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Egyptian cinema is full of talented actors and gripping scenes, right? They’re also ESPECIALLY full of belly dancers. Even the most memorable scenes and cameos in our cinema are focused on these dancers and their art. And, who doesn’t love to see those beautiful belly dancing costumes as well as the mesmerising skills that the belly dancers show us?
There’s a very noticeable difference in belly dancing these days compared to the Golden Era. Just like its name, the Golden Era was golden in every sense of the word! It was also heavily carried by Egyptian belly dancers, but, these days, it’s more than a little hard to see local practitioners of the art. Even in movies, the dancers are either Russian, Ukrainian, or other nationalities.
Sure, there are still a lot of iconic and established Egyptian belly dancers out there (like Fifi Abdo and the great Dina, who we still obsess over), but there is a scarcity of emerging Egyptian dancers.
With all that said, we thought we could all do with a little comparison between the Golden Era of Egyptian belly dancing and this current era.
The Golden 3
1- Samia Gamal
We can’t talk about any eras without this legend for sure! Known for her beauty, Samia Gamal made numerous appearances and performances in several Egyptian movies. Aside from her incredible artistry in dancing, her acting was also something we can’t get past because she was just that stunning—and Roshdy Abaza relates!
This great belly dancer was once labelled as “Egypt’s Official Belly Dancer” because she didn’t dance the way other belly dancers did. Instead, she relied on very distinctive body language and a way of swaying with the rhythm that is unmatched to this day.
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2- Taheyya Kariokka
One of the greatest belly dancers in the industry, Taheyya Kariokka is also an influential actress AND a pioneer of belly dancing. Even though she had a very rough childhood, Taheyya worked until she came to Cairo, where she started pursuing the career of dancing and discovered her talent in belly dancing by chance. Here’s a fun fact for you: Taheyya Kariokka got married 14 times!
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3- Nagwa Fouad
Whenever you read that Nagwa Fouad was VERSATILE in her dancing, know that this source means it a hundred and one per cent! Dancing to many genres of music, Nagwa developed a style that was one of the swiftest and easiest to enjoy. She made dancing look easy, making audiences everywhere think she felt the music in her bones. So it makes sense that she was tutored by many great (and retired) dancers.
Additionally, Nagwa was featured in the “Stars Of Egypt” video series as one of the iconic female figures who turned the art of dance in Egypt into what it is today.
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The Greatest Belly Dancers of The Current Era
4- Amie Sultan
The woman, the myth, the legend! This interior designer turned all heads and blew minds away when she decided to leave the engineering world to start a career in belly dancing!
Born in Singapore, Amie used to practice ballet. Even when she returned to her native Egypt at the age of fifteen, she kept dancing ballet until she was enchanted by belly dancing. The rest, of course, is history.
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5- Johara
Born Ekaterina Andreeva in Russia, Johara is unreal. We just love her AND her story! Intent on teaching herself the art of belly dancing, she learnt the basic moves and techniques. She even opened a dance studio in Moscow to teach others as well! Although Egyptians might think she dresses a tad provocatively (which we think is a bit hypocritical), she’s still a crowd favourite!
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6- Lurdiana
This Brazilian belly dancer is admired all over Egypt! In fact, we doubt that if you ask anyone about her, they will look at you like you’ve been living under a rock. Although she’s been thriving in the dancing world, Lurdiana first gained widespread fame through a viral video of her dancing at a microblading salon! Having been a belly dancing instructor in Brazil in a studio she shared with her mother, this belly dancer is a queen who’s beloved in Egypt.
