We’re looking forward to introducing you to Zizi Zabaneh. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Zizi, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
The moment the music starts, everything else falls away. The world outside the studio, the weight of responsibilities, even time itself, they all dissolve. Each beat, each shimmy, each veil floating through the air is a reminder of who I am at my core. In those moments, I am not counting minutes; I am living them fully.
Dance is my mirror and my medicine. It challenges me, grounds me, and lifts me all at once. I lose myself in its rhythm, but I always come back feeling more like me, stronger, freer, and whole.
That’s the gift of dance: it’s not just movement, it’s coming home to yourself.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Zizi Zabaneh, a Colombian-Lebanese dancer, choreographer, and instructor with 30 years of experience. For many years I lived in Miami, where I built my dance company Fusion Gitana, and had the privilege of performing and teaching internationally. Three years ago, life brought me to Orlando, and with that came the challenge and the gift of starting over.
Here, I’ve recreated my second dance company (Belly Dancing Orlando) with the mission of giving women of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to experience the power and beauty of Middle Eastern dance. What makes my work unique is that while I love fusing Flamenco, Latin, and Oriental styles, I remain deeply authentic to my Middle Eastern roots. For me, dance is more than performance, it is culture, history, and a celebration of strength and grace.
What I’m building in Orlando is not just a dance company, but a community. I want students and audiences alike to feel the richness of this art form, to understand its origins, and to feel empowered by it. That authenticity, passion, and cultural pride are at the heart of everything I do.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I had to please everyone in order to be accepted, that my worth depended on fitting into other people’s expectations. I also grew up seeing how women were often taught to be dependent on men, and that certain forms of expression, like dance, carried shame.
Today, I no longer believe any of that. Dance has taught me the opposite: that I don’t need to please the world, I don’t need anyone’s permission, and I should never be ashamed of an art form that is part of my roots and my soul. I stand in my power as a woman, independent and authentic, and I teach my students the same, that dance is not something to hide, but something that heals, connects, and empowers.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self: “You don’t have to shrink to be loved. Be bold, be authentic, and never be ashamed of your passion. One day you’ll realize that your dance, your voice, and your roots are your greatest gifts, and they will carry you further than fear ever could.”
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
For me, the difference between a fad and a real foundational shift comes down to authenticity and endurance. Fads come and go, they’re flashy, trendy, and often disconnected from cultural roots or deeper meaning. A foundational shift, on the other hand, changes the way we see, teach, or experience the art form for the long run.
In dance, I’ve seen plenty of fads, movements that look exciting for a moment but don’t honor the tradition or last beyond a season. What I’ve learned is that when something is rooted in culture, history, and genuine expression, it doesn’t fade. That’s why I stay true to my Middle Eastern roots even while fusing styles, because authenticity never goes out of style.
A fad asks you to follow. A foundational shift asks you to grow.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I lived authentically and gave everything I had to dance and to my community. That I used my art not only to perform, but to empower women, to remind them that they don’t need permission to shine, that they can be strong, graceful, and unapologetically themselves.
I want to be remembered as someone who carried her Colombian and Middle Eastern roots with pride, who honored the culture through her teaching, and who opened doors for others to step onto the stage with confidence.
Most of all, I hope the story people tell is that through my passion, I helped others find their own voice, their own rhythm, and their own courage.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BellyDancingOrlando.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/zizidances
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FusionGitana
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zizi.dances
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zizizabaneh
Image Credits
Images belong to Zizi Zabaneh
