Facing Truth
Working as a Dancer in Egypt
2012
Saidi Tableaux at a wedding at the Semeramese Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid, Photo: Mohab Magdy
by Leila Farid
all photos are from author’s archives
posted January 19, 2012
Most of the documentaries, videos, and blogs I have seen that have been written by foreign dancers in Cairo about their life here inspire feelings of an Oriental fantasy–as opposed to the real, the gritty truth of life as a dancer. There is a certain amount of glamor and mystery that surrounds dancing in Cairo, and no dancer wants to shatter that illusion with the dirty facts. It is easy to romanticize dancing in Egypt.
What is not so easy, is to admit that rejection, harassment, and discouragement usually precede even the smallest achievements.
Dancers usually have faced this with silence and perseverance–qualities essential to negotiating pre-revolutionary Egypt. The truth is that dancing in Cairo is hard! Honestly; had I know how difficult it was going to be, I most likely would not have come. There are many reasons in my life why I am still in Cairo but dancing is only one of them; there were numerous times that I thought of giving up. The industry as seen from the outside is nothing like it looks on the inside. Dancing with a four-member tahkt in a hotel lobby for little money is possibly not what a dancer envisioned when she thought of performing in Cairo, but even this job could have been gained at great expense. In print, this job can be a “nightly contract in a glamorous five-star hotel”, giving little indication of the reality of the situation. In Cairo, the physical, emotional, and psychological stresses to which a dancer is subjected can be high. It is not easy to negotiate an industry that she (most likely) does not fully comprehend due to foreign language complications, culture barriers, and governmental restrictions and to maintain an image of success in the dance community.
With the Egyptian Revolution of January 25th this year, a veil of silence has been lifted and Egyptians have become free to voice their grievances, divulge old wrongs, and speculate on the future. Perhaps it is time to discuss some of the hardships that dancers have faced when dancing in Cairo. From sleazy nightclub managers to vengeful government officials, to hate-mail on the Internet, I am sure that my own stories reflect similar experiences faced by many dancers in Cairo.
Sometimes the dirty facts of dancing in Cairo can be more interesting than the pristine Oriental fantasy… at least, it is when you tell the story later!
Even before the Egyptian Revolution, the amount of work available to dancers had started to decline. When I first arrived in Cairo, the industry was still thriving, and work was plentiful. In the past, one of the hardest things with which one had to deal as a dancer in Cairo is exhaustion. The toll that daily performance can take is high. At the beginning of my career, I was dancing from 2 to 4 shows every day. I remember times in the dressing room at 5 a.m. when I was wondering how I was going to do show #4 of the night because my feet wouldn’t move any more. Once, I started working additionally as an actress; the only time I would take off from dancing was to shoot a film project. I can recall being on the set at 4 a.m., then shooting all day, and leaving the shoot to dance a show on the boat and at a wedding and then returning to the shoot to continue the rest of the night.
Looking back, I’m not sure how I did it! (or why…) I do know that I was exhausted most of the time.
2005
Back to work after the 2004 ban of foreign dancers performing at the Haroun il Rashid Nightclub in Semeramese.
Costume: Eman Zaki
When you are exhausted you get sick. Like most performers, I have danced with many kinds of illness: fevers, intestinal problems, and bronchial infections. When you are exhausted you also get injured. I have performed with a dislocated knee, dislocated hip, and a concussion (suffered on the set when a cash from on top of the camera fell on my head). Why would I perform sick or injured? Sometimes the place I worked put pressure on me, saying they couldn’t find a replacement. Sometimes I feared that they would find a replacement. Keeping your job in Cairo, early in your career, is a constant worry–especially for a foreigner who needs a contract to make her work visa. There is always another dancer willing to take your job; so, if it is all you can do to drag yourself out of bed to make it to the show (even if it means turning out a dire performance) you usually do it.
In all the arts, in all countries, the casting couch exists, but in Egypt, the idea of it seems interconnected with the dance profession and can cause a dancer no end of frustration.
