``dance from your heart, express your feelings, give to others"                
                        Middle Eastern Dance  Artist           
                              Diana Mahat Shahein
   
 Diana  Shahein has immersed herself in the culture and dance traditions of Egypt and the Middle East for the past three decades, continually performing , teaching and traveling to these regions, the United States and Europe.  While living in Cairo she taught English  to Arabic speaking  children and adults and Egyptian dance to foreign tourists .  In the desert of Petra , Jordan she danced regularly with Bedouin musicinas and also performed at the Edom Hotel.
`Artiste`, as she is called by the residence of Dahab, Sinai who named a supermarket after her, Diana is renowned for her versatility, expressive sincerity, innovative style and in-dept musical interpretation.
Her expertise lies in her ability to translate cultural dance traditions into a theatrical experience while retaining their charm and simplicity.
A master teacher,Diana has developed a very distinct and accessible teaching method based on the `people` of Egypt.
She holds a BS degree in education and continued graduate studies receiving a scholarship from the Laban Inststute for dance notation. She has studied ethnic dance with many experts in the field  . The late Ibrahim Farrah was her foremost inspiration and mentor and her recent study of Sufi  Dervish dance was with Shaikaya Khadejah Marcia Radin.
She is a rostered teacher with the  Toe River Arts Council of Western N. Carolina .
She has performed with noted musicians among them,Ahmed Abdul-Malik, River Guerguerian and The Master Musicians of the Jajouka of Morocco.
She has been instrumental in forming the original musical and dance groups, Soora Gameela, Tzengara and currently Oasis Winter Garden.
 As director of the Beledi Dance Theatre she received an Arts to the People grant from the Pa. Arts Council for a lecture/performance. As part of the Fringe Festival  of Asheville ,N. Carolina, she was awarded a grant for an original work, Essence of Creation incorporating Egyptian , African and modern dance with spoken word, live music and recorded music.                                         
Currently ,Diana resides in Scranton, Pa. and is a guest artist at E.Stroudsburg University . She teaches group and private classes in the area and  regular workshops in Pa., New York and North Carolina.
  2010 Diana Shahein was awarded a grant from the Lackawanna County on the Arts .