Samara has spent 25 years dedicated to the dances of the Middle East and North Africa. Drawn to the dance via her Mediterranean heritage (Greek and Turkish), she began dancing professionally in her teens, and was a protégé of the late master dancer/teacher/choreographer Ibrahim Farrah. Samara performed as a principal dancer with the Near East Dance Group in some of America’s most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer Hall at Lincoln Center. As a soloist, Samara has performed throughout the United States, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Samara is the choreographer and artistic director of the Mosaic Dance Theater Company and has choreographed many theatrical productions. Samara was inducted into the American Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Hall of Fame in 1998.