Organizational Evolution
Originally founded as the Mid Eastern Dance Exchange in 1991, Hanan Arts is a Miami-based 501(c)3 organization that has evolved over more than 30 years under the leadership of Tiffany Madera.
The organization globally innovates the genre of Raks Baladi (Belly Dance) as an instrument for social justice and connection through workshops, film, interdisciplinary performance, and academic investigation.
Madera's transformative programs—including Habibi Remix, Bellydance Cuba Workshop, and The Dance Empowerment Project—shaped the organization's current mission centered on women's healing and community transformation through the creative power of dance and film, with a vision of creating "a just world where full expression and appreciation of women's experience and knowledge are honored and celebrated."
Key Programs and Global Impact
The organization's signature initiatives include the groundbreaking Bellydance Cuba Workshop (2003), which created an unprecedented cultural exchange that established the renowned Cuban Soho bellydance troupe in Havana, and "Habibi Remix" (2004), an original theatrical work exploring East-West global conflicts through hip hop and bellydance.
The Dance Empowerment Project offered holistic bellydance training that combined Egyptian Baladi technique with creative unblocking exercises and spiritual exploration. Hanan Arts' international reach expanded through projects like "Havana Habibi" in Cuba, "Ayiti Baladi" in Haiti, and "Mermaids + Goddesses" in Jamaica, while maintaining local community impact through partnerships with The Lotus House shelter and The Bridge home for youth.
The organization's programs are supported by Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Ware Foundation, among other funders.
