Tarik Sultan
Tarik Sultan is one of the world’s best-known pioneers of male Oriental Dance (Belly Dancing). He began his formal training in 1985. In addition to classes, he spent countless hours in the Dance Research Library at Lincoln Center, striving to learn as much as he could about the dance, its history, and the culture from which it originated. In 1988, he traveled to Egypt for the first time, observing the dance in its native homeland. This experience allowed him to distinguish the truth about the dance from the many popular myths created by the media.
Inspired by his travels, Tarik began teaching his first class in the early '90s, eager to share all he had learned and observed. Over the years, his talent and dedication to the art have earned him a reputation as a dynamic performer and a gifted, inspiring teacher and choreographer. He has taught many successful seminars across the nation as well as internationally in the UK, Japan, Australia, Trinidad, and Argentina. Some of Tarik’s international performance credits include the Jerusalem Festival, the Dar America Association in Marrakech, Morocco, and Alexandria, Egypt. In 2003, he became one of the first male dancers to perform at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo, Egypt. Other credits include performances at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, and The Museum of Natural History.
Tarik holds the distinction of being the only male dancer to be featured in the top venues in New York City, such as Casbah Rouge, Mehenata Bulgarian Bar, Babylon, Horus, The Habibi Lounge, and Feluca and 1001 Nights in Brooklyn, NY. From 2003 to 2014, he was the premier dancer at Le Souk in NYC. Until recently, he taught regular weekly classes in NYC, The Bronx, and Jersey City. He is available for private lessons, Zoom classes, private parties, and workshops upon request.
Tarik Sultan offers a range of engaging classes at the Bellyqueen School, catering to multiple levels.
Tuesdays
6.30-7.30pm: Intermediate Beyond Shimmies (Drop-In)
7.30-8.30pm: Belly Dance Building Blocks 11/11-12/16 (6 Wk Course)
Thursdays
6.30-7.30pm: Intermediate Evolution of Egyptian Dance 11/6-12/18 (Drop-In)
Saturdays
11am-12pm: Basic Belly Dance (Drop-In)
12-1pm: Intermediate Beyond Shimmies (Drop-In)
1-2pm: Huss Shaabi w/ Cymbals Performance Project 10/11-10/25 (6 Wk Course)
WHERE:
Bellyqueen School @Playwrights
440 Lafayette St, 4th Floor, Studio 4D, New York, NY 10003
Press "Playwrights" on the intercom to be let into the building and to activate the elevator
INVESTMENT:
Drop-In Class: $25, class-cards and unlimited passes apply
6 Week Course: $120, $110 members, $25 drop-in
6 Week Performance Project: $175, $160 members
Way back in the day, I had taken classes with Tarik. He was an excellent teacher then and I am pleased to say that he continues to be. In fact, he has become a teacher who can teach everyone while, at the same time, providing support to any one individual. That's a gift! - Oliver Hummel
Drop-In Class Descriptions
Basic Belly Dance
Tarik will teach the building blocks of Egyptian style belly dance.
Absolute beginners are welcome.
Intermediate Evolution of Egyptian Dance
Discover the evolution of Egyptian dance — from the social celebrations of Raks Baladi to the glamour of Raks Sharki on Cairo’s stages. Raks Sharki may have lit up Cairo’s nightclubs, but its heart beat is rooted in the everyday joy of Raks Baladi. This class will reinforce the foundational movements of Egyptian social dance and explore how we elevate them for performance. This is perfect for dancers who want to connect with the roots of the art and learn how we transform them to shine on stage!
Intermediate Beyond Shimmies
The Beyond Shimmies series is designed to help you cultivate your own unique dance personality—one that feels natural, fluid, and expressive rather than rehearsed or mechanical.
In these classes, we’ll continue strengthening the foundational shimmy techniques you’ve been developing, while expanding into other essential elements of belly dance. You’ll learn fundamental movements and variations that every dancer should know, as well as how to apply them musically and meaningfully within a song.
Most importantly, you’ll discover how to bring these movements to life—infusing them with emotion, sensuality, personality, and passion—so that your dance radiates authenticity and captures the true soul of this art form.
