Zahra Zuhair has been performing and teaching the dances of the Middle East for 25 years. Zahra's repertoire includes the dances of Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, & Turkey, specialising in Egyptian classical and folkloric styles. This specialisation began with Zahra's first research tour to Egypt in 1979, resulting in numerous trips to Cairo. Her most recent study tour and performance was at the Oriental Dance Festival of Egypt in June 2000. She has performed in Middle Eastern embassies, nightclubs, theatre, schools, universities and museums across the US. Zahra has produced her own instructional videos as well, which are distributed worldwide. She is the recipient of the 1999 International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (IAMED) Award for Best Modern Egyptian Dancer and the GAMAL Academy of Dance Award for Best Dance Performance on Video for 2001. She has performed extensively throughout the US, UK, and Europe, and is currently teaching dance workshops across the country. Zahra is the founder and artistic director of Po Nu Na Dance Theatre, featuring the stories, music and dances of the Middle East. Zahra has produced several dance theatre shows in the Los Angeles area, most recently the story of Layla and MaJnun (Layla and the Madman) and The Veils of Inannu. She is a member of the educational group Silk and Sand, directed by Carolyn Krueger, featuring the dances of the Silk Route and the Arab world. Zahra is the founder, and artistic director of the Eshta Dance Company, featuring traditional Arabic dance, as well as Arab and western fusion dances. Zahra also teaches regular classes from beginners through professionals in the Los Angeles area. .