Tarifa Salem

Lebanese American Near Dance Artist, and founder of Tarifa Salem Eastern Dance Arts, Tarifa “Donna” Salem was born into a traditional Lebanese family where she was exposed to Arabic dance and music which was the center of all joyous occasions. She studied ballet, gymnastics, piano and voice in her youth nurturing her desire to perform. Her participation in high school musicals and productions in regional theater developed her performance skills. In college, she enrolled in the Dance Production Workshop classes where she developed her gift for choreography and stagecraft. She made her professional debut as a Near East Dancer in the summer after her freshman year when she performed in “Jesus Christ Super Star” at the Apple Hill Playhouse in Greensburg, Pa. After graduating from West Chester University with a BS in Health/PE with a Dance Emphasis in 1978, she accepted a job in NYC as Dance and PE instructor at the elite Nightingale Bamford School. She began studying with her uncle, Ibrahim Farrah, who became her sole mentor and inspiration in developing her art and pursuing graduate studies. Phaedra, also a mentor and principal dancer with the Ibrahim Farrah Near East Dance Group, helped Tarifa refine her skills in preparation for more intensive classes with Ibrahim Farrah.  She became a performing member of the Ibrahim Farrah Near East Dance Group in 1979. Her most memorable performance with the group was the June 1981 Town Hall Concert, featuring Nadia Gamal. Tarifa participated in Nadia’s intensive workshops that summer, which had a major impact on her dancing. She danced at many popular Arabic nightclubs with incredible musicians and was booked for many club dates by Eddie “The Sheik” Kochak in and around NYC at that time. She was also a performing member of NYU based Modern Dance Company, Kaleidoscope under the direction of Dr. Judith Schwartz. She was fortunate to study Bharata Natyam with Classical Indian Dance Guru, Indrani, Afro-Caribbean Dance with Dunham Protégé, Lavinia Williams and Flamenco Artist, Carlota Santana during her graduate matriculation. She earned her MA Degree in Dance from NYU in 1982. Tarifa has been teaching and performing professionally since 1978 and though technically retired, avails herself to teaching workshops, private and small group classes. Her passion for maintaining a standard in the art of her heritage has become a priority to honor the legacy of her uncle/mentor Ibrahim Farrah (1939 – 1998). For more information, go to www.tarifasalem.com.

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