​Amora Shams is a bellydance instructor who has been performing Bellydance since 1993 publicly, and privately at her home since the early 80's, as her mom Alia Shams (Sahar Samara) was one of the pioneer Spanish BellyDancers of Spain, Amora grew up between the first Arabian Musicians, Arabian Singers, and other Spanish BellyDancers of Spain. 

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Amora Shams grew up since childhood loving, respecting and defending the Arab world, life style, culture, people, tradition, music and of course, the different dances of Middle East, due that her mom (Alia Shams) will play the VHS videos she brought from her trips to Egypt (as Alia also performed in Cairo - Egypt known on those times as Sahar Samara), and also because her mom installed at home the Arabian Satellites since late 1980's, so Amora grew up watching the Egyptian BellyDancers that will appear on the movies sporadically at the Egyptian International Channel that in that moment had a golden eagle logo, a part of enjoying Folkloric dances from the Arabian Golf, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey, growing into the Dervish Style of Arabian Dance, the Dance of the Soul style.

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Amora Shams Biography:

 

Amora Shams is an international Bellydance instructor, her students are located worldwide in more than 50 countries, Amora has been teaching since 1993 and grew up in the arabian culture with the pioneer bellydancers of Spain. Her students after passing through her hands increase their dance quality, some of them becoming famous, winning in BellyDance competitions and becoming international teachers in BellyDance Festivals.

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Dancing & Teaching experience from 1993-2012

Since 2012 Amora only focus into teaching her students to become bellydancers in record time teaching the BBDC in just one month course, for students starting form any dancing level, providing International Certification to those students who pass all their exams, due that her School is recognised by United Nations of Dance since 2011.

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A part of the below places in details that you will find where she performed, also she has performed for the Royal falmily of Arabia Saudi, been interviewed by USA Today while she was in Egypt, danced on national Egyptian TV twice, been a teacher at International BellyDance Festivals, and for a while one of her videos was the most seen BellyDance video on YouTube with an average of 3,000 visits per day.

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• Become Belly Dancer School

  Bellydance Instructor · 2008 to present · Nazlet El Simmân, Al Jizah, Egypt

  Teaching the BBDC since 2008 mainly in Egypt and Spain.

• Become Belly Dancer School

  Founder and Director · 2008 to present · Nazlet El Simmân, Al Jizah, Egypt

  Teacher & Director of the International BellyDance Certification Program

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From now on she will be explainning where she worked, and some interesting anecdotes that happen en some of them:

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• BUDDHA MARBELLA CENTRO

  Bellydancer · In 2012 · Marbella, Spain

  I was performing and teaching there on weekends

• Arabian Disco Haram

  Bellydancer · December 2010 to January 2011 · Barcelona, Spain

  I was dancing in this place sunday to thursdays, while I was dancing at anothe place. The singer from another disco took got this other place for me, because she thought that someone like me should be dancing in all the good Arabian places.

• Arabian Disco El Leil

  Bellydancer · November 2010 to January 2011 · Barcelona, Spain

  I was dancing here every night on week days, while at the same time I was dancing in another Arabian Disco in Barcelona on the same days.

• Arabian Disco Marrakech

  Bellydancer · November 2010 to January 2011 · Castelldefels

  I was dancing there on weekends, this place was beautifully decorated and I had an orchestra playing live music for me. The female singer of this place told me that I was the only Professional BellyDancer in all Spain, and I said to her: "come on! there are many bellydancers in Spain, how can you say that?" then she said to me: "because you are the onlyone she knows that will perfrom publicly with live musicians without making a previous rehersal." she added "all bellydancers in Spain dance with their own CD's"

• Disco Habana Marbella

  Bellydancer · In 2010 · Marbella, Spain

  I was performing there on weekends

• Sheko Show

  Bellydancer · In 2008 · Giza, Egypt

  I was the bellydancer of a group of 10 male and female folklore Egyptian dancers, where I had to also dance some folklore pieces. We travelled all around Egypt for dancing in Weddings: Port Said, Ismaleya, etc. We were performing weekly at a place known as Gardenia, in the area of the Pyramds of Gizah, which was our base.

