“Sick Of being knOwn Only fOr belly dancing & pyramidS!”

Let’s face it. If you’re an Egyptian woman, the odds are you’ve been told, at least once, “you can dance, it’s in your blood.” What doesn’t help either is when the country has produced the Arab World’s biggest names in belly dancing — Fifi Abdou, Dina or the latest Russian-Armenian belly dancer Safinaz, who migrated to Egypt to practice her skills before shooting to incredible fame and moving to films. While belly dancing is practised in different parts of the world, it’s mainly associated with Egyptians. Modern dance styles are said to have originated from the cabaret of Badia Masabani in Cairo during the 1920s. Masabani introduced choreographies and group performances that were influenced by western forms of dance, such as ballroom and ballet. She then changed the costumes to the common modern dance outfit that we know today, which is inspired by Hollywood glam: a beaded brassiere, skirt with bare midriff, veils and a lot of glitter. Many of her dancers went on to appear in Egyptian films, and had a great influence on the development of the Egyptian style. Egyptian women shrug at being associated with the dance, given its bold moves and revealing clothes. Others take it as a sport since belly dancing can burn up to an average of 300 calories per hour. Studios across the UAE offer lessons and some gyms include belly dancing in their group classes for its ability to increase stamina and fitness levels. The most popular place in the UAE that Egyptians wait to buy traditional costumes from is the Egyptian pavilion at the Global Village, set to open on November 1. The pavilion displays different types of belly dancing costumes, and jalabiyas (traditional Egyptian attire for women).