Elizabeth Ann Romine Howard
Known affectionately to loved ones and the dance community as “Neefa”, Ms. Howard lives up to this derivative of “beautiful” in Coptic Egyptian as a talented dancer, percussionist, scholar, instructor, and choreographer.  

With a background in folk dance, and ballet, Ms. Howard began her Arabic dance studies in 1991 with Turkish-trained dancer Cindy Connelly Ryan in Pittsburgh, PA.  She continued her study of Arabic, American Tribal/Fusion Bellydance, Asian and Spanish dance through attending workshops and classes with dance instructors including: Rayah bint Youssef (PA); Debra Antantis (Pittsburgh, PA); Ziah Ali, director of Awalim Dance Company (Atlanta, GA); Artemis Mourat (Washington, D.C.); Heather Stants, director of Urban Tribal Dance Company (San Diego, CA); Jill Parker, director of Ultra Gypsy (San Francisco, CA); Neha Shah, Rajistani and Bharata Natyam classical dancer/ director of the Nautyangaly School of Dance (FL); and Evelyn Palleja-Vissicchio, Spanish dancer/director of the Yoga Sadhana Studio (Pittsburgh, PA).

She was privileged to study with the critically acclaimed artist Laurel Victoria Grey, who introduced Ms. Howard to the dances of Central Asia and Persia.  After studying under the tutelage of Ms. Gray, Ms. Howard was able to attend Central Asian Dance Camps 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 in Washington, D.C. and not only continue her studies with Ms. Gray, but also study there with People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, Qizlarhon Dustmuhamedova, as well as Qadir Muminov, former director of the celebrated Shodlik Ensemble, founder of Ensemble Uzbekistan, and primary choreographer for Uzbekistan National Celebrations.  Ms. Howard has also been privileged to study dance with People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, Sashar Zarif in Canada where he is the director of the Sashar Zarif Dance Theater.  While pursuing Rajasthani Indian folk dance with Christine Hamer – who was trained by Gulabi, the most honored folk dancer in Rajasthan – Ms. Howard discovered Indian Classical dance.  She explored Bharata Natyam classical dance with Lakshmi Amman, and later became a pupil of Sreyashi Dey, studying Odissi classical dance.

In addition to dance, Ms. Howard is an accomplished percussionist.  She has studied drumming and riq technique, as well as music theory with Jeff Senn, Denys Proteau, Susu Pampanin, Marti Coyne, and Mimi Spencer.

Ms. Howard was co-founder of the acclaimed World Fusion Bellydance dance troupe “Ghawazee” that was active from 1995-2000.  With this troupe she explored the blending of Arabic dance styles and folkloric dance traditions of the Middle East, bringing the expanded creative medium to the attention of the American Middle Eastern dance community. She performed at numerous venues.  Highlights of some of the troupe’s performances include: The National Aviary, Pittsburgh PA 1996; Sweetwater Center for the Arts, Sewickley, PA, 1997; Bikin Matasa (Celebration of Youth), Stephen Foster Memorial Auditorium, University of Pittsburgh, PA1997; World Music Recital, 1997, Kent State University, OH; Colors of Rhythm, Oberlin World Music Festival, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, 1998; Summer Concert Series, Carnegie Library Oakland Branch-Music and Art Dept, Pittsburgh, PA, 1998; Allegheny National Forest Benefit Concert, Rosebud, Pittsburgh, PA,1998;  An Evening with Ghawazee, Stevenson Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, 1999; Pittsburgh Waldorf School Benefit, City Theatre's Hamburg Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, 2000; and Three Rivers Arts Festival, Pittsburgh, PA 1998, 1999, and 2000.

In 2001 she co-founded the innovative Khafif Middle Eastern Music and Dance.  As co-artistic director, her diverse cross cultural knowledge of music and dance fuses with the talents of the rest of the group’s performers into a new form that is unique but still pays homage to its origins.  Performance highlights with Khafif include: Schoolhouse Yoga Dance Expo, 2002 & 2003, Pittsburgh, PA -- Featured performers; Chatham College International Night, November 21, 2003, Pittsburgh, PA -- Show openers; National Aviary, Pittsburgh, PA, November 9; Khafif Hofla, Quiet Storm, Pittsburgh, PA, November 8, 2003 -- Hofla sponsors and performers; Bewitching Bellydance Ball, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, October 25, 2003 -- featured performers; Duquesne University Ballroom, Pittsburgh, PA -- October 2, 2003 -- Featured performers; Arts on the River, July 26, 2003, Morgantown, WV -- Featured performers; FLUX 9, April 5, 2003, Pittsburgh, PA -- Featured performers; Spirit of the Tribes 3, March 7-9, 2003, Davie, FL -- Featured instructor and performers; Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Braddock branch, December 13, 2002, Pittsburgh, PA -- Featured performers; Safa and Neefa: Beginner Workshop for Pitt Program Council, November 7, 2002 -- Featured instructors ; Belly Button Ball, November 2, 2002, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada -- Featured performers ; Featured performers at Pitt Multicultural Festival, September 25, 2002, Pittsburgh, PA; University of Pittsburgh Multicultural Festival, February 14, 2002, Pittsburgh, PA -- Guest performers; Indian-Persian Fusion Seminar, January 2002, Future of Traditions Center, Asheville, NC -- Featured teachers and performers

Ms. Howard has been a guest instructor at workshops not only in her home of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but in Ohio, North Carolina, Florida and Canada as well. Teaching everything from music theory, ethnic dance movements, styles, and technique, to her own composite style dance, Indo-Eurasian Fusion.  She has been honored to not only perform and teach dance at The University of Pittsburgh, but to lecture there as well. She was honored with performing with the Silk Road Dance Company as a guest performer at the Embassy of Uzbekistan, Washington, D.C. in 2000.  In 2003 she was a contributor to and dancer in Yaatra: Journey, a modern Indian dance story, led by Sreyashi Dey.  In 2003, she was a featured teacher and performer at The 2003 Spirit of the Tribes Festival. She also teaches at Pennsic, a yearly medieval festival, where she has been an instructor from 1998 through 2003.

Ms. Howard earned a Bachelor of Arts from Marshall University in 1991.  She has continued her independent studies of Middle Eastern, North African, Central Asian, Persian, and Indian dance, music, and culture since that date.