Margo Abdo O'Dell in Lebanese Raqs Sharqi

Margo Abdo O'Dell found that her Lebanese heritage stimulated interest and concern for Middle Eastern arts and issues. While advancing through corporate America, building a small business, and completing graduate work at the Humphrey Institute, she vigorously studied and performed Middle Eastern dance at every opportunity. She finally left what she once considered "competing and succeeding in the big leagues" to follow her lifelong passion. Today, Margo is known as a master teacher, star performer, and creative artist in the field of Middle Eastern dance, and her work has been recognized with grants from The Minnesota State Arts Board, The Jerome Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The St. Paul Travelers Foundation, The Women's Foundation of Minnesota, and The Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. She is the director of Margo's Mid-East Dance Studies, tours extensively, and publishes Margo's Mezza, her online newsletter, which has subscribers throughout the world. Her most recent research trips include Morocco in 2005 and Lebanon in 2006, and she traveled to Cambodia and Thailand in March, 2007.

As with any artist, Margo's skill in dance came about through a combination of raw talent and hard work. Margo describes herself as the late-blooming daughter of a Lebanese mother and an Irish father. "I grew up smelling like garlic!" she laughs, "And in Minnesota, land of Scandinavians, that gets you noticed." However, the same ethnic background that made her a minority in her home state also gave her the gift of dance. "Growing up with a large extended Lebanese family, I was surrounded by Arabic music, dance, and culture," Margo explains. "But as a child watching my grandfather twirling a cane or a napkin above his head, or balancing a bottle of Arak on his head while he danced, I never dreamed I would become a professional Middle Eastern dancer."

Building on this childhood love of dance, Margo diligently studied tap, ballet, modern dance, and jazz, and was exposed to her first formal Middle Eastern dance class in college. While fortunate enough to study with what she calls "an alphabetical Who's Who in Oriental dance" --Margo also continues to draw upon her own ethnic background: "I learned to dance from the very best professionals, but also from non-dancers at Middle Eastern weddings and haflas."

After many years in the corporate world, Margo decided to focus on performing and teaching. She teaches weekly classes where her personable nature and sense of humor make her especially popular with timid beginners. "I came to class hoping to feel more comfortable with my body," enthuses one student, "and I came out feeling like a dancer!" Besides her natural energy and enthusiasm, and her knowledge of the dance strengthened through research trips to the Middle East, Margo brings to her students an understanding of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and exercise analysis. (She is certified by the American Council on Exercise and was recently selected to serve on their Quality Assurance team). "Teaching something I am so passionate about is a privilege," Margo explains. "This dance has enriched my life, and I love to share it with others." This attitude also shines through in her busy performing career. For over twenty years, Margo has performed in every venue imaginable, from nightclubs to living rooms, from wedding feasts to theaters. "I particularly enjoy performing venues that bring me near the audience because this dance is uniquely about relating to others as well as to the music," she says. She especially loves performing at traditional Arabic weddings, including recent celebrations for her Lebanese cousins. "The Lebanese immigrants I knew as a child worked and played very hard, and family was always their priority. That is why the music and dance are so full of life."

Margo sees this task of interpreting Arabic culture for American audiences as an important facet of her career. Her thoughtful, witty articles on dance - everything from the custom of tipping dancers in restaurants to techniques for teachers - have appeared in leading Middle Eastern dance journals including Arabesque, Habibi, Jareeda, The Crescent Moon, and El Gawhara, published in Cairo, Egypt.

"To dance is to celebrate life," comments Margo. Through dedication and hard work, combined with her vibrant dancing and exuberant spirit, Margo hopes to share this celebration of life with audiences and students everywhere.