Interview by Isis Zahara
IZ: When and why did you decide to start a successful
dance carrier in Egypt?
LC: I actually never intended to start a dance career
in Egypt. My goals were much more modest than that. I came here in 2008 on a
scholarship to research the origins of belly dance and to trace its development
throughout history. Of course, I also wanted to learn as much dance as I could.
Little by little, people started asking me to perform. So, I agreed to try. At
first, before I got a contract, I performed two to three times a week at beach
resorts along the Red Sea, two hours away from Cairo. That was okay for the
time being, but I would dance outdoors for an hour to CD on rough pavement that
would break my expensive dance shoes. It was hard work, but that’s all there was
to do for an uncontracted foreign dancer. So I did it happily. And then, one
day, someone who believed in me took me to audition at the Nile Memphis in Cairo.
I passed the audition, and before I knew it, I had a contract to perform every
night to a live band.
IZ: Behind the glamour of the shows/festivals how is
to be a belly dancer in an Arab country? (I read in your blog – you were kicked
out of your apartment for being a belly dancer. Tell us a bit about the bad
reputation dancers have in Egypt.)
LC: Being a belly dancer in Egypt is no easy thing.
Ninety-nine percent of Egyptians, including the dancers and musicians
themselves, think that belly dancing is sinful. Some even liken dancers to prostitutes.
This is because in conservative religious societies, women are forbidden to
expose their bodies in public. Because this is such a shameful profession here,
most dancers, including myself, hide our profession, or else lie about what we
do. If we don’t, we risk being ostracized by neighbors, landlords, friends,
family members, etc. As you mentioned, my landlord kicked me out of my
apartment when he found out I was a belly dancer. His sister had seen me
performing at a hotel and told him that his tenant was a dancer. The next thing
I knew, he told me that he and his family were “people of God,” and that they
couldn’t have a dancer renting their apartment. In addition to him really
believing what he said, he also didn’t want to risk the neighbors finding out
that a dancer lived in his apartment, because that would result in his
apartment gaining a reputation for being a whorehouse… and then people would
look at him as a pimp. It was a lose-lose situation.
IZ: Some years ago, Egyptian belly dancers rebelled
against the influx of foreign belly dancers and persuaded the Egyptian government
to stop issuing performance permits for non-Egyptians. After that, how is it to
be a foreign belly dancer in Egypt?
LC: Well, foreign belly dancers have fewer work opportunities
than Egyptian ones. As you mentioned, the Egyptian government completely banned
foreign dancers at one point. That’s
because many Egyptian dancers, Fifi Abdo being the most important one, were angry
that foreigners were taking their work. Also, at that time, there were a lot of
Russian prostitutes doubling as belly dancers. Egyptian dancers wanted to put
an end to that because they were losing work. Now, foreigners are allowed to
work in Egypt, but the process of getting a contract and government permission
is difficult. It takes a long time and a lot of money and patience. And, there
are only four or five places licensed to hire foreign talent. If we do get contracted,
we’re only allowed to perform at one venue, whereas Egyptians can perform in as
many hotels, boats and cabarets as they want. We are allowed to perform at
weddings and other private functions, but other than that, we’re limited to
performing at the place that contracted us. Additionally, we have to pay a lot
of monthly and yearly fines, and taxes! Not to mention all the commission we
pay to agents. And then there’s the dress code. Technically, we’re supposed to
wear costumes with stomach coverings, even if the covering is sheer. Most of us
find them ugly and irritating, but they’re required by law. So being a foreign
dancer here is not easy. Not impossible, but no piece of cake.
dancer in Egypt?
LC: There are many positive things to say about being
a belly dancer in Egypt. There is nothing in the world like being able to
perform for Egyptian audiences every day, and being accompanied by some of the
best musicians in the world. You also get to be in charge of your entire show. You
select your music, have your band memorize it, you choreograph (or not), you
choose your costumes. And, there’s a lot
of recognition from the international dance community that comes with dancing in
Cairo. That’s why there are so many foreign dancers who like to say they dance
in Cairo, even if they really don’t. They know it elevates their standing in
the dance world.
IZ: Are there any moves, rhythms, musical progressions,
points of etiquette, etc, that you didn’t know before or you came to Egypt? How
has Egyptian culture helped you understand more about belly dance?
