About Farah Abi
Farah Abi, is an experienced Egyptian style dancer and ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor in Washington, DC. She has often described her style as a little bit "retro." A blend of classic belly dance and modern sensibilities. She's a long time student of Yasmin and Faten. Always looking to deepen her understanding and knowledge about Middle Eastern Dance, she has also taken workshops with Lebanese Simon, Vanessa, Luna, Leila of Cairo, and many more master dancers.
Farah’s favorite part of Egyptian Dance is understanding the music and the culture. She loves connecting with audiences, making them laugh so they have have a great time and forget their cares for a moment. A grown-up theater kid, she revisited acting at the Studio Conservatory in Washington, DC. Revisiting acting has opened up a new love of theatrical dance as she continues to hone her style.
The daughter of an anthropologist, Farah has always loved Middle Eastern culture. She first began dancing while a student in Wisconsin and was a founding member of the University of Wisconsin – Madison Belly Dance Club. Farah has performed in various venues including restaurants and clubs in the DC area, community festivals like the H Street Fest and Art All Night in DC, and dance festivals like Art of the Belly in Ocean City, MD.
Farah teaches workshops and coaches dancers in acting and performance skills. She also teaches Zumba Fitness Classes at Serpentine Studios in Bethesda, MD.
What do I do at a bellydance show?
Audience members who are not used to seeing belly dance don’t always know what to do at a show. There is some variation depending on the setting but here are the basics:
Enjoy the show, smile and don’t be afraid to look the dancer in the eye.
Cheer on the dancer! Clap to the music, hoot and holler and generally show that you’re enjoying the show.
Keep it clean, avoid lewd and rude comments, remember the dancer can hear you!
Tip your dancer. Most of the time in restaurants and night clubs bellydancers accept tips. Usually, the best place to put the tip is in an arm band. Sometimes there is a tip jar or if there is a stage you may shower your dancer with money.
If the dancer tries to get you up to dance, by all means don’t be shy, have fun, she will show you what to do.
