Bio

The star of Cairo! The internationally respected master teacher and
performer! A producer of well-loved oriental dance recordings! And most recently,
an engaging instructor in her on-line workshop and DVD! Outi is all of this and much more!

Since 2005, Outi has been living and working in Cairo, Egypt - the Mekka for Oriental dance. An initial curiosity about the work opportunities in Egypt and the desire to take her dance to the next level have turned into a great success both artistically and professionally. Outi has appeared on highly esteemed stages such as Sheraton Cairo, Nile Maxim, Marriott and Citystars, Heliopolis. She and her orchestra also perform in weddings and other private parties. Work engagements have taken her to all over the Egypt, e.g., Alexandria, Hurghada, Sinai, to mention a few.

Outi has also travelled to many other countries to perform and teach abroad. During the last few years her travels have taken her to other Arab countries, Europe, America and Philppines where she have been admired and highly praised by both audience members and her students.

Outi has produced CDs featuring music from her shows and rhythms for teaching and practising. Her teaching DVD and on-line workshop are based on all the knowledge she has accumulated during her 20-year dance career.

Occasionally the Egyptian television needs a beautiful exotic face, a rare quality which landed Outi in commercials. She has also appeared in instructional DVDs for Mahmoud Reda and Raqia Hassan, both of whom have been a great influence on her dancing.

Dancing in Cairo means being in charge of an entire production, which is a complex artistic collaboration with musicians, choreographers, costume makers and more. But it also means being close to the roots of the phenomenon called Belly dance.

"I have learned so much", says Outi, "about musical interpretation, the layers within Arabic music, interaction with the audience, the meaning of the dance itself. In fact, just being here among the people of Egypt has further opened my eyes and ears to this form of expression. They live from the heart. That's how we must dance."

Before Outi's career in Cairo she had been dancing over a decade in Finland where Outi stepped into the world of Egyptian dance in 1992. What started out as a fun experiment soon turned into a lifelong passion. She was captivated by the new sounds and the beautiful, yet incredibly challenging movements. As her commitment to Oriental dance grew, she became an active member of the Finnish Masrah Dance Company, which performs both Egyptian cabaret style and different folkloric dances of the North Africa and the Middle East. Highlights with Masrah include several theater productions, as well as participation in dance festivals in China, Cyprus and Egypt. All the while she performed as a soloist in diverse venues and events in Finland.

"This dance is a journey. I never know what's after the next corner, in the future. Already, I have met amazing people, seen wonderful places and loved every second of it. I can't wait what future will bring! ", says Outi.