In Egypt, a club or hotel owner may try to form a relationship with a dancer he is hiring. Sometimes his hints are subtle and sometimes he just states what he wants. Sometimes he will hire you and let his affections be known over a period of months and if he realizes you are not interested, you will find yourself replaced. Saying “yes” to a manager’s affections can lead to a job–but not always. I have known of dancers who dated managers and never found their way to the stage. Saying “no!” does not always mean you won’t get the job. A dancer develops a reputation in the industry here and if the manager knows he will not get anywhere with her from the start (and if she has large enough fan base) then negotiating the job becomes purely about business–because her name brings in guests.
It is when a dancer is new to Egypt that she faces the most harassment. Finding and keeping that first contract is difficult.
I would wager to say that most dancers who have danced, or tried to dance, in Cairo have faced harassment like this. I have lost jobs because I wasn’t interested in being the manager’s girlfriend. It is one of the most difficult situations to accept because you have no recourse. You can report the manager, but I have never heard of a manager being reprimanded. By reporting someone in our industry you are labeled a “trouble maker” and even respectable bosses become wary of you. So you quietly move on to the next audition and hopefully the next job while trying to establish your name.
2009
Party at the Pyramisa Hotel.
Costume: Eman Zaki
Hotels usually have an impresario who handles their artist. This is not a manager but the go-between for the hotel and artist’s management or the person who brings the entertainment to weddings. This is a very competitive and dirty business. Sometimes a performer must ally herself with an impresario to get or keep a job, and he can take as much or more money than the performer–just for booking her into the venue. Some dancers choose to work with only one impresario and others will work with many. I have known of dancers who lost their jobs because their particular impresario lost the hotel contract and all his artists had to leave with him. If you choose to work with many impresarios, then you have more options for work, but they have no real stake in finding you a job unless you tip them more than the other dancers do. My first contract in Cairo was with a very powerful impresario in a restaurant with it’s own band. If I called in sick, the impresario would send his own doctor to verify that I was actually ill and not working somewhere else. If the doctor said I could work, then I would work no matter how sick I was. There were constant fights with the band who worked for him, not me, and who took tips to play whatever song the guests requested, whether I knew the song or not.
It is always risky to try not to pay the impresario’s commission and to go direct to the hotel.
Their hold on the industry is strong and they usually find a way to punish you by ruining future jobs, especially if they have a score to settle. Over the years, I have worked with almost every impresario in Cairo. Some are honest and some are thieves. For two years, I worked exclusively with one impresario for weddings in Alexandria. I worked a lot, but I was not happy with the price. He claimed that if I increased my price, I would lose the work. It happened that a guest called me direct to ask me to give them a discount. I was confused as I felt my price was more than fair. The guest told me how much the impresario was charging for me and it turned out that he was adding another 70% to the money he was giving me and my price was one of the highest in the market! I called all the other impresarios in Alex that same day.
Dealing with impresarios is like walking in a minefield until you establish yourself. It is a battle you must face if you want to work.
For the last 15 or so years, the old regime had not been friendly to dance. They informally banned dance performances from television and although shows about dance would surface now and then, they never lasted very long. (Since the Revolution, at least 3 TV channels are running programs with dancers-one 24 hours a day!) Performers ran the constant risk of upsetting the wrong government person and finding themselves finished as a dancer. There is the famous story of the Syrian dancer who was dancing at a party with the ex-president’s son. She asked him to dance with her, and when he refused, she chided, “Are you afraid of daddy?” She found herself on a plane back to Syria that evening! My own experience was less dramatic–most likely because I am American. I unknowingly took the job of the girlfriend of a top government official. The next night, the nightclub manager showed up at my door begging for the contract I had signed. Over the next month, it became apparent that my work visa had disappeared! For three months, I sat without working because my paperwork had been lost. Finally, I appealed to someone in the National Security and told him my story. He called the next day to tell me to go back to work, but strangely, two of the hotels where I had been working had taken me off their schedules. It was only after the Revolution, years later, that the hotels called asking me to come back to work. They told me that a government official, now safely in jail, had blacklisted me. The only reason I still work in Egypt is because the National Security agent had warned the official that loosing an Americans’ work visa would result in an investigation.
Until recently I didn’t know who was behind this. I had falsely blamed an impresario with whom I’d had a dispute over tips. After an amir’s birthday party, where tips were flying, I was called into his office; with two big body guards present, he demanded 2/3 of the tips instead of the half I had given him. He threatened that I would never work in Egypt again if I didn’t give him my tips. I refused–and a few weeks later, my work visa disappeared. It is nice to know that the person actually responsible is in jail, and I have since worked with this same impresario in many weddings.
