Jamila Salimpour was the first belly dance teacher to create a specific format of movements with individual names for each step. The steps she created are now the majority of belly dance movements taught today. Her format was the inspiration and foundation of what later became known as American Tribal Style. The step names often originated from people Jamila personally witnessed doing that movement. For example, Jamila named figure eights up to down Maya because she saw Maya Medwar doing them at a club in Los Angeles back in the 1950’s.

Jamila is also the master of finger cymbals, playing unique and difficult patterns, often experimenting with the upbeat. Her award winning instructional CD is also the most prolific tool in learning how to play cymbals used both in Jamila and Suhaila format classes.

In Jamila’s classes, she teaches her own format of specific moves and cymbal patterns that she has been teaching for decades. The class begins with playing cymbal patterns and then moves on to practicing moves in a circle around the room. Be prepared to use cymbals the entire class. Each class is different and invaluable for developing dance and finger cymbal skills, and learning the history of belly dance movements in America. Jamila truly is the American matriarch of belly dance, and her classes are not to be missed!