Amera Eid
Amera Eid is an Australian bellydancer and created an Iconic Australian bellydance boutique and school, Amera’s Palace belly dance boutique in 1987 in the suburb of Newtown, Sydney, Australia, that later moved to Marrickville in 2010. Amera is of Egyptian and European background. Her parents were born in Port Said & shoubra, Egypt, emigrating to Australia in the early 1960s. Exposed to oriental music and dance at a young age, her authentic Egyptian style and musical ear are clearly in her blood. She began her professional training with Rozeta Ahalyea in Sydney in 1983 and worked the Sydney restaurant and Arabic nightclub circuit. She appeared as a support act in concerts for numerous visiting Arabic singers such as Mona Merashli, George Wassouf, Rageb Alame, Rabih El Kholi, Amr Diab, Ehab Toufik, Melham Baraket, Tony Mohanna, Mayez Al Bayah, Pascal Mashalany, and Nawal El Zoughby.Template:Jerusalem Hotel Amman Jordan 1991
Eid opened Amera’s Palace bellydance boutique in 1987, which included one of the first bellydance schools in Sydney. ( The school operated in Sheiks Tent nightclub on weeknights, whilist the nightclub was closed in 1987) In the days before the internet the boutique also acted as the hub of information on bellydancing in Australia through The Palace newsletter, which ultimately became a bi annual magazine. The magazine merged with Bellydance Oasis Magazine in late 2006 due to Amera’s growing commitments to looking after three foster children.
In 1990, Amera was put in contact with Lebanese agent Toros Siranossian, and became one of only a handful of non-Arabic dancers to work with him at that time. Mr Siranossian represented Amera for the next 7 years, with continuous year-round contracts throughout the Middle East, taking up residence in Beirut as her home base. Between 1994 and 1999 Amera also traveled regularly to Egypt, where she trained with top choreographers Raqia Hassan, Ibrahim Akef and Aida Nour, and also performed two contracts in the summer of 1999.
Amera returned to Australia, after this and retired as a professional dancer but continued to teach and runs international workshops . In 2008 she hosted THE FARHA TOUR to Australia, 6–9 November 2008, the first time a Belly Dance event of this international calibre has ever happened in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2010 she hosted for the first time, Egyptian Belly Dancer, Dina for workshops and a Concert. In 2013 she sold Ameras Palace to Ali Higson where it still remains one of the premier Belly Dance outlets in Australia for the last 26 years. Amera now concentrates on teaching belly dancing privately, and workshops nationally, and continues her passion of working in foster care for children.
Performances
- Amman Jordan Jerusalem hotel (2 months 1991, 1992 & 1993)
- Amman Jordan Intercontinental hotel (2 months 1994)
- Amman Jordan Regency Palace (2 months 1995)
- Aswan Basma Hotel (1999)
- Egypt Sharm el Sheik Gazala Gardens (1999)
- Greece Athens Shahraman Restaurant (4 months 1991)
- Greece Dubai Singapore New Caledonia (1985-1989)
- India New Delhi Hyatt Hotel (New Year's Eve 1989)
- Ivory Coast Abidjan - Al Sultan Restaurant (2 months 1995)
- Lebanon Beirut : Summerland Hotel (2 months New year 1995/96)
- Muscat Omman Al Bustan Palace (3 mths 1993)
- Syria Lattaquia Le Meridien (2 months 1994)
- Syria Le Meridien Hotel (2 months 1995)
- U.A.E Dubai Claridge hotel ( 2 months 1994 & 1996)
- U.A.E. Abu Dhabi Gulf Hotel (3 months 1992)
- U.A.E. Al Ain Intercontinental Hotel ( 2 months 1993 1994 & 1995)
- U.A.E. Al Ain Hilton Hotel (1 month 1992)
- U.A.E. Dubai St George hotel (2 months 1996)
- U.A.E. Dubai Carlton Tower hotel (2 months 1995)
- U.A.E. Dubai Vendome Plaza Hotel (2 months 1993 & 1994)