For this same reason, dancing at the top military or government weddings was always full of stress. I have danced at the wedding hall across the road from the ex-president’s old residence. (I am the only foreigner and Dina is the only Egyptian to dance there in the 8 years it has existed.)
The amount of security and rules pertaining to how the show proceeds is staggering!
As a foreigner, I couldn’t recognize top officials by sight; so I was assigned a secretary to follow me to and from the stage and tell me which tables I could go near and which ones were off limits. In a banquet hall that seats more than 1,000 guests, this could become confusing quickly. At one point during a wedding an “off limits” minister was motioning me toward his table and my secretary was shaking his head “no.” It was comic and unnerving at the same time! Also, when Mama Suzan, as they called her, would decide to make her entrance to the wedding, my show would be brought to an end; she did not watch dancers publicly. We were apparently not on her list of approved entertainment.
Early in my career in Egypt, I learned not to mix art and politics. I was dancing at a live TV show for the Eid holiday and the presenter, knowing I was American, asked me about my opinion of our then president Bush. I commented that I did not agree with his domestic or foreign policies, especially pertaining to the Middle East (Axis of Evil and all). When we went to break, the people in the studio looked worried and expressed concern that I voiced such a strong opinion. In fact, the next day, Al Akbar Newspaper ran a short blurb that I had bashed my president on television. I got calls from everyone who had seen the show and a few journalists telling me I should be careful. I was on edge for weeks. Until the revolution of January 25th, I never again talked about politics in a public arena.
2010
Performing on Nile Maxim. Costume: Leila Farid
The whole idea of working in Egypt, at least for me, was to become known to the Egyptian public. I had a great bit of luck in that I acted and danced in a comedy early in my career that was banned from the theaters the day after it was released. The court case was eventually settled, but it left everyone wanting to see the film. The film was picked up by every major cinema channel in the Middle East and became a cult classic. It was a huge boost to my career! In fact, every well-known dancer in Egypt has danced in a film or on television. It puts her name out to a wider audience. It also helps her build fans. Fans are what you hope for as an artist, but they can also be overwhelming. Some of the weddings in which I have danced have gotten out of control with people wanting photos and rushing the stage. I have been pushed, my feet trampled, my hair tangled in the string of a lens cap of a video camera. I’ve almost had my arm pulled off by an old man, with a surprising strong grip, who would not let go until he had taken a photo with me. (The problem was my bodyguard who was trying to pull me through the crowd was unaware of the grip the old fellow had on my arm.)
Recently, my car was surrounded on 6th October Bridge by cars of guests coming out of a wedding at the same time I did. They were shooting off firecrackers through the sunroofs and yelling funny things to me on a megaphone; unfortunately, they didn’t see the guy on the motorcycle. They hit him, he went down, my car crashed into the cars in front of me, and the rest piled into the back of me. Although the father of the bride apologized profusely, it did quite a bit of damage to my car. Gratefully, the guy on the motorcycle was able to walk away.
On the flip side of the coin are the anti-fans. Anti-fans use YouTube as their platform for voicing their opinion.
Dancing in Egypt brings a particular kind of scrutiny from the dance community. Dancers outside of Egypt generally have very strong ideas about what makes a dancer’s style ”Egyptian” or not, and you must fulfill these notions to pass board. In Russia they have a name for it: “Arabism”–gestures and facial expressions that signify you are dancing like an Egyptian. In the past few years, there have been one or two fellow dancers who have taken it upon themselves to visit every YouTube clip of me and leave scathing comments about my dance. I don’t fit into their idea of what a dancer should be in Egypt. They accuse me of things like not having Egyptian feeling, to being too tall and thin to be a Belly dancer. Then there are the more personal comments about what I must have done to become successful in Egypt (Surely, it wasn’t my dancing!) even going as far to bring my family into it.
Everyone is free to like or dislike a performer, but there is something about the anonymity of the Internet that seems to bring out the worst in some members of our community.
