Mystical Hips Dance Troupe - under the direction of Marjan Esáa - is a dance team made up of dancers from all walks of life who have found a love for bellydance. Our goal is to promote the art of bellydancing and the Middle Eastern culture it represents. They are an experienced group of talented performers available for fairs, festivals, birthdays, weddings, and cultural events.
For booking information, contact Marjan at (405) 820-0797 or marjandancer@hotmail.com.

Mystical Hips performing at The Rhythm of the World

Meet Nova Nova came to the world of dance as an adult, after deciding to take belly dance as part of a continuing education class at a local college in her native Texas. Having no formal dance training other than three years of high school cheerleading, she was initially intimidated but was quickly entranced by the beauty and accessibility of belly dance. Inspired and empowered by her then instructor, Rivkah Sultana, she continued taking classes each semester. After moving to Oklahoma, she searched for a new class and was excited to be able to continue her dance training with Marjan. As a student of Marjan’s for the past six years, she has gone from a shy student who initially took classes just hoping to become ‘less clumsy’ to a spirited performer and belly dance enthusiast. Her favorite part of belly dance, however, is still the wonderfully talented and encouraging women she meets and dances with as a member of Mystical Hips. Nova is a University of Oklahoma graduate and avid Sooner and OKC Thunder fan and previously worked for three years as member of the Storm Chasers, the official Thunder interactive squad. Still, her true passion lies in serving her community in both her professional and private life.
Meet Shayda Shayda was drawn to bellydance initially because of her Persian heritage and found it to be a great way to express herself by employing sinuous movements to interpret beautiful music. She began taking bellydance classes as an elective at the University of Oklahoma in 2010 under Kathleen Redwine (Najma Amar). After 3 semesters, she found Marjan and has been part of Mystical Hips ever since.She was a competitive gymnast from age 4, which led to cheerleading in high school, and jazz, tap, and hip-hop in between. She is a licensed Zumba instructor, teaching 4 classes a week; and she enjoys taking classes in pilates and kickboxing. On weekdays, though, she can be found behind a desk, working full-time as a geotech for a local oil company.
Meet Esme After her childhood years in theater, ballet, jazz, and tap, Esme began studying West African and Caribbean dance at Duke University. (She enjoyed performing with the Duke Dancing Devils at championship basketball games!) Her life changed and her heart grew several sizes larger when she began working with a dance company in Cuba – Cutumba Ballet Folklorico de Cuba. From there she began dancing Afro-Cuban and Afro-Haitian professionally in Los Angeles with Juan Calvo Flores and Stage of the Arts. Esme is very pleased to have entered the world of belly dance now with the incredible ladies of Mystical Hips.
Meet Taloa Taloa, a proud citizen of the Chickasaw tribe, began dancing at the age of 5 with the Classical Ballet School in Oklahoma City. In college she was a member of Go Vertigo Dance Company, and later a member of the Scheherazade Modern Dance Company under the direction of Heather Owen. She is a graduate from Northeastern State University where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She has two little boys who are the light and joy of her life. Wanting to try something new, Taloa began taking classes with Marjan in 2013. Although she has done ballet, hip-hop, modern, lyrical and jazz, belly dance is without a doubt her true love in dance. She participated in her first belly dance competition in the summer of 2015 and absolutely loves learning from Marjan and performing with the wonderful women of Mystical Hips Dance Troupe.

Meet Nova

Nova came to the world of dance as an adult, after deciding to take belly dance as part of a continuing education class at a local college in her native Texas. Having no formal dance training other than three years of high school cheerleading, she was initially intimidated but was quickly entranced by the beauty and accessibility of belly dance. Inspired and empowered by her then instructor, Rivkah Sultana, she continued taking classes each semester.

After moving to Oklahoma, she searched for a new class and was excited to be able to continue her dance training with Marjan. As a student of Marjan’s for the past six years, she has gone from a shy student who initially took classes just hoping to become ‘less clumsy’ to a spirited performer and belly dance enthusiast. Her favorite part of belly dance, however, is still the wonderfully talented and encouraging women she meets and dances with as a member of Mystical Hips.

Nova is a University of Oklahoma graduate and avid Sooner and OKC Thunder fan and previously worked for three years as member of the Storm Chasers, the official Thunder interactive squad. Still, her true passion lies in serving her community in both her professional and private life.

Meet Shayda

Shayda was drawn to bellydance initially because of her Persian heritage and found it to be a great way to express herself by employing sinuous movements to interpret beautiful music. She began taking bellydance classes as an elective at the University of Oklahoma in 2010 under Kathleen Redwine (Najma Amar). After 3 semesters, she found Marjan and has been part of Mystical Hips ever since.She was a competitive gymnast from age 4, which led to cheerleading in high school, and jazz, tap, and hip-hop in between. She is a licensed Zumba instructor, teaching 4 classes a week; and she enjoys taking classes in pilates and kickboxing. On weekdays, though, she can be found behind a desk, working full-time as a geotech for a local oil company.

Meet Esme

After her childhood years in theater, ballet, jazz, and tap, Esme began studying West African and Caribbean dance at Duke University. (She enjoyed performing with the Duke Dancing Devils at championship basketball games!) Her life changed and her heart grew several sizes larger when she began working with a dance company in Cuba – Cutumba Ballet Folklorico de Cuba. From there she began dancing Afro-Cuban and Afro-Haitian professionally in Los Angeles with Juan Calvo Flores and Stage of the Arts. Esme is very pleased to have entered the world of belly dance now with the incredible ladies of Mystical Hips.

Meet Taloa

Taloa, a proud citizen of the Chickasaw tribe, began dancing at the age of 5 with the Classical Ballet School in Oklahoma City. In college she was a member of Go Vertigo Dance Company, and later a member of the Scheherazade Modern Dance Company under the direction of Heather Owen. She is a graduate from Northeastern State University where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She has two little boys who are the light and joy of her life.

Wanting to try something new, Taloa began taking classes with Marjan in 2013. Although she has done ballet, hip-hop, modern, lyrical and jazz, belly dance is without a doubt her true love in dance. She participated in her first belly dance competition in the summer of 2015 and absolutely loves learning from Marjan and performing with the wonderful women of Mystical Hips Dance Troupe.

Meet Meera

Meera fell in love with dance after being exposed to dance as meditation. She found it to be the best way to become centered and express joy at the same time. She decided to pursue belly dance as it was the style that felt most natural to her. She found Marjan and Mystical Hips in 2016 and has become a passionate member of the troupe. By day, Meera is a mother of two amazing children and a dedicated massage therapist who has owned her own business since 2000. In her spare time she loves cycling and Latin dancing.