Katerina Borisova – Katrin

She is a director and producer as well as a magnetic artist and oriental dance teacher. Her students, clients, and colleagues often describe her as a true inspiration. From an early age, she chose the arts as her path, studying ballet, folk dance, and acting, which naturally shaped her multidisciplinary approach combining theater, film, and dance. She trained for two years in improvisational theatre based on the Grotowski method and graduated in Film and TV Directing from NATFA. Her passion for oriental dance began during her travels in Asia, and for over 13 years she has been dedicated to studying, performing, and teaching this art form.

In 2015, Katrin founded her own production company, followed by the creation of the stage and entertainment brand “Shahira” and its dance school. She has developed a unique teaching methodology that integrates acting techniques into oriental dance, enhancing stage presence, freeing dancers from self-judgment, and guiding them toward a deeper, more authentic creative experience.

Today, Katrin is an internationally recognized artist, invited teacher, and jury member, continuously evolving and expanding her expertise. Driven by her commitment to supporting dancers’ physical wellbeing, she has also completed an international Pilates certification program with the Michael King Institute.

Janina Gudjukova

Janina’s passion for oriental dance brought her to Katrin and the “Shahira” brand two years after its creation. Her creative drive and fiery spirit quickly made her a core member of the team, and since then she has been actively contributing to the development of Shahira’s diverse portfolio of stage productions.

Janina began her dance training as a child, studying Latin and ballroom dance for several years. In 2002, she joined the dance group “Fresh”, where she trained in classical ballet, modern dance, jazz ballet, and character dance, and was also part of a majorette ensemble. She has participated in numerous competitions and tours in Bulgaria and abroad.

In 2009, in Lido di Jesolo, Italy, she was awarded the prestigious Diamond Crown of Orpheus. The same year, her group won the Grand Prize at the “Eastern Magic” Festival in Haskovo, where Janina also received the title Miss Charm. She has performed in several theatre productions in movement-based roles, including “Alo, Alo, Anhialo”, “Nirvana”, “Salome”, and “The Fisherman and His Soul”.

Since 2011, Janina has been based in Sofia, where she developed both her solo and teaching career. As a solo performer, she has received numerous dance awards, with one of her greatest achievements being her flamenco–oriental fusion piece “Firebird” (choreography by Milena Nalbantova), with which she won three gold medals in Athens, Sofia, and Thessaloniki.
In 2016, she was invited to perform in the musical “Moulin Rouge” – the largest circus-style musical production in Bulgaria – and in 2017 she became part of the opera “The Abduction from the Seraglio”.

Viktoria Boyadzhieva

Victoria is one of the newest discoveries of “Shahira”, bringing fresh energy and enriching the group’s creative repertoire.

She has been professionally involved in dance for over 10 years. Victoria holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree as a choreographer-director, has completed a postgraduate qualification in choreography pedagogy, and is currently a PhD candidate in choreography at South-West University “Neofit Rilski”.

She began teaching dance at the age of 15 in her hometown of Stara Zagora and has since received numerous awards in dance and beyond. Today, she works as a lecturer at the same university, teaching subjects such as choreographic composition, rhythmics, duet dance, and acting for dancers.
Victoria has created a wide range of choreographic works, including numerous short pieces and two full-length original productions, as well as a student dance theatre performance. Each year, she participates in over five dance concerts as a teacher, choreographer, and performer.
Beyond choreography, she is активно engaged in various artistic fields, which earned her the “Talent of the Year” award in 2022. She has also completed leadership training programs, conducted workshops in choreography and dance, and works with both university students and children, supporting their artistic development.

Maria Ganeva

Maria is a talented and versatile dancer whose journey in the world of dance began at an early age. As a child, she discovered her passion for hip-hop and started training at the “Dyun” dance school in Burgas.

During her school years, she expanded her horizons by joining her school’s majorette ensemble, with which she won first place at the municipal competition “Burgaska Daga” in 2013. After 7th grade, she found her love for classical ballet and was accepted into the National School of Music and Performing Arts “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”, majoring in classical dance. She later graduated from South-West University “Neofit Rilski” in Blagoevgrad with a degree in Contemporary Choreography, where she explored a wide range of dance styles and enriched her movement vocabulary.

Over the years, Maria has received recognition at numerous competitions and festivals in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, including Elite Dance Championship (Pernik), Echo over Tundzha (Yambol), MMFI The Muses (Sozopol), and the Chamber Dance Festival (Haskovo). In 2024, she made her directorial debut with her first dance performance “Unheard”, addressing powerful themes such as alcoholism and domestic violence. In 2023, she joined the main cast of “Shahira”, where she actively contributes with her creative vision to the stylistic diversity of the group.

Ilona Kutsarova

Ilona has been involved in dance for over 15 years and has been working professionally for the past 7. She holds a degree in choreography and directing, as well as a postgraduate qualification in dance pedagogy.
She has participated in numerous competitions and contests, some with her own original choreographies. Her portfolio includes work as both a dancer and choreographer in several professional dance productions. Ilona also teaches various dance styles to children of all ages.

Nia Lubenova

Niya is one of the newest discoveries of “Shahira”. She has been practicing modern ballet since early childhood, and at the age of 17 she began teaching children in a large dance school in Sofia. Her dream is to one day create her own dance studio.
Being part of “Shahira” is a great joy for the team, and for Niya it is both a source of motivation and a place where she connects with like-minded artists who see dance as art and as love.