About Nadja
Who is she?
Entrepreneur, Professional Dance artist, master, lecture.
Founder, owner and director of Nadjas DansAkademi in Sweden since 2003.
Director of international cultural festivals and organizer of two yearly Dance festivals;” Oriental Dance Fever Festival” and” Balm for Your Soul Festival”.
Producer of concerts, events in Sweden.
Travel producer with focus on health and cultural activities.
International master and Choreographer with a dancing Background in Jazz and Modern Dance, Oriental dance and Persian dance and she is a popular guest of festivals and seminars abroad as master, dance artist and judge.
With her prestige, energy, unique style and sharp dance technique, Nadja has developed her own style in dancing art, where she tells her story through emotions in motion.
…Dance is my religion. My stage becomes my church, my mosque, my home of God.
On my stage I’m emotionally naked.
Through Dancing I wash my spirit, I pure my soul, I tell my story.
Everyone has a story.
We just have different ways of telling.
Dancing is my way to tell my story....
About Nadja
….The first time I encountered Oriental dance I was only 4 years old. It was in the South of Iran and a Persian dancing star, wearing beautiful and sparkling costumes, was performing. It was magical!”….
During her childhood, Nadja was involved in theatrical activities and did lots of sports and gymnastic, dance classes in Persian ballet and European jazz but er dream was to be a professional artist and art teacher in dancing art.
"By the start of the revolution in Iran, many things became illegal. Among dance, music, parties, old movies and activities that could be accused to celebration and pleasure. Old movies included dance scenes was an inspiration for her.
"Also performing in every gathering gave her confident to be on stage.
…. In My country parties where only women and daughters invited is pretty comment.
Almost every weekend there was one of family friends who made party, and it always ended up whit dancing and singing until very late at night. I was always the one who entertained the guests most by dancing or acting. The acting part could mostly be playing a dance & singing part from some old movie” ….
Moving to Sweden
…. It was 1986 during the war of Iran and Iraq, the same time as the revolution in Iran.
That year my mother also passed away.
Our father decided to take me and my brother to a trip away from sadness and caus. I was only 13 years old, and my brother was 9 years old.
We took a long trip to Spain trough Germany. On the way back to Iran, my brother and I decided to stay in Germany and never go back to Iran.
Over a train trip from one city to another, we persuaded our father to agree to it and so it was. He sent for our uncle from Sweden as our guardian during the time of his absence. He flew back and my brother and I staid left i Germany with our uncle.
The authorities of Germany did not accept our stay without paper, they sand our uncle back to Sweden. My brother and I stayed alone in Germany anthill one day we decided to walk our way out of Germany and towards Sweden.
A great adventure it was. Of course I was scared, but what gave me strength was my little brother to take care of and hope for new opportunities in a new country.
I could finally dance as much as I desired. Dance classes and workshops in oriental dance, jazz, modern dance, flamenco and…. And I felt the real passion for oriental dance….
Trip to Cairo
.... "My biggest wish was to travel to Cairo for study Egyptian culture in real.
During my first trip to Cairo I studied whit Mahmoud Reda and Raqia Hassan as private lessons 6 hours a day and 7 days a week. My study was about Egyptian folklore, music, skills in staging, directing, culture, traditions.
But it was not just the study that enriched my knowledge and experience.
It was also the way of life, the people and being in different situations, different places, to experience, feeling the pulse of the city and be a part of an entirely different culture. was so fascinating...
I met lots of kind and helpful people, with a simple way of life and grateful for the daily health and bread.
I learned a lot about the their culture and traditions and their dance - and music history, but the most important lesson was to be grateful for every opportunity I have been given and to be able to see life with a broader perspective…
Nadja’s DansAkademi
Nadja's Dance and Culture Academy has achieved between 600-800 active members per year and members of Children, Youth, Adults, Seniors and People with Disabilities and contributed to promoting health in both children, young people and adults.
A great focus has been on people with mental illness and with pride I can say that Nadjas has done an outstanding job for that particular target group over the years.
... I have created a platform where both traditional and innovative have been able to interact in an attractive way and managed to attract members from different parts of the country...
Nadja's Dance and Culture Academy was recognized in Egypt and one of the most famous dance festivals in Cairo "Ahlan Wa Sahlan" as Europe's largest oriental dance school in 2009.
From 2009 onwards, Nadja's was an even bigger success.
Eventproduction
… Through event production of international cultural festivals between 2006-2020, I have managed to increase interest in culture, integration, performing arts and contributed to spreading culture and creating meaningful experiences for society.
It has been a fantastic journey in being able to build bridges between different cultures, organizations, countries, act as a cultural representative for Sweden in other countries and be able to make a difference for children and young people and with a focus on vulnerable people in society...
By producing yearly events offering, workshops, seminars, lectures, gala dinners, stage performances, exhibitions, competitions which always have been well attended, Nadja has been contributing to keeping the culture alive, promoting diversity, tourism and business.
