Dina worries about the future of belly dancing in Egypt

[Aisha Azar]

Dance

Dear Reen,

So Aisha you want to say that Bellydance is for restaurant only? Well maybe an example of Egyptian style by Dina - yes, what about AmCam with Isis wings? Hardlyfor small stage...

[/QUOTE]



Uhhh.... WHERE did I say that belly dance was for restaurants only?
Regards,
A'isha

 

[khanjar]

........Is there any reason why you think westerners should be less ethnocentric than anyone else?.........

No, my personal opinion as I wish to get on with people of other cultures, not dominate them with my county's views. Not forgetting a country's views might not be the view of that country, but that of a select few who are in positions of power and influence.

I reject the belief that because we are from the west, we are right, perhaps right as far as our own country is concerned, but not necessarily right when it comes to other countries.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dance, etc.

Dear Khanjar,

No, my personal opinion as I wish to get on with people of other cultures, not dominate them with my county's views. Not forgetting a country's views might not be the view of that country, but that of a select few who are in positions of power and influence.

Well, I think that holds true for most any situation. Unless you know literally hundreds of people within a system, you do not get the views of anyone but a select few! That includes belly dance and natives of countries of origin.

I reject the belief that because we are from the west, we are right, perhaps right as far as our own country is concerned, but not necessarily right when it comes to other countries.

I also reject the view that because anyone is from a certain place, they are right. And, I reject the notion that I am whore because I belly dance, but that is the view of many a person in the Middle East.To most, it is a dance performed by sluts, even when they LIKE belly dance. However, I do recognize it as a notion that has a lot of truth in it, just as it it true here that actresses and actors do a lot of sleeping around sometime in order to claw their way to the middle of the pile. The "casting couch" is a legitimate issue in both fields. And,l we have to realize that just showing one's body, or moving in seductive ways is a form of prostitution in some countries ass well. Among poor dancers especially, they might have to do much more than dance to make a meager living.
Regards,
A'isha
[/QUOTE]

 

[khanjar]

Dear Khanjar,


I also reject the view that because anyone is from a certain place, they are right. And, I reject the notion that I am whore because I belly dance, but that is the view of many a person in the Middle East.To most, it is a dance performed by sluts, even when they LIKE belly dance. However, I do recognize it as a notion that has a lot of truth in it, just as it it true here that actresses and actors do a lot of sleeping around sometime in order to claw their way to the middle of the pile. The "casting couch" is a legitimate issue in both fields. And,l we have to realize that just showing one's body, or moving in seductive ways is a form of prostitution in some countries ass well. Among poor dancers especially, they might have to do much more than dance to make a meager living.
Regards,
A'isha

I understand that is the view of those from those countries, and they are entitled to their own view in their country. But like I wish not for the western countries to dictate to other countries, it is again a two way street, they have not the right to come to the west and foist their opinions on us. They criticise from afar, fine if if it is in their own country.

Name calling, I have gone past that, jibes at homosexuality and effeminacy, I know I am not and that is all that matters, I will pursue what I wish.

Sleazy activities are not only confined to public entertainers, I mean, just look at our country's leaders and their often covert activities. Favours sexual or otherwise have long been a way to get to where one wants to be.

There is a difference in reasons for dancing, some dance because they like it and want to , others dance because they can and do so for a living, but I can see why all are lumped together,

 

[Aisha Azar]

dance

I understand that is the view of those from those countries, and they are entitled to their own view in their country. But like I wish not for the western countries to dictate to other countries, it is again a two way street, they have not the right to come to the west and foist their opinions on us. They criticise from afar, fine if if it is in their own country.

Name calling, I have gone past that, jibes at homosexuality and effeminacy, I know I am not and that is all that matters, I will pursue what I wish.

Sleazy activities are not only confined to public entertainers, I mean, just look at our country's leaders and their often covert activities. Favours sexual or otherwise have long been a way to get to where one wants to be.

