Elina Pechersky

About the author

Oriental dance creator, considered an innovator and breaking through artists in the field.

Dancer, choreographer, oriental dance production artistic director, lecturer, certified teacher and therapist for movement and dance (MA from Lesley University).

During her BA studies she studied psychology and Middle Eastern Studies. Her Master dissertation was dedicated to study of “therapeutic qualities of oriental dance”. She developed a holistic method for teaching and therapy through Belly Dance, used as a tool through which women create a bridge to the feminine consciousness and being.

Director of School for Oriental Dance and runs the teachers training program at Academic College at Wingate. Hosts courses and workshops at Culture and Dance centers, and lectures in a variety of Oriental dance topics in various outlets.

Elina is considered a pioneer of performance of Oriental Dance on art stages. She has been performing for years, accompanies by an authentic musician composition, and represents Israel on stages and Festivals locally and internationally.

She has created and produced shows combining traditional elements with personal interpretation. The shows gains success and critical acclamation by both the audience and Media. Elina is frequently invited to teach, perform and lecture about her method locally and internationally.

Previous Works

Elina represented Israel at the Women Artists Festival in Sweden in 1996, and in other outlets in the US, France, Italy, Cyprus, Japan and Jordan.

In 1996 she premiered the show “One-woman Harem” accompanied by an orchestra at Suzanne Dellal Center. The show, first of its kind, gained vast success and set a new standard for artistic oriental dance performance.

During 1998 she performed as a guest solo artist at Carmon Dance Company, touring locally and representing Israel at “EXPO” in Lisbon, Portugal.

In 1999 and 2000 she was commissioned by Suzanne Dellal Center to be the artistic director of the following multi dancers and participants projects: “Dance East”, “Pelvis of Roses”.

In 1999 she initiated and produced the show “Morena Amore” together with Neta Shezaf: a feminine dialogue between flamenco and oriental dance. The show was held at various cultural events locally (Woman Festival – Holon, Israel Festival, Karmiel Dance Festival, Curtain UP and more) and internationally (Spring Festival, Kiev, Ukraine, Saint Moritz, Switzerland, Beyoglu Dance Festival, Istanbul, Turkey, and master classes and tour of the USA in 2004 and 2006).

In 2002 she created the dance piece “Longing for Lulu” which is a continuous collaboration with the Arab orchestra accompanying Elina since 1996.

In 2005 she produced “Delicious”, a dance piece that combines a new and personal statement with the traditional. The piece featured a violinist, and opera singer and female dancers’ ensemble.

In 2006 she produced “Dahab”, a collection of her previous work, in celebration of a decade of fertile collaboration with her orchestra.

In 2008 she initiated ” Turquoise and scarlet” – A project at the center of which is the idea of premiering Oriental dance pieces on their different styles and genres: a traditional oriental folklore dance piece, alongside personal and contemporary interpretation pieces of oriental dance. The projects became an annual tradition, premiering new pieces each year at Suzanne Dellal Center.

In 2008 she created “Elina’s Muses”, a three female dancers’ composition.

In 2009 she created “Fun Funan”, a three female dancers’ composition.

In 2010 she created “Um Shiraz”, featuring female dancers and an authentic orchestra.

In 2014 she created “Nesma”, a night of Elina’s choreographed dance pieces, performed by seven female dancers and Elina.

In 2019 she created the dance piece “TABI’I” (a multilingual pun: Arabic for “natural”, Hebrew for “express”).

The piece was inspired by traditional eastern Worship and Trance rituals, and was performed by 3 senior dancers and Elina herself.