Krisenna Zipporah
Biography
About Krisenna
Krisenna's formal dance training began at the tender age of 3. She wowed audiences with her enthusiasm for performance as a dedicated dancer for the Talent Factory. Years of gymnastics, tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet and ballroom classes built a strong foundation for her path as a professional choreographer/performer and dance/gymnastics instructor. When Krisenna was 8, her step mother introduced her to Cabaret belly dance. Krisenna's vocal training and piano lessons also helped to shape her understanding and love of music as a creative outlet.
Krisenna's passion for music and art flourished early on, but it wasn't until after college that she became a formal student of belly dance (at Shimmy Shakti Studio). Discovering the tribal fusion style presented Krisenna with a new focus which she has studied with ignited zeal by traveling all over the nation to attend workshops, intensives, and classes from some of the most highly acclaimed dancers in the world including Zoe Jakes, Kami Liddle, Amy Sigil, Sharon Kihara, Rachel Brice, Audra Simmons, Lady Fred & Mira Betz. She has completed intensives and certified to teach Unmata ITS Beginning, Intro, Intermediate & Advanced.
Krisenna directed the Pretty Hard Corps dance troupe in New York (2012/2014). She moved to Casa Grande, AZ in 2014 and started dancing with RaMagik (2014–2019). In 2016, she started dancing with Shahrazad Dance Company in Phoenix and was part of the trios that captured international titles at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo. In Cairo, Krisenna was honored to study with some of the most notable dancers in Egyptian / Oriental dance — Dina, Hoda, Mohamed Salah, Lucy, Daria Mitskevich, Kasumi, Darina Konstantinova, Aziza Cairo, Dr. Mo Gedawwi, Soraia Zaied, Maryam Aguirre & Leyla Lanty.
In 2017, Krisenna produced the first annual Amethyst Dance Festival, and in 2019, she formed the Amethyst World Dance Company. She is especially grateful for her mentors: Christina Gonzales and Jenna Harder of Shimmy Shakti Studios, Connie Jones and Amy Sigil of Unmata.
Krisenna is currently offering belly dance instruction at her Castle Drive home studio in Casa Grande, at Thrive Cultural Academy, and at The Studio in Casa Grande, Arizona.
Career Highlights
Age 3
Formal dance training begins — gymnastics, tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, ballroom
Age 8
Introduced to Cabaret belly dance by her step mother
2010–
Becomes a formal belly dance student at Shimmy Shakti Studio; discovers tribal fusion
2012–14
Directs the Pretty Hard Corps dance troupe in New York
2014
Moves to Casa Grande, AZ; joins RaMagik (through 2019)
2016
Joins Shahrazad Dance Company; wins international titles at Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival in Cairo, Egypt
2017
Produces the first annual Amethyst Dance Festival
2019
Forms the Amethyst World Dance Company
2024
Performs at the Miss Arab USA Pageant with AZ Belly Dance Collective
Training & Education
A sample of Krisenna's dance training, performance, judging & teaching experience
Intensives
- Amy Sigil - Unmata
- Ala Carte Classes (Jill Parker & Lady Fred) — Tribal Massive, Las Vegas 2012
- Advanced/Professional Track — Tribal Massive, Las Vegas 2013
- Advanced/Professional Track — Tribal Massive, Las Vegas 2014
- Basic Black Intensive (Darkside Studios, Toronto) — Audra Simmons 2013
- Lavender Intensive (Darkside Studios, Toronto) — Audra Simmons 2014
- Costa Rica ITS Retreat 2015
- Rachel Brice's 8 Elements™ Phase 1: Initiation with Recognition — Portland, OR 2015
- Amanda Rose Online Musicality Intensive 2015
- Tribal Massive, Las Vegas — Week 2 2016
- Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, Cairo, Egypt 2016
- Mega Massive, Las Vegas 2017
- Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival, Cairo, Egypt 2017
- Amanda Rose Online Tarab Intensive 2018
- Deb Rubin — Dance Therapeutics in Arizona 2018
- S.I.G.I.L Certification 2018
- April Rose's Belly Dance Cohesion Certificate Program — Massive, Las Vegas 2019
- Mira Betz Weekend Intensive 2019
- Mega Massive 2020
- Tommy King Intensive Certificate Program 2020
Studio Training
- Shimmy Shakti Studio (Twin Falls, ID)
Tribal Fusion · Instructors: Christina Gonzales & Jenna Harter · Over 600 hours - CSI (College of Southern Idaho)
Fundamentals — Cabaret · Instructor: Cindy Woods - Connie Jones's Studio
Cabaret / Oriental — Customized Session · Instructor: Connie Jones - Fort Drum
