Esraa Warda

Esraa Warda is an Algerian-American dance performer and educator who specializes in traditional Algerian dance forms Raï, Chaoui, and Assimi.

Biography

Warda was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City,[1][2] and is a member of the global Algerian diaspora.[3]

Warda has worked as a co-director of a traditional Arts program at an Arab-American Center in New York.[4] She works to preserve the slowly declining visibility of marginalised Algerian arts, culture and dance.[2] She is a mentee of Algerian musician Cheikha Rabia[5] and women elders in her family.[4] She has also collaborated on music with Salim Beltitane.[2]

Warda has been featured on the PBS show Bare Feet With Mickela Mallozzi, where she spoke about the movement and history of Algerian Raï dance.[6] She also performed internationally, including at the Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands,[2] in England and in Cuba.[5]

In 2024, Warda received the Artist Grant from the New York State Council of the Arts.[6] In 2025–2025, she is a Heritage Ambassador Fellow at the Brooklyn Public Library and a Guest Curator at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.[6]

She was named a BBC 100 Woman in 2022.[5]

References

  1. ^ Madison Mainwaring (October 6, 2022). "From Her Algerian Family's Living Room to the Dance Stage". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Esraa Warda is decolonising dance and reviving the rebellious roots of Rai". AZEEMA. October 19, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  3. ^ BBC World Service (December 9, 2022). ‘Dance represents the strength of North African women’ - BBC World Service, 100 Women. Retrieved April 4, 2025 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ a b Soulimani, Amina Alaoui. "Dancing Against Patriarchy: Esraa Warda on Chikhates, Hchouma and "North Africa"— Part I". themetric.org. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year? - BBC News". News. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "2025-2026: Esraa Warda". Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
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