Belly Dancer Tribute 1/10/12: Myra Krien (Santa Fe, NM)

Belly Dancer Tribute 1/10/12: Myra Krien (Santa Fe, NM) I have not had the honor to meet Myra Krien in person, but I have been on her mailing list for almost 5 years. Her SEEDS (Self-esteem, Empowerment and Education through Dance) a non-profit youth mentorship program, deserves the national recognition it has. So many of our youth need this type of encouragement. I would love to see this program offered nation-wide in High Schools, that would be awesome. What a fantastic dancer and teacher Myra is. I absolutely love her Flamenco Performance and the other great videos of her and her group Mosaic Dance Company (the professional dance company); as well as: Almaaz Assahara (Diamonds of the Desert) and Ahatti (Little Sister); both pre-professional companies, performing on YouTube.

Pomegranate Seeds: “We accept 25 teen girls (13-18 yrs old) in the Santa Fe community for one academic year of after-school classes, 1 1/2 hours each, three times per week. They are taught the elements of American Tribal Style dance, a rich, diverse, artistic, cultural dance form that spans the regions of India, the Middle East, North Africa and Spain and its expression through the varied and complex music of these same cultures. The girls also participate in talking circles and journal writing during which they discuss issues affecting them. Each girl identifies a personal goal that she would like to achieve during the course of the program. Guest speakers cover a wide range of topics from nutrition and body awareness to financial education, etc. Many successful women of various fields that are of particular interest to the girls, address the girls each week. There are four Student Salons (student performances) each session. Entrance into the program does not depend on demonstrated talent, standard beauty, or ability to pay the fees the program would require.”

Myra, you are an inspiration to me as a dancer, dance company director and mentor. You are awesome!