Neriman in a red bedlah, the performance starts with a debke piece to "Jeeb al mijwiz".
30 May, 2010
28 May, 2010
27 May, 2010
Dina: "The art of bellydance is dying."
=========================
At about 2.30am on a Saturday, Dina, Egypt’s most famous belly dancer, slinks on to the stage of Haroun el Rashid Night Club wearing a revealing pink outfit, accompanied by the sound of her trademark music.
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.
The audience, made up of upper class Egyptians, Gulf businessmen and tourists as well as a smattering of westerners, is enthralled.
Dina is practising an art that dates back to the Pharaohs, but belly dancing, or raqs sharqi, is these days more often condemned as immoral than celebrated as a national pastime, as religious conservatism grows in Egypt.
In May, Dina caused an uproar after giving a brief performance at a high school party. Apart from the storm that ensued in the media, 17 Islamist and independent lawmakers filed an urgent inquiry with the education minister, and Nabih al Wahsh, a well-known lawyer, filed a lawsuit against her for “seducing students”.
Ali Laban, a legislator and member of the Muslim Brotherhood, called for talks with the culture, education and interior ministers, while Sherif Omar, who heads the education committee in parliament and is a member of the ruling National Democratic Party, referred to the incident as a “catastrophe”.
Dina, in her forties and who goes only by her first name, was taken aback by the reaction, though it is far from the first time her dancing has raised the ire of conservatives.
“When I heard that my dancing for five minutes while wearing a jeans and T-shirt in the prom party [caused such offence], I was shocked,” she said, sipping a cappuccino and smoking a cigarette in the cafe of the Semiramis InterContinental Hotel in Cairo, where she performs three times a week.
“Sometimes I feel I get used to these things, but I don’t, because they never cease to amaze me,” she said.
In Oct 2006, Dina was widely blamed – by officials, the media and the public – after scores of young men chased women through downtown Cairo groping them and pulling off their clothes – even those wearing Islamic headscarves and face veils.
She had been dancing with a popular singer in front of a downtown cinema to advertise a movie that was playing during Eid, and allegedly aroused the men, causing them to run riot.
“This accusation made me laugh,” Dina said. “I couldn’t believe I could be responsible for unleashing a sexual uprising by hundreds of men. It’s just unbelievable.”
Famed for her green eyes, long black hair, and voluptuous figure, sculpted by more than 20 years of dancing, Dina is now one of the only well-known belly dancers in Egypt.
“I see no hope or future for belly dancing in Egypt,” she said. “Ten years ago we were so many. Each one had her own style and audience, whether first-class belly dancers, or second and third class. Now I look around and see nobody.”
According to the Egyptian Arts Authority, 5,000 professional belly dancers were registered in the 1950s, compared with less than 100 today.
While belly dancing is legal, dancers cannot perform on state-owned television in Egypt. And in an attempt to reduce the number of dancers, authorities are giving fewer licences to foreigners and making it difficult for them to renew existing ones.
Police also monitor nightclubs to ensure that dancers’ costumes are sufficiently modest, with slitted skirts that must start below the knee. The navel is always supposed to be covered, if only by transparent material.
According to Dina, who holds an master of arts in philosophy from Cairo University, the belly dancing outfits are the main cause of controversy in Egypt, rather than the dance itself.
“I think the problem some have with belly dancing here is the dancing costume; but it has always been seductive like this, we [our generation] didn’t invent it. Like ballet – can the ballerina dance with a different outfit? We too can’t dance with our bodies covered,” she said.
Wearing a beige tank top and tightfitting pants, and a golden necklace studded with blue charms, Dina said it was becoming increasingly difficult to be accepted as a belly dancer in Egypt, where 90 per cent of Muslim women wear the veil and the trend towards conservative Islam is growing.
“If I had a daughter, I would advise her not to become a belly dancer,” said Dina, who is a widow and the mother of an eight-year-old boy named Ali.
“It’s very tough being a belly dancer in Egypt.
“I surround myself with people who love dancing, and who are very understanding, so I don’t get the feeling that I’m doing something wrong at all,” she said. “But when these problems happen from time to time, it’s a reminder that many people look down on dancing, and that it’s [seen as] shameful.”
Yet demand for belly dancing in Egypt is still high among those who approve of it, especially among the rich who can afford to pay the LE12,000 per hour (Dh8,250) rate that Dina and her band charge to perform at private functions.
“I still dance at many weddings,” Dina said. “Most of the brides are veiled but they don’t stop dancing with me and their groom all night long. For Egyptians who can afford it, a wedding means a belly dancer.”
Suha Abdel Wahab, 30, is one such Egyptian. “Of course I would never imagine myself being a belly dancer,” Mrs Wahab said. “But I had Dina at my wedding, that was a dream come true.”
Still, people like Mrs Wahab seem to be the exception.
“At my wedding, I slaughtered sheep and distributed to the poor, by the same amount of money that I would have paid to a belly dancer,” said Rasha Moustafa, 29, who wears the veil.
“I think God would bless a marriage that begins by feeding the poor not wasting money on belly dancers.”
Nonetheless, in the face of growing disdain for her profession, Dina sees herself as “the guardian of belly dancing”, and vows to continue doing what she loves.
“Belly dancing is in our blood, it’s deeply rooted in our soil,” she said. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
“When I get old, and can’t dance anymore, I will train belly dancers. I just hope there will be ones to train.”