LC: In my case, I basically learned how to dance in
Egypt. Though I completed about a year of training in New York, I quickly
discovered that learning from non-Egyptian dancers is not the same as learning
from Egyptians (or even from foreigners who have made dance careers in Egypt). I
learned most of my technique here, and I learned how to express everything in a
more Egyptian way. Plus, I’ve also learned how to hear music…how to understand
what the instruments are saying, and which types of movements correspond to
them. Lastly, I’ve learned that belly dance isn’t something that Egyptians
“do.” It’s something that happens. It just flows out of them freely. This is
what foreigners try to achieve by coming to Egypt.
Festival “Salamat Masr” with Egyptian legends such as Najwa Fouad, Zizi
Mostafa, and Mona El-Said?
LC: I am absolutely thrilled that I will be teaching
and performing alongside such stars as Mona El-Said, Nagwa Fouad, Zizi Mostafa,
Hassan Ali, Mohamed El-Hosseiny, and Semasem and Joana. All of them are such
talented, dedicated artists, and I am honored to be participating in the same
event that they are. And I must say, Salamat Masr is one of the best festivals
in the world. Mr. Hassan Ali is a true artist who has gathered all the people
who should have been teaching in festivals all these years, but perhaps were
excluded by the unprofessional, unfair politics of other large festivals. Most
of the artists have actual performing experience in Cairo, which is an
extremely important credential. I’m
excited about this festival, as you can imagine.
LC: There are many artists I consider master teachers.
They are mainly the ones who have actually had a performing career in Cairo,
both Egyptian and non-Egyptian. There are simply things one cannot learn or
teach if they do not have experience dancing to live music on a regular basis. The
stage, music, audience and experience are the best teachers. Anyone who has all of that is, to me, a
master.
dancer, and is appropriately nicknamed “The Queen of Raqs Sharqi” here in
Egypt. Her dancing is transformative, powerful, sassy, beautiful, and feminine.
She has influenced generations of dancers.
belly dance in the coming years? (Egypt depends on money from foreign students
and professionals.)
LC: I think with the economic and social crisis that
Egypt is experiencing, belly dancing will go through some rough times. The new
wave of religious conservatism has already had a negative impact on the dance
scene, and I expect it will only get worse as time goes on. I wish I could be
more optimistic, but reality doesn’t allow me to be right now. However, there
will be a time when Egyptians reclaim their culture and dance, and perhaps
usher in a new “Golden Era” of belly dance.
in Egypt?
LC: If the situation in the country permits, I would
like to believe I have a bright future as a belly dancer in Egypt. I have worked
really hard since being contracted last year, and have made numerous
appearances at high-end corporate events. I have also appeared on Egyptian TV. So
I’m optimistic about that. I’m grateful for everything God has given me so far,
and I’m ready for whatever He throws in my path.
You can read the original interview, as well as see other dancer interviews here.
Such an interesting interview! I would like to ask, and I don't mean this in a derogatory way, just genuinely interested – obviously there is a pecking order in Cairo, but not all the foreign dancers have the God given beauty to get a contract. I still believe that if they have spent years & studied in Egypt (without contract) they have something to offer the students back home. If only a handful are qualified teachers, this art form will not be kept alive at all. Many of us old timers danced 6 nights a week in the US & other countries to live Egyptian music, when they had a plethora of clubs, and I know that is not the same as walking out the door and being in Cairo. So these are just the thoughts I had after reading the interview & wanted to share them with you. Might others have something to offer the dance world at large besides the few Egyptian dancers, and the few of you foreign dancers with contracts? Happy dancing!
Great comment. 🙂 Just to clarify, it takes much more than beauty to get a contract. There are many gorgeous girls out there that don't get contracted, both foreign and Egyptian. There are other determining factors, such as how well you dance. 🙂 I've actually sent two very pretty girls to sub for me on the boat, and the management didn't approve of them as subs because according to them, the girls weren't good dancers.
Regarding your question, of course those who haven't danced in Cairo have something to offer! I myself, and a whole lot of other Cairo dancers regularly take workshops with dancers from around the world. I personally go to certain teachers for certain things. What I said in this interview, in response to the question of who I consider a "master" teacher, was that they are "mainly" (meaning many but not all), those who have had a career with live music in Cairo. The reason being that there is just so much that being on stage with musicians teaches you, that you can in turn teach to others. I notice a huge difference in my dancing and entire comprehension of the dance after having danced to live music. From attending rehearsals with musicians, I understand the intricacies of how a piece is composed and broken down. And there's so much more. So yes, we all have something to offer, but if yo u who a master teacher is, I will still answer it's someone with a career in Cairo. That doesn't mean that nobody else can or should teach.
Hope I've clarified what I meant and answered your question. Thanks for reading and writing. <3
what would you say are some of the most quintessential components of technique with Egyptian belly dance?