Hanan Arts
Originally known as Mid Eastern Dance Exchange, Hanan Arts is a Miami-Based 501C-3 organization founded in 1991. Hanan Arts globally innovates the genre of Raks Baladi (Belly Dance) as an instrument for social justice and connection through workshops, film, interdisciplinary performance, and academic investigation.
Programs of Hanan Arts are funded by Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ware Foundation.
Our Mission
The organization’s mission and work centers around women's healing and community transformation through the creative power of dance and film, and manifests in several multidisciplinary projects, workshops, and performances.
Our Vision
A just world where full expression and appreciation of women’s experience and knowledge are honored and celebrated.
Our History
Hanan Arts has developed over the course of more than 20 years of dance scholarship and social practice highlighting three key programs and projects. Through the creation of Habibi Remix, Bellydance Cuba Workshop, and The Dance Empowerment Project, Tiffany Madera made broad strokes that lead to the current organization, Hanan Arts.
In December 2003, the hanan arts cooperative, formed by Madera, created the Bellydance Cuba Workshop as a humanitarian artistic and cultural exchange for the mentoring, training and educational sponsorship of the now renowned and unprecedented bellydance troupe in Havana, Cuba named Cuban Soho.
In 2004, Madera developed, produced and co-directed “Habibi Remix,” an original work that explored the controversial and misunderstood modes of expression that are hip hop and bellydance. Themes explored included the East-West global conflict as well as the East Coast vs. West Coast battles in U.S. hip hop. Sexual politics and gender roles were addressed through the work and theatrical narrative.
The Dance Empowerment Project was a holistic bellydance course designed by Madera to bring participants to their creative and spiritual core. In addition to learning Egyptian style Baladi (bellydance) technique, dancers participated in creative unblocking exercises, arts projects, artistic field trips and artistic exploration. The dance program focused on the internal process of movement and its spiritual significance as the dancers tap into their inner wisdom and begin an inner dialogue to encourage a true relationship with the self.
Our Origins:
Mideastern Dance Exchange
The Mideastern Dance Exchange (MEDE) was a dance school in Miami Beach and 501(c)3 non profit organization dedicated to the understanding, exploration, creation and expansion of Middle Eastern Dance and Culture. Founded by Tamalyn Dallal, The MEDE created a dance hub in Miami Beach, Florida and trained internationally renowned dancers. In 2003, MEDE split into a for profit dance academy under new leadership.
Under Tiffany Madera’s direction, MEDE sought to build communities of dance around the world centered on humanitarian, self-reflexive, socially and culturally responsible action. The MEDE was a cultural incubator whose mission was to empower women and girls through movement based outreach programs with quantifiable outputs and outcomes, as well as push the needle on aesthetic quality and standards of Middle Eastern Dances, popularly referred to as “Bellydance”.
Projects included the ”Havana Habibi” project in Havana, Cuba, “Ayiti Baladi” in Jacmel, Haiti in collaboration with Amalia Maya and The “Mermaids + Goddesses” project in Kingston, Jamaica with Kristie Stephenson. Locally, MEDE directed several movement based empowerment outreach programs including The Lotus House shelter for women and girls and The Bridge home for youth.
