Dance in Egyptian Cinema

Workshop Summary

Dance has been portrayed a variety of ways by the Egyptian motion picture industry over the 20th century. This class explores the story behind the dance scenes and the real-world influences on how dance was portrayed.

Detailed Description

This lecture/video presentation introduces how dance has been portrayed in Egyptian cinema over the 20th century.  Many people have seen compilations of dance scenes from vintage movies, but don't have knowledge of the films in which they appear. This presentation reveals the story behind the clips – not just the movies’ plots, but also insights into the audiences for which these films were made and understanding of how then-current events/culture influenced the portrayal of dance.

The workshop shows dance scenes from a variety of Egyptian movies to illustrate several key points, using narrative to weave them together, establish a historical context for each, and help viewers anticipate what to look for. Key points covered include:

• Different environments in which dance occurred: the moulid, the nightclub, the wedding performer, the social gathering, including movie scenes that illustrate each
• Types of roles featuring dancers, and how these changed over time
• How changes to Egyptian society such as the 1952 revolution affected how dance was portrayed in the cinema
• Dance forms other than raqs sharqi (belly dance) that appeared in Egyptian films
• Famous actors & actresses and their connection to the dancers