Bellydance Superstars brings world of dance to The Egg

Samir performs with the Bellydance Superstars, he draws not only from the folk dances he learned from his mother, a dance legend in his native Tajikistan, but also from dance forms the world over.

The show's choerography blends Western, Eastern and Middle Eastern forms; its dancers, ranging in age from 20 to 40, bring backgrounds in jazz, tap, hip hop, African, salsa, ballroom and modern dance as well as Javanese court dance; the Indian forms of Kathak, Bharat Natyam and bhangra; Hawaiian hula dance; gymnastics; and martial arts.

Live accompanist Issam Houshan was born in Syria and studied with Arab drum master Mahmood Salahadeen, and the show's recorded music merges rhythms from around the globe.

("Americans really are much more open-minded than the rest of the world gives us credit for," he said in a recent phone interview.) Around the same time, bellydancing was becoming popular among what would become his target demographic.

What's unique about the troupe, he says, is unlike 'Riverdance' and most dance companies out there, we look at our dancers as stars.

Each has a stage name and an extensive bio on the company's website, and many of the dancers contribute to or originate their own choreography.

In 1993, when he was still a teenager, the family resettled in New York City, where Arthur started from square one, performing at Russian weddings and bar mitzvahs and then expanding into performances for the Arab and Indian communities.