{"id":2530,"date":"2019-05-10T16:54:50","date_gmt":"2019-05-10T15:54:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/?p=2530"},"modified":"2023-08-21T14:46:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T13:46:39","slug":"fifi-abdou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/","title":{"rendered":"Fifi Abdou the Baladi Dance &#8211; Movements Analysis &#038; Dance Style (5.6.1)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi.jpg\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi.jpg 560w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi-300x169.jpg 300w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Fifi Abdou the famous Egyptian Raqs sharqi dancer\" class=\"wp-image-2638 lazyload\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi.jpg\" alt=\"Fifi Abdou the famous Egyptian Raqs sharqi dancer\" class=\"wp-image-2638\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi.jpg 560w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-raqssharqi-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\"><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(1st profile and analysis of the three famous Egyptian dancers of the 1980s and 1990s)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_88 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ab5bc253d24a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ab5bc253d24a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/#Fifi_Abdou_Background\" >Fifi Abdou Background<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/#Fifi_Dancing_on_Video\" >Fifi Dancing on Video<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/#Movement_Analysis_of_Fifi_Abdous_Dance_Style\" >Movement Analysis of Fifi Abdou\u2019s Dance Style<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/#Videos_Samples_Used_and_Analysis_of_Fifi_Abdou\" >Videos Samples Used and Analysis of Fifi Abdou<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/#Her_Personality\" >Her Personality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/fifi-abdou\/#Audience_Interaction_and_Confidence\" >Audience Interaction and Confidence<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fifi_Abdou_Background\"><\/span>Fifi Abdou Background<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fifi Abdou (\u0641\u064a\u0641\u0649 \u0639\u0628\u062f\u0647) was born in 1953 (Shams, 2016) and started dancing at the age of 12 (Shams, 2016), becoming a soloist in a folklore troupe at the age of 13 (Selene, no date).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1968, at the age of 15, she was already performing a dance scene in the movie <em>Lestu Mostahtira<\/em> (<em>I\u2019m not responsible<\/em>) (TheCaroVan, 2014e). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the peak of her career was in the 1980s and 1990s. She stopped performing in 2004 (Selene, no date), but today she is still very active in the international festivals circuit where she teaches and performs for raqs sharqi practitioners all over the world, for example, at <em>The Global Bellydance Conference<\/em> in 2013 in China (Dance for Unity, 2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fifi Abdou is, just ahead of Samia Gamal, is the most googled belly dancer from worldwide searches, according to the Google keyword planner results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This amount of popularity is not just due to her dance ability, but mostly to her acting career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She decided to become an actress so that people would recognize her (Adum, 2011b) and \u2018in Egypt . . . she has made dozens of movies and TV series, often in the lead role\u2019 (Sullivan, 2009, paras 10, 11). Fifi Abdou is also famous for her feisty and strong personality and for her colorful private life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dancer Selene (no date, para. 6) writes about her:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Glamorous as Fifi is, she remains at heart the typical \u201cBint Al Balad,\u201d . . . Fifi certainly has broken ground in both the media and with the authorities, having gotten away with stage routines for which a less famous dancer would surely face problems with the morality police . . . many Middle Eastern women look up to her because of her boldness . . . on the stage in Dallas . . . her smile radiated to the back corners of the room, along with her legendary sense of humor.<\/p>\n<cite>Selene (no date, para. 6) <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fifi_Dancing_on_Video\"><\/span>Fifi Dancing on Video<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LweZOAUPUSU?feature=oembed\" title=\"FIFI ABDOU at Mena House.Cairo-86. Part 2.\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\"   allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fifi Abdou dancing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Movement_Analysis_of_Fifi_Abdous_Dance_Style\"><\/span>Movement Analysis of Fifi Abdou\u2019s Dance Style <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style.jpg 541w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style-516x400.jpg 516w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"541\" height=\"419\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Movement and Laban analysis of Fifi Abdou dancing\" class=\"wp-image-2539 lazyload\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"541\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style.jpg\" alt=\"Movement and Laban analysis of Fifi Abdou dancing\" class=\"wp-image-2539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style.jpg 541w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-dance-style-516x400.jpg 516w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 541px) 100vw, 541px\"><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> <strong>Table 28<\/strong> \u2013 Fifi Abdou\u2019s dance style<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Table 28 summarises my analysis of Fifi Abdou\u2019s style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most salient characteristic of her style is being relaxed, grounded, and yet strong, with a distinct Baladi feeling, as other practitioners also point out (Marita Fahl\u00e9n, no date; profilerk, no date; Maya, 2011).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Joana Saahirah stated in her interview: \u2018Some dancers embody a specific style. Fifi Abdou\u2019s Baladi&#8217;s. Her style is also minimalistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She does very few movements but extremely well and without moving much in space (although on occasions she can be more dynamic).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Selene argues \u2018Fifi Abdo is often criticized for her limited repertoire of movements, but she makes the most of them\u2019 (Selene, no date, para. 7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 5.6.4, I will analyze Fifi Abdou\u2019s choices using theories from my conceptual framework and I will compare her to the other most relevant dancers from this timeframe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Videos_Samples_Used_and_Analysis_of_Fifi_Abdou\"><\/span>Videos Samples Used and Analysis of Fifi Abdou<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I have selected three video samples of her dance and these are<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A live performance from a show in 1986 at Mena House, a hotel in Cairo (Marita Fahl\u00e9n, 2009).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The 2000 movie <em>Zane&#8217;t el Setat<\/em> (<em>Women&#8217;s Market<\/em>) (TheCaroVan, 2015a). In this film, Fifi plays the part of a woman who wants revenge on the men who were involved in the death of her sister. I have chosen this scene, as the character epitomises Fifi\u2019s dance persona, sexy, self-confident and baladi.