It’s Our Good Fortune to Belly Dance for You!
“Kismet” is generally used as a synonym for destiny, fate, or luck. Variations of it are used in several languages including Arabic, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Persian, Turkish, and even English! We chose Kismet as the name of our troupe because, just as the word is used in many cultures, we also enjoy exploring the multi-faceted origins of belly dance. We strive to honor the origins of our art form while acknowledging our own contribution to its ongoing legacy.
We are proud to have danced in shows like Omaha Fringe Festival (as guests of Chrysalis Studio,) Dance Chance Omaha, and Casbah on the Prairie, just to name a few. Click the photo above to take a peek at one of our dance performances!
Magdalena Christina
Magdalena Christina was introduced to belly dance as a Dramatic Arts student in the late 1990s. As movement study for a role, she encountered an instructional DVD done by Fat Chance Belly Dance of California. Immediately she was hooked!
That summer, she studied under Della Gushen in Omaha and was part of her Lotus Dancers for 1.5 years. Responding to a student newspaper ad seeking aerobics instructors, she convinced the recreation department at University of Nebraska at Omaha to let her offer a belly dance class. Thus began her teaching career.
For years, Magdalena offered classes at A.V. Sorensen Community Center where she founded Diva Soma Belly Dance troupe (2004-2009.) With her Divas, she produced the first Nebraska Bellydance Spectacular, a "somewhat" annual showcase intended to introduce the general public to the state’s talented, eclectic dance community. Venues for NBDS included Holland Performing Arts Center, The Rose Theater, and the Strauss Performing Arts Center.
Magdalena also studied under Ashiya Ali in Lincoln and danced for a time with her Athenian Dancers. In 2016, Ashiya officially invited Magdalena to join her as a house dancer at The Parthenon Greek Grill & Taverna in Lincoln, NE.
She has traveled regionally to attend workshops by esteemed dancers like Morocco, Eva Cernik, Artemis Mourat, Cassandra, Rania, Nourhan Sharif, Shira, and many others.