Traditional Gulf Dance Finds a New Voice

TDT | Manama

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Bahraini artist Shareefa AlZayani, a former DJ and now a Khaleeji dance teacher, is working to preserve one of the Gulf ’s important cultural traditions.

In November 2022, she published a book documenting the movements and meanings of Khaleeji women’s dance. AlZayani began teaching Khaleeji dance in 2020 after noticing a lack of proper learning resources.

Her experience highlighted a bigger issue—the limited documentation of traditional Gulf dances, especially those performed by women.

“I was first a DJ, and later I became a teacher in 2020,” she said. Her shift into teaching made her realize how difficult it was to find detailed material on dance techniques.

Her background in Physical Education from the University of Bahrain helped her develop a structured teaching method. She focused on breaking down movements into simple and clear steps for her students.

“It was very challenging when I started teaching,” she explained. “There were very few books, and most of them focused on music, not the movements.”

Determined to fill this gap, AlZayani began researching and documenting the dance herself. “I thought, there are no books— so let me do it,” she said.

Her book took months of work, as she carefully analyzed and recorded the dance movements. Despite the challenges, she succeeded in creating a guide that others could easily follow.

The response to her work has been very positive. Many readers appreciated her efforts and were proud that a Bahraini woman was the first to document this art form in a book.

AlZayani has also gained students from across the GCC and other countries. She said international audiences enjoy and respect Khaleeji dance.

“I hope we can have academic schools, a local committee, and even a Khaleeji Dance Championship every year,” she said.

Looking ahead, she remains dedicated to spreading awareness. She encourages aspiring dancers to learn, watch performances, and study the art.