The Annual Cairo Belly Dance Festival will kick off Saturday and will continue for one week. Three thousand dancers from Egypt and other Arab and European countries interested in this art will compete in the festival.
The Egyptian dancer, who quit the dance profession and took training as a new career with Rida Folk Arts’ Troupe, Ruqayyah Hasan, organized the festival. She also issued the first magazine specialized in belly dance.
Invitations have been extended to a number of renowned working or retired dancers in order to participate in the festival and jury including Suhair Zaki, Farida Fahmi and Dina. The festival’s management decided not to invite Fifi Abdo for previous disputes with her in the previous session.
The dancers’ wardrobe designer, Ahmed Dia al Din who overseers the festival told the London based Arabic daily al Sharq al Awsat, “the festival’s schedule includes seven dance lectures including its history, arts and types. The festival won’t be limited to belly dance only but it will include also other dances on its sidelines including the folk arts, gulf dance, African dance and Samba.”
He indicated that the festival would be under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism in view of the fact that it is considered a promotional tool. Five thousand tourists are anticipated to attend the festival either as participants or viewers -- Albawaba.com
