"Being a foreign Belly Dancer in Egypt Interview with Luna of Cairo

Interview by Isis Zahara

WEDNESDAY, MAY 09, 2012  

"We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle."--Marilyn Monroe 

Luna of Cairo is an American Belly Dancer originally from Brooklyn, New York (she studied in Harvard!) and has been living in Cairo for the past three years. She is contracted at the Nile Memphis in Cairo (Memphis Tours Nile Cruises) .

Luna will be at the next Salamat MasrEgyptian Festival (July 05^th till  July 12^th  2012) teaching with well-known Egyptian belly dancers stars Mona El Said, Zizi Mostafa, and Najwa Fouad.

She has a polemical  blog: Kisses from Kairo.  Where you can read experiences about being a  foreign belly dancer in Egypt, some cultural contrasts and - as she says - her mistakes, observations and successes!

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.

"I’ve learned that belly dance

 isn’t something that Egyptians “do.” 

It’s something that happens. 

It just flows freely from them. 

And that’s what us foreigners try 

to achieve by coming to Egypt."

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.

IZ: What are the positive things about being a belly 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.

(...)" There will be a time when

 Egyptians reclaim their culture and dance, 

and perhaps usher in a new “Golden Era” 

of belly dance. Wishful thinking." (...)

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.

IZ: How is it being a star in the International 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. 

IZ: Who do you consider a “master” teacher? Why?

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.

IZ: Who do you consider an eternal legend? Why?

LC: Fifi Abdo. She is my favorite Egyptian belly 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.

IZ: What do you believe is the future of Egyptian 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.  

IZ: How do you see your future as a Belly Dance Star 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.