• Sheraton Sharm Hotel, Resort, Villas & Spa

  Bellydancer · In 2008 · Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

      While I was performing here, the F&B Director told me that I was the best Bellydancer in Sharm El Sheikh and he said that they

      were between foreigners and Egyptian about 200 bellydancers. I have been also told this by the F&B Director of the 5*

      Sheraton Hotel in Dokki (center Cairo) and by the F&B Director of the 5* Sheraton Hotel of Alexandria. The one in Alexandria

      said that I was the best foreigner Bellydancer he has seen performing in Egypt in all his life.

• Felfela

  راقص فنون شعبية dancer Egyptian folklor · December 2007 to January 2008 · Giza, Egypt

  I was the only female dancer in this team of about 30 artists on stage. I was performing there daily during a month, dancing for foreigners, most of them Spanish (they didn't know that I was Spanish, everyone thought that I was Egyptian). The rest of the team was Samir Hesein (a dancer and teacher of Mahmood Reda Troup) and two more folklore dancers, then was a group of about 7 Tanoura Dancers between children and adults, who the top star of all of them is nowadays a famous Worldwide performer and teacher, his name is Mohammed Gareeb. There were also a large orchestra of folklore musicians.

• Arabian Historical Castle of Almuñécar

  Bellydancer · In August 2007 · Almuñécar, Spain

  I was daily performing at this real castle for a drama-dance Show about Al Andalus times

• Dharababa Cultural Center

  BellyDance · August 2006 to August 2007 · Almuñécar, Spain

  I was teaching and dancing at this place, which belonged to me while I was the owner of a restaurant known as Omeya Shams. I had 3 reduced groups of 5 students each. I think their fee was 15€ per hour per student, or making discounts when paying monthly (comming to be 10€/hour per student).

• Mayte Gym

  Bellydance Instructor · 2005 to 2006 · Almuñécar, Spain

  Weekley classes at this studio with a solid group. One of the students who came to this group, few months later become the creator, organiser and director of the Frigiliana International BellyDance. Festival, her name was Victoria Ivanova.

• Turkish Restautant Mazic

  Bellydancer · 2004 to 2005 · London, United Kingdom

  This Turkish restaurant was just open when I was dancing at their place. was located at Victoria area, I think close to the underground. The brother of the owner was the first peson I met starting to sell BellyDance costumes Online by Ebay. I actually remember exchanging one turkish dress which I still have by one of my weekley performances. :) I think I made a good deal!

• Gimnasio Spejos

  Bellydance Instructor · July 2003 to September 2003 · Marbella, Spain

  I was teaching at the only 5* gymnasium of the famous hair dressing Spanish company Spejos. This place was in Puerto Banus.

• Gimnasio Atenas

  Bellydance Instructor · July 2003 to September 2003 · Marbella, Spain

  I was teaching here on summer 2003

• Efes Restaurant London

  Bellydancer · 2003 to 2004 · London, United Kingdom

  Dancing at Effes II Turkish Restaurant two weeks a month, monday to sunday, sharing the month with another bellydancer. The first day I performed there, a journalist came to make me an interview, and made some photos. Next day I was on local Turkish Newspaper. I also danced once at Efes I restaurant on new years eve, and I came on the Turkish Newspaper next day.

• O2 Center Finchly Road

  Bellydance Instructor · 2003 to 2005 · London, United Kingdom

  I was renting a 50 GBP/hour studio which was massive, to a solid group of students. To guarantee that I could cover that strong fee, is when I started to create the BBDC that nowadays I still teach it but I don't know for how long, but it didn't had an structure until year 2008 while I was living in Egypt.

• Expressions Studios

  Bellydance Instructor · 2003 to 2005 · London, United Kingdom

  Teaching weekley chill out relaxed bellydance style group and also teaching another group the high quality Bellydance Traditional Egyptian Style. In this place I met the syrian darbukist Sallam Alsheikh that offered me to be my personal darbukist to work on parties. We become good friends, and nowadays he is the personal darbukist of my BBDC student Zara. I never introduced them, they actually found each other. :)

• Restaurant Alexander the Great

  Bellydancer · 2003 to 2004 · London, United Kingdom

  I was dancing here mainly on parties, like new year eve, birthdays, etc. Was a small Greek restaurant in Camden Town. I don't know if is still open.

