Julie Elliot (also known as Shira) is known worldwide for her work as a researcher, author, and publisher of information on Middle Eastern dance, music, and culture. She has been interviewed by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal for stories on Middle Eastern dance, and is highly sought after as a contributor to magazines centered on this art form. 

Her website, www.shira.net, is the most comprehensive and most linked-to Oriental dance web site in the world. She serves as a staff writer for three publications focused on Middle Eastern dance, including Jareeda, Gilded Serpent, and Zaghareet.

Although she had already been dancing many years by then, in 1997 Elliot began her serious study and research into the historical and cultural foundations of Middle Eastern dance. For continuing education, she has traveled three times to Turkey and seven times to Egypt.

Her academic credentials include:

• Bachelor of Arts. University of Iowa. 1979, double major in journalism & French
• Master of Business Administration. University of Iowa. 1982.

At this time, Elliot is based in Iowa City, Iowa, USA.