Many times, dancers criticize the Egyptian view of Belly dance, saying dancers are not respected here. However, sometimes I feel that we don’t respect each other within our own community. I have never had an Egyptian attack me verbally or criticize my dance; on the contrary, people are generally respectful and excited that an American is succeeding at their dance. If they don’t want to watch the show, usually based on religious reasons, they just leave and do not stalk me later on the Internet. Belly dancing is extremely personal; so I understand that dancers become passionate about other performers but such negativity is rarely constructive. Since I most likely will not become shorter (and it remains to be seen if I will become more fat) hopefully, my anti-fans can accept that it takes all types.
2010
Posing with the guests at a wedding in Meridian Heliopolis Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid
One of the important struggles facing every dancer in Cairo is the same that faces a dancer around the world: finding her own style. In Cairo, the parameters for dance may be more rigid in that the Egyptian public expects certain things from a dancer that foreign audiences may not. The dance usually follows a traditional format, but dancers are expected to have their own, individual style and personality. Fusing nontraditional elements into the show can make you stand out, but if you deviate too far from the expected–very strange costuming, non-Arabic music, too many non-Arabic or aggressive movements–you will lose your audience and your chances of success. Dancing in touristic venues does give more freedom of style, but for Egyptian audiences, developing a style is subtler inside Egypt than outside.
The path to discovering your own voice in the dance is sometimes the most frustrating and difficult challenge.
When I first arrived, the trend for new dancers was to copy Dina. She was, and still is, the only major Egyptian star to work consistently. (Lucy could still be seen at The Parisiana, but she has been focusing on her acting for the last few years.) Although Dina is one of my favorite dancers, I made a decision to try not to copy her although her influence on the dance has been so strong that was hard to avoid.
In my first year, I studied with Mdm. Raqia Hassan and Mdm. Aida Noor, both powerhouses of Egyptian technique and choreography in very different ways. In my first year in Egypt, they choreographed everything I put on stage. My manager, Safaa Farid, was also helpful, having worked with dancers for 25 years. His advice was usually in the form of song suggestions and admonitions such as “Don’t do that again!” whenever I did something incomprehensible to Egyptian audiences. I was lucky to see both Dandesh and Safwa perform a couple of times before they retired. Dandesh had a profound influence on my dance because she was so subtle and funny. Safwa was tall and thin (plus, she wore very high heels!) with a stoic grace that drove the guests nuts. Neither of them used choreography.
After a few years, I started to leave choreographed dance behind in order to improvise more. I put new numbers in the show every few weeks. My band would freak out when I would request a song on stage that we had not rehearsed. At times, it went well, but sometimes it was horrible. This was probably the most inconsistent dancing I have done in my life, but I learned so much from that time! I paid attention constantly to the feedback from the audiences.
I was working continually: sick, tired, inspired at times by my progress, and sometimes, completely depressed by my lack of understanding.
I took a year off, and when I came back to work, with a good bit of experience under my belt and much better Arabic, I decided to do everything myself-to make the show more “me.” I choose all the music for the show and designed my own costumes. My choreography was simple and left room for improvisation and interaction. I discovered a stronger connection to the music and the guests. My feedback from Egyptian audiences was extremely positive. The number of weddings at which I danced increased exponentially. It was shortly after this that the nasty comments on the Internet started.
Unfortunately, if you gain one audience you may lose another.
All I can hope is that I continue to develop. It was this psychological process of artistic self-discovery that was probably the most difficult part of my Cairo dance experience. I hope it may also be the most rewarding.
The months following the Revolution of Jan 25th, there was essentially no work, but as the summer approached, things started to pick up. I had one of the best wedding seasons I’ve ever had. There was a sense of euphoria and freedom and the Egyptian people were in the mood to party. Even before the curfew was lifted, I was dancing weddings at 5 p.m. Before the revolution, it had become trendy to have only a DJ at your wedding, but now, everyone seems to want live entertainment.
Unfortunately, as the political and economic uncertainty continues, weddings have started to drop off. Even with the decline in weddings, I am lucky that they have always been my bread and butter because the work that relied on tourism is suffering. On the Nile Maxim, we went from working three cruises a day to one, usually at half capacity. I have heard similar stories from other boats and hotel nightclubs. Harem Street, which has been restored close to its former glory, is working but definitely feeling the absence of Arab tourists. The huge parties for tourist and investors that were held at the pyramids and in Luxor and Sharm el Sheik have disappeared. As for the dance festivals here in Egypt, the attendance numbers are low. I will continue with the live music dance camp that I run (The first two camps in 2010 and early 2011 were sold out, but the event in September 2011, after the Revolution, ran at 1/3 capacity.) Hopefully, Egypt will secure a stable government that will inspire confidence in the country for it’s own people–as well as tourists. Optimistically, our next Camp Negum is scheduled for April 2012.