• Argelian Restaurant Al-Casbah

  Bellydancer · 2003 to 2004 · London, United Kingdom

  This restaurant was located in front of Harrods. Was owned by a young algerian man. I still have some videos of my weekley performances at this place, but were done with digital camera, that at those moments with low light, was difficult to see something, and those cameras will not record with sound. So they are kind of dark, with none sound and you can only see something when people makes photos with flash.

• Apollonia Restaurant

  Bellydancer · 2003 to 2004 · London, United Kingdom

  As soon I arrived back to London, not even 2 days on town, when I was called by the neighbours of the other greek restaurant Elisee, to come to work at their place. Here I was working on weekends during winter. The owner took my hand after watching my show for first time, and hold it for more than 10 minutes telling me that he travelled all around Egypt, Greece, Turkey and at his place he saw many bellydancers passing by, and he never saw anyone so good as my person. I think this place is still open, they know me as "Shams. the Spanish Bellydancer".

• Syrian Restaurant Al Diwan

  Bellydancer · 2002 to 2003 · Barcelona, Spain

  I was dancing there on weekends on winter time. I think they have change of owner, they were from Syria.

• Jordanian Restaurant Assafir

  Bellydancer · 2002 to 2003 · Barcelona, Spain

  I was dancing there on weekends on winter time

• Club Masala Bollywood Dance

  Bellydance Instructor · 2002 to 2003 · Barcelona, Spain

  At this place I was teaching intensive weekend workshops to groups that the owner was organising for me. Few years later she offered me to be her BellyDance instructor at the Dance Schools she was going to open in Barcelona and later on in Madrid, but I didn't get her offer, because I was travelling. Again I lost a good opportunity, in this case, to be known in Spain, because now her School is very famous.

• Kundalini Yoga

  bellydance teacher · 2002 to 2003 · Barcelona, Spain

  At that moment I was teaching weekly classes in differnet dance studios, this was one of them. Here I had my oldest student so far, she was the owner, and she was on her 80's, but she was very flexible and with good health.

• Arsenal Femenino Barcelona

  bellydance teacher · 2002 to 2003 · Barcelona, Spain

  I was the first bellydance teacher they had in this very high class females gym, where only wealthy women joins. I had a group of 55 students there, the owners told me that were all the students of their gym! I had to teach these classes with a microphone, because the studio was massive. Even so, many learned well, because I was moving all around the studio, checking everyone was catching all the movements well, so noneone get's back. I was introduced to this place by a student of mine from another place where I was teaching.

• Escuela de Danza Nuria

  Bellydance Instructor · 2002 to 2003 · Barcelona, Spain

  This dance school was located in Sarriá, I don't know if is still open, the owner was a flamenco teacher. I was teaching there twice a week. At the end of the course, my students danced with me on stage, I still have the photos of that day, eveyone was amazed! One of my students told me that she lost 9kg in 9 months with me, and I wasn't using the strong teaching techniques I am using now. Now my BBDC students looses weight quicker!

• Iraqi Restaurant Baghdad

  Bellydancer · 2001 to 2002 · London, United Kingdom

  I danced in this place mainly in parties, birthdays, new year eve, etc. I remeber the first time I came to the restautant, the owner was worried because he didn't know me yet, and he saw me very well dressed with shiny indian t-shirt, and as there were already some non-professional women performing as "BellyDancers" in London, he thought that I was going to dance in front of his costumers with that, and of course I wasn't going to do such a thing!! I was already very professional BellyDancer at that moment, already been 8 years performing publicly in high class places internationally.

• Moroccan Restaurant Safir

  Bellydancer · 2001 to 2002 · London, United Kingdom

  I was the first dancer at this restaurant that was in Hampstead Heath, London. They inagurated the restaurant with me, I stay dancing at their place during a while. One day 3 years later, I came to visit this restaurant, and the owner told me that he had many bellydancers performing there, and so far I was the best bellydancer he ever saw. I told him that I was looking for a space to rent, because I was been asked by some people who wanted to study bellydance from me, then he offered me for free his basement space for free (he only used that space renting it for parties), until I form a solid group of students, so then I could afford a proper place to teach Bellydance. I managed to have 3 reduced groups of 5 student per group. I was getting paid 15 GBP per student per hour class. I was 3 times more expensive than regular teachers in London, so I asked my students why they were willing to pay so much more, and they said to me: "Because you don't show off, you teach us quickly and efficiently". This is when I started to pick up the feedbacks from my students, so their words become part or my posters. After this I started to teach in 3 Dance Studios in London with solid groups, and to guarantee their assistance as I had to pay strong studio fees, is when I started to make them do homework and evey day teach something new, that will not be taught any other day. This was the starting point of the course I created few years later while living in Egypt, the BBDC "Become a BellyDancer in 25 days Course"

