Knickerbocker Hotel - St. Cloud Rooftop

SULTANA TAJ is a charismatic international bellydancer, having performed in nightclubs, parties, theaters, and luxury hotels in Lebanon, Egypt, Iraqi Kurdistan, Bahrain,Tunisia, and the USA. She starred as the bellydancer in New York City Center's theater production of Zorba!. She has performed along side Ru Paul’s Drag Race winner, Bebe Zahara Benet, and has been featured dancing in various music videos and films, as well as a lead dancer in Off-Broadway shows Cirque Arabesque and Antony and Cleopatra. She currently can be seen performing nightly at the hottest American and Arabic venues throughout the New York and New Jersey area. She currently teaches weekly group classes at the Bellydance America school in Manhattan. For full bio go to www.sultanataj.com  Instagram: @sultanataj

Samba Dancers

Emi Ueda

Emi Ueda was born in Japan and came to New York City to dance. Classically trained in ballet since the age of 4, she went to one of Japan’s most prestigious schools for the arts, Osaka University of Arts, where she majored in dance. The desire to enhance her dance studies led her to NYC in 2006, at which time she began to study modern, contemporary, and jazz dance, and became certified in Simonson Technique and Pilates. After some years performing with several modern dance companies, including Azul Dance Theatre, she began to study Samba and fell in love with the art. She embraced Samba wholeheartedly and began to study with the best Samba teachers. Her embrace of Samba went beyond the steps, to include costume design and construction - Emi makes all of her costumes by hand. Not long after she began studying Samba, she found herself being invited by her teachers to join them in performances. Today Emi is one of NYC’s most sought after and highly recommended Samba dance performers. She performs and tours all over the United States with several companies, including Casa Brazilia, and solo. Some of the highlights of her dance career to date include the official Cindy Lauper “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” video, Demi Lovato’s “Good Morning America” televised performance at New York City Summerstage, the NBC Universal “Up Front Rio 2016” performance at Radio City Music Hall, and Lincoln Center Summerstage.

Nubia Quele Santos  

Nubia Quele Santos is a dancer/ choreographer, actress and philanthropist born in Minas Gerias, Brasil, raised in Sydney, Australia and living in New York City.  She is a sought after Samba Instructor officially accredited by Carlinhos Salgueiro (Rio’s foremost and world famous Samba choreographer) to teach his signature technique. Nubia is also a Passista for one of Rio’s top Samba school’s Imperio Serrano and parades with the school’s official Ala das Passistas in Rio Carnaval. Nubia has choreographed in Australia and the USA. She has choreographed for the successful Off Broadway Show ‘Rio The Musical’ and the Off Broadway show ‘Futurology’. Nubia was the choreographer for Indeed’s first TV Commercial, as well as doing choreography for the prestigious Estee Lauder brand ‘Mac Cosmetics’.She is the founder and director of Casa Brazilia, a NYC based Brazilian entertainment company. Nubia’s expertise was vital in helping promote the Rio Olympics in the USA. She was the assistant choreographer and principle dancer for NBC Universal Rio Olympics launch event held at the prestigious Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Casa Brazilia was the officially dancers for Team USA on their Road to Rio and during the Olympics. Casa Brazilia worked with Olympic partners in support with United Stated Olympic Committee appearing on the Highest rated morning show ‘The Today Show’ multiple times to promote Brazil and Rio Olympics.