Egyptian Bellydancer

Another Raks Assaya dance. She does floorwork for 15 seconds which is unheard of in Egypt since it was banned in the 50's for being too risque.

Fifi Abdo

Fifi Abdo, one of the most celebrated bellydancers in Egypt. Back in the day her shows were thought of as "controversial". The attention and commotion gave her even more notoriety. She then became one of the most influential bellydancers in Egypt if not the world.

Nagwa Fouad

In 1958 , 15 year Nagwa ran away from her Alexandria home to Cairo. She found a job as a telephone receptionist at the Orabi Agency for the stars of the Egyptian Cinema. She supported herself and step-mom who had followed her to Cairo.

Nagwa had been entranced by the dancers of the 40's and 50's. To Nagwa Na'ema Akef " moved like magic". Na'ema, Tahiya Karioka and Samia Gamal personified the belly dance tradition in the Middle East. They had left and indelible impression on the young girls mind. Nagwa's dream was to dance.

When Orabi spotted her dancing while on the job and told her that she should be up on stage. He persuaded Nagwa to rent a costume for 50 piastres from Ne'mat Mokhtar. He helped her get a few shows at the Sahara City Tent, which was frequented by tourists. A few months later she was already dancing at the Auberge Nightclub run by Mohamed Abd el Nabie. Her early start was to be marred by her arrest for dancing professionally at an illegal age - Nagwa was not yet 16! "They arrested me and the adab police (vice squad) detained me until we convinced them to change my age," Fouad laughs.

After her release, Nagwa went on to perform at the Abdeen Casino where she met Ahmad Fouad Hassan, a producer of stage shows. He convinced her to perform live at the Adwa El Madina , the most prestigious music and dance show during that era.

Nagwa married Ahmed Fouad Hassan, the late musician and conductor. He gave Nagwa Fouad her "first big break", giving her a chance to appear in the popular 1960s stage show Adwaa Al-Madina (City Lights), which had featured such superstars as Shadia, Abdel-Halim Hafez, Fayza Ahmed, and Sabah. She married Hassan and divorced him 6 years later.

Nagwa's fame skyrocketed in 1976, when composer Mohamed Abdel Wahab wrote an entire musical piece exclusively for her belly dancing. Titled Qamar Arba'tashar, literally meaning Moon of the 14th, the composition served as a transition for Nagwa from traditional oriental dance to more of a choreographed stage performance "It was like a dramatic dance where I was able to combine Tahiya Karioka's style with Na'ema's acrobatic style," she says.

-gobellydance.com

Tahia Carioca

Tahia Carioca, dancer and actress from the Golden Age of Egyptian Cinema. Mohamed Abdel Wahab is credited for having said that Tahia was able to show a great deal of movement in very little space. When she danced Raks Sharki, her style was purely "oriental".

Raks Assaya

Egyptian men's cane dance or Raks Assaya is an exciting Egyptian folkoric dance performed with a cane. The dance has its roots in El Saiid or upper Egypt, south of the country. Originally a men's dance that prepared them to fight with warring tribes, the Raks Assaya was also often displayed at times of folkoric festivity. The dance required martial art like concentration and skill to wield long, heavy staffs called 'taktib'.

An example of the women's version of the Saidi Cane Dance

Khariya Maazin - Ghawazee

Khariya Maazin the last living survivor of the Maazin Ghawazees. The Ghawazees are tribe of dancing girls in Egypt. They are the precursor to bellydancing.

I wish the clip was longer to show their full movement range but their dance is characterized fast, up and down hip movements accompanied by the stomping of their feet. She doesn't do it in this clip though.

Souad Husny

Souad Husny, the greatest actress in Egyptian cinema. She plays a bellydancer in this film. She was actually never a bellydancer. It took her four days to learn all the dance routines she performs in the film. Proof that the dance is in their blood!

Tahia Carioca plays the wicked mother in law.

Samia Gamal

Samia Gamal, Egyptian Bellydancer from the Golden Era. They had the best costumes back then! I want!

Tamar Henna

Another Naima Akif classic! Love the intro with the zils! The reaction shots are the best. Keep an eye out for the guy checking her out! LOL!

Original Azziza

Another Egyptian classic. They were so tasteful back in the day compared to Las Vegas pornorific cheez of today.

Naima Akif is dancing to Azziza which is my favorite song. This piece brings back memories when I used to play in Egyptian Orchestra and at Middle Eastern restaurants in San Francisco. It's the first musical repetoire I learned. Love the call and response of the chorus. So cute!

Farid Alatrash and Naima Akif

Farid Al Atrash is a classical Egyptian singer and crooner comparable to Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby. Naima Akif is bellydance royalty. Everytime I watch these classics I can't stop smiling. Egyptians really know how to strut their stuff!

Asmahan

Asmahan is an Argentian who is currently a star in Egypt. She can really put on a show. I love how she interacts with the musicians. Here, she is having problems with her musicians poking fun at her and the sagat player is enticing her to dance. I think the highlight is actually the sagat player. Amazing technique I have ever seen! He's a badass!

Suhair Zaki

They don't make'em like her anymore.