Since the Revolution, I have been part of a team working on a large-scale fundraiser for children’s music and art programs, inspired (in part) by Amina of San Francisco and with the support of Debbie Smith of Cairo. However, with the tragic clashes between the demonstrators and police this November in Tahrir Square, our corporate sponsors have been discouraged, and it has become next to impossible to secure permits from the Egyptian army for a large event.
We will try to find a way, through art, to help kids who live in the poorest sections of Cairo, but we will have to postpone everything until after the presidential elections.
With the Parlamentary elections complete, a majority Islamic government has been elected. We can only speculate as to what effect this could have on the dance industry here in Egypt. We may have jumped out of the flying pan and into the fire. For the moment, we are free to reflect and discuss and to hope for change for the better for all people, even dancers.
What are my plans in Egypt? I suppose that as long as there is work as a dancer, I’ll dance, and as long as I feel like a contributing part of the society here and the society accepts me and my profession, I’ll stay.
One thing I have learned from dancing in Egypt is that things never come easy, but when they finally happen, it is usually worth the effort.
2012
Wedding at the Sonesta Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid
More Photos!
Photos 2002-2004, 2005-2008, 2009-2012
2003
My first job with my own band on Nile Pharoan and Golden Pharoan Boats.
Costume: Eman Zaki.
2004
Dancing on Nile Pharoan Boat.
Costume: Nousa
2002
My first job in Shereton Cairo Aladdin Restaurant. The band was hired by the hotel.
Costume: Hekmet, Photo: Kay Taylor
2002
Dancing 7 days a week in Aladdin in Shereton Cairo.
Costume: Eman Zaki (one of her first costumes), Photo: Kay Taylor
2002
Performing in Candles Bar in Shereton Cairo. Pictured with Sayed Lacky, Sagat.
My show time was daily at 4am. Costume: Hannan, Photo: Kay Taylor
2003
Posing on Golden Pharon Boat with Saed Amr the tanoura.
Costume: Amira Kattan
2005-2008
2005
Back to work on the Golden Pharon. Costume: Eman Zaki
2005
Opening of the first Nile Group Festival in Movempick Harem.
Costume: Nousa
2006
In 2006 I started working on Nile Maxim.
Costumes: Eman Zaki
2006
In 2006 I started working on Nile Maxim.
Costumes: Eman Zaki
2008
Party at the Kolkel Restaurant.
Costume: Eman Zaki, Photo: Wagdi
2007
Beledi Tableaux at the Nile Maxim.
Costume: Aida Nour
2008
New Year’s Eve Party 2008.
Costume: Eman Zaki
2009 -2012
2009
Dancing on Nile Maxim with a blondish wig (gotta try it once).
Costume: Eman Zaki
2009
Wedding at Quat il Gaweya (Airforce House).
Costume: Eman Zaki
2011
Dancing at Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival.
Costume: Leila Farid, Photos Andre’ Elbing
2010
Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival.
Costume: Leila Farid
2010
Dancing with the Groom at a wedding in the Hilton Green Plaza Alexandria
(the bride was Nacab and had her own wedding downstairs).
Costume: Leila Farid
2011
Wedding at the Fairmont Heleopolis Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid, Photo: Amer
2012
Dancing with the guests at a wedding Sonesta Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid
2012
Wedding at the Semeramese Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid, Photo: Mohab Magdy
2012
Wedding at the Semeramese Hotel.
Costume: Leila Farid, Photo: Mohab Magdy
Have a comment? Use or comment section at the bottom of this page or Send us a letter!
Check the "Letters to the Editor" for other possible viewpoints!
Ready for more?
