Ep 302. Amina Goodyear: 60-Year Journey in Belly Dance Industry

Belly Dance Life

Amina Goodyear began her performance career in the mid-60's at the Bagdad Cabaret dancing nightly in San Francisco's North Beach district during that city's golden era of Middle Eastern dance and until the Arabic clubs closed in that area. She founded her dance company, The Aswan Dancers, in 1975, and celebrates over 40 years of continuous performance and entertainment. She also founded the Cairo Cats, now a percussion ensemble led by her daughter Susu Pampanin, among many other music and percussion projects. Amina was inducted into the American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance (AAMED) Hall of Fame with a Lifetime Achievement award in New York in 1994. She also received a Humanitarian Award in 2001 from MECDA, a Lifetime Achievement award in 2003 from BDUC in Long Beach and a Lifetime Achievement award in 2015 from Isis and the Belly Dance Chronicles in Texas.

In this episode you will learn about:

- Belly dance realities of 1960s

- Learning to dance under the guidance of musicians

- Giza Club project

- Sexualization of belly dancers now and before

- Biggest changes in belly dance industry over the last 60 years

Show Notes to this episode:

Find Amina Goodyear on Instagram, FB, and website.

Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.com

Follow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.

Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.

Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast