{"id":2911,"date":"2019-05-12T16:56:42","date_gmt":"2019-05-12T15:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/?p=2911"},"modified":"2023-08-14T10:36:59","modified_gmt":"2023-08-14T09:36:59","slug":"foreigners-cairo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo (5.7.7)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg 560w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences-300x169.jpg 300w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"Raqs sharqi influences\" class=\"wp-image-2918 lazyload\"  sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\" alt=\"Raqs sharqi influences\" class=\"wp-image-2918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg 560w, https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 560px) 100vw, 560px\"><\/noscript><\/a><\/figure>\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-6ab5bcdd6d15a\" 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-6ab5bcdd6d15a\" 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\/foreigners-cairo\/#Non-Egyptian_Influences\" >Non-Egyptian Influences<\/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\/foreigners-cairo\/#Living_and_Working_in_Egypt_as_a_Dancer\" >Living and Working in Egypt as a Dancer<\/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\/foreigners-cairo\/#The_Desire_to_Study_Belly_Dance_in_Egypt\" >The Desire to Study Belly Dance in Egypt<\/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\/foreigners-cairo\/#International_Community_of_Egyptian_Raqs_sharqi_Practitioners\" >International Community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi Practitioners<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#Dancing_to_Live_Music_and_Musicians\" >Dancing to Live Music and Musicians<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#Foreign_Dancers_Working_in_Cairo\" >Foreign Dancers Working in Cairo<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#Authentic_Egyptian_Spirit\" >Authentic\u2019 Egyptian Spirit<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Non-Egyptian_Influences\"><\/span>Non-Egyptian Influences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned by Dina at the end of the previous section, the musicians, the feeling and the heart of Raqs sharqi are still in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is why many Raqs sharqi practitioners (those who want to discover the roots of this dance) from around the world travel, at least once in their lives, to Egypt. Some of them, all women, decide to stay and dance professionally in Egypt for a few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">The sources that have allowed me to know more about what it is like to live in Egypt as a foreign professional dancer come from interviews (with dancers who lived and worked in Cairo for at least 10 years before going back to their countries of origin), as well as from textual sources such as blogs (Esposito, no date; Gow, no date), books (Saahirah, 2014) and DVDs (Sullivan and Farouk, 2006) produced by foreign dancers who work or have worked in Cairo for a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Living_and_Working_in_Egypt_as_a_Dancer\"><\/span>Living and Working in Egypt as a Dancer<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From these sources, it has emerged that living and working in Egypt as a dancer is not easy. There is the culture shock to deal with, from living in a place that is culturally so different from the countries where most foreign dancers originate from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those wanting to work as dancers, there is an additional stigma associated with this profession in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, it is not easy to get hired to perform in good venues, women who do not stand their ground risk being exploited and sorting out the paperwork is a long and tedious process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the obstacles, some foreign dancers are successful in dancing in Egypt professionally. These women are usually from middle-class backgrounds, well-educated and they do not dance in Egypt out of necessity, but because of passion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The reasons that have emerged for them wanting to perform in Egypt, are mainly two: the musicians and the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, the full immersion in the culture helps to further understand the local dance. For example, Yasmina (Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, sec. 03:17) recalls how, in 1994, she fell in love with Cairo:<\/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\">The Hollywood of belly dance . . . on that cold November evening, with the smell of spices, tangerines and roasting sweet potatoes by the roadside, the curious and exuberant smiles of people in the street and the sound of shaabi music blaring from the passing taxis.<\/p>\n<cite> Sullivan and Farouk (2006)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cairo was already\nwell-known as the cradle of belly dance in the 1980s among dancers worldwide\nwho, like Yasmina, had watched videos of famous dancers such as:<\/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\">Nagwa Fouad, Mona Said, Fifi Abdou. They shimmered in magnificent costumes, backed by enormous orchestras, commanding audiences, who were at home in the knowledge that this was their dance too. Most of all, these dancers appeared powerful women, exuding a strong sense of self, belonging in their bodies and, at the same time, clearly enjoying themselves.<\/p>\n<cite>(Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, sec. 03:17)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Living in the land of Raqs sharqi helps dancers to learn by observing the people and how they move. Joana recalls (Saahirah, 2014, chap. Lesson # 3, paras 12-14):<\/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\">I observed people everywhere I went &#8211; Egyptian and Arab women, in particular. The way they breathed, stood, walked, talked, loved, fought and celebrated with each other; the way they cried and launched their expressive (heavily jewelled) hands towards the sky; how the weight of their hips swayed from one side to the other (like floating boats) when they walk and how earthy (sensual and maternal) they can be. . . . Women were relevant for obvious reasons but <em>men too<\/em>: how they stared at women <em>(and why)<\/em>, how they . . . rearranged their <em>&#8220;gallaleeb&#8221;<\/em> (long, loose typical cloths) every time they sat or needed to perform any particular movement out of the slow motion cadence that belongs &#8211;<em> so dearly<\/em> &#8211; to them; how they enjoyed to flirt with their eyes in a country where sexual segregation is the rule.