Inspired by her Armenian-Lebanese roots, Rose embodies the true heart of Middle Eastern belly dance, engaging in the traditional art of improvisation – becoming one with the music in the present moment. Rose’s brilliant smile, grace, and irresistible stage presence mesmerize audiences at restaurants & hookah clubs weekly throughout Chicagoland, as well as at private events – e.g. weddings, birthday parties, & corporate events – across the world. With dance training in Egypt & Lebanon, Rose’s shows may include shamedan (candelabra), cane, finger cymbals, & more, as well as the zaffe (wedding procession); dabke; and Sa’idi, Khaleeji, & Iraqi dances, based on her client’s preferences & vision.
Rose was amazing! She dances beautifully! She interacted with people of all ages and everyone was really impressed with her.
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thanks so much for having me perform at your husband’s birthday party, Liz! You all were such a fun crowd! I especially loved dancing with the little ones — such enthusiastic little dancers! And thanks for all the clear communication leading up to the event, too. This was such a fun party! Thanks so much for the positive review!
Rose was absolutely wonderful. She performed beautifully and really got our wedding reception going! Wonderful and would absolutely recommend!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for asking me to be part of your beautiful wedding, Dalya, and for writing me this lovely review! I loved performing for you, your husband, and your families -- such a fun and engaged crowd! Love Egyptian weddings! Wishing you all the best, and thank you again!
Thank you for the best entertainment! You have impressed everyone at the shower, everyone was amazed at how well you dance. They said they have seen other dancers, but they said they liked your dance. Your movement, your outfit, everything was amazing! Thank you so much! We want you at the wedding to dance again because you are truly amazing!! Thank you, Rose, so much!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Sabrina habibty, thank you so much for having me dance at your daughter’s wedding shower, and for this wonderful review! I had such a fun time performing for you all with your great energy and sense of humor. Thank you for your generosity and clear communication. Looking forward to performing at the wedding later this year! Wishing you all the best til then!
Rose is a true professional. She was well prepared. She kept constant communication with me (her client), she was on time, very attentive and of course her beautiful smile along with her personality. Even though it ended to be a small party she performed like it was a big event. We all had a great time. We'll definitely recommend and hire Rose again. Thanks again, hope to see you in the future.
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for this wonderful review, and for having me perform on your husband’s special day, Teresa! I’m so glad you all enjoyed my show. I had a blast; you all made it such a fun show for me as well! Thanks for all your clear communication and consideration. I really appreciate your kind words, and can’t wait to work with you again in the future!
Rose is a true professional. She communicated with me up to the date of the party making sure all wants and needs were covered. It was a small birthday gathering, but she performed as it was a big event. Her smile, beauty and performance was on queue. I strongly recommend to hire her, I surely will see her again. Thanks again, Rose. (J. Sears)
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for this fantastic review, Mr. and Mrs. Sears! I had such a wonderful time performing for Mr. Sears' birthday -- you were all such a lovely and engaged crowd. And thank you for all the clear communication leading up to the event; so very appreciated! I hope to see you again soon! Thanks again, and keep in touch!
We really liked Rose, she was on time and good communication! Highly recommend!!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for this positive review, and for having me perform at your husband's birthday party, Laima! I had a wonderful time; you were all such an engaged and enthusiastic audience! Thank you for being such a generous & thoughtful host and encouraging everyone to participate! Such a fun show! Wishing you all the best!
Rose was fantastic! She was professional, energetic, and knew exactly how to engage my party! I’m sure I will be hiring her again somewhere in the future! Thanks for everything!! Everyone enjoyed her, and her sweet personality. Couldn’t be happier!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Lonut! So happy you asked me to perform at your joint birthday party! Your friends and family were such a fun crowd! I had a wonderful time performing for all of you and dancing with you too! Happy birthday to you and Peter, and wishing you many more to come! This was one of my most favorite parties yet, so I'd love to dance for you all again! Thanks again!
Rose was a delightful surprise. She was on-time to the event, and was very courteous. She performed for a very small group but gave a big show performance! You could see was confident and focused just by the way she smiled through the show. I strongly recommend Rose whether you have a group of 5, or a large party. Thank you!!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for this great review and for having me be a part of your father's birthday, James! So glad you all enjoyed it! Thank you for all your clear communication and for saving my koufiyeh! You and your family were so sweet; I loved performing for you all. Thank you again!
Rose did an amazing job entertaining my guests. She did a fun, beautiful, classy, interactive show. Everyone absolutely loved it
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for having me be a part of Chris's special day, Ursula! I had such a blast dancing with him and all the guests! So glad you all were willing to jump in on the dance floor with me! :D
I also really appreciate all your clear communication leading up to and during the event. Thanks again for everything! Wishing you all the best!
Very punctual, very artistic and very professional. We enjoyed her show and we would hire her again.
