Caroline Khodadian

Caroline Khodadian (; ), (born 1978) is the first Iranian-Armenian woman to practice Sufism whirling (Sama) and the creator of the unique dance style "Samamenco".

Biography Born in Ahvaz to an Iranian-Armenian family, Khodadian completed her primary, middle, and high school education at Armenian schools in Tehran. In 2004, she graduated with a degree in law from the Islamic Azad University of Isfahan.

Hraparak News Agency writes: Caroline Khodadian is the first woman in Iran to have solo performances since the revolution, a bold step in Iranian society, given the restrictions in place in Iran.

Khodadian also began playing the daf under "Vandad Masahzadeh", a composer and conductor of the “Kuban Orchestra,” performing at various concerts, including those at the Andisheh Music Hall and other venues. She later studied academic daf playing with Zakaria Yousefi. Schizophrenia, directed by Hamed Rahimi Nasr (movement designer and dancer) Katyusha, directed by Arash Davoodi and Farshad Arj (movement designer of Samamenco)