<\/p>\n<cite>Saahirah (2014) <\/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=\"The_Desire_to_Study_Belly_Dance_in_Egypt\"><\/span>The Desire to Study Belly Dance in Egypt<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even\nbefore moving to Cairo, Lorna found that observing people was a vital lesson:<\/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\">Every time I went, even if I didn\u2019t watch a dancer, even if I didn\u2019t have a lesson, at all, in the week I was there, I still felt I came back a much better dancer. And that\u2019s because even just watching the way the women specifically speak to each other, the way they sit, the way they walk, the way they hold themselves, the way they talk with their hands. . . . And when you start putting that into your dance, then you understand where a lot of the dance movements have come from.<\/p>\n<cite>Lorna (Research participant in the PhD)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When American dancer Morocco first visited Egypt in 1964 she found \u2018a peace and a reality that I find nowhere else in the world\u2019 (Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, secs 02:37, 12:41).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Indeed, as I travelled through Cairo when I went in 2013, I found a strange combination of chaos and peace, along with a feeling of musicality that permeates both the environment and the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beata and Horacio Cifuentes (a couple of professional dancers based in Berlin), also picked up the same vibe:<\/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\">[Beata] I\u2019m sometimes exhausted by the noise and by the dirt, but there\u2019s something here that is more flowing. . . . [Horacio] sometimes, I\u2019m sitting in a taxi and I\u2019m stuck in a traffic jam and I see a woman walk by, with a big thing of bread on her head and she walks and she sways her hips so beautifully. This natural pride that these women have. . . . People here are very dancy . . . when they speak they move their hands and all these things that are part of the dance. <\/p>\n<cite>(Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, secs 03:00, 37:33)<\/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=\"International_Community_of_Egyptian_Raqs_sharqi_Practitioners\"><\/span>International Community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi Practitioners <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These observations are the perceptual interpretation of Egyptian movement habits by non-Egyptian travellers, so they may be biased (as based on the observers\u2019 own schemes of perception), even if some of these observers lived in Egypt for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, insofar as the international community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners is concerned, these comments are recurrent and accepted within their discourse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dancers who move to Egypt to pursue a dance career, have the opportunity to dance to live music with professional Egyptian musicians and perform for Egyptian audiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bands of musicians that dancers perform with, these days, are nowhere near as big as the orchestras of 30 or 50 musicians who played for Nagwa Fouad, Soheir Zaki, Lucy and Fifi Abdou.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dancing_to_Live_Music_and_Musicians\"><\/span>Dancing to Live Music and Musicians<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-very-light-gray-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">However, even performing with a small band of good musicians is a great feeling. I had the opportunity to perform a dance solo with a live Egyptian band, during a belly dance holiday in Luxor (Lo Iacono, 2013a) and I can understand why some people are motivated to work in Egypt so that they can perform to live music every night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although Egyptian Raqs sharqi has spread across the continents, the musicians who can play the music that goes with it are still mainly located in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At some point, between the 1960s and 80s, there were clubs and restaurants with live Arabic music and dancing in America and in London, as mentioned previously (5.4.2 and 5.4.3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, these opportunities in America and in London have dwindled, if not disappeared completely, and I do not think they are easy to find in other countries outside of the Middle East either. Francesca, a practitioner based in Italy, for example, said \u2018there is no live band around here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s almost impossible. If you dance with people that are not really good musicians, then it\u2019s better to dance to a CD\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Professional solo dancers in Egypt also manage their own band.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dancers choose and hire the musicians and arrange contracts and \u2018in a society in which women are seen to be repressed, it\u2019s interesting that the dancer works closely with and, ultimately has authority over, a group of men\u2019 (Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, sec. 19:52).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luna of Cairo summarises her motivations, as a foreigner, for wanting to dance in Cairo (Esposito, 2011b, paras 8, 9):<\/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\">Little by little, so many of the things I value have been taken away from me. Certain freedoms, financial security, independence, at times even happiness, self-respect and sanity. Not to mention I miss my family and friends back home. So why do I do it? I do it because nothing compares to the joy I get from performing to a large band in front of an appreciative audience. I do it because I love creating my entire show from choosing musicians to choreographing dances and everything in between.