Nadja has so far conducted 8 international cultural festivals, 60 national performances and participated globally in 100's of events around the world.
Balm for Your Soul Festival
Stands for joy, integration and solidarity.
Balm for Your Soul Festival is a festival for women in violence, abuse, sexual abuse, etc… It is an opportunity for them to be a part of the society’s activities in a way of joy and harmony. This festival has its focus on creating community, strengthening the individual's self-confidence and self-esteem and contributing to a healthy everyday life.
…Balm for Your Soul Festival offers diferent organisations all workshops, Gala show and festival activities as a gift. (3-4 days of workshops with international teachers, and an evening of joy, dance and celebration of life performing by the stars of our festival) …
The newspaper report was about the purpose of this project "Balm for your Soul" (to combat mental illness and violence in close relationships), how Nadja planned the entire project and what effect goals were expected.
Oriental Dance Fever Festival
Nadja also as the organizer of the festival "Oriental Dance Fever" since 2006 invites International Dance artists from abroad to Stockholm every year.
This festival offers Workshops, Dance shows and Competitions.
... It has been crucial to have global understanding and local expertise to successfully execute such an event that is not only organized well but also engaged the attendees and audiences from different parts of the world as well as had important message - Integration, diversity, community, and keeping the culture alive...
Nadja as Writer
…. As a full-time dance teacher and cultural producer, I also decided to write….
The book is about a young girl´s experiences during her upbringing, a story about a hard life, about survival. It is a comparing to what that child is today as a woman.
It is about how to make choices in life and shaping a destiny.
This book also includes some of her poetries.
…. I´m yet not finished with the book, but soon….
…. Live your dreams, have a clear vision, drive and discipline and at the same time, enjoy the moment, be aware of your inner powers and do what you do, with passion....
…. When you are tired or you’re feeling blue, take a moment from all routines, play some music and dance yourself away from your sadness….
Nadja as singer
In 2016, Nadja created a cover of the famous Persian song "Bahaneh" by the legendary Iranian artist Googoosh.
The following year, 2017, she was invited to perform a special concert for young boys and girls living in exile, to celebrate Persian New Year.
Her show record for one day was 13 stage performances at the same day!
Nadja began her real performing carrier in dancing in 2001. Since then, She has been performing in almost every wedding, concert and big happening in Sweden.
Between 2001 and 2006 she had 18-20 performances per week. She made her record by dancing one Saturday at 13 different parties starting from 11.00 EM until Sunday 4.00 EM. All performances longer than 30 minutes.
…. By this time, it was crucial to be physically strong, well structured, well prepared and have a fast car….
Media
Nadja has been working active as a producer, artist, teacher and choreographer in Sweden and abroad and has been a popular guest master and performer in festivals abroad.
She has also made many appearances in the Swedish, Norwegian, German, American, English, Egyptian, Spanish, Italian and Latvian media.
TV, newspapers, magazines, books and radio.
Guest of international festivals
As a gueststar, master and judge of competitions, she has until now been invited as to:
2003
Egypt – Cairo
2004
Egypt – Cairo
Germany – Sinsheim
2005
Egypt – Cairo
Germany – Sinsheim
Turkey – Side
2006
Egypt – Cairo
Libanon – Beirut
Spain - Madrid
Germany – Sinsheim
Turkey – Side
Norway – Oslo
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden - Örebro
2007
Egypt – Cairo
Germany – Honover
Latvia – Riga
Norway – Oslo
Latvia - Jurmala
Norway – Stavanger
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden - Gothenburg
2008
Egypt – Cairo
Germany – Berlin
Germany – Serbruken
Norway - Porsgrunn
Latvia – Riga
Latvia - Jormala
Sweden – Karlskoga
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden - Gothenburg
2009
Egypt – Cairo
Norway - Bergen
Sweden – Karlskoga
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden – Uppsala
2010
Egypt – Cairo
Germany – Sinsheim
Sweden – Karlskoga
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden – Uppsala
2011
Egypt – Cairo
Turkey - Manavgat
Latvia – Riga
Latvia - Jormala
Sweden – Stockholm
2012
Egypt – Cairo
Turkey - Manavgat
UAE – Dubai
UAE - Abu Dhabi
Germany – Sinsheim
Italy – Bologna
Sweden – Stockholm
2013
Egypt – Cairo
Italy – Sicily
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden – Uppsala
2014
USA – Los Angeles
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden – Östhammar
2017
Egypt – Cairo
Ukraine – Kiev
Sweden – Stockholm
2018
Ukraine – Kiev
Sweden – Östhammar
Sweden – Stockholm
2020
Germany – Reutlingen
Italy - Bergamo
Sweden – Stockholm
2023
Sweden – Skellefteå
Sweden - Malmö
Sweden – Trelleborg
Sweden – Stockholm
2024
Sweden – Skellefteå
Sweden – Stockholm
Sweden – Trelleborg