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for the lovely review and for having me be a part of your daughter's special day, Liza! I really appreciate you and your husband's clear communication and thoughtfulness. I had SO MUCH FUN dancing with your daughter and her friends; they really made my night! Would love to perform again for your family and friends! Thanks again for the wonderful evening.
Rose provided the perfect entertainment for my husbands 40th birthday party celebration. She was professional and wonderful even leading up to our event. My husband and our guests have been talking for the last week about how talented and tasteful Rose was and how entertained they were. I would love to have Rose as our entertainment at our next event!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you, Jessica, so much for this lovely review and for having me dance at your husband's birthday party! The two of you and your guests were such a great crowd. I really loved dancing for (and with ;)) you all! Thank you for all the clear communication leading up to the event, as well -- much appreciated. Wishing you all the best, and if you ever need me in the future, don't hesitate to give me a call!
My company booked Rose to perform at our business launch party and she was absolutely fantastic. Extremely professional, very entertaining and engaging. Our guests extremely enjoyed her. Will definitely use Rose again
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for booking me and reviewing my dancing, Nicole! This was such an awesome event with a great crowd! I loved how they got up to dance with me for part of my set; they made it such a fun time! I wish you all great success with the new company! And please don't hesitate to contact me if you need a dancer for a future event! Thanks again!
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much for the positive review, Laura! I'm so glad George and his friends enjoyed my performance! I had a great time; they were such a nice crowd! Thanks again, and congratulations!
We had Rose for my sister in laws wedding. I recommend Rose to anyone who wants an amazing belly dancer. Apart from her beauty, she is very professional and nice. She met everything we asked her for. Rose made the crowd move their hips! Best entertainment for wedding event.
Response from Rose, Middle-Eastern Dancer:
Thank you so much, Seyda, for the lovely review, and thank you to your whole family for having me be a part of the wedding! I had such a wonderful time performing for and dancing with your family -- such a great crowd of beautiful, spirited people! It was such an honor to be a part of your sister-in-law's special day. Congratulations and thank you again!
Super fun energy, thrilling dance performance, gorgeous costumes, totally professional and great connection with audience — getting everybody up on their feet and dancing. A memorable event for all!
Photos from this event
Price Range: $175-$500
Gig Length: 15 - 60 minutes
Languages: English, Spanish
After studying classical ballet, among many other dance forms, since childhood, Rose began
her Middle-Eastern "belly dance" training with the award-winning Sonya of Arabesque Chicago,
Kamrah, and the widely-renowned Middle-Eastern dance artist, Surayah Al-Muddaris.
Rose has trained under Surayah for years, performing her extensive repertoire in troupe Firqit
Surayah both at Chicago’s Alhambra Palace Restaurant (the U.S.’s largest Middle-Eastern
performance venue) twice-weekly and private events throughout the Midwest on a regular basis.
As a lead soloist in Surayah’s legacy troupe, Rose performs her own improvised solos (please
see video of shamedan (candelabra) solo), as well as group choreographies, at Alhambra with
live musicians every Friday and Saturday night.
Rose often teaches and leads classes and troupe rehearsals featuring a wide array of dances
ranging from Sa’idi (Upper Egyptian - صعيدى) cane dance to Lebanese/Palestinian folk dance
(dabke - دبكة), in addition to traditional "belly dance" (Raqs Sharqi - رقص شرقي) techniques.
Collaborating with the Alhambra Palace Dancers and Band, Rose helps create
professional, family-friendly troupe shows that wow Alhambra’s diverse audiences every weekend.
Rose also trains under and performs with the esteemed belly dancer, Angelina of Chicago, the
protégé and daughter of master performer, instructor, and choreographer, Dahlena, who has
performed and taught her unique style to dancers and audiences all over the world for decades.
While in her father’s native Lebanon in 2015, Rose studied Raqs Sharqi under Helena
Cremona, a protégé of the late Middle-Eastern dance legend, Nadia Gamal, who rose to fame in
Golden Age of Belly Dance (the 1950s-1970s).
Rose earned her level-two certification in Journey Through Egypt, a dance ethnology program
led by the internationally-recognized dancer and lecturer, Sahra Saeeda Kent, M.A., in 2017, and speaks Arabic at a beginner level.
Rose’s technique is underpinned by her extensive classical training and performance
experience in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, modern/contemporary dance, various folkloric dances,
improvisation, somatic movement practices, and yoga. As an undergrad, Rose studied styles
ranging from Katherine Dunham (Afro-Hatian) Technique to classical Indian Kathak, earning a Dance Minor from Skidmore College in 2012.
This diverse technical foundation gives Rose a strong stage presence and a style marked by
precision, fluidity, and grace. Rose’s musicality, energetic awareness, and beaming smile allow
her to connect with audiences on a deeper emotional level as she revels in and shares the joy of Middle-Eastern dance with audiences worldwide.
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