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A live show in the Sheraton Hotel in Cairo, in which she is performing her iconic shisha dance. Fifi Abdo is the first dancer who used the shisha pipe as part of her dance\/comedy routines.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the first video, she is <a href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/arabic-terms-bellydance\/\">wearing a bedlah<\/a> and it is a Raqs sharqi performance, but with a strong baladi feeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to her style as described earlier, it is possible to notice that she mimics the words of the songs while she dances and uses hand gestures that hint at meaning in the songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She is the first dancer I have noticed doing that. This is a trend that she seems to have started and which was continued by Dina, Randa, and other modern dancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Also, Fifi dances with big orchestras and sometimes there are male dancers in the background to accompany the start of her performance, a trend which started in Nagwa Fouad\u2019s productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As noted before for Nagwa Fouad and Soheir Zaki, having a big orchestra to back a dancer up increases his\/her symbolic capital or prestige, the resources at his\/her disposal, and influences their presentation of self-identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou.jpg 306w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-267x400.jpg 267w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"306\" height=\"458\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Fifi Abdou the famout Egyptian bellly dancer  raqs sharqi\" class=\"wp-image-2537 lazyload\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"306\" height=\"458\" src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou.jpg\" alt=\"Fifi Abdou the famout Egyptian bellly dancer  raqs sharqi\" class=\"wp-image-2537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou.jpg 306w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Fifi-Abdou-267x400.jpg 267w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 306px) 100vw, 306px\"><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Figure 26<\/strong> &#8211; Fifi Abdou (Sullivan 2009) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Her_Personality\"><\/span>Her Personality<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fifi\u2019s strong personality is reflected in the way she dances and in her very powerful stage presence, she is \u2018passionately earthy, energetic\u2019 (El Safy, 1993b, para. 4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Several practitioners, I have interviewed for this research express quite similar opinions about Fifi:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From Fifi Abdou [I got] the power, the strength, the \u2018I don\u2019t care what anyone else thinks, this is me, take it or leave it\u2019, that kind of \u2018don\u2019t mess with me\u2019, \u2018this is who I am, this is what I am\u2019. (Lorna)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She\u2019s very earthy and does very little, but everybody gets drawn, you just have to look at her face and you are there with her. (Ann)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can\u2019t help watching her, she is pretty mesmeric, isn\u2019t she? (Helen)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I like Fifi because . . . she is quite confident and relaxed at the same time. (Elindia)<\/p>\n<cite> <br>Research Participants (PhD of Dr Valeria Lo Iacono) <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Selene (no date, para. 11) Fifi Abdou is not just a dancer but \u2018she\u2019s a\ntotal entertainer. . . . She is about stage presence and showmanship and\nsmiling. . . . She has great feeling and audience interaction\u2019. Lorius (1996, pp. 286,\n287)\ncomments that Fifi Abdou is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Skilled at expressing moods, musical motifs and words with consummate bodily movements and playful gestures, Abdou incorporates the latest manifestations of popular musical culture, components of baladi and jeel (youth) style, such as rap, wit and street humour to entertain her audience.<\/p>\n<cite>Lorius (1996 )<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Audience_Interaction_and_Confidence\"><\/span>Audience Interaction and Confidence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LNUjIk1pTqs?feature=oembed\" title=\"Fifi Abdu Cairo Egyptian Bellydancer \u0631\u0642\u0635 \u0634\u0631\u0642\u064a\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\"   allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fifi Abdu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Smiling, having fun, joy, audience interaction, confidence are keywords that appear continuously in the Egyptian raqs sharqi discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, with Fifi Abdou, the ideas of charisma and stage presence emerge in the discourse, since she mastered those skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The importance of the dancer\/audience interaction and of kinaesthetic empathy comes to the fore once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As highlighted through the quotation below by Joana, charisma is also a matter of self-identity presentation and of increasing a dancer\u2019s symbolic capital and prestige in the field: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Egyptian audiences appreciate, very much . . . charisma . . . you can be the greatest dancer in the world. If that charisma, if that presence, if that energy, is not there, you\u2019re going to have a hard time . . . using your charisma has to do with self-confidence. And warmth.<\/p>\n<cite>Research Participant (PhD of Dr Valeria Lo Iacono)  <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/y3gnysmb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dance-binarism-paper.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dance-binarism-paper.jpg 560w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dance-binarism-paper-480x270.jpg 480w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15476 lazyload\"  sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 560px, 100vw\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dance-binarism-paper.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dance-binarism-paper.jpg 560w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/dance-binarism-paper-480x270.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 560px, 100vw\"><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-red-color has-white-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Next Page &gt;&gt; <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/lucy-classical-raqs-sharqi\/\">Lucy &#8211; The Last Classical Raqs Sharqi Artist<\/a><\/span>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(1st profile and analysis of the three famous Egyptian dancers of the 1980s and 1990s) Fifi Abdou Background Fifi Abdou (\u0641\u064a\u0641\u0649 \u0639\u0628\u062f\u0647) was born in 1953 (Shams, 2016) and started dancing at the age of 12 (Shams, 2016), becoming a soloist in a folklore troupe at the age of 13 (Selene, no date). In 1968, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-raqs-sharqi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fifi Abdou the Baladi Dance \u2013 Movements Analysis &amp; Dance Style (5.6.1)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fifi Abdou the famous Baladi dancer from Egypt. 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