25 May, 2010
24 May, 2010
Gisele Bomentre: sword
Brazilian dancer Gisele performing on a Lebanese tv panel show. Gisele now lives in Cairo where she's performing and teaching and has also developed a career as a singer. Her website is here.
Nabila Metwali: white bedlah
A short performance in a magnificent white costume, part of a nightclub show.
Camelia (Patricia)
Brazilian dancer Camelia, back in the early days when she still went by her real name of Patricia. Lovely performance. The footage is from ICN tv in Lebanon.
Ranine: white bedlah Pt 2 of 2
Lebanese bellydancer Ranine is best known as the cover girl on Setrak Sarkissian's cd Volume 19: Bellydance with Ranine ("Champagne Bellydance").
Ranine: white bedlah Pt 1 of 2
Lebanese bellydancer Ranine is best known as the cover girl on Setrak Sarkissian's cd Volume 19: Bellydance with Ranine ("Champagne Bellydance").
Ranine: with Setrak
Lebanese bellydancer Ranine in a gold bedlah, Setrak Sarkissian drumming. If you're a dancer you're sure to recognise the music from Setrak's 'Bellydance with Ranine' cd.
23 May, 2010
Gisele Bomentre: Blue/gold bedlah
Brazilian bellydancer Gisele Bomentre with an interesting way to start a dance show.
Khouloud: melaya
Egyptian dancer Khouloud, the performance starts with a melaya piece. A lot of time is spent mingling with the audience.
21 May, 2010
20 May, 2010
Samara: Pt 2 of 2 (pink)
Part 2 of Samara's performance at an outdoor concert in Lebanon. Pink bedlah with harem pants.
Samara: Part 1 of 2 (pink)
Part 1 of Samara performing at an outdoor concert in Lebanon. Pink bedlah with harem pants.
19 May, 2010
18 May, 2010
Amani: green/purple Pt 2 of 2
Part 2 of Amani's performance on Lebanese tv, in a green and purple bedlah.
16 May, 2010
Prenses Banu: Turkish bellydancer
This is Turkish bellydancer Prenses Banu in a clip from the 1980s. PB could *actually* dance unlike some of the others....
14 May, 2010
Boushra (lilac bedlah)
The guitarist is Boushra's husband. Apologies for the poor sound quality but the VHS tape sat in a storage locker for 4 years :-(
13 May, 2010
12 May, 2010
Samara: Part 1 of 2
Part 1 of a performance on Lebanese tv by Iraqi-born dancer Samara, 'The Drum Solo Queen'.
Dani Boutros with Setrak Part 2 of 2
Part 2 of a performance on Lebanese tv. Setrak Sarkissian drumming. Dani does a Turkish drop at .44
Dani Boutros with Setrak Part 1 of 2
Part 1 of a performance on Lebanese tv. Setrak Sarkissian drumming.
11 May, 2010
Amani performing at LBC party 1 of 2
Part 1 of Amani performing at an LBC party, white and pearl bedlah.
Amani: blue bedlah
Dancing to music from one of her first cds. The drummer is Amani's ex-husband Bassem Yazbek.
Margo Kalfayan: black and gold bedlah
A short clip of Lebanese dancer Margo Kalfayan in a black and gold costume.
Camelia / Patricia
A short clip of Brazilian born bellydancer Camelia. The clip is titled "Patricia" as in the early part of her career she was performing using her 'real world' name.
09 May, 2010
Gizelle: Part 2
Part 2 of a performance by Brazilian dancer Gizelle in a black/silver costume. Gizelle lived and performed in Lebanon for many years.
Gizelle: Part 1
The first part of a performance by Brazilian dancer Gizelle in a black/silver costume. Gizelle lived and performed in Lebanon for many years.
Sibel Can: Turkish bellydancer
Sibel Can (pronounced Chan) started as a bellydancer but is now best known as a singer.
Margo Part 1
The first section of a performance by Lebanese bellydancer Margo Kalfayan in a gold costume.
06 May, 2010
05 May, 2010
Inci Adali: Turkish bellydancer
This performance is part of a soap opera thing about a girl who works in the nightclub who wants to be a bellydancer, the star dancer gives her a big break, restaurant girl dances with star (to 'Spectacular Rhythms'). I've cut those bits out to concentrate on Inci Adali's performance.
04 May, 2010
Ranine
A clip from a Lebanese tv game show. Ranine is the dancer on the cover of several of Setrak Sarkissian's CDs.
03 May, 2010
Dani Boutros: early career
A clip from the 80s when Dani was early in her career. Dani died in December 1998.
02 May, 2010
Burcin Orhon: Turkish bellydancer
Turkish bellydancer, I'm sure there's some steps from a sailor's hornpipe in there....
Soheir Zaki: The 'dark green bedlah' clip
Soheir Zaki's "Dark Green Bedlah" performance! I found it on the end of a damaged video tape that I'd just about given up on. The quality of this piece isn't great and I've had to cut out some really grainy parts but most of its intact.
Hanan: Part 2
Part 2 This is from a very old tape so the quality of the conversion isn't good, but its still worth watching for Hanan's technique.
Hanan: Part 1
This is from a very old tape so the quality of the conversion from VHS to mpg4 isn't good, but its still worth watching for Hanan's technique.
01 May, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)