Mia Naja

by Zahirah

There are few dancers that are able to find the perfect balance between being very serious about their artform while continuing to keep it fun. Mia Naja of Columbia has achieved that balance and infuses it into everything that she does.

This is a woman that makes things happen... whether teaching a group of middle-school girls hip articulations or organizing a major annual hafla with dozens of dancers, she does it all with a big heart, and makes it fun for everyone involved. She thoroughly enjoys what she does, and she has become a pillar not only in the bellydance community but in other aspects of her life as well.

Ironically, it was back problems that led Mia Naja to bellydance. She had been seeing a Rolfer, and one day found some brochures in the waiting room-- one for yoga and one for bellydance. She asked her Rolfer which she recommended, and the healer pointed out that bellydance is beneficial for back problems, as it strengthens the abdominal muscles that directly affect the back. It was then that Mia Naja began studying with Nefret, and her true passion was found.

Mia Naja describes Nefret's classes as being warm and supportive.

"She pushed you to express yourself," she recalls.

Nefret also encouraged her students to seek out other teachers and often organized trips to restaurants to see other dancers perform.

This is when Mia Naja began to cultivate friendships with some high profile and well-respected dancers such as Malika and El Naar Haninah. Mia Naja credits El Naar for helping to choreograph her first solo.

An aspect that drew Mia Naja to bellydance was its similarity to African American social dance. She found an appealing overlap, and although Middle Eastern dance is more controlled and isolated, the movements worked very naturally with her body and she was able to dance to not only Middle Eastern music but music that she enjoyed, such as R&B. This is something that she often uses in her classes and performances to reflect who she is culturally.

Prior to studying with Nefret, Mia Naja had been trained in ballet (the Vaganova technique), Humphrey-Weidman modern dance, African, jazz, and flamenco, so she had already built a great foundation for Middle Eastern dance. She had especially become enamored with Flamenco; however, there came a point in her life when she realized that she had to commit to either flamenco or bellydance, mainly because of time constraints, and (luckily for us) chose the latter.

Her previous dance training is something that she always keeps with her, she isn't afraid to pull movements and postures from other dances in her bellydance choreographies, and it adds so much to her repertoire. It also adds to her teaching method.

"I'm fairly analytical from ballet training," she says, and she is very specific when directing her students.

After spending some time under the tutelage of Nefret, Mia Naja began taking classes with Nadirah Nasreen as well as Malika. To this day she still studies with Nadirah, who has become a very close and personal friend as well as continual inspiration. El Naar convinced her to take Morocco's weeklong workshop in New York, which Mia Naja considers a "rite of passage for ANY dancer who is serious".

She keeps close contact with "Aunty Rocky" and has learned much about the dance from her, especially the cultural aspects. Among the other workshops that she's taken, she credits Amaya of New Mexico as one of her greatest influences. She admires her ease of movement and ability to combine Spanish dance and Egyptian Cabaret so effortlessly in the style known as "Zambra Mora". This fusion of flamenco and belllydance intrigues Mia Naja and she regularly attends Amaya's "Shake and Bake" festival in New Mexico.

Other dancers that continue to influence Mia Naja are Aziza (from Canada) and Jamila al Wahid. She can relate to these dancers as they always push for technical perfection yet are incredibly nice people and fun to be around.

Mia Naja began teaching bellydance 4 years ago. She was about to run for Columbia Council and got married all in the same year. The program director of the Slayton House suggested that she give something to the community through her dance instead of serving on the council, that way she would be able to balance her personal life and passion for dance. Her classes became very popular and she recently moved most of them to the full- service studio in her home, which is a wonderful facility that she uses not just for classes but as a nurturing environment for the entire dance community.

She keeps her classes fun and lighthearted, while stressing good technique. She enjoys creating choreography and often does routines for her students and fellow dancers.

Mia Naja summed up her outlook when she said, "Let dance enhance your life. We tend to get caught up in looks, size and technical prowess and forget that these dances come from family and community celebrations. Try to enjoy your dancing, if you are having a good time, everyone else will too!"

She will be teaching a "Rhythm and Belly" class at the WAMEDA Ethnic Dance Workshop in February 1st, 2004 and will be hosting her annual hafla on May 22nd, 2004. She encourages anyone to stop by her classes at the Slayton House or her home studio.