Kalila has studied dance formally since 2000 including ballet, jazz, hip hop, modern, African, and belly dance. She began her study with the well-known Jodette who had a thriving career as a dancer, singer, actress, and musician in the middle east under the name Kamelia of Jordan. Jodette later moved to Sacramento and founded Jodette's Belly Dance Academy in 1962. She was one of the founding mothers of belly dance in America. Kalila has studied under Jodette since 2004. She has also continued her dance education by traveling to take specialty classes from many of the modern masters in belly dance including Jillina, Fathiem, Mary Ellen Donald, Jenna, Hala, Sausan, and Jacques al Asmar.

Kalila began performing belly dance professionally in 2005 with Jodette's troupe "The Jewels of the Nile." In 2006 she took first place in the Queen of the Nile competition held annually in Sacramento. She was featured on the July/August 2006 cover of Zaghareet magazine as well as the television show Good Day Sacramento and on News 10.

Kalila quickly became a soloist with the Jewels of the Nile and can now be seen performing regularly at restaurants and events throughout northern California. She specializes in veil, floor work, and sword balancing. In 2008 she became co-director and choreographer for The Jewels of the Nile.

Kalila has been teaching belly dance since 2005, and her classes cover cabaret and baladi movements as well as use of zils, veils, swords, and canes. In addition to her own private and group classes, Kalila teaches at Jodette’s Belly Dance Academy where her highly sought-out classes and workshops are in demand by dancers of all levels.