• Elysee Restaurant & Roof Bar

  Bellydancer · 2001 to 2002 · London, United Kingdom

  This place is a Greek restaurant, on my times was owned by 3 brothers who were retired artists (male greek dancers). I remember one of their names which was Ulyses, the other two brothers I forgot. I was performing at their place on weekends, and I was told by the musicians who already were performing there for I think they said 6 years or 20 years (I forgot), that I was the bellydancer who stayed longer time than anyone else. One of the 3 owners was a big fan of me, probably this is why I lasted so long. I left the place when I had to go to study in Spain for 1 year, otherwise I would have been dancing there for longer time. After many years when I moved to Cairo EGYPT (2007) I called them to ask for references when I was applying to work as a Bellydancer in Egypt, and they still could remember me!!! :) The owner said to me: "Hi!! How are you Shams!! Of course I remember you, you are the Spanish BellyDancer!! ¿is this your new number?" And I was calling him from Skype. I explained him, and he was very happy that I called him. They never forgot me. If they are still alife (because they were very old already) you can ask them about me, they remember me as "Shams, the BellyDancer from Spain".

• Egyptian Restaurant Abohamed

  Bellydancer · In 2000 · London, United Kingdom

  As soon I moved to London, the first arabian place where I started to perform was owned by an Egyptian Coptic family from Alexandria. Was a really small place, but in Queensway, which is very centrally located. They took some photos of me, that they never gave me back, so if this place is still open, you may find my pictures hanging around. They had an organist and a darbukist and I was performing with them on weekends.

• Moroccan Restaurant Riad Salam

  Bellydancer · July 1999 to September 1999 · Marbella, Spain

  on weekends

• Lebaneese Restaurant Baalbeck Washington

  Bellydancer · In August 1998 · Paris, France

  on weekends with live musicians

• Arabian Nightclub Fantasia

  Bellydancer · In August 1998 · London, United Kingdom

  This place was a 5* Arabian Nightclub in London, where will only enter the most rich families of Arabian Countries. After my first show improvising to live musicians, they offered me a 1 year contract, but again because of my Classical Ballet career, I didn't take it. There were two owners, one of them Egyptian. When I left my Classical Ballet career in 1999, I left Spain a year after, and I moved to London in August 2000. I went to visit this place again, and I found out that they change it by the poster in their entrance, to a bad place, so I didn't enter and I never came back.

• Lebanseese Restaurant Fakhr el Dine

  Bellydancer · In August 1998 · Paris, France

  I was dancing n this place on weekends, and the owner of the 3 restaurants, offered me a 2 year contract, but I didn't take it because of my Classical Ballet career in Spain.

• Lebaneese Restaurant Elisèes Liban I

  Bellydancer · 15 July 1998 to 15 September 1998 · Paris, France

  on weekends dancing with live musicians

• Omar Kayan Cafe

  Bellydancer · 15 July 1998 to 15 September 1998 · London, United Kingdom

  Only the best BellyDancers will dance in this place, like Mona El Said, and big stars. I danced here when I visited London, I was travelling around Europe, dancing in different places from mid July to mid September, at the same time I was in Paris also dancing at 3 places every weekend.

• Alcázar of Seville

  Al Andalus Dancer Specialist · March 1998 to July 1998 · Seville, Spain

  I was chosen by a casting done to all bellydancers in Spain. I was the choreographer, teacher and main dancer of the drama-dance production company at daily performance at the Al Andalus Palace owned by the Spanish King family, but normally is used as a touristic historical place to visit.

• Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

  Bellydancer · In August 1997 · Casablanca, Morocco

  The Sheraton Hotel made a public event, were public had to choose Best BellyDancer of Morocco. I won the competition. The prize was a 1 year contract with the Hotel to work as a BellyDancer, but I didn't take it because of my studies of Classical Ballet at the Professional Conservatory of Dance in Spain (1989-1999)

• Sijilmassa Restaurant

  Bellydancer · July 1997 to September 1997 · Casablanca, Morocco

  This place was an Al Andalus Palace facing first line to the beach. I was a daily performer during summer. I was one of the two professional Bellydancers on stage. We were dancing to an orquestra of 15 live musicians. My solo's of percussion were about 15 minutes long, I was on stage during 45 minutes. I worked there all summer, 6 days a week. To be accepted to perform in such a place, I had to a casting, they didn't accept anyone performing in this place, it had to be high class professional bellydancers only after a test.

