samira. It is online at Hip Circle Magazine.
* Shahrzad's The Belly Dance Store features some costumes modeled by Samira
Press and Reviews
Reviews and testamonials:
From Urvashi, fellow performer in the DC Metro area:
"...and closing the show was: Samira. Double WOW... she is just an absolute treat to watch. Her skills are
maddening, her zilling is perfection, and her personality and audience interaction is astonishing. I absolutely
adore her." (April 2008)
By fellow professional dancer and belly dance author Gia al Qamar:
If you ever want to see an impossibly beautiful, impeccably trained performer dance with incredible grace and
style...you need look no further than the glowing smile and Renaissance ringlets of Samira Shuruk. (November
2007)
Review of class and performance for the FF Fraternity, a nationwide Chinese-American
brotherhood. Event 12/31/04
Written by Edward Wan
As promised, a beautiful belly dance performer named Samira promptly showed up at 9pm. Thanks to Bro. Tak
Lee, Samira was not only extremely attractive but also very articulate. She came across as a true artist with
female charm. She first presented the history and origin of various customs of belly dancing. As Bro. George
Yang commented, she has the movement to captivate the audience, the elegance to bring a smile, and
certainly enough belly dancing steps to take a life time to learn.
Samira then invited a group of volunteers to teach them various forms of belly dancing such as shimmying,
veiling, and sensual body movements. Bro. Langley Tuey, his 10-year-old daughter, and Sis. Cindy Hu won the
most applause as the best performers. After one hour of lesson, Samira finally showed her exquisite dancing
skill and body movements. At her performance, we all learned to cheer her with a special applause by putting
your tongue out and yelling your lungs out! (zaghareet) It was a great experience for all and worth every minute
of our time. Believe me, it felt more like watching an artistic performance at The Kennedy Center than a special
private evening of entertainment.
Testimonial by Brandon F Johnson, bellydance aficionado whose Washington, DC based website,
Brandon's Oasis is a bellydance resource chock-full of observations, links, interviews and pictures.
Samira is a talent encased in a compact physical frame that has the ability to explode into a fun, artistic
expression of performance art that is welcomed in the bellydance community, and will be a staple for names to
know in live performing for many years to come in the DC area.
Possessing an alluring array of isolation movements, stomach work and tranquil vibrancy in her footwork, she
also adds numerous dance styles in her resume that makes her multi-faceted.
Her expressive style of dance is only as complimented when talking to her about it, as she has a wonderful
grasp on all concepts, past and modern, from basic to the inventive foundations of bellydancing.
The only thing stronger than her dedication to the art form are her abdominals, which has hypnotic capabilities
and could slow down time if she wanted to. She's that good.
It won't be long when she's known on a national and international level, and the DC area is lucky to have her
here!
The World Bank Group Family Network. Excerpt from letter of thanks for performance at the Mosaic
of Dance, April 22, 2005. Money raised for this event goes towards scholarships for women from developing
countries studying in the U.S. and Canada who plan on returning to their home countries to help their own
people.
Samira, your performance was breathtaking, sensuous and skilled. Your smile, costume and varied
performance with cymbals, not to mention the sword balancing simultaneously with shimmying was
phenomenal. The audience was mesmerized by your talent and obvious love of dance with controlled
movement, which was apparent to all present. You are in inspiration to all who appreciate the art.
A Caller to Belly Dance Instruction with Samira Shuruk on Rang-a-Rang TV. 6/29/05
I just want to thank you *so* much for making our evening beautiful. My family was watching you. We are
Syrian Americans. My kids are getting introduced to the Arabic dancing through you, now. And they're trying
to have fun with you and in the future thank you for your efforts.
Review from Suha Deeb of Lebanon:
"One of the dancers I enjoyed watching most in the US was Samira Shuruk. I'd always said I didn't like fusion
until I had the pleasure of watching her perform, both in Spring and this past Fall. Most dancers use the title
'fusion' as a cop-out - you get two half-arsed dance forms slapped together with no understanding whatsoever.
But this is absolutely not the case with Samira Shuruk. That she has worked hard to hone her skills is obvious;
her coordination and beautiful and confident stage presence make her utterly delightful to watch. That is what
a lot of aspiring dancers don't realize - that people always respect skill and talent, and no audience is under
the obligation to humour their desire to be performers. That title has to be earned, through the gaining of
knowledge, understanding of technique, and hard work, and more hard work. I got to see quite a few dancers
on my last trip to the US, and it was a treat to see her and Mark Balahadia perform. As a spectator, it was a
pleasure; and it was greatly satisfying to see that kind of discipline and grace on stage."