Oriental Belly Dance — 1.5 years · Instructor: Hoonam Kim - Belly Dance Tucson Studio
ITS — 1 Session · Instructor: Chandreyee Mitra - Casa Grande Community
Belly Dance Basics - AZ Sundance Studio
Egyptian Style — 3 Years (3–4 hrs/week) · Instructor: Warda Shahrazad - ATS Session
Instructor: Becka Bomb
Private Instruction
Workshops & Courses
· Amy Sigil (Unmata) — Choreography, Working in the Moment (3x), Human Adventure (3x) ITS
· Christina Gonzales — Combinations
· Jill Parker
· Sabeya
· Dahlia — Shimmies
· Sedona Soulfire — Choreography / Drum Solo
· Linda Faoro — Hip Hop Fusion
· Samira — Hula Fusion
· The Lady Fred — Tribal Fusion
· Sherri Wheatley — Tribal Fusion
· Calamity Sam — Combo's
· Myra Kiren — Flamenco / Lecture
· Cecilia Rinn
· Zoe Jakes — The Lady and the Lion
· Zoe Jakes — Tribal Fusion
· Zoe Jakes — Indian Fusion
· Kami Liddle
· Sharon Kihara
· Mira Betz — Costuming
· Audra Simmons
· Tess Meyers
· Ava Fleming — Hamstrings Focus / Choreography
· Farha — Belly Dance History (Series)
· Nikolai Ruskin — Instruments & Rhythms
· Hannah (Hannah's Hips)
· Mira Betz — Tribal Fusion
· Michelle Sorenson — Dance Hall Fusion / Arms / Layering
· Amanda Rose — Saidi
· April Rose — Belly Dance History / Choreography
· Ionah
· Kaeshi Chai — Fusion
· Azita
· Yasmina Parker — Veil
· Carrie Konyha — Shabby
· Ophelia
· Rukshana — Sword / Tray
· Divine Chaos — Skirt
· Ranya Renee
· Samantha Karim — Fan Choreography / Choreography / Sensual Dance
· Maryam Aguirre — Modern / Choreography / Shabby / Drum Solo
· Innah Raks — Lines & Extensions
· Mohamed Fouadhelmy — Musicality
· Dina — Choreography
· Daria Mitskevich — Mergence / Shabby
· Innah Raks — Stretching Techniques
· Darina Konstantinova — Choreography
· Aziza Cairo — Choreography / Shaabi
· Leyla Lanti — Zills
· Issam Houshan — Rhythms
· Ustada Azra — Zills
· Mia Donna — Fusion Combo's
· Alma Gul — Bollywood / Choreography / Basic Saidi / Spins
· Na-il Ankarah Ali
· Soraia Zaied — Shabby
· Nathalie Dance — Saidi
· Draconis — Isolations
· Inanna LeFay — Fusion
· Mohammed Salah — Saidi
· Dr. Mo Gedawwi — Choreography
· Raquia Hassan — Choreography
· Ryan Yanguochao — Choreography
· Hoda Ibrahim — Saidi
· Mayte Garcia — Lecture / Choreography
· Melisula — Sassy Drum Solo
· Kelly Binder — Bollywood Series
· Ashley Lopez
· David Badyal
· Sarah Hinson — Flamenco Fusion
· Poise and Panache Course — Carrie Meyer
· Belly Dance Ethics Course — Terri Allred
· Demelza Fox of the UK 2019
· Belly Dance Teaching Course — Sara Shrapnell 2019
· Journey Through Egypt Fundamentals — Sahra Saeeda 2019
· Kamrah 2020
· Aradia Wynn 2020
· Sara Lyn — Super Goo & Sharp as Nails 2020
· Karolina Lux 2020
· Joline Andrade 2020
· Esmeralda Colabone COLLECTION Online Course 2020
· Nikolas Kazakos — Saidi and Baladi Workshop 2023
· Yahlia Online Courses — Baladi 2023
· Sahira — Zills Revolution 2023
· 3 months — Raqs Sharki & Iraqi Dance Basics — Noreen Baladi 2024
· Sahira — Zills Revolution 2024
· Jasirah Online Classes 2025
· Cued Improv and Fusion Collective Workshop at Amethyst Dance Festival 2025
Festivals & Events
Fusion Fest — Idaho
Tribal Fest — California
Fusion Fest — Idaho
I Love Hot Pot Event — Idaho
Queen of Hearts Hafla, New York — Featured Instructor & Performer
Belly Dance Ball, New York — Featured Instructor & Performer
420 — Idaho
Snowball Retreat — Montreal, Canada
SABA Event, New York — Featured Instructor & Performer
Swap Meet — Arizona
Swap Meet — Arizona
Desert Queen Festival — Arizona
Phoenix Rising
Swap Meet — Arizona
Arab American Festival
Amethyst Dance Festival — Arizona
Phoenix Rising
Cairo Nights Event — Texas
Swap Meet — Arizona
Amethyst Dance Festival — Arizona
Fusion Day — Arizona
Raqs Gone Rogue Competition — Featured Performer & Judge
Fusion Fest — Idaho
Phoenix Rising — Instructor
Yasmina's 25th Annual Swap Meet — Instructor
Queen of the Prairie Dance Festival, Iowa — Featured Instructor, Performer & Competition Judge
Temple of Ishtar Theatrical Show — Cast Performer
Amethyst Dance Festival — Director · Headliners: Shahrzad Cairo, Christina & Jenna of Shimmy Shakti
Amethyst Dance Festival — Headliners: Victoria Teel & Sara Lynn
Amethyst Dance Festival — Headliner: Sahira
2024 Miss Arab USA Pageant Performance — AZ Belly Dance Collective
AZ Belly Dance Chemistry — Featured Instructor/Performer
Supplemental Certifications & Training
Train with Krisenna
Classes, private lessons, and workshops available in Casa Grande, AZ.