- 4-11-11 As the Music Fades, Egypt’s January 25 Revolution’s Impact on the Muscians and Dancers
We can’t attain what they had in the past because we are not free. Our minds are full of work and what we should and shouldn’t do. There’s no time for good art. Politics mixed with religion does not make for an atmosphere where the arts can flourish. - 2-3-11 Getting Home, Report from Cairo
As a new Egyptian national, I am proud that people are demanding their basic human rights, and at the same time, sorry for the economic hard times that have already begun here. - 6-17-10 Leila Delivers Live Music Under the Stars, Camp Negum 2010
Camp Negum did indeed happen May 4-8, 2010. It was everything Leila promised and more – 5 days and nights of music and dance classes, almost all to live music. - 12-16-10 Dance for Dancers
Art created for other artists will evolve differently from art created for the masses. - 4-16-08 Journey of Desire: A Foreign Dancer in Cairo, 2006, Review
I believe that any dancer who has the desire to go to Cairo to work will benefit from the experiences of Yasmina and the other working dancers whom she asked to contribute. One will come away having a better understanding of the Arabic culture and how the dance is viewed within that culture. - 1-21-11 (last update) Foreign Dancers in Cairo – a timeline and list of non-native dancers who have worked in the clubs in Cairo.
- 7-7-11 Permits, IDs, Licensing, Foreign Dancers in Cairo,
It dawned on me that some dodgy nightclub manager, whom I didn’t know personally, had complete control over my passport and my freedom to leave! So, I had no alternative other than to end my contract in order to get my passport back which also meant halting the lengthy paper process. - 1-15-12 The Golden Era of the Arabic Nightclubs in London Part 1: Making the Move from San Francisco to London
The ten o’clock dinner show featured music, three dancers, and one singer. The real show started at midnight. In the audience were mostly Arabs, dressed in the most expensive designer clothes with diamond watches and jewelry flashing in the stage light. There was a scent of expensive perfume mixed with cigarette smoke. The tables were covered with flower arrangements and lavish silver platters of fruit. - 1-12-12 Nightclub and Restaurant Gigs, Paid Auditons or Justified Entitlement
Belly dancing in any public venue, like a nightclub or a restaurant, for compensation is a privilege. - 1-10-12 Gigbag Check #32- Emma of Japan at the BDUC 2011
She shares with use her favorite music to help her calm down before the contest. She also shows us her favorite costume that she bought in Cairo. - 1-9-2012 The Many Faces of "Baladi"
Baladi is an Arabic word that literally means “my country” or “of the country”. However, it has come to mean, refer to, and imply, many different things, depending on the context in which it is used. Below we discuss the most common uses of the word… - 1-5-12 Susu shows us her Tomtoms!
We caught Susu, Terrianne and Amina between gigs at their house in Petaluma. Susu had just gotten out of the shower. They demonstrated the tomtom, bendir, and darbukah for us in their beautiful studio. Rocky and the other dog, Mochi, were there to help. Sorry about cutting the heads out of the shots. Are not the tom toms beautiful? - 1-4-12 Queen of Denial, Chapter 7: More Gorgeous Georges and on to Damascus
He kept reassuring me that everything was okay, and finally, the second time that I made for the exit, he pinned me against the wall in the darkened hallway and gave me a long, luscious kiss that made my head spin! - 12-28-11 Ask Yasmina #17: Practice and Rehearsal
The key point to solo study and practice is to remember that if you are enjoying yourself, you are most likely not growing or progressing! - 12-18-11 Edward and Tahia; Breaking Down Cultural Appropriation Myths by Shema/ EmmaLucy Cole
But what is “culture,” and how (if at all) have we appropriated it? Who is the implied speaker here, and what makes us believe that there is disapproval being voiced?
Barbara Grant
Jan 19, 2012 - 04:01:01
This is an amazing article and I applaud Leila for her honesty in discussing so many subjects with candor.
I’m particularly troubled by the “Anti-fan” segment as it seems to me that this is caused by extreme jealousy coupled with some dancers’ inability to do a great job in their own performances. However, it must still hurt to read these negative critiques.
I took a workshop with Leila in S. F. last year, when she was trying to raise money for musicians who hadn’t worked since the revolution, which seemed to me an act of great charity. I appreciated Leila’s sincerity as she taught, never once proclaiming that she was now teaching us mere “stateside” dancers the latest and greatest in Egyptian moves…she taught in a forthright manner, wishing to share her tips and insights, and I applaud her for that.
Best wishes to Leila for her future success as a great Cairo dancer!
