A few months ago, I had the privilege of being
filmed for a French documentary on belly dancing in Cairo. Three French
journalists from French TF1 channel spent an entire day shadowing me from the
minute I woke up (literally), to the minute I finished my last performance on
the Nile Memphis. Their goal was to document a typical day in the life of a
Cairo belly dancer. They also shadowed Brazilian dancer Sorayya Zayed; an
unknown Egyptian cabaret dancer; and famous costume designer Sahar Okasha.

Being shadowed was nothing but fun and
laughs from start to finish.  I am
grateful to French belly dancer Maya Sarsa of Cairo for recommending me for
this project.  http://www.youtube.com/user/mayasarsa

The first thing the journalists quickly
discovered was that my life as a Cairo belly dancer is simultaneously exciting,
funny, and frustrating. Watching their reactions as I narrated how I was kicked
out of my apartment when the landlord found out I was a belly dancer, how I was
kicked out of the Semiramis Hotel for not sleeping with manager, and how I was almost
deported for dancing illegally was priceless. And it was exactly the kind of
stuff they wanted to hear.

After interviewing me about my experiences
in Cairo, the journalists filmed me in my apartment putting together a
choreography. Then they captured me primping for my performance, after which
they accompanied me on the Nile Memphis to videotape my show. The journalists
were particularly amused by the way I wrapped my sequined Saidi stick in a
black garbage bag in order to hide it from people on my way to and from
work. 

The second part of this documentary deals
with the everyday hardships typical Egyptian cabaret dancers face. Similar to
what they did with me, the journalists shadowed an Egyptian belly dancer. They
followed her into her home, the beauty salon where she would do her hair and
makeup, and to her performances. They successfully conveyed the difficulties
this dancer encounters hiding her belly dancing from family members, neighbors,
and peers.

Last but not least, the journalists spent
a day with famous Brazilian Cairo dancer Sorayya Zayed and costume designer
Sahar Okasha, who perfectly explained the strict regulations governing belly
dance costuming. There documentary also features an interview with a member of
the Muslim Brotherhood about his views on belly dancing—views that are typical of
Islamists everywhere.  

The result of this interesting experiment is
this amazing documentary called Les danseuses du Caire, or The Dancers of Cairo.  Kudos to the journalists for doing such a
spectacular job and for taking a genuine interest in the Cairo belly dance scene.