Kenzie

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Kenzie is a second generation belly dancer with an insatiable passion for the art of Egyptian dance.  Her dance journey began with ballet and modern dance classes as a child, and she would often follow her mother to her belly dance classes and rehearsals just to watch.  As a teen, Kenzie studied ballet and modern under master instructors Kerry Ring and Lisa Taylor in her hometown, and with Carolyn Adams (formerly of Paul Taylor Dance Company), Julie Strandberg (American Dance Legacy Institute), and Robert Battle (artistic director of Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre) during her summers at the New York State Summer School for the Arts. 

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Kenzie’s journey into Middle Eastern dance began in her early teen years, and by the age of 17 she was professionally performing at Egyptian, Lebanese and Pakastani weddings, festivals, restaurants and hookah lounges around the Buffalo area alongside her mentor Faaria. 

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Kenzie earned her BFA in Dance from SUNY Fredonia, where she was the recipient of several talent scholarships and performed with the college’s pre-professional dance company.  Kenzie is a strong believer in being an eternal student and travels around the US, Canada and abroad to study with the best in the industry.  Influences include Aziza of Montreal and Khaled Mahmoud among many others.  Kenzie completed Sahra Kent's Journey through Egypt program that included three weeks of study in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, Egypt in April and May 2018.  

 

Kenzie has been invited to perform and teach across the Upstate NY area and Ontario at various events including Artpark's production of "The Odyssey," Lehrer Dance's "Gallery Dances" at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center, Buffalo State’s annual Culture Show, Canisius College’s Arab Night, the International Institute's "Buffalo Without Borders," SUNY Fredonia’s International Education Week, UB’s Israel Week, and Hilel Buffalo’s Israeli Carnival.  She was honored to win 1st place at the East Coast Classic in the Professional Cabaret category in 2017 and brought home the silver medal at the Euro Crown Competition in Thessaloniki, Greece in 2016.  In early 2020, Kenzie was selected as a member of the European cast of Bellydance Evolution's "The Jungle Book" and performed in the world premiere in Hanover, Germany in March 2020.   

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Kenzie's full CV is available upon request.  To book Kenzie for your next event, contact her at (716)598-1815 or kenziebellydance@gmail.com.