Halima~lady of patience and perserverance; Halima truly is a lady of patience for managing over 45 dancers from three troupes plus other dance and yoga classes.

• BECAME A GYPSY IN: January 2004- Halima founded Desert Gypsy with co-director Kalista. "I founded DG the year Odessa and Ayisha had babies in 2004."

• DANCE BACKGROUND: Took dance jazz, tap, ballet in youth and as a teenager; and was a gymnast. When you grow up the traditional forms of dance become uninteresting as a dancer. This is not the case with Middle Eastern Dance because of its diversity.

• YEARS DANCING: 20 years Middle Eastern

• INTRODUCED TO MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE BY: Community Education; Layla was her first teacher (Kalima's Mom)

• FAVORITE STYLE OF BELLY DANCE: Traditional belly dance that stays close to its ethnic origins. Halima teaches a little bit of everything drawing from whatever inspires her at the moment. We sometimes call this "Halima Style" or "Desert Gypsy Style".

• STRENGTH: Freestyle and being able to move and express through the music.

• WEAKNESS: Remembering choreography! Including her own.

• EMBARRASSING MOMENT: "One time I did a belly gram with veil work that featured my eyes and I had left on my glasses."

• FAVORITE PERFORMANCE: "One of my own favorite performances was at the Eldred Center- pure fun! I also love dancing at the Latin festival."

• PASSION FOR DANCING: "When I hear music (any kind) it speaks to me of movement and then I begin to think of how I can express that through dance. I was born with my passion for dance and it always will be a part of me."

• OCCUPATION WHEN NOT DANCING: She runs Desert Gypsy, Gypsy Melody and Gypsy Rhythm dance troupes as well as other Middle Eastern and Yoga classes. She also has 5 children that takes up the majority of her time.

• HOBBIES & INTERESTS: "I love to sew and bake and occasionally arrange flowers."