For Margate-based belly dancer Soraya, a career in performance began with a childhood connection to her heritage.
“This career chose me. I didn’t choose it,” she said.
Born in the United States to a family of Middle Eastern heritage, Soraya began dancing at family celebrations at age 5. By her early teens, she was performing in Atlantic City casino showrooms.
Since then, her career has taken her from local wedding celebrations to international stages, including a performance for Morocco’s King Hassan II and the royal family at a palace in Casablanca.
also working as a booking agent for prominent Middle Eastern singers.
Soraya performs at Middle Eastern weddings and casino venues while also working as a booking agent. Through Soraya’s Mideast Dance and Music, she books casino productions featuring prominent Middle Eastern singers.
Her Atlantic City appearances have included Caesars, Bally’s, Golden Nugget, Borgata, Tropicana and the former Trump Taj Mahal and Showboat casinos. She has also performed opening acts for Middle Eastern entertainers.
Internationally, Soraya has toured luxury hotels in India. Closer to home, she performed at the black-tie gala marking the opening of the King Tut exhibition at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.
For Soraya, the work is as much about cultural understanding as entertainment. She aims to challenge stereotypes surrounding Middle Eastern dance while preserving its cultural roots.
“My main goal or ideology is to break down all negative and cultural stereotypes with my own theatrical approach without ever cheapening or debasing this dance and turning it into something it is not,” she said. “I hope for it to be as respected as ballet one day, which is what I am striving for as an artist and anthropologist.”
A graduate of Atlantic City High School and Stockton University, Soraya holds a degree in anthropology. She lives in Margate with her husband, Robert, and continues to perform and book productions.
For more information, visit bellydancersoraya.com.