• Arabian Nightclub Barracuda

  Bellydancer · 1996 to 1999 · Marbella, Spain

  This place was a high class 5* place, where only very rich families will enter when was owned by a Lebaneese owners, later on the ownership changed to a moroccan person who converted into a bad place. I danced there while it was still a good place to perform. I think I danced here in two summers, in 1996 and in 1999. I already knew a musician that was working at this place, this is why i performed here in 1996, thanks to him, this musician was the best in Spain on those times. He is still living in Marbella area, and I am still in contact with him. He is one of my facebook friends.

• Arabian Dance School of Alia Shams

  bellydance teacher · 1995 to 2000 · Seville, Spain

  starting my own classes as a teacher after been 2 years assistant for Alia Shams classes helpping those of her students who will had problems to catch up the level of the groups

• La Jaima, Los Caños De Meca

  Bellydancer · 1994 to 1996 · Barbate, Spain

  6 days a week during 3 continous August on summer. Alia Shams and me we were the two bellydancers of this place, and we were performing with our own Orquestra contracted from Morocco. We has fans all over Spain, we were known as "Las Moras de Caños de Meca".

• Egyptian restuarant Los Faraones

  Bellydancer · 1994 to 1995 · Arcos de la Frontera, Spain

  This restaurant was owned by an Egyptian family. I had to come all the way from Seville to this village that was about 100 km away some Saturdays during winter time, when making substitution to Alia Shams, and I had to sleep at their home, I was sharing room with their daughters. I have good memories of those times. I had another artistic name at that moment, but everyone in Spain involved in the Bellydance field, knew me as the daughter of Alia Shams, so you can ask about me to those who still remember.

• Arabian Dance School of Alia Shams

  Assistant of BellyDance Teacher · 1993 to 1995 · Seville, Spain

  While I was learnning to BellyDance, I was the assistant of Alia Shams, the director and teacher of the School. As soon I learned to dance, Alia Shams will make me dance in suarets, private events, or even covering substitutions for her at Arabian family restaurants.

• Egyptian restaurant Jan el Jalili

  Bellydancer · 1993 to 1994 · Seville, Spain

  This was the 1st place where I remember performing publicly. I did some performences, mainly by substitution of Alia Shams. The first critic I recieved was by the Egyptian owner, he said: "you are too skinny, you look like a skeleton, and smile! you are very serious, smile!" I remember his skin colour was dark, maybe he was Nubian.

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Professional Skills

Ancient Egypt · Arabian music · Bellydance · Classical ballet · Dance teacher · Dances · Dancing · Egyptian Belly Dance · Egyptian folk dance · Egyptian hieroglyphs · Egyptian history · Egyptian music · Flamenco · Oriental dance · Original dance · Professor · Salsa · Salsa music · Teacher education · Turkish classical music

 

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Dance Studies

A part of been the daughter of Alia Shams, one of the pioneer BellyDancers in Spain, dancing bellydance since early 1980's, also Amora studied the dance career in Classical Ballet and with her mother from 1993:

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• Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Sevilla

  Class of 1999 · Seville, Spain

  Studied the career of Classical Ballet. I was studying 5 hours every day Monday to Friday, from 5pm till 10pm.

The modules I had were:

- Classical Ballet

- Music composition & structure

- Contemporary Dance

- Corporal expression

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• Arabian Dance School of Alia Shams

  Class of 1995 · BellyDance Archeology · Seville, Spain

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• Conservatorio Padre Antonio Soler

Class of 1993 · San Lorenzo Del Escorial, Madrid, Spain

I was studying Classical Ballet every afternoon Monday to Friday

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• Hotel-Escuela Bellamar

Class of 2010 · Marbella, Spain

Qualified as Tourist Animator. I studied all types of form of dances, plus I learned to be a professional toursit animator. I did this course to get a title in Tourism, related to Dance, and I could use this to produce the charity projects I have in mind all related to Tourism that I have not start yet.