There is a difference in reasons for dancing, some dance because they like it and want to , others dance because they can and do so for a living, but I cansee why all are lumped together,

Dear Khanjar,
I am not trying to be insulting here, though it may sound that way. I find the attitude of "The dance is what I choose to say it is" to be just a bit on the ethnocentiric, condescending side. It is as if the people do not know the meaning of their own dance. Dancers from places of origin, themselves may see it differently than the average citizen, but the fact is that in the long run,
it should be those dancers and the people native to the countries from which the dance comes and not us from the west who determine the dance's meaning and purpose. They do so within a cultural understanding that the rest of us have to spend the rest of our lives learning, so who are we to make any such decisions? It is our job to learn what the dance is from their point of view and to pass that information on to our students. If we decide to use a few Middle Eastern elements and make up our own dances, we need to take the responsiblity to say so very, very clearly.
As far as when dancers from the Middle East come to the West and tell us what their dance is about, they have EVERY right to foist their opinions off on us.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[khanjar]

Dear Khanjar,
I am not trying to be insulting here, though it may sound that way. I find the attitude of "The dance is what I choose to say it is" to be just a bit on the ethnocentiric, condescending side. It is as if the people do not know the meaning of their own dance. Dancers from places of origin, themselves may see it differently than the average citizen, but the fact is that in the long run,
it should be those dancers and the people native to the countries from which the dance comes and not us from the west who determine the dance's meaning and purpose. They do so within a cultural understanding that the rest of us have to spend the rest of our lives learning, so who are we to make any such decisions? It is our job to learn what the dance is from their point of view and to pass that information on to our students. If we decide to use a few Middle Eastern elements and make up our own dances, we need to take the responsiblity to say so very, very clearly.
As far as when dancers from the Middle East come to the West and tell us what their dance is about, they have EVERY right to foist their opinions off on us.
Regards,
A'isha

I think we are both coming from different angles here, I am thinking about those who deem to criticise those who wish to dance, that is refer to dancers as whores etc,they are welcome to their criticism in their own countries, their way of life, their country. It is not for me to interfere with their country and it's ideas. If I go there, which is likely, I will mind my own business, if I disagree with something, then I will keep that to myself, simply because I am a guest in another's country.

Similarly, if a national of another country comes to the west and levies criticism based upon their own ideas, they are wrong, for it is not their country, they do not know it or it's people.

Now if a dancer comes from another country, perhaps the middle east, they may offer criticism of the dance they themselves know as a performer towards those who dance similarly in the west. They if they have an opinion, may relay that opinion, as I am sure western dancers would like to know as a means to improve their understanding.

Foisting opinions is fine for those involved, but not for those not involved.

I knew some Arabs once, they were guests in my country for educational purposes, I knew how they felt about western women and the way they dressed, that I understood, as it was alien to their own country aside from whores. I have seen non nationals in one of the middle eastern countries who were touting for business, so can understand where that premise came from.

The Western women these Arabian nationals came into contact with were not the whores the way they dressed, but upstanding people, which at first confused these guests, although at all times they maintained perfect honour, politeness and respect, they may have disagreed, but they kept it to themselves, as they understood their position as a guest in another's country, it was not for them to insult based upon ideas of their own culture.

Now you may say they were wealthy people, which they were, but I have also met the lowliest, a guard on an Omani museum, complete with bandoliers of bullets and an ancient rifle, he too was the same as the wealthy I knew, perfect politeness and respect. I did the best of my arabic, he did the best of his English, but we got on. I have a lot of respect for the people of the middle east, based upon those whom I have met.

In fact the only disrespect I ever had in the middle east was from an immigrant that chose to take exception to the fact that I wear long hair.Apparently, he took long haired men to be an indication of a drug user.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dance etc.

