Laman Hendricks

Laman Hendricks was born and raised within the cultural environments of Azerbaijan and Türkiye and began movement training through acrobatic gymnastics and regional folk dance. She later studied at the Baku Choreography Academy and developed a professional repertoire including Azerbaijani and broader Caucasus traditions. After establishing herself in the United States, Laman founded **Dances of Caucasus**, a project dedicated to presenting and preserving regional dance forms. She has also worked within the international Oriental dance community and appeared at events including Rakkas Istanbul. Her athletic training gives her performances strong control and theatrical power, while her cultural background provides direct connection to the Caucasus traditions she teaches. Laman is particularly important for Raqs Atlas because her work encourages audiences to distinguish Caucasian and Azerbaijani dances from generic “Oriental” stage fusion.