Nikki Farahanchi is a legally blind Iranian American dance artist, specialized in Persian dance and Bellydance. Inspired by her Iranian identity and summer travels to Iran, Nikki began her journey of researching and educating in the Middle Eastern dance field in 2017. She has a deep commitment to preserving and advocating for Iranian dance—an art criminalized in her homeland—as both an act of cultural resistance and a call for artistic freedom. Additionally, she seeks to explore the intersection of disability and dance stemming from her experience as a visually impaired dancer, advancing inclusive teaching and performance practices that honor both identity and accessibility.

Nikki graduated with her bachelor’s in business administration in 2022 from University of Michigan with a minor in Middle East Studies. During her undergraduate studies, Nikki creatively directed and choreographed for both the Iranian dance and Bellydance ensembles on campus with an emphasis on representation for marginalized ethnic minorities. Since graduating, Nikki has spent the last three years in New York City working full time in a corporate office while collaborating and performing with MFA students and artists in all her free time. In 2025, she opened her own School of Persian Dance in Manhattan, welcoming curious minds to her classroom to learn and honor different Iranian dance styles. You can learn more about Nikki and find her work at nikkidance.com.