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Kostana
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Kostana is an Oriental Dancer based in the Washington, DC area, who specializes in Turkish Oriental and Romani (Gypsy) dance as well as Egyptian Raqs al Sharqi ("bellydance").
She strives to make all her performances artistic, creative, and authentic by bringing a sense of cultural awareness to her dance both on stage and in the classroom.
She has studied with renowned Romani and Cabaret dancers in Turkey as well as throughout the United States. Kostana is especially grateful for the opportunity to study with Reyhan Tuzsuz of Turkey. She also trains and performs with the Kardelen Turkish Folkdancers in Washington, DC. In addition, Kostana has studied Egyptian and Lebanese folkloric and cabaret dances with Faten Salama (former member of the National Egyptian Folkloric Dance Troupe), Piper Hunt, Lotus Niraja, Nourhan Sharif, Samara, Cassandra, Raqia Hassan, and Mohamed Shahin among others.
Kostana performs regularly in the DC metro area and has graced the stages of the Ode to Peace Festival, the World Culture Open, the Kennedy Center Milennium Stage, and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC. She is honored to have performed with the following distinguished musicians: Husnu Aydogdu, Souhail Kaspar and John Bilezikjian, the SK Near East Ensemble, Rachid Halihal, Selim Sesler, Grup Nazar, the Casablanca band, the Folktours Ensemble, The Balkan Brothers, Ishtar and Issam Houshan of the Bellydance Superstars.
Kostana currently teaches Oriental dance at Saffron Dance. She has also taught workshops in Rhythm and Movement and authentic Turkish Romani dance at Bellypalooza, Drum and Splash, and Buffalo on the Danube.
Kostana has been published in WAMEDA newsletter, Zaghareet magazine, and Habibi magazine.