* PERFORMER * TEACHER * CHOREOGRAPHER*

Samra has dedicated over 15 years to study multi-cultural dances with the greatest masters around the world. She also has a Master's degree in Education and post-graduate study in Psychology. These educational and travel experiences contribute to Samra's success as a performer and teacher for persons of all ages and backgrounds..

She has taught workshops in several states in the USA and worldwide. She has also traveled to Europe, Mexico, Canada, Egypt, and Bali to immerse in their cultures and learn more about their dances.

Her specialties are Middle Eastern, Latin, and Polynesian dances, as well as her continued study other ethnic styles. Samra's performances are enhanced by her passion for interpreting dances of other cultures, her technical skills, and use of authentic costumes and music.

Her artistry has long lasting impact on students and audiences as evidenced in remarks by those who experience it.

References will be provided upon request

Iara Kendrick has been performing Middle Eastern dances under the stage name Samra since the early 90s. But her love for dancing began many years earlier, dating back from her childhood in Bahia , Brazil . She grew up in a city where the sound of Candomble drums permeated the late night air and broke the silence even in the quietest residential streets, and blended with the noise of the noisiest streets. Besides, there were the sounds of the "bateria" that went on all year in anticipation of the frenzied celebration called Carnaval; the drums and "pandeiros" of the omnipresent Samba; and the "berimbau" of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art.

Growing up in Brazil , one is surrounded by rhythms and dances from all parts of the world. Since early in her life Samra was always attracted to the music and dances from far away places, especially the Middle East . She joined Brazilian folk dance groups, danced in the carnaval, and attended weekly neighborhood parties. She continued her interest in dance by taking ballroom dance classes in college after coming to the United States to study, and later immersed herself in the study of dances from the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia , and several Mediterranean countries. She continues to study, research, perform, and teach ethnic dances and fusion from around the world. Her pursuit of dance has taken her around the globe to learn, to teach, and to perform.

Besides striving to present the dances in the best form aesthetically, Samra strives to present each dance in the appropriate cultural context, thus studying not only the physical movements, but also the historical and expressive mode of each dance. She is an accomplished dance artist with worldwide recognition. She frequently performs for audiences of all ages and backgrounds, and of all ethnic origins.

Samra states that: "One never stops learning and everyone has something to teach, so I try to learn from as many people as I can. To all my teachers, I say thank you for your inspiration and for sharing with me your beautiful craft interpreted with impeccable artistry and uncompromising passion."