<\/p>\n<cite>(Esposito, 2011b, paras 8, 9)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And Lorna (Gow, 2006b, para. 12) states that \u2018it&#8217;s lovely working with musicians &#8211; for my saaidi number at a wedding on Saturday night I had a drummer and Mizmar player follow me out into the hall and follow me around the tables- fantastic feeling\u2019. Dunya, from Finland, said:<\/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\">I wanted to come to dance here because it\u2019s great . . . possibility to work, to learn about dancing, about the culture, about the people, dancing with a band, because in Finland, we have some musicians but it\u2019s not the same. . . . The challenge that I have had is when I see the Egyptian audience, especially the women, how they react to dance and the music, you have to see it and feel it and be there. <\/p>\n<cite>(Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, secs 11:03, 35:55)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joana, in her interview, said that in Egypt \u2018you still have the best musicians. And the essence comes from the music, you cannot have that language without the music, that corresponds to it\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Joana gave some insight into her relationships with Egyptian audiences and musicians, and how much she learned from them:<\/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\">Working daily, listening to my musicians, seeing how the Egyptian audiences react to my dance . . . I didn\u2019t like to dance for foreigners. . . . I always preferred to dance for Egyptians, because I feel they understand me and they inspire me and they are a barometer. The barometer at the back is your orchestra. And these are guys I chose by myself. They know more than me about music and dancers. So, they are my teachers. And they are my first audience.<\/p>\n<cite>Joanna (Interview participant in the 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\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As mentioned in 5.4.3, dancing to live music is so valuable for dancers because it fulfils them emotionally, it constitutes another resource for them to express their creative agency and it is a form of cultural capital that confers prestige or symbolic capital in the transcultural field of Raqs sharqi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Foreign_Dancers_Working_in_Cairo\"><\/span>Foreign Dancers Working in Cairo <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the decades, there have been alternate fortunes for foreign dancers working in Cairo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shareen el Safy, from the USA, for example, from 1988 to 1992 performed in 5-star venues in Cairo, opening the show for stars such as Soheir Zaki and Lucy (El Safy, no date a).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the late 1990s, however, dance jobs dwindled due to nightclubs closing down, because of a lack of customers from Lebanon and the Gulf, as discussed in 5.6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With fewer jobs available, it was felt that foreign dancers were making life even harder for local dancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, in 2004, a law was passed forbidding foreigners to perform Raqs sharqi in Egypt. However, in 2006, the law was repelled (<a aria-label=\"Varga Dinicu, 2013, p. 281 (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/You-Asked-Aunt-Rocky-Answers\/dp\/0983069042\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Varga Dinicu, 2013, p. 281<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Living in Egypt has deepened the understanding of Raqs sharqi for foreign dancers and changed the way they dance. However, their presence in Egypt has also affected the dance scene there. Lorna told me that competition from foreigners has affected the dance in Egypt because:<\/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\">When the foreign dancers came back it wasn\u2019t enough to be pretty and shapely, you had to actually have the steps and be prepared to sweat and work, as well. So I think that the foreign dancers pushed that, which is good in some ways but it has changed the dance. Professional dancers don\u2019t dance the same as the average Egyptian woman . . . you have to fill the stage, you are entertaining. . . . So it\u2019s a different scenario than dancing baladi at a wedding.<\/p>\n<cite>Lorna (Interview participant in the 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\">Egyptians (at least people who work in the Raqs sharqi sector) have mixed opinions about foreign dancers in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They agree that competition has pushed local dancers to raise their standards, but they also think that it does not matter how good a foreign dancer is, s\/he will always miss something because s\/he is not Egyptian. For example, Raqia Hassan once said:<\/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\">I like it when the foreigners come here to dance. First, she comes here because she loves this dance, and not for the money . . . The famous Egyptian dancer knows what she is doing, but the small Egyptian dancers don\u2019t know how to dance.<\/p>\n<cite> Raqia Hassan<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They come to the dance only for the money. And they don\u2019t get better. But, when the foreigners come and take good jobs at the five-star clubs, they push the Egyptian dancer \u2014 competition. (El Safy, 1995, paras 14, 15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Monir Naseef,\nYasmina\u2019s agent in Cairo, stated in an interview that for some jobs:<\/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\">It was far better for me to hire a foreign dancer, very well dressed, pretty, nice body . . . very interested in her job, punctual, she is ready to spend more money to get a better orchestra . . . The foreign dancers there\u2019s only one handicap. No matter how good she is . . . there\u2019s something missing . . . you still can feel a sense of imitation, not the real thing.<\/p>\n<cite>(Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, secs 17:04, 18:47) <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an interview\nin 2010 for an Arabic programme, Nagwa Fouad said about foreign dancers that:<\/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\">They take the dance very seriously. But unfortunately . . . they just imitate Dina, they imitate everything else they see. They don&#8217;t know anything. They are foreigners.