"I began taking belly dance lessons with Suffiyah Guarassi in February 2006. I am currently enrolled in my third set of lessons. Suffiyah is the best kind of teacher: enthusiastic, fun, talented, patient, and encouraging. She is able to explain dance techniques from a variety of perspectives such as following the beat of the music, focusing on weight shifts or muscle isolation, and visual imagery. She actively looks for ways to encourage each student's individual style and confidence. Suffiyah is a genuinely caring person and has a real joy for teaching dance. I look forward to her classes not only for the benefits of physical toning but also for the laughter and camraderie she generates within the group."
Sincerely,
Suzanne K.

"You have a troupe that deserves to get as much notice as possible."
Jeff F.

"I want to thank you so much for joining my Analysis and Application of Movement and Sport class and sharing your knowledge and expertise with us!  You connected with my students in an engaging and genuine manner, which radiated confidence, optimism and openness – exactly what stress relaxation techniques exude!  Your presentation was so well organized.  Your introduction was just long enough to get us interested; we were able to try out different moves as you continued to share background related to the dance; we had just enough time to ask questions; and even had a try at a short dance sequence --- all continuously related to the concept of stress reduction!  It was simply awesome! … I think the best presentation we have had for our class!  I hope you will come back sometime in the future!  I loved it!  And our students did too!

Here are some of their thoughts:

“I learned that hips just don’t bring men attention; but bring beauty to age – inside
and out." - Melissa

“We learned the importance of self acceptance through powerful dancing…… loving the skin we’re in.”

“Dancing is another way of telling our life stories.  It teaches us to love ourselves for who we are and creates an inner freedom of feminine power.” - Becky

“I enjoyed having someone to tell me that my body is perfect the way it is and can be used to move any way
if you put your mind to it." - Amanda

“This class allows me to escape, break free from a stressful, confined environment.  I learned far more than belly-dancing --  I learned a culture full of rich history and a way to enjoy and have fun with the person I am.”

"This class was by far the best eye-opening experience for me.  I benefited tremendously from the information presented and the movements learned.” - Sara

“In school we go through a lot of stress.  Belly dancing made us laugh, forget about everything else and have a
good time.” - Kelsey

Thanks so much Sophia!!! - Deb