The 2025 Zill Challenge

May 23 - June 1

#RakMyZills


A 10-day finger cymbal learning adventure

Join Sahira, Saroyan Mastercrafts and hundreds of dancers from around the world for this incredible 10-day finger cymbal challenge and discover new confidence, creativity and mastery of your zills!



Whether you are

new to the finger cymbals and needing a solid foundation for your playing

a seasoned dancer who's been hesitant to tackle the challenge of zilling while you dance

a zill enthusiast looking to spice up your playing with some fun new sounds, riffs and combos


You've come to the right place!

No matter where you currently are, this challenge will boost your confidence and help you play authentically and master the finger cymbals even if you have no prior musical training.

How does it work?

♡ Sign up here.
♡ Get 10 days of exclusive finger cymbal tutorial videos delivered to your inbox.
♡ Join me inside our Facebook community for daily live sessions and special trainings to answer your questions and keep you motivated.
♡ Track your progress in the Zill Challenge workbook and share your awesomeness with a supportive online community.
♡ Oh... and there are PRIZES! Did I mention that? Online zill classes, shiny new finger cymbals, zill gear and more can be yours just for participating!
 


Banish zill hesitation, confusion and doubt and learn from a finger cymbal expert who's spent the last two decades helping dancers all over the world learn to love their finger cymbals!


By the end of this 10-day challenge you will


Accurately play four different zill sounds

Count music and your zill playing like a musician (this one is a total game-changer)

Rock a fabulous zill riff that can be played with or without music

Strategize how to dance and play zills at the same time

Actually move while playing something cool on your finger cymbals

Be part of an amazing international community of dancers who LOVE to learn and grow with their finger cymbals



 

Never be held back by finger cymbal confusion or doubt ever again!



The Zill Challenge will give you the insight, step-by-step guidance and open and honest forum to get your zill questions answered so you can learn and play with confidence and authenticity.

What you get inside The 2025 Zill Challenge:


* 10 days of on-demand, step-by-step finger cymbal instruction designed to help you understand the zills at a deeper level so you can confidently play with your own personal groove.

* The official Finger Cymbal Challenge workbook to guide and track your practice to see in real-time the improvements you are making.

* An awesome, supportive and accepting online community of finger cymbal enthusiasts to motivate and cheer you on along the way.



* Live community Q&As and check-ins with Sahira designed to encourage your growth mindset and motivation.

* The Zill Challenge Graduation party to celebrate your success.

* Lot of fun, games and PRIZES! Yes, prizes!

 

10 days of the best finger cymbal learning you can buy for just


Want to dive deeper, learn faster and get more personalized support?


We've got you covered, zillstar!


The 2025 Zill Challenge VIP package gives you everything from the challenge PLUS extra resources to boost your finger cymbal learning to the next level.

For just $40 you can experience all the excitement of the Zill Challenge and level up faster with TWO EXCLUSIVE small online group zoom classes with Sahira where you can ask questions, get personal feedback and take your learning to the next level! VIP zillstars will also have backstage access to the live community events, so they can directly interact and connect with The Zill Challenge team during Q&A, mindset & motivation and practice sessions.

(Bonus VIP live classes will be held on May 26 @ 7pm and May 31 @ 10:30am. Classes will be recorded for anyone who cannot make it live.)


What people are saying

Frequently Asked Questions


How long do I have access to the challenge?
The Zill Challenge begins on May 23rd and runs for 10 days - through June 1. Access to the course will end on June 2.
I am new to zills. Will this challenge be over my head?
Great question! This challenge is designed to meet you where you are and give you the steps needed to get a solid foundation in your finger cymbal playing. There will also be options given to boost or reduce the level of challenge depending on where you are in your personal finger cymbal journey. The Zill Challenge includes support from me and my team and an incredible community of dancers ready to help you at any time too! There have been many new zillers join The Zill Challenge in the past who've experienced amazing success.
I want to join but I don't have any finger cymbals! What do I do?
Never fear! First head to SahiraBellyDances.com/SaroyanCymbals and order a pair of the best finger cymbals on the planet! And then while you are waiting for them to come in, go to a craft store and grab four of the biggest buttons you can find, and some elastic to strap them onto your fingers to get you started. You've got this!
When will the VIP live classes be held?
Bonus VIP live classes will be held on May 26 @ 7pm and May 31 @ 10:30am. Classes will be recorded for anyone who cannot make it live.
What's the song for this year's zill challenge?
This year we are rocking it acapella style! Creating the music we dance to is a powerful skill for belly dance, and this challenge is going to show you how to do it. In fact, if you've been around the challenge for a while you might recognize this riff from several years ago. (Or not, a lot has happened since then!) Either way, it's your chance to level up your skills with more sounds, faster tempos and more proficiency...AND we are adding the riff to a brand new song to take it up a notch. (But I'm keeping the song a secret for now! 😉)



Hey there! I'm Sahira.


I've been a musician for the last 40 years and a dancer for 25. When it came time to teach my students how to play the finger cymbals I quickly realized that the off-handed "just put them on and play this" way that I was taught decades ago was not going to work.

So I drew from my musical training and developed a method of teaching finger cymbals that starts from the ground up and takes it step-by-step so students can truly understand and digest music and their zills in a brand new way.

For the past decade, this method has helped hundreds of dancers all over the world find confidence, excitement and creativity in their zilling. The unique combination of deep musical knowledge, a type A engineering mind plus my love of laughter leads to classes that are clear, focused and fun - the perfect combination to help you get the results you crave in less time and with more joy!


The result? Dancers who LOVE the finger cymbals and understand the music they're dancing to at a deeper level.

Wanting to offer this revolution to dancers everywhere, I took my classes online in 2013 and have been teaching and sharing my love of the zills with people all over the world ever since.


I would love nothing more than to help you find the same magical transformation in your zill playing.


Whether you have never played the finger cymbals and are looking for a solid foundation to build upon, or have been hesitant or confused about the instrument, or even embarrassed that you do not already know how to play them, there is an open and accepting place for you in this community.

Here inside The Zill Challenge we celebrate every stage of the process, know that the journey is the destination and "embrace the suck" when learning new things proves challenging!


Won't you join us inside?


I'm saving a place for you there.


Sincerely,