Gina
Jan 20, 2012 - 07:01:17
So true that many of us tend to romanticize the idea of the “Cairo Dancer”. It’s good to be reminded of the nitty gritty. Thank you Leila so much for this and all of your articles, they very much inform my dance education.
I look forward to one day seeing you perform in person or taking a workshop from you.
Warmest wishes to you and keep writing!
Alice
Jan 20, 2012 - 09:01:17
dancing with a dislocated joint isn t something to be proud of. it s plain stupid and every dancer needs to realize that. opportunities will come, but another body to dance in won t.
I know of dancers who tried that and stayed handicapped for the rest of their lives.
Barbara Grant
Jan 20, 2012 - 03:01:04
In re: joint dislocation, it seemed to me that Leila’s point was that if she didn’t do it, get up onstage to dance, even with sickness, even with injuries, future opportunities might not come to her at all because there is always someone else on-deck, beautiful, talented, and ambitious, who will dance her heart out for the opportunity you didn’t take (even if for a very good reason.)
Alice
Jan 21, 2012 - 06:01:08
it still doesn t make it less stupid. if you re a dancer, you take care of yourself and your body first – not let people push you around. there is always someone better, younger, wiser, etc, standing in the line, it doesn t mean you should push yourself and risk ending your career early. + you can t move with a dislocated joint, it probably popped out and back in (which is severe enough as it is and can put you in bedrest for a week or so). also, you are making the injury worst by not letting it heal, and you re creating ground for a second injury to occur from the first one. two in one is a great deal, right?
I just hope that zealous dancers who read this don t get any bright ideas about “performing no matter what”. there is a line where it becomes wise to back off.
opportunities will always come, a new knee joint or a hip won t.
Cindy
Jan 22, 2012 - 08:01:00
What is “Nacab:? This word is mentioned in a photo above where “the bride was Nacab and had her own wedding downstairs.” I’ve never heard of this term and wonder what it means. Thanks a great article!
Lynette Harris
Jan 22, 2012 - 12:01:00
Alice,
“Stupid” is a strong word. The joint issue is a small detail and not what the article is even about. Many people say “knee” dislocation when they actually mean a “knee cap” dislocation. The former is a serious but rare injury that involves ligaments torn and sometimes even the artery. The knee cap is not such a big deal – relatively. Athletes perform with injuries all the time. How about contributing an article on this important subject that you have brought forward?
Leila Farid
Jan 22, 2012 - 03:01:10
Dear Alice,
I said “dislocated” but as I am not a doctor or nurse, that may not be what it was. Yes, my hip was “popping” in and out and my knee was the lower leg bone moved slightly back. Both injuries have left chronic problems. There is a point at which performing becomes impossible and I got to that point in both cases. I had to stop and deal with it. Sometimes you think you can push through an injury. Not always a good idea. I am MUCH smarter about injuries now and much more willing to take time off if needed.
Leila
lynette harris
Jan 23, 2012 - 08:01:04
Leila sent me this comment about “nacab”:
Nacab is someone who is totally covered (face, hands, feet) at least that is what it is called in Egypt. This bride had on a white, beaded face cover that matched her dress.
Ranya
Jan 26, 2012 - 03:01:09
Dear Leila,
this is a wonderful article. While I was in Cairo 2008-2009 (and we met and talked about problems with visa verification, when the secret service came to my flat at 9 p.m. to take me investigation, but I don’t know if you remember me, you must see a lot of faces everyday) I lived the very same thing. I used to work a lot, but because of some of the factors you mention in your article, I stayed a no-name dancer and until today, very few people actually know that I used to work in Cairo.
I applaud you for your courage, because I know exactly how it feels. I returned to Europe now to finish my studies, but for all the girls who plan to work in Egypt – it’s just as Leila says, once you leave, many doors will close for you forever.
In hope to see you again very soon,
Ranya
Kendra
Feb 9, 2012 - 11:02:31
What you say about the destructive forces within dance community is so true….
Mônica
Mar 25, 2012 - 09:03:41
Thanks for such an amazing, honest article! I will go to Cairo in June, do you think it will be possible for me to see one of your shows? I’d love to! Kisses from Brazil!
Debora Calderon
Oct 20, 2019 - 03:10:48
Thank you for sharing this experience. I love the way you dance and the personality that shines no matter the circumstance. It brings those that watch you joy. So, you win and we win! Thank you 🙏🏻