Cassandra Shore

Cassandra Shore began performing Middle Eastern dance in 1975 after studying with Jamila Salimpour. She founded her own school in Minneapolis in 1978 and later established Jawaahir Dance Company in 1989. Shore travelled extensively to North Africa, Türkiye and Greece to deepen her understanding of regional dance traditions. Her company became known for moving Middle Eastern dance into fully developed theatrical productions while retaining traditional source material. Nearly five decades of performance, teaching and company direction make her one of the major institutional pioneers of American Oriental dance.