In 1999 she moved to Baltimore, MD to pursue a BS/MS degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Johns Hopkins University. While in Baltimore, Nikki danced professionally at many restaurants in the Baltimore/Washington DC area including the famous Marrakesh Restaurant. There she danced for many famous actors, sports stars and political figures, including the infamous former Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney.
In 2000 she teamed up with Dori Witt and co-founded Egyptian Sun Productions (www.egyptiansun.net) at John Hopkins University. The Egyptian Sun Dance Troupe was (and still is currently) an extremely popular performance troupe throughout the Baltimore/Washington DC area, gathering large crowds at their annual spring productions, performing weekly at different local venues and also being featured in the Baltimore Sun Newspaper, Baltimore City Paper, as well as being featured on an NPR's broadcast of The Signal.
In August 2005, Nikki moved to Boston, MA to pursue her Ph.D in Biology at Boston University. After being in Boston for only a couple of months, she won first place in the Second Annual Boston Belly Dance Contest, in the Advanced Category. She has been belly dancing with some of the best dancers and teachers in the Boston area including Amira Jamal, Johara’s Snakedance Theater, Melina of the Daughters of Rhea, and Najmat. In September 2006, she joined the turkish folkloric dance troupe MAVI Dance to learn more folkloric inspired styles of dance. She continues dance on a daily basis despite school and work obligations, and it is her goal to never stop learning!