Dear Khanjar,
Yes, I have had the same argument about what I was wearing with a Saudi or two about what message the clothing I was wearing might be sending, when I used to work in one of the clubs in Seattle. I soon set them straight that this is America and I can wear out in public whatever the law allows and it is NOT a personal invitation to them to do anything more than look if it means that much to them.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do!!
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Knitting Jo]

To get back to the article itself though, I don't know if we should take it objectively. Obviously the decline of quality in ME Dance is not a good thing, but the article seems to be written for a certain kind of reader.
"Without an introduction she eases into her routine, gyrating her hips and rolling her stomach in slow, sensual motions, gradually raising the tempo with ever more daring and titillating movements of her thighs and torso." seems to be in introduction to an article about prostitutes or strippers. Yes, in many countries (western ones as well) Bellydancing is thought of as quite raunchy. That is untill most people actually see a performance( I would love to see a titillating hipdrop! :lol: ), but the article seems to written in such a way as to fuel these ideas rather than asay them as a lot of western articles that I have read.
Whether it was written in this way because it reflects the views of the average person in UAE or whether it was written in this way because controversy sells is open to debate.
DIna's responses seem to play right into the feeling of the article. Surely she isn't the only dancer left in the whole of Egypt! That is just silly. Someone of a cynical bent could even interpret her answers as a bit of advertising - "Come see Egypt's last bellydancer - she incites young men to rioting!"
As for my personal taste I think a return to more modest costumes (not full cover ups but a bit more covered) could even be a good thing as hot young things would have to rely on more than just cleavage to be famous.

 

[gypsy8522]

Whether it was written in this way because it reflects the views of the average person in UAE or whether it was written in this way because controversy sells is open to debate.
"

There isn't a "average person in the UAE", native people are a minority that make up approximately 15 percent of the population and the rest are non-citizens. Could it be that the article was written this way because it reflects the point of view of the **journalist** who wrote it?

I am also pretty sure there is someone else (a native speaker) who reads and checks the article before it gets published. The editor in chief has got to be a native english speaker.

DIna's responses seem to play right into the feeling of the article. Surely she isn't the only dancer left in the whole of Egypt! That is just silly.

She's the only dancer left in the whole of Egypt who is a famous celebrity! There are certainly other dancers, who may be famous -to other dancers that is, but if they walk down the street nobody from the non-dancing population is going to recognize them.

While I think her response is valid, I don't quite agree with the reasons she is giving. Here's what I think, and what I'm about write I have actually said ages ago, this is also a response to Tarik's comment above.

I apologize- this is going to be long.

The days of famous belly dancers like Tahia Carioca, Suheir Zaki, or even Dina are over. In my opinion no dancer is ever going to reach that kind of fame again. We are a different generation now, as the world around us has changed our ways of thinking and interests have changed as well. None of my Arabic friends (in their 20's) would be interested in wasting their weekend to go watch a two hour belly dancing show! That may have been the ultimate pastime of any young person decades ago (ie my parents generation), but tastes have changed A LOT over the 21st century. The advancement in digital technology and the boom of satelite channels over the past 9 years has given us other alternatives. My dad told me that when he was a kid he would go to the cinema just to see the artists he loves, since there was no television around that time. That is how legends such as Tahia and Samia used the cinema to reach their audiences. I am sure there were many good dancers during that time, but these were the lucky ones who made it on the silver screen and therefore became known to the rest of the Arab world. However, today we don't need that anymore. There is a TV set in every home, and during the past 8 years we have seen new channels pop all over the place, we are no longer forced to watch government generated channels either. That is why you see many belly dancers who can't sing a note making "music videos" just to promote themselves. One of them is Boosy Samir (yes, she actually used to be a belly dancer!), Lucy, Dina, Samara.. and lastly Bassema, the trashy dancer from Lebanon that was mentioned in another thread. There are many others who come out then disappear like bubbles, but names are escaping me right now. Shams, the dancer from Nile Group festival, I remember she came out with a video a few years ago.

If you look at the dancers today, in Egypt and around the world, they're all dancing to Om Kalthoum and songs from previous decades. In the past every generation of dancers had their own genre of music that represents them, it was not just a dancer movng her body to taped music infront of other fellow dancers and that's it. It was the whole artistic process, the musicians, the song writers, composers and of course when you have a great dancer to complete the line up of artists, in return you are going to get an appreciative audience from different levels of society and from all walks of life. I think what makes Suheir Zaki in many people's eyes the best dancer to ever dance to Om Kalthoum's music, it's not that she's "the best" but that was "her" generation. She has lived and danced during those times, we call it the generation of tarab, it's a point in Arabic music history that won't come back. That is why she too has become a part of that history. Honestly, I get so confused when I watch the so called belly dancers of today, and I feel that the music isn't helping much either.

