Crystal is a belly dance and belly dance fusion artist, instructor and choreographer from San Francisco, California USA who has performed and taught throughout the world.

Skilled in both the art of classical Middle Eastern dance and modern fusion, Crystal puts her Arab American roots to the stage with a deep sense of rhythm and powerful athleticism and has become known for her unique and energetic style of fusion dance movement.

A long time student of master instructor Suhaila Salimpour and her mother Jamila Salimpour, Crystal was a member of both the Suhaila Dance Company and Bal Anat and in 2006 founded RaksArabi, a belly dance fusion company in California. RaksArabi has performed for audiences in the USA and Europe with a repertoire that draws upon hip hop, jazz, North African and other dance styles enhancing the art of belly dance with a vivid and contemporary feel.

Crystal resided in Madrid, Spain for nearly a decade, sharing her love for dance throughout Europe and the world while seeking to inspire students to explore themselves through this expressive art. In Madrid she directed the Dance Junkies a student fusion dance group. Now living in Washington, DC USA, she is teaching weekly classes both online and in the area and performs regularly with local venues.

Crystal is also a certified yoga instructor from Rishikesh Yog Peeth (Rishikesh Yoga Institute) and has been teaching hatha yoga and specialized yoga for dancers classes since 2012.

She holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California Santa Cruz. Read more here.