Maria is an award-winning professional belly dance artist based in Santa Clara of the San Jose / San Francisco Bay Area, California.
She is the house belly dancer at three popular bay area restaurants and a frequent guest at many Bay Area Arabic, Turkish, Moroccan and Persian public and private venues. Her elegant and cheerful dance style made her a sought-after performer in the Middle Eastern community. She has had the honor of performing for audiences in Turkey, Mexico, Russia and the United States.
Originally from Moscow, Russia, Maria fell in love with Middle Eastern dance while traveling in Egypt and Tunisia. Since moving to the United States, Maria has dedicated herself to the study of belly dance with her teacher, Sandra, who continues to be a major influence and inspiration for her.
Workshops with well known teachers such as Raqia Hassan, Tito, Aziza, Astryd Farah, Magda, Jillina, Sonia, Bozenka and many others have further enhanced Maria's dance style. She also regularly travels to Moscow where she uses the opportunity to study with famous Russian belly dancers.
Several belly dance DVDs feature Maria's performances and instruction including: "Combination Nation vol.2", "By Dancers for Dancers Vol.5" and "Secrets of the Stage Vol.2" DVD (a performance course by Michelle Joyce), where she narrates a section about her experience at restaurant and private events dancing.
Maria holds a degree in Economics and an MBA. Her other passions besides dancing include travelling, figure skating and visual arts.