In a recent TV interview with Nagua Fouad she was asked if the days of raqs sharqi will ever return, she said "No, because now there's that darn playback microphone" lol. I thought her answer was funny and soooo true. A good example would be the likes of Nancy Ajram, Ruby, Haifa etc.. they have medicore voices (except for Haifa, her singing isn't even suitable for the shower), they keep dancing around on stage and sometimes they wear costumes that Dina can't get away with. Eileen Khalaf's concert was braodcast on the Egyptian channel a few years ago, and I sworn it was a belly dancing outfit she was wearing.. the audience turnout was like 5,000 people. Ironically, no belly dancer is allowed to appear in a concert on Egyptian TV.

These happen to be one of the "alternatives" I was talking about. Until very recently we had the REAL female singers who would stand still the whole time while they enchant us with their beautiful voice, and we had the belly dancer who would entertain us with her body.. every person had a specific job and they knew not to highjack another artist's profession which they are not qualified for. Today it is a salad, you hire any of the artists I mentioned above, you get a beautiful woman that can sing, dance, wear the raunchiest costume followed by the biggest controvery (where'd you think Dina got the idea from?)... it's like a 3 in 1 deal. And these women do not accept anything less than 20,000 dollars for a private party, so obviously it is much better for them than to become a dancer, which brings us to another contemporary thing... technological changes and all this commercialization has made the entertainment industry all about making profit. Art is used as a tool, it is not the end result.

Ok, I'm tired from typing. I'll be back later.

to be continued....

 

[deanna]

Dear Knitting Jo,
That's interesting that you read the article that way. I didn't get such a negative connotation from it. This may or may not be germane here, but I've been a journalist for many years and I've encountered many readers who accuse journalists of injecting personal bias into their stories. Honestly, that doesn't happen nearly as much as people might think. Most of the time, stories are written by people who are putting stories together on a short deadline and the subtle nuances of words chosen in haste escape them. In describing Dina in motion, I think the writer was trying to be lyrical and paint a picture with the words. A person who isn't very familiar with the dance would not realize how cliched and derogatory it was. I realize I'm giving the writer the benefit of the doubt here, but I prefer to assume the best instead of the worst...

 

[gypsy8522]

...... To continue what I was saying, I really do think that the declining interest in raqs sharqi amongst young people is the reason why we're having less and less top celebrity dancers (I think that's what Dina means when she refers to herself as the only dancer left). Since nearly two thirds of the population in the Arab world is under the age of 25, we should actually have a bigger market for dancers more than we did in the past. Honestly, I don't see that happening anytime soon, especially with all the dancers we keep seeing in music videos!! The raqs sharqi industry in Egypt is also so different than the rest of the world.... Besides the Arab restaurants, it seems that the vast majority of audiences in the West is made up of other dancers..... for the teachers, especially those from Egypt it is more like a business for them, while to many of the non-Arab students it's a recreational thing that they don't get to do frequently outside the classroom, since it is not part of their culture.
Just like younger people all around the world, young Arabs are affected by the trends set by the entertainment industry... although we still appreciate the old dancers and our history etc..
Seriously though, with the direction music is going these dancers do not represent our generation anymore. The MUSIC is the key here.


There's also the wedding parties etc... If I was to throw a party, it would not be the same traditional party where I must hire a dancer... everyone sitting in a circle watching her dance... I wasn't alive during those times but our TV archives and films give us a clear picture of how people used to dress and act in the past century, and if you look at the footage of wedding celebrations say in the 50's-until the past 2 decades, and compare it to a lot of today's weddings, there's a HUGE difference. All the weddings that I've been to recently I see many guests that can't wait for the dancer to get off the stage so they can let go and get CRAZY. That is why the DJ is so popular because unlike the band that needs to rehearse etc... the DJ can play any song, for any artist, music genre...so who needs a band/orchestra anymore? In the past it was NOT okay for everyone to get up and dance like that, but for newer generations EVERYONE wants to get in the center of the dance floor and show off their moves. I've even seen brides wrap hipscarfs around their waists getting up on a chair or table and dancing :shok: Can you imagine this happening 20 years ago??

