Every one of us carries the elements of the Divine. Every work eventually becomes a spiritual work that when it pulsates creating fire that burns your heart. Dance enters me as I enter it, carrying my soul through it to another level of reality. Possessing this gracious ability called movement I emerge from the ocean of my fears and screams to surrender into a river of stillness and beauty. My dream of becoming a bellydancer had come true. My inner light had led me to it. I began to see this ancient art form in a different way. I dropped my armor, my weapons and I let it burn its way to freedom. The process of learning it and the process of recognizing it at a deeper level, created a voice inside of me that echoes inside of every cell of my being. And when I look at the stars I know that the whole cosmos is dancing with me. - Karawan, 2005 Dance, to me, is a medium for learning about life and ultimately Self. Dance without soul can be enjoyable but does not move the depth of a person. All of us are students of life. Life is difficult but we all need to let loose, dance, listen to music and enjoy the moment. Dance and music help remind me that I am alive, and that is enough to be joyful. I want to share that with my audience. Karawan's love for Middle Eastern music and dance began back in Detroit, over a decade ago, where she danced with the Habibi Dancers. Since then, she has traveled to Europe and Japan and eventually settled in San Francisco where she joined the Aswan Dancers and studied under Amina Goodyear. Over the years, she has taken workshops with American dancers Cassandra, Conchi, Dahlena, Karen Barbee, and Shareen el Safy; and Arabic dance teachers Jacques al Asmar, Nadia Hamdi, Faten Salama, Atef Farag, Mahmoud Reda, Farida Fahmy and Raqia Hasan. Karawan performed at local nightclubs with The Arabian Knights, an Arabic band hosted by Amina, Jacques al Asmar and DJ Raffy of Sheek Image, for many years. She also began to perform at various events with the Lammam brothers. Working with the famous musical family exposed Karawan to the rich world of classical songs and ballads of the past. These experiences have helped her to develop a soulful style very much rooted in Arabic culture. Karawan is a favorite at many Bay Area clubs, restaurants and parties.