About
Photo by Mark Lecky.
Masha is a life long dancer and second-generation visual artist, originally from Ukraine, raised in California. Currently based in Morroco, North Africa, she can be seen performing as a soloist in Marrakech.
Prior to Morocco, Masha lived and performed in Istanbul, Turkey for two years, dancing regularly in some of Constantinople's most popular venues for Oryantal dans. Her first visit to Turkey was in 2014, for a six month dance contract in Alanya, performing as a soloist in daily "Turkish Night" stage productions along Turkey's Mediterranean coastline.
During Masha's time in America, she was a top professional Oryantal dance performer in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Classic Egyptian Oriental was a primary inspiration to Masha's personal dance style, and years of training earned Masha multiple awards in U.S.A. belly dance competitions including:
" Belly Dancer of the Universe " (Los Angeles, 2014) - " Ultimate Belly Dance Artist " ( Las Vegas, 2013) -
& " Champion of Taksim " ( Los Angeles, 2012)
She has performed internationally as a guest artist in Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, India and Israel, as well as taught dance workshops in the U.S., Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, and Jamaica.
.........................................
BACKGROUND:
Dance became a part of Masha's life early on, starting at age four; she studied ballet periodically and later trained as a scholarship student in flamenco for a number of years. Upon discovering the incredibly beautiful music, sinuous feminine movements, and ornate costuming of belly dance, Masha fell in love with the artform of Middle Eastern dance and developed an interest in its various cultural roots. Masha continues to study Oryantal dance indefinitely as it is influenced by history, arts, and living culture(s),
- The numerous teachers and inspirations who have contributed to Masha's development in Oriental dance include her very first belly dance teacher Valeria Alexandra Batista, Janelle Rodriguez of CA, plus many native Egyptian dance teachers such as Tito Seif, Raqia Hassan, Yousry Sharif, Aida Nour, Randa Kamel, Lubna Emmam, Karim Nagi and more.
- From 2011- 2013, Masha intensively studied Persian, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern dance with Miriams Peretz in Berkeley. CA. In July 2016, Masha traveled to Uzbekistan for 2 weeks of intensive dance training with dancers from Uzbekistan national ensemble - this dance and cultural immersion tour was organized by Miriam Pertez.
- From 2013-2014 Masha also studied and performed Persian and Central Asian dance forms with Sharlyn Sawyer, mentor of Miriam Peretz. and director and original founder of the highly acclaimed San Francisco Bay Area dance company Ballet Afsaneh. While understudying with Ballet Afsaneh, Masha performed at various events and for organizations such as 'Los Angeles County Museum of Art', and 'Facebook Inc.' at their Califormia headquarters in Menlo Park.
- In early 2014 Masha studied Brazilian samba dance with Tanillee Amor, director of Amor do Samba, in San Francisco CA.
Dance and music have always been Masha's favorite pathways for discovering this world and its vast beauty.
* Most of Masha's belly dance costumes are one-of-a-kind! Masha is blessed to have an exclusive personal costume designer - her talented mother, Lana - a professional visual artist and belly dancer as well. Visit LANA Couture to see more of Lana's designs.*
Prior to Morocco, Masha lived and performed in Istanbul, Turkey for two years, dancing regularly in some of Constantinople's most popular venues for Oryantal dans. Her first visit to Turkey was in 2014, for a six month dance contract in Alanya, performing as a soloist in daily "Turkish Night" stage productions along Turkey's Mediterranean coastline.
During Masha's time in America, she was a top professional Oryantal dance performer in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Classic Egyptian Oriental was a primary inspiration to Masha's personal dance style, and years of training earned Masha multiple awards in U.S.A. belly dance competitions including:
" Belly Dancer of the Universe " (Los Angeles, 2014) - " Ultimate Belly Dance Artist " ( Las Vegas, 2013) -
& " Champion of Taksim " ( Los Angeles, 2012)
She has performed internationally as a guest artist in Morocco, Turkey, Greece, Ukraine, India and Israel, as well as taught dance workshops in the U.S., Ukraine, Israel, Turkey, and Jamaica.
.........................................
BACKGROUND:
Dance became a part of Masha's life early on, starting at age four; she studied ballet periodically and later trained as a scholarship student in flamenco for a number of years. Upon discovering the incredibly beautiful music, sinuous feminine movements, and ornate costuming of belly dance, Masha fell in love with the artform of Middle Eastern dance and developed an interest in its various cultural roots. Masha continues to study Oryantal dance indefinitely as it is influenced by history, arts, and living culture(s),
- The numerous teachers and inspirations who have contributed to Masha's development in Oriental dance include her very first belly dance teacher Valeria Alexandra Batista, Janelle Rodriguez of CA, plus many native Egyptian dance teachers such as Tito Seif, Raqia Hassan, Yousry Sharif, Aida Nour, Randa Kamel, Lubna Emmam, Karim Nagi and more.
- From 2011- 2013, Masha intensively studied Persian, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern dance with Miriams Peretz in Berkeley. CA. In July 2016, Masha traveled to Uzbekistan for 2 weeks of intensive dance training with dancers from Uzbekistan national ensemble - this dance and cultural immersion tour was organized by Miriam Pertez.
- From 2013-2014 Masha also studied and performed Persian and Central Asian dance forms with Sharlyn Sawyer, mentor of Miriam Peretz. and director and original founder of the highly acclaimed San Francisco Bay Area dance company Ballet Afsaneh. While understudying with Ballet Afsaneh, Masha performed at various events and for organizations such as 'Los Angeles County Museum of Art', and 'Facebook Inc.' at their Califormia headquarters in Menlo Park.
- In early 2014 Masha studied Brazilian samba dance with Tanillee Amor, director of Amor do Samba, in San Francisco CA.
Dance and music have always been Masha's favorite pathways for discovering this world and its vast beauty.
* Most of Masha's belly dance costumes are one-of-a-kind! Masha is blessed to have an exclusive personal costume designer - her talented mother, Lana - a professional visual artist and belly dancer as well. Visit LANA Couture to see more of Lana's designs.*
Awards:
- 1st Place Universal Champion, Belly Dancer of the Universe 2014 ( Long Beach, CA)
- People's Choice Universal, Belly Dancer of the Universe 2014
- 3rd Runner Up, Egyptian Category, Belly Dancer of the Universe 2014
- 1st Place, Ultimate Belly Dance Artist - 'So You Think You Can Belly Dance?' Contest and Competition 2013, Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive and Festival
- 1st Place, Family Duet ~ Belly Dancer of the Universe 2013
- 1st Place Champion of Taqsim, Belly Dancer of the Universe 2012
- 1st Runner Up Belly Dancer of the Year 2012
- People’s Choice Taqsim Belly Dancer of the Universe 2011
