As printed in the Quarter 3/05 (July/August/September) issue of The Belly Dancer Magazine
Judeen is a performer, teacher, choreographer, costume designer and vendor. She has spent 25 years dancing in clubs, restaurants, and private parties around the world. Owning her own studio and costume boutique, now in the Santa Ynez Valley in California keeps her busy during the week. Weekends are often spent on the road teaching workshops, dancing and vending.
Judeen has her own unique style of dance that has captivated audiences all over the world. She is a multi award winning performer - her first award in 1989, Belly Dancer of the Year and in 1994 the Double Crown Belly Dance Competition's Professional Category winner. Judeen's latest awards "IAMED's 2000 Caberet Dancer of the Year, Belly Dancer of the Year Duet, and 2001 video nominee, Festival on the Nile XX, featuring Judeen and Fahtiem.
In 1989 Judeen traveled to Egypt for the first time. Through the 90s she spent 2 months each year in Egypt, buying merchandise for her boutique and studying dance. Besides studying Raks Sharqui and folkloric In Cairo, she traveled to the villages and studied Nubian,Saidi and Gawahzee.
Since 1999 Judeen has been going to Turkey for her boutique merchandise and to study Turkish Roman (gypsy) dance. Besides having many teachers from university professor, professional dancers /teachers, she has had the great fortune to be invited into homes to hear, see and dance with the Romani people.
Judeen shares her love of the dance and the people of Turkey by taking small groups on tour to costume shop, take classes, see dancing and be tourists around Anitolia.
Asking her what is next for her to do: "This year I want to put on DVD all the fabulous dance footage I have acquired in Egypt for all to share. I have so many requests for instructional videos. There will some of those coming also. I have 30 years of experience, study and knowledge that I want to pass on to whoever wants it."
Judeen was the very first winner at the 1994 Double Crown Belly Dance Competition - when the title was: Queen of Belly Dance!
FUN QUESTIONS FOR CENTER FOLD DANCER
Likes: Animals, sunshine, mountain streams
Dislikes: Violence , jealousy, intolerence
Favorite City to live in: I am not a city girl, but I love Istanbul.
Favorite City to play in: Istanbul
Favorite Getaway: Home, on my 5 acres of Paradise. I am on the road so often that when I can spend a day at home, it is like a getaway for me.
Favorite Food/Restaurant: Italian then Turkish
Favorite Color: This week it is periwinkle blue
Languages you Speak: English
Do you have pets? What kind? 3 cats, 2 horses. My dog died . It will be a long time before I will replace her
Do you have children? No
What country/ries have you lived in? U.S., Great Britian, a month at a time in Egypt.
Favorite music type and specific piece: Middle Eastern. Egyptian, Mohamed al Wahab's my favorite composer.
Hobby/ies: Stream fishing, riding.
Cabaret, Tribal/Gypsy, Ethnic, fusion,- - what style are you best known for? I am best known for caberet. (IAMED's Best Caberet Dancer 2000). I also dance and teach Egyptian folkloric and Turkish Roman (gypsy).
Who are your mentors in the business? I have had many mentors through the years . The first was Lea, my first teacher. Rhea who now lives in Greece, Ozel Turkbash, a Turkish dancer who can here in the late 70s and was on the TV. She came to the west coast and taught a workshop. Shareen Al Safy who I studied with for several years.
If you couldn't make a living at what you are doing now, what WOULD you do? If I was very young, I would go back to school and become a veterinarian. Realistically I would go back to cleaning teeth. HORROR !
Turn On's: Walking in nature and seeing God's or the Great Goddess's landscaping genius. Having the honor of sharing my land with many wild creatures. Dancing to extremely talanted muscisians.
