Meet Team SharQui
Oreet
Founder of SharQuí - The Bellydance Workout
Oreet’s roots are from Israel and Yemen and has been bellydancing and doing folk dance since the age of 6. She took her knowledge from her contemporary dance training, her fitness expertise with her indigenous dance, and created SharQui – The bellydance workout in 1998 – and has been doing it ever since. For past the 25 years, Oreet has been teaching students to love moving their bodies again as well as mentoring instructors in the SharQui format.
Her new passion is educating the world about Jewish Mizrahi dance and its relevance in Arabic Culture. She truly feels blessed that she does what she loves – being an instructor, a mentor, and a source teacher.
Angelina
Tech Specialist
Angelina is a Certified SharQui Instructor and hobbyist movement artist located in the Triangle, NC area. She’s passionate about helping creative people harness technology to create and promote their projects online. When not updating the SharQui website or teaching in the Virtual Studio, she enjoys sewing dance costumes, drinking too much coffee, and hanging out with her giant orange cat. Find her on Instagram @rhythmandrhinestones.
Ariyana
Social Media Manger
Ariyana is an acclaimed bellydancer based in Honolulu. She is as fascinated about social media as she is with Bellydance and loves helping others up their social media game. When she’s not dancing or playing with social media, she is a mom to twin boys and loves spending time on local Hawaiian beaches. Find her on Instagram @ariyanabellydancer.
Markl
Virtual Assitant
Markle (they/them) is a young professional based in the Triangle NC area, who has begun their professional journey to become a ‘jack of all trades’. They love working in creative spaces, coming from an intense theatrical background, which has made working in and with dance endlessly fun to engage with. When they are not busy with SharQui, they spend the majority of their time soaking up the sunshine with a good book and their spouse!
Marisa
Director of Professional Development
Marisa has 20+ years of programs and operations development in the health and wellness industry combined with coaching behavior change and somatic interventions. She holds multiple fitness certifications, is a private health coach and patient advocate, as well as a hired consultant for small business development. She started belly dancing at 260 pounds and transformed her life with a natural 110 pound weight loss. She holds a B.S. in Music Performance, is a Mom of 2, and is a loving witness to the pure magic and potential people hold inside of them. Every time shame shifts away to make space for authentic expression, she celebrates! She is on FB and IG as dancewithmarisa.
Jenny
Master SharQui Instructor
Born in Taiwan and grown in the U.S., Jenny C Cohen aka Aaliyah Jenny, is an award winning performer, actress/ voiceover artist/comedian, and creator of Dance to Heal Podcast and Wellness Program. With her Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy as well as her certifications in Sharqui Workout (Master Instructor), Datura Style (Certified Teacher), YOGABODY (Yoga Instructor, breath coach), and Triple Trauma Aware training (Avalon Empowerment) Jenny presents a multidisciplinary approach to heal so you can thrive.
Jill
Master SharQui Instructor
In 2021, Jill became the Artistic Director of Sahlala Dancers, a professional international dance styles company founded by bellydance Superstar Jillina. She produces shows for Sahlala Dancers in nightclubs, festivals, pageants, music videos, industry parties, concerts and private events.
Not only is Jill a master instructor for SharQui but haas also created a new class called SharQui Styles, a format that blends the SharQui workout with the different dance styles she’s studied over the years. She also directs the Sahlala Student Troupe, an online training program for intermediate-pre professional dancers that focuses on learning choreography to perform in live events.
Marisa
Master SharQui Instructor
Marisa is a practice & endorphin junkie and worships the metronome. Is it any wonder that SharQuí is a match made in Heaven for her? She has a classical music background, lost a small person in the amount of pounds she lives without now, studies process work psychology and spends a lot of time writing about mastery not being the destination. She says mastery is a path, one that anyone can get on…