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dance

...... To continue what I was saying, I really do think that the declining interest in raqs sharqi amongst young people is the reason why we're having less and less top celebrity dancers (I think that's what Dina means when she refers to herself as the only dancer left). Since nearly two thirds of the population in the Arab world is under the age of 25, we should actually have a bigger market for dancers more than we did in the past. Honestly, I don't see that happening anytime soon, especially with all the dancers we keep seeing in music videos!! The raqs sharqi industry in Egypt is also so different than the rest of the world.... Besides the Arab restaurants, it seems that the vast majority of audiences in the West is made up of other dancers..... for the teachers, especially those from Egypt it is more like a business for them, while to many of the non-Arab students it's a recreational thing that they don't get to do frequently outside the classroom, since it is not part of their culture.
Just like younger people all around the world, young Arabs are affected by the trends set by the entertainment industry... although we still appreciate the old dancers and our history etc..
Seriously though, with the direction music is going these dancers do not represent our generation anymore. The MUSIC is the key here.


There's also the wedding parties etc... If I was to throw a party, it would not be the same traditional party where I must hire a dancer... everyone sitting in a circle watching her dance... I wasn't alive during those times but our TV archives and films give us a clear picture of how people used to dress and act in the past century, and if you look at the footage of wedding celebrations say in the 50's-until the past 2 decades, and compare it to a lot of today's weddings, there's a HUGE difference. All the weddings that I've been to recently I see many guests that can't wait for the dancer to get off the stage so they can let go and get CRAZY. That is why the DJ is so popular because unlike the band that needs to rehearse etc... the DJ can play any song, for any artist, music genre...so who needs a band/orchestra anymore? In the past it was NOT okay for everyone to get up and dance like that, but for newer generations EVERYONE wants to get in the center of the dance floor and show off their moves. I've even seen brides wrap hipscarfs around their waists getting up on a chair or table and dancing :shok: Can you imagine this happening 20 years ago??

Dear Gypsy,
Thanks for your take on this subject. It is sensible and intelligent, as usual. I performed at Arab weddings 20 years ago where indeed the guests got up and danced and the bride did too, but then I also danced at two Arab weddings recently where this did not happen. I think, however, for the main part that you are correct. Younger people are now being their own entertainment. But, as a long term dancer, this is what I have noticed. Also, dancers cost money and people having weddings in parking lots and such do not have that much of it. Then again, there may be more dancers hired for private events than we think, just not the famous ones. Just like clothing fashions change and go through phases , so has the dance and it may see a big comeback in the future. While I am not holding my breath, I can certainly see it happening, just like 60s/70s clothing is back.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Andrea Deagon]

Gypsy says: The days of famous belly dancers like Tahia Carioca, Suheir Zaki, or even Dina are over. In my opinion no dancer is ever going to reach that kind of fame again.

Andrea says: I agree with you on this. This makes me think of a similar moment in Western dance history -- from the 1890's to the 1910's there were a number of female dancers who took the world by storm, commanded high prices, were the toast of the town, were known to everyone: Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Loie Fuller, to a lesser extent Maud Allan and Mata Hari and others, and from the period just before there were all the can-can dancers from the Moulin Rouge in France (though they weren't known in the USA), and there were even (in France at least) some ethnically Arab dancers whose names became known (though not as famously and not to us today). People were really interested in women's dance; it inspired controversy, editorials, reviews in the major newspapers, big lines at the theater -- and a breakthrough dancer could become a big star.

Obviously, this situation is now in the past. The idea that a female soloist could carry a show on her own, or become a big celebrity, seems far distant.

I wonder what happened in the Western world to cause this phenomenon to disappear? Cinema, maybe? And there were a lot of social changes following WWI. So the world changes, and you can't expect the heyday of an art to last forever.

