Belly dancing in Egypt faces stigma despite growing global popularity and heritage value Safy Akef, linked to a dance legend, has never performed on stage in Egypt due to lack of respect Choreographer ...

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 ...

ZOE KOGAN WAS 16 when she first saw an Egyptian belly dancer who could flip big gold coins on her stomach. “It seemed like this wonderful, intimate art form,” says Kogan who, eight years and many ...

The soft jingles of jewelry played a gentle sonata as two belly dancers walked across a wooden floor. Purple skirts gently swept the wood, while sheer black shawls draped their shoulders, giving just ...

It's true of many things, including the art of belly dancing: Perception often does not match reality. The most common misconception portrays belly dancing as a suggestive act performed by women for ...

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 ...