Layal - About

Layal is a belly dancer, fusion artist and fire performer based in the Montreal area. She started dancing at a very young age with classical ballet and modern jazz, before discovering belly dance and, over the years, making it the heart of her artistic journey. Curious by nature (and apparently incapable of sticking to just one style for very long!), she has also trained in martial arts, contortion and competitive Latin dancesports.

Her style brings together all of these influences while remaining deeply rooted in Middle Eastern dance. She loves the elegance of Egyptian Raqs Sharqi just as much as the energy of Turkish style and the delicacy of classical Persian dance. She also has a soft spot for the dancers of Egypt’s Golden Age, especially Naima Akef (her forever favorite!).

Layal has been teaching belly dance since 2014. Over the years, she has taught regular weekly classes, private lessons and workshops, and during the pandemic, she took her teaching online. Today, she continues to offer private lessons both in person and virtually and is regularly invited to teach workshops.

A competitor herself, Layal has won numerous awards at belly dance competitions and has also been invited to sit on the other side of the table as a competition judge.

Her work has also brought her to television on several occasions, with appearances on shows and productions including Révolution (Seasons 2 & 3) and Chanteurs masqués, among others.

On stage and in the studio, she still loves the same thing: learning, experimenting, mixing things together and seeing where they take her. Her dance keeps changing with her, and that might be the best way to describe her.