It's interesting to me that the art of belly dance in the US has become so much its own thing, but I feel a lot more concern about the cookie-cutter, passionless, but technically skilled dancers that proliferate now, than I did about the individual, passionate if less technically proficient and authentic dancers of the 1970's-90's. Odd that just as we have the capacity to learn the dance and its meanings from actual Arabs, we seem to be losing our own sense of what makes the dance true in spirit. Or maybe there are just as many magical dancers as there ever were, just a lot more clones as well?

Do I sound like a grumpy geezer? I keep trying ...

 

[Caroline_afifi]

This is an interesting thread.
I just got back from Ahlan Wa Sahlan and on the whole had a nice time and met and talked to many people I would never have had the chance to meet etc.
From a dance perspective it was gross. I like festivals but I did not like this. I can appreciate festivals in their own countries as it is a great way to get together and access many things in the form of a short holiday etc. and all under one roof.

To have Egyptian culture sanitised in a hotel in this way is really weird.
Commercialism is helping kill this dance and so is greed.

I wont go into detail at this moment but I came to the conclusion that most people care more about what goes into their wallets rather than the quality, art or the integrity of this dance.

I can see why people are attracted to such festivals, but believe me I was disturbed.
I spend alot of my time commuting between the UK and Egypt and have never been to this particular festival before... I am so glad I was working and not paying. I heard many many people echoing the same thing and most were Egyptians.

The bazaar was huge and 90% sold total crap. People were buying disgusting looking costumes all around me. It was all very disturbing and my thoughts on the matter are too complex right now to go into.

I dont think I will bother to be paid to go back again next year.
Sorry if this offends anyone who was there and had a great time, it is not about you but about the whole set up.

 

[Suheir]

This is an interesting thread.
I just got back from Ahlan Wa Sahlan and on the whole had a nice time and met and talked to many people I would never have had the chance to meet etc.
From a dance perspective it was gross. I like festivals but I did not like this. I can appreciate festivals in their own countries as it is a great way to get together and access many things in the form of a short holiday etc. and all under one roof.

To have Egyptian culture sanitised in a hotel in this way is really weird.
Commercialism is helping kill this dance and so is greed.

I wont go into detail at this moment but I came to the conclusion that most people care more about what goes into their wallets rather than the quality, art or the integrity of this dance.

I can see why people are attracted to such festivals, but believe me I was disturbed.
I spend alot of my time commuting between the UK and Egypt and have never been to this particular festival before... I am so glad I was working and not paying. I heard many many people echoing the same thing and most were Egyptians.

The bazaar was huge and 90% sold total crap. People were buying disgusting looking costumes all around me. It was all very disturbing and my thoughts on the matter are too complex right now to go into.

I dont think I will bother to be paid to go back again next year.
Sorry if this offends anyone who was there and had a great time, it is not about you but about the whole set up.

It's very interesting to hear your views, Caroline. From what I can see happening in this country, belly dance is becoming a franchise like Starbucks where you get a qualification certificate to stick on the wall and a licence to spread mediocrity and blandness under a brand with all the associated merchandising. Buy the tee-shirt! Worship the founder! Fill the coffers! Oh.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Festivals, etc.

Have to put this here for the computer to register my post.

This is an interesting thread.
I just got back from Ahlan Wa Sahlan and on the whole had a nice time and met and talked to many people I would never have had the chance to meet etc.
From a dance perspective it was gross. I like festivals but I did not like this. I can appreciate festivals in their own countries as it is a great way to get together and access many things in the form of a short holiday etc. and all under one roof.

To have Egyptian culture sanitised in a hotel in this way is really weird.
Commercialism is helping kill this dance and so is greed.

I wont go into detail at this moment but I came to the conclusion that most people care more about what goes into their wallets rather than the quality, art or the integrity of this dance.