<\/p>\n<cite>(Adum, 2010, para. 19)<\/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=\"Authentic_Egyptian_Spirit\"><\/span>Authentic\u2019 Egyptian Spirit <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of how close or not foreign dancers are, or strive to be, to the \u2018authentic\u2019 Egyptian spirit, they have absorbed some of the elements of Egyptian culture but also developed their own style, sometimes drawing from their own cultural background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Soraya is from Brazil and her style is quite influenced by her Brazilian origins and samba moves. In a drum solo where she dances in Cairo (Kyria Dance, 2014), the rhythms that the drummers play, in particular from 3:48, remind of samba and the shimmies that Soraya performs are different from any shimmies seen before in Egyptian dance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, she does shimmies moving around and going backwards and sideways (4:46). The Brazilian influence can also be seen in the artefacts, as she wears shoes with very high heels to dance, like samba dancers in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WRWnbxaRYgU?feature=oembed\" title=\"Almaz Of Cairo belly oriental dance {Cinderella Oriental Osaka}\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\"   allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Almaz &#8211; a Japenese belly dancer who performs in Egypt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For other dancers, the influence from their own cultural background may be subtler, but they still develop their own styles, just like Egyptian dancers do (as a result of expressing their own habitus in the dance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other dancers who perform (or used to perform) in Egypt are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a aria-label=\"Almaz (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pg\/almazofcairo\/posts\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Almaz<\/strong><\/span><\/a> from Japan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a aria-label=\"Asmahan (opens in a new tab)\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MagdalenaofCairo\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Asmahan<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and Magda Monti from Argentina<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/caroline.evanoff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Caroline Evanoff<\/span><\/a> from Australia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dalila from Italy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/diana.tarkhan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Diana Tarkhan<\/a><\/span> from France<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dunya from Finland<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/dasha_zhuleva\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Katia Eshta<\/a><\/span> and Nour from Russia<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Leila and Luna (aka Diana Esposito) from the USA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lorna and Yasmina (aka Francesca Sullivan) from the UK.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These dancers, and probably many more, have become ambassadors for Egyptian dance worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Raqia Hassan once said, \u2018I love the foreigners who come to dance in Egypt because after a while they can go back to their countries and teach the dance there . . . as a true art\u2019 (Sullivan and Farouk, 2006, sec. 1:36:46).<\/p>\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; <a href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/male-belly-dancers\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Male belly dancers<\/span><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Non-Egyptian Influences As mentioned by Dina at the end of the previous section, the musicians, the feeling and the heart of Raqs sharqi are still in Egypt. This is why many Raqs sharqi practitioners (those who want to discover the roots of this dance) from around the world travel, at least once in their lives, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2918,"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-2911","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>Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo Egypt (5.7.7)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about foreign dancers living and working in Cairo Egypt. International community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo Egypt (5.7.7)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about foreign dancers living and working in Cairo Egypt. International community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"World Dance Heritage Research Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-05-12T15:56:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-08-14T09:36:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"315\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Valeria\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@danceperception\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@danceperception\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Valeria\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Valeria\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a5061c4e7e43b91e456683b9699ebb42\"},\"headline\":\"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo (5.7.7)\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-05-12T15:56:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-14T09:36:59+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2595,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Egyptian Raqs Sharqi Analysis\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/\",\"name\":\"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo Egypt (5.7.7)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-05-12T15:56:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-08-14T09:36:59+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn about foreign dancers living and working in Cairo Egypt. International community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/05\\\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg\",\"width\":560,\"height\":315,\"caption\":\"Raqs sharqi influences\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/foreigners-cairo\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dance Research\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/research\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Egyptian Raqs Sharqi Analysis\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/research\\\/raqs-sharqi\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo (5.7.7)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/\",\"name\":\"World Dance Heritage Research Centre\",\"description\":\"World Dance Heritage. Traditional dance, tourism and preservation.