We call it "belly dancing," that alluring art form where dancers use their hips and torso in mesmerizing motion that is often seen as sensual and expressive. But in other places, the dance is referred ...

Some young Egyptians are trying to reclaim belly dancing as part of their country's artistic heritage, pushing back against decades of stigma — Khaled DESOUKI As belly dancing gains popularity ...

CAIRO — When undercover police officers in Egypt swooped on an upscale nightclub on the Nile last spring and arrested a Russian belly dancer, the focus of their investigation was her costume — and ...

Introduction -- Egyptian arts and entertainment at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries -- The rise of raqṣ sharqī -- Reconstructing the technique of early raqṣ sharqī -- Reconstructing ...

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"On what would be her 93rd birthday, we celebrate Samia Gamal, an Egyptian icon whose talents are admired as much today by aspiring dancers and film fans as they were in the height of her fame," reads ...

"No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected," said Safy Akef, an instructor and great-niece of dance legend Naima Akef, a fixture on the silver screen during the 1950s.

As belly dancing gains popularity internationally, young Egyptian performers are working to restore its reputation at home, pushing back against decades of stigma to reclaim the dance as part of their ...