Dear Caroline,
That is pretty much what I have felt about every festival I have ever gone to, so I mostly do not go. They seem to be more about seeing and being seen, who can buy/sell the most junk, stuffing 60 students into a room with no mirrors and giving them very little feedback on their dancing, etc. I have harped on this very subject for years and it is nice to hear someone else do it for a change!! SOMETIMES the shows are worth seeing, sometimes not. I think festivals are not about learning dance very much at all.
When I have presented at events I have asked that my classes be limited to 30 people. That is the limit I put on my workshops and my regular classes, because I do not feel that I can give people the attention they need if I have more than that. I realize that this is no way to get rich, but I can come away with a clear conscience about how I am treating the dance and other dancers. Thanks for bringing up some really valid points here.
Regards,
A'isha



I can see why people are attracted to such festivals, but believe me I was disturbed.
I spend alot of my time commuting between the UK and Egypt and have never been to this particular festival before... I am so glad I was working and not paying. I heard many many people echoing the same thing and most were Egyptians.

The bazaar was huge and 90% sold total crap. People were buying disgusting looking costumes all around me. It was all very disturbing and my thoughts on the matter are too complex right now to go into.

I dont think I will bother to be paid to go back again next year.
Sorry if this offends anyone who was there and had a great time, it is not about you but about the whole set up.

 

[Caroline_afifi]

I have just managed to open the article and read it. There is nothing new in there really.
Who had the profile of Dina 10 years ago even? there has only ever been a splattering of top name dancers at this level at any one time.

Belly dancers as a 'house hold' name in Egypt is another issue and I think it will be very difficult for any dancer to achieve this in the near future.
Poepel are suffering in Egypt so who gives a toss about belly dancers? as one women said in the interview... better to feed the poor than splash out 10,000le on a belly dancer and I actually agree.

I dont think it is so much about fundamentalism but the rationale of spending this much money on a belly dancer when people are genuinely suffering.

As the situation increases were people cannot sustain themselves with the basics (based on Maslow's theory) belly dancing will take a back seat.
This situation will only be in Egypt and will not be permanent as the popularity and revelance of the dance moves in cycles.

Fifi Abdou always seemed to know exactly how to keep the balance. She has a Ramadan tent which appears every year outside my old apartment in Mohandiseen. She has had her fair share of scandals but usually managed to gauge public sensitivities and engages in high profile charities.
A little less whingeing and a little more charity may keep some of the other well known belly dancers from fading all together.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dance etc. etc.

Dear Caroline,

I have just managed to open the article and read it. There is nothing new in there really.
Who had the profile of Dina 10 years ago even? there has only ever been a splattering of top name dancers at this level at any one time.

Belly dancers as a 'house hold' name in Egypt is another issue and I think it will be very difficult for any dancer to achieve this in the near future.
Poepel are suffering in Egypt so who gives a toss about belly dancers? as one women said in the interview... better to feed the poor than splash out 10,000le on a belly dancer and I actually agree.

I dont think it is so much about fundamentalism but the rationale of spending this much money on a belly dancer when people are genuinely suffering.

As the situation increases were people cannot sustain themselves with the basics (based on Maslow's theory) belly dancing will take a back seat.
This situation will only be in Egypt and will not be permanent as the popularity and revelance of the dance moves in cycles.

Fifi Abdou always seemed to know exactly how to keep the balance. She has a Ramadan tent which appears every year outside my old apartment in Mohandiseen. She has had her fair share of scandals but usually managed to gauge public sensitivities and engages in high profile charities.
A little less whingeing and a little more charity may keep some of the other well known belly dancers from fading all together.

I agree that belly dance goes through phases and cycles and it seems to be in a really down cycle in Egypt right now as far as Egyptians taking up the dance. Nearly as I can tell, many people are still hiring dancers for weddings and other occasions, just not the famous ones who cost bundles.
All of the Egyptians that I know not only talk about Fifi for her generosity, but also because she did not take on any airs, such as voice lessons to get that cute little feminine high voice that is so admired by the high class. Her savvy and understanding of the common people has stayed with her. She has not forgotten her beginnings as so many people who become rich and famous tend to do and I think that goes a long way toward her popularity with the people.
Regards,
A'isha

 

[taheya]

Your post about Ahlan wa sahlan festival was very enlightening Caroline and I hope that Nile Group is not going the same wayray: I have heard other people comment about Ahlan beforesaying that they felt it was a big money making scam these days in comparison to a few years ago when it di not seem to be all about that. Makes me sad!!