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"World Dance Heritage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/heritage-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/05\\\/heritage-logo.png\",\"width\":1276,\"height\":294,\"caption\":\"World Dance Heritage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/danceperception\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/a5061c4e7e43b91e456683b9699ebb42\",\"name\":\"Valeria\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1704c134fff0eaaf6f8ab3d25266b26a22b1ccfb44137b7eb56a2813d41e2900?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1704c134fff0eaaf6f8ab3d25266b26a22b1ccfb44137b7eb56a2813d41e2900?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1704c134fff0eaaf6f8ab3d25266b26a22b1ccfb44137b7eb56a2813d41e2900?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Valeria\"},\"description\":\"Hi - I'm Dr Valeria Lo Iacono &amp; I am a dance researcher with a PhD in dance as a form of living heritage. I also teach belly dance and love to travel to discover new dances around the world. I have worked also as an academic and in the UK and in Korea. Thank you for visiting my site.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/worlddanceheritage.org\\\/about-us\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.co.uk\\\/danceheritageuk\\\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo Egypt (5.7.7)","description":"Learn about foreign dancers living and working in Cairo Egypt. International community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo Egypt (5.7.7)","og_description":"Learn about foreign dancers living and working in Cairo Egypt. International community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners.","og_url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/","og_site_name":"World Dance Heritage Research Centre","article_published_time":"2019-05-12T15:56:42+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-08-14T09:36:59+00:00","og_image":[{"width":560,"height":315,"url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Valeria","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@danceperception","twitter_site":"@danceperception","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Valeria","Estimated reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/"},"author":{"name":"Valeria","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a5061c4e7e43b91e456683b9699ebb42"},"headline":"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo (5.7.7)","datePublished":"2019-05-12T15:56:42+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-14T09:36:59+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/"},"wordCount":2595,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg","articleSection":["Egyptian Raqs Sharqi Analysis"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/","url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/","name":"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo Egypt (5.7.7)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg","datePublished":"2019-05-12T15:56:42+00:00","dateModified":"2023-08-14T09:36:59+00:00","description":"Learn about foreign dancers living and working in Cairo Egypt. International community of Egyptian Raqs sharqi practitioners.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/raqs-sharqi-influences.jpg","width":560,"height":315,"caption":"Raqs sharqi influences"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/foreigners-cairo\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dance Research","item":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/research\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Egyptian Raqs Sharqi Analysis","item":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/research\/raqs-sharqi\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Foreigner Dancers Living and Working in Cairo (5.7.7)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#website","url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/","name":"World Dance Heritage Research Centre","description":"World Dance Heritage. Traditional dance, tourism and preservation.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#organization","name":"World Dance Heritage","url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/heritage-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/heritage-logo.png","width":1276,"height":294,"caption":"World Dance Heritage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/danceperception"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/#\/schema\/person\/a5061c4e7e43b91e456683b9699ebb42","name":"Valeria","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1704c134fff0eaaf6f8ab3d25266b26a22b1ccfb44137b7eb56a2813d41e2900?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1704c134fff0eaaf6f8ab3d25266b26a22b1ccfb44137b7eb56a2813d41e2900?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1704c134fff0eaaf6f8ab3d25266b26a22b1ccfb44137b7eb56a2813d41e2900?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Valeria"},"description":"Hi - I'm Dr Valeria Lo Iacono &amp; I am a dance researcher with a PhD in dance as a form of living heritage. I also teach belly dance and love to travel to discover new dances around the world. I have worked also as an academic and in the UK and in Korea. Thank you for visiting my site.","sameAs":["https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/about-us\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/danceheritageuk\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2911"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2911\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worlddanceheritage.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}