Be warned if you go to a performance of hers. This woman can DANCE. She can make you feel the music and the emotion like few can. She tells stories with her hips and her eyes. And people like a good story, especially when Ayana tells it.

But she's more than a great dancer. She's an unbelievable friend and mentor.

Because of her, my dance has grown on a technical and an emotional level; she is the only person I have met who has been able to wrest the vulnerability, joy, and sassiness living beneath my deep layer of caution. I owe her so much for that.

As a friend, this woman lives judgment-free. I can say absolutely anything (and I do!), and she refuses to pass judgment on me. There is nothing like being able to gripe, speculate, and self-agrandize with someone you know really gets you... and appreciates your jokes.... even the bad ones.

Ayana is a marvel in herself. She only had a short time to learn the Saidi routine to perform it in Dallas for the Ahlan Cairo workshop in Dallas and she came through with flying colors. We could not have performed it without her as we needed as least three to do the number. She stepped right in and worked hard with Silke and myself to get it up to par.

To me she is such a vessel of knowledge and I am so lucky to have her at the school as one of my teachers and most of all my friend. Lost of hugs and kisses to her.

Zahirah

Renee here,
I just want to say that Ayana is my inspiration...she is liquid when she dances (lava, okay girl?)...It isn't about "classes" when she is teaching..it is about discovering your glorious woman's body and using it to tell the world "I am a force to be reckoned with" Okay, maybe not all of the other ladies feel that way, but I definately spend the rest of the week with an attitude. Heehee

Hi, Zahirah here:

I just wanted to say that I have known Ayana only a short time but she has made a lasting impression on me as well as the students she teaches. She knows about the culture, the music and when she dances, you can see the joy in her movements and the Love, yes love she portrays in the dance for the dance. As stated earlier, there are few out there today that can do this. Most are just mechanical dancers without any type of emotion in their dance. I am proud to have her teach at my school and hope she stays around for a very long time.

Zahirah