| Tina's love of Middle-Eastern Dancing began in Detroit in 1972 at the Phyllis Dempsey Dance Studio. Studying there with teacher Cathy Smith, it was not soon after she began that she was invited to take over the studio's Middle-Eastern Dance Class. While teaching, she continued her dance education through the Francis and Lorraine Saad Studio in Detroit. In 1974, she also began teaching at the Kathleen Tenniswood School of Dance. When the school moved out of state, Tina was prompted to start up her own home studio, "by invitation only". She also began to teach for Utica Community Schools and the City of Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Department. At the present time, Tina continues to teach both the Sterling Heights classes and her Home Studio classes. She also presents seminars through the Utica Community Schools. It was out of her Sterling Heights and Home Studio classes that her dinner-show concept was born. Tina remembers that, |
| "About midway through my career, someone from the City of Sterling Heights noticed me teaching a choreographed routine and said to me, 'Oh! I didn't know belly dancing had choreography to it ... you should be in our Spring Show.' Finally, someone recognized the dance as an art! It suddenly occurred to me that I had enough background to coordinate and put together an entire "Middle-Eastern Dance Review" someplace nice and respectful where my dancers could dance for friends and families of their own and for the friends and families of fellow students. |
| She continues: |
| "It is still a living and breathing show which is held each year on the third Thursday in May -- can't believe it!!!! It has turned out to be a lovely event that many families and friends look forward to every year. Everyone enjoys seeing their own dancer, and all of us and everyone enjoys being out for the evening and having a fantastic meal. For the small amount of money for the ticket, I feel quite confident it is the best deal in town." |
| The show is held at the , which,Tina adds, "is fabulous and has a fantastic staff and fantastic owners". |
| Tina's performance venues have included student dancing at the Cedars Lounge in Detroit and professionally at the Leamington Lebanese Club in Canada, sharing the stage with her sister-in-law, Annetta. In addition, she has performed at numerous private shows, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas office parties, and much more. She credits her experience and her many teachers with her success. To quote Tina: |
| "I took for years and years and went to many seminars and practiced every day to get where I am today. I absolutely loved most of my teachers and will mention only those. |
| Gina Rossi -- Thank you for drilling me on shakes and zills "Athena" from Boston for so many Beledi steps "Audrena" from Chicago for cane dance and sword Bert Belandine, traveling steps Samira (Southfield, Michigan, area), floor rolls with cane and sword And so many others from years ago. Others were: Morocco, Ibraham Farrari, his Assistant Phadra, Delane, Maria Morca, Aida, and many more. |
| Just because I have been dancing and teaching for a number of years, I still and always will also consider myself a student of the dance, as well. Our beautiful dance is on-going learning." |
| Throughout the years, many of Tina's students have gone on to dance professionally at parties, weddings, anniversaries, and a variety of other events. Many are also teaching in the metro-Detroit area. In 2002, as a credit to having influenced so many to become successful in their own right, Tina officially changed her business cards to read Master Teacher. |
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| * As told to Webmaster Vickie |