Susanne (Leila) has been dancing since before she was 5 years old: ballet, tap, and the like.  She also performed and taught ballroom for nearly a decade, but Belly Dancing is her real passion.

She has studied (and continues to do so) with numerous teachers all across North America - Delilah (Seattle), Nathalie Lebel (Sherbrooke), Lala Hakim (Montreal), Denise Enan (Ottawa), Hadia (Calgary) and many others, but it was her first teacher, Armenian belly dancer, Perouze Messiha (Montreal), that originally planted the spark in 1987.

Susanne (Leila) has performed and taught extensively, bringing the beauty, grace and spirit of Belly Dance into the community and beyond¹; most recently as partner for 6 years of Layali Sherazad Middle Eastern Dance Company.

One of the first dancers in the Ottawa area to perform with a sword, Susanne (Leila) loves incorporating props such as veil and cane, but specializes in zills (finger cymbals).

Drawing on her friends in the local dance community for inspiration, Susanne (Leila) continues to evolve her dance style, making it uniquely her own.

¹Always travelling with a costume, Susanne (Leila) has performed as far away as Germany, France and the Middle East.