Amera's Palace

About Amera

Amera is the Arabic word for princess, and Amera, international performer, teacher and owner of the world-renowned Amera's Palace Belly Dance Boutique, is quite literally Australia's Princess of Belly Dancing. See Amera's Photo Album.

Introduced to the ageless art of oriental dance at the age of twelve, she went on to train professionally and then to embark on a full career as an oriental dancer, appearing over the past 20 years throughout the Middle East in leading night-clubs and five-star hotels, working alongside many of the top names in the entertainment business, and dancing for Sheiks and royalty.

Countries in which Amera has performed include Lebanon, Egypt, the UAE, Syria, Oman, Jordan, Abidjan, New Caledonia, India and Greece. She has four CDs currently on the market. With a fifth CD on the way, to be released shortly in leading record stores world-wide. Her teaching skills have been sought-after throughout Australia and as far a field as Europe.

Amera is originally from an Egyptian/European background. Her grandparents lived in Port Said, Egypt, emigrating to Australia in the early 1960s. Exposed to oriental music and dance at a young age, her authentic Egyptian style and musical ear are clearly in her blood. She began her professional training in Sydney in 1983 with Rozetta Ahalyeas, who gave her the grounding to become an entertainer. Starting in Sydney's Middle Eastern nightclubs, such as "Hunnas", "Beirut by Night", "Mykonos", "Sheik's tent", "Sahara City", "The Middle Eastern Club", "The Egyptian Club", "Chez Liban", "Cave Du Roi", "Cedars of Lebanon" and "Sheherazade", she also remained the resident dancer at the well-known "Golden Nights" for over eight years, in between contracts overseas.

In 1987, Amera opened her bellydance boutique, "Amera's Palace", the first of its kind in Australia and surrounding countries. Catering to all Middle Eastern dance enthusiasts and lovers of Arabic culture & music, it also included one of the first oriental dance schools in Sydney.

Meanwhile, Amera's career as an overseas entertainer was just beginning. In 1985 she flew to her first overseas engagement in Athens, Greece, to work in leading Arabic nightclubs "Kantari" and "Layalina's", where her contract was extended over a 6 month period to include performances at private functions for visiting dignitaries, princes and sheiks.

The following year she was booked for the Eid el Fitr celebration at El Nasr Leisureland in Dubai for one month, before flying on to Bahrain and Singapore where she spent a further three months performing with musicians and singers at various concerts and nightclubs.

On her return to Australia, contracts around the country, television documentaries, interviews for newspapers and magazines both in Arabic and English, and work on neighbouring islands and resorts such as New Caledonia, continued to keep Amera busy with her dance career. She appeared as a support act in concerts for numerous visiting Arabic singers such as Mona Merashli, George Wassouf, Rageb Alame, Rabih El Kholi, Amr Diab, Ehab Toufik, Melham Baraket, Tony Mohanna, Mayez Al Bayah, Pascal Mashalany, and Nawal El Zoughby.

In 1990, while working at "Golden nights", Amera was put in contact with the well-known Lebanese agent Toros Siranossian, and became one of only a handful of non-Arabic dancers to work with him at that time. Mr Siranossian represented Amera for the next 7 years, with continuous year-round contracts throughout the Middle East. Taking up residence in Beirut as her home base, Amera found herself performing with many of the famous singers she had worked with in Sydney, at prestigious nightclubs in Lebanon, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Syria, Jordan, Oman and in Africa.

Between 1994 and 1999 Amera also travelled regularly to Egypt, where she trained with top choreographers Raqia Hassan, Ibrahim Akef and Aida Nour, and also performed two contracts in the summer of 1999.

On her return to Australia after nearly two decades of performing experience, Amera has become widely recognized as one of the country's leading exponents of oriental dance. As a teacher she is in demand for workshops at home and abroad, and in 1999 spent six weeks teaching and performing at the Oriental Dance School of Beata and Horacio Cifuentes in Berlin, Germany. As a performer her knowledge is unrivalled. Specializing in many different Egyptian styles, her unique way of capturing the spirit of this sensuous and exciting dance form, as well a strong and engaging stage personality, have made her the only choice for many seeking a truly authentic oriental dance experience.

Amera has also a Cert IV in Assessment and Workplace training, & is a fully qualified aerobics & fitness instructor, the creator of the new Bellyrobics exercise program - an aerobic based workout incorporating simple Belly Dance techniques. She is also a Cert IV personal trainer and Cert IV in workplace training and assessment.

Resume of world-wide appearances:

Greece,Dubai,Singapore, New Caledonia (1985-1989)
India, New Delhi Hyatt Hotel (New Years Eve 1989)
Lebanon , Beirut : Summerland Hotel (2 months New year 1995/96)
"Al Atlal" nightclub in Achout(1991)
Amman , Jordan : Jerusalem hotel (2 months 1991, 1992, & 1993)
Intercontinental hotel, Amman Jordan (2 months 1994)
Regency Palace, Amman, Jordan (2 months 1995)
U.A.E, Dubai Claridge hotel ( 2 months 1994 & 1996)
UAE, Dubai, St George hotel (2 months 1996)
UAE, Dubai, Carlton Tower hotel (2 months 1995)
UAE, Dubai, Vendome Plaza Hotel (2 months 1993 & 1994)
U.A.E. Abu Dhabi Gulf Hotel (3 months 1992)
Syria Le Meridien Hotel (2 months 1995)
U.A.E. Al Ain Hilton Hotel (1 month 1992)
UAE, Al Ain, Intercontinental Hotel ( 2 months 1993,1994 & 1995)
Muscat, Omman Al Bustan Palace (3 mths 1993)
Syria,Lattaquia Le Meridien (2 months 1994)
Africa,Ivory coast, Abijan - Al Sultan Restaurant (2 months 1995)
Greece,Athens Shahraman Restaurant (4 months 1991)
Egypt,Sharm el Sheik Gazala Gardens (1999)
Aswan Basma Hotel (1999)

Please feel free to contact Amera to find out about what kind of special performance she can arrange for your function.