Mini quotes:
"That was the most kinesthetically exciting moment of my life." Starlight Shimmy, March, 2005
"Most American's dance with just technique, but You really FEEL the music." At an Egyptian private party June
2005
"You dance like you're Arabic." Persian caller to Rang-a-Rang TV
"Oh my God, you gave me goosebumps! That was amazing!" Samantha - Tribal Revolution 2007
"I've been watching belly dance for over 30 years. You are truly amazing, a world class performer." Tom, Taste
of Morocco, 2007
From Urvashi, fellow performer in the DC Metro area:
"...and closing the show was: Samira. Double WOW... she is just an absolute treat to watch. Her skills are
maddening, her zilling is perfection, and her personality and audience interaction is astonishing. I absolutely
adore her." (April 2008)
By fellow professional dancer and belly dance author Gia al Qamar:
If you ever want to see an impossibly beautiful, impeccably trained performer dance with incredible grace and
style...you need look no further than the glowing smile and Renaissance ringlets of Samira Shuruk. (November
2007)
Review of class and performance for the FF Fraternity, a nationwide Chinese-American
brotherhood. Event 12/31/04
Written by Edward Wan
As promised, a beautiful belly dance performer named Samira promptly showed up at 9pm. Thanks to Bro. Tak
Lee, Samira was not only extremely attractive but also very articulate. She came across as a true artist with
female charm. She first presented the history and origin of various customs of belly dancing. As Bro. George
Yang commented, she has the movement to captivate the audience, the elegance to bring a smile, and
certainly enough belly dancing steps to take a life time to learn.
Samira then invited a group of volunteers to teach them various forms of belly dancing such as shimmying,
veiling, and sensual body movements. Bro. Langley Tuey, his 10-year-old daughter, and Sis. Cindy Hu won the
most applause as the best performers. After one hour of lesson, Samira finally showed her exquisite dancing
skill and body movements. At her performance, we all learned to cheer her with a special applause by putting
your tongue out and yelling your lungs out! (zaghareet) It was a great experience for all and worth every minute
of our time. Believe me, it felt more like watching an artistic performance at The Kennedy Center than a special
private evening of entertainment.
Testimonial by Brandon F Johnson, bellydance aficionado whose Washington, DC based website,
Brandon's Oasis is a bellydance resource chock-full of observations, links, interviews and pictures.
Samira is a talent encased in a compact physical frame that has the ability to explode into a fun, artistic
expression of performance art that is welcomed in the bellydance community, and will be a staple for names to
know in live performing for many years to come in the DC area.
Possessing an alluring array of isolation movements, stomach work and tranquil vibrancy in her footwork, she
also adds numerous dance styles in her resume that makes her multi-faceted.
Her expressive style of dance is only as complimented when talking to her about it, as she has a wonderful
grasp on all concepts, past and modern, from basic to the inventive foundations of bellydancing.
The only thing stronger than her dedication to the art form are her abdominals, which has hypnotic capabilities
and could slow down time if she wanted to. She's that good.
It won't be long when she's known on a national and international level, and the DC area is lucky to have her
here!
The World Bank Group Family Network. Excerpt from letter of thanks for performance at the Mosaic
of Dance, April 22, 2005. Money raised for this event goes towards scholarships for women from developing
countries studying in the U.S. and Canada who plan on returning to their home countries to help their own
people.
Samira, your performance was breathtaking, sensuous and skilled. Your smile, costume and varied
performance with cymbals, not to mention the sword balancing simultaneously with shimmying was
phenomenal. The audience was mesmerized by your talent and obvious love of dance with controlled
movement, which was apparent to all present. You are in inspiration to all who appreciate the art.
A Caller to Belly Dance Instruction with Samira Shuruk on Rang-a-Rang TV. 6/29/05
I just want to thank you *so* much for making our evening beautiful. My family was watching you. We are
Syrian Americans. My kids are getting introduced to the Arabic dancing through you, now. And they're trying
to have fun with you and in the future thank you for your efforts.
Review from Suha Deeb of Lebanon:
"One of the dancers I enjoyed watching most in the US was Samira Shuruk. I'd always said I didn't like fusion
until I had the pleasure of watching her perform, both in Spring and this past Fall. Most dancers use the title
'fusion' as a cop-out - you get two half-arsed dance forms slapped together with no understanding whatsoever.
But this is absolutely not the case with Samira Shuruk. That she has worked hard to hone her skills is obvious;
her coordination and beautiful and confident stage presence make her utterly delightful to watch. That is what
a lot of aspiring dancers don't realize - that people always respect skill and talent, and no audience is under
the obligation to humour their desire to be performers. That title has to be earned, through the gaining of
knowledge, understanding of technique, and hard work, and more hard work. I got to see quite a few dancers
on my last trip to the US, and it was a treat to see her and Mark Balahadia perform. As a spectator, it was a
pleasure; and it was greatly satisfying to see that kind of discipline and grace on stage."
Mini quotes:
"That was the most kinesthetically exciting moment of my life." Starlight Shimmy, March, 2005
"Most American's dance with just technique, but You really FEEL the music." At an Egyptian private party June
2005
"You dance like you're Arabic." Persian caller to Rang-a-Rang TV
"Oh my God, you gave me goosebumps! That was amazing!" Samantha - Tribal Revolution 2007
"I've been watching belly dance for over 30 years. You are truly amazing, a world class performer." Tom, Taste
of Morocco, 2007
Samira Shuruk at the Pegasus Lounge, DC
from
photographer
and graphic
designer
Tara
Ludwikowski
(student project)
photographer
and graphic
designer
Tara
Ludwikowski
(student project)