Shahrzad Hamzeh is an Iranian-born dancer, choreographer, and researcher currently based in Texas. She is a PhD candidate in Visual & Performance Studies with a focus on dance at The University of Texas at Dallas (expected 2026). She also holds MAs in Visual & Performance Studies (UT Dallas, 2024) and Theatre Studies (Illinois State University, 2020), as well as a BA in Urdu Language & Literature from the University of Tehran. Alongside her academic work, she has completed extensive professionand Theatre Studies (Illinois State University, 2020), as well as a BA in Urdu Language & Literature from the University of Tehran. Alongside her academic work, she has completed extensive professional training in acting, directing, choreography, and a wide range of global dance forms. She is a licensed Zumba instructor with multiple specialty certifications.
Raised in a country where dance is forbidden, Shahrzad began dancing in secret from a young age. That early experience shaped her understanding of movement not just as art, but as resistance. After leaving Iran, she embraced a path that merged performance with activism, scholarship, and healing. Her work spans dance, theatre, film, and interdisciplinary performance, and she has served in various roles—choreographer, teacher, judge, dramaturg, event coordinator, and Daf player—in both national and international settings. Much of her performance work centers on cultural advocacy, embodiment, and solidarity with marginalized voices.
Her creative and scholarly work has been featured in exhibitions, conferences (including ACDA and ATHE), and publications such as The Dallas Morning News and Right Click Save. She is the author of The Rant, a poetic reflection on trauma and survival, and a contributor to projects such as Dancing in Quarantine. Shahrzad continues to explore how dance can carry memory and reclaim agency, especially for those whose bodies have been policed or silenced. Her work is deeply rooted in Persian and regional Iranian dance vocabularies, and she remains committed to telling stories that move across borders—geographical, cultural, and emotional.
