Shakira’s incorporation of Oriental inspired movements into her performances created a huge boom for the belly dance industry in the West. Have you ever wondered where Shakira learned her iconic moves?
Well, this is she! Bozenka, originally from Miama, Florida now lives on the Greek island of Crete. She was a member of a famous, internationally touring dance troupe called the Bellydance Superstars, which formed in 2002.
In the early 2000s, Shakira, already famous in the Latin American music scene, was trying to breakthrough into the American market. Whilst scouting in Miami for musicians, Shakira met Bozenka! They had a conversation and Bozenka handed Shakira her card.
Soon after, Shakira’s management reached out to Bozenka and asked her to choreograph one of Shakira’s songs. When Bozenka went to present the choreography to Shakira, Shakira said “Okay, I want you to dance it!”
”The choreography?”
”No, dance it how YOU would dance it.”
Shakira was impressed, stating, “Wow, I could never dance like that!”
”Yes you can!” Bozenka told her.
Since then, Bozenka has collaborated with Shakira on her choreography for world tours and shows, and in between, with more dance training. Bozenka has described her as kind, humble, normal and down-to-Earth, with an air of stardom that comes from the way people treat her. She’s incredibly hard working and determined, with her initial training sessions with Bozenka lasting up to 8 hours at a time.
Most recently, Bozenka worked with Shakira on her choreography for her performance at the VMA’s. The choreography featured daggers that resembled those seen in Iraqi folk styles and the dance became a trend on social media. Bozenka was a little concerned about the appropriateness of using such a prop out of context, so she aimed to educate Shakira and her team as best she could about the cultural context. She would be breaking the rules, so she would need to know about it first. The use of the knives was symbolism to Shakira who was trying to portray the taking of her power back after going through a very public separation with her partner.
