Faaridah (Farah Taylor), studio owner, and Executive Producer of the annual Essence of Belly dance festival in Atlanta. a lifelong dancer, Faaridah studied ballet, tap and jazz in her hometown of Brooklyn, Ny in addition to a variety of Caribbean and Latin dance styles. She was later exposed to Middle Eastern Dance and Indian Dance and has been studying and performing a variety of dance styles for over 15 years under the direction of some of the most notable instructors. She is also a licensed Zumba Instructor since 2010. Faaridah is a student of the Salimpour School and maintains a level 2 certification in both the Suhaila Salimpour and Jamila Salimpour Belly Fance formats, and aggressively working towards her level 3 certification.
Her prior dance certifications include Fat Chance Belly Dance® General Skills and Teacher training 1 & 2, and Bollyx (Bollywood Fitness)
She is a member of the world renowned dance troupe Bal Anat, directed by Suhaila Salimpour. she is the Director of a the Atlanta’s premier perfoming company, Amarya Dance Company and AFBD’s Lotus Fusion Dance Ensemble. She is also a founding member of 2 notable dance troupes in Atlanta, Rafi’ah Dance Company and the Georgia Salimpour Collective who perform throughout the Southeast.