The Lower-Class Belly Dance
Night Clubs of Cairo
by
Cheri Berens
|
COPYRIGHT 2003
Over the years I’ve written many articles about the dancing in Egypt’s 5-star hotels and nightclubs. This was because I preferred a full
oriental orchestra, a raised stage, and the professional performances that I observed in the 5-star venue. But my curiosity finally got the
better of me, and with the help of friends escorting me into these places, I slowly began entering the world of the 3 and 4-star nightclubs. I
chose not to go into clubs below the 3-star rating because I had been told they consisted mostly of prostitution. And now that I’ve
frequented the 3 and 4-star clubs, I know that I don’t ever want to venture into a club below 3-stars.
The predominant dancing style in the 3 and 4-star clubs is what I call “Ladies of the Evening” style. The dancers come out in tight fitting full
length dresses that show off the body. These dresses look like a toss between an evening gown and lingerie. Some of these dresses are
made of a slinky and almost transparent cloth that leaves little to the imagination. The dancers move around the designated dance area in
a very sexy way. Towards the early morning hours as new dancers come out, some wear the 2-piece costume. The later the show, the
better the dancer, or at least that’s what I was told. But the only difference I’ve seen in these clubs is that the dancers that come on last
are more beautiful or show more skin. The dancing has never been anything I would judge as good.
The 4-star clubs that are geared to the Gulf tourists have good singers and just one or two belly dancers. But I’ve found that those clubs
often have lots of prostitutes in the audience, and many of these prostitutes get up and dance. These prostitutes are usually dressed in
what we westerners think of as casual wear---tight jeans and a short sleeve or sleeveless top. At first I thought these girls were there
enjoying the music and using the opportunity to get up and dance a bit. I was very surprised when my friends informed me that these girls
were prostitutes. Now I pay more attention and have seen that indeed, they are prostitutes. I often find them in the bathroom on their cell
phones making dates, or schmoozing with audience members trying to conjure up some business. Other than the prostitutes mingling
around, the audience members in these clubs are men only. In contrast, at the 5-star clubs, you will find the audience members include
groups of females with children and couples. Often entire families come to celebrate weddings and other occasions at the 5-star club.
Most of the dancers in the 3 and 4-star venue do not dance anything like what we as western belly dancers would call belly dance. Instead,
they move sexy to the music in an middle eastern way (undulations and a few subtle accents). Most dancers are rather lackluster, and
many don’t even smile. I’m always amazed at how many actually look extremely bored. They do not seem interested in putting on a good
show, or doing a good performance. When I first started going to these clubs I didn’t even think what they were doing was belly dance, but
my friends reassured me that indeed, this is considered belly dance. I am surprised at this because all Egyptians dance and they recognize
good dancing. And I see fantastic dancing in the homes of my friends and at weddings and other celebrations. But I have come to see that
a paid (or professional) ‘belly dancer’ in Egypt does not mean the same thing to Egyptians as it does to us westerners. And that the rating
system, 3, 4, and 5-star, is the real way to gauge dancing in Egypt. Or I should say, the way to judge whether it is worth going to see or not.
The 5-star is the only venue where I’ve seen good dancing--dancing that truly inspires me, excites me, and is where I get ideas for my own
dancing. The dancers in the 3 and 4-star clubs are mostly there to get the audience members to spend money, and as mentioned before,
their dance style is often sexy movement rather than the dynamic, polished choreography you see in the 5-star hotel nightclubs.
Most of the dancers, no matter what type of club they end up in, usually start by doing street weddings. The poorer people have their
wedding celebrations in the street. The middle and upper classes rent halls, nightclubs, hotels, etc. Most dancers come from poverty and
broken homes, where the father is away or doesn’t exist, and the mother has no financial resources. The girl looks in the mirror and sees
herself as beautiful, but because of her circumstances, she isn’t sought after for marriage. Sometimes she ends up in an affair and looses
her virginity. Since she is not educated or qualified for any skilled labor, and because most Egyptians learn to dance as children and know
how to dance naturally, she ends up dancing for money, usually to help support the family.
Most dancers need to be accompanied by a man, a body guard of sorts, and they don’t necessarily marry the body guard, although they
often sleep with him. He is in her life mostly to protect her, especially in the low class places and in the streets. Nightclub dancers almost
always have trouble with the nightclub owner or someone in the audience who comes regularly to see her. She is often harassed into
having sex. The majority say yes to sex for money, but if they are already making good money through their dancing, they might refuse.
This ‘male protector’ helps her with these problems and he also guards her from attacks, or helps her with problems getting her money. As
dancers make their way to the higher nightclubs (which doesn't happen very often), they graduate to hiring paid, professional body guards
that they don’t have sexual relationships with. This helps them to upgrade themselves to the 5-star status if they have talent and the right
contacts.
The low class dancers sleep during the day, work at night, and their life is often filled with the activities of nightlife in Cairo, which usually
includes drinking, gambling and drugs. Along with a male protector, most nightclub dancers have a woman maid that takes care of her
clothes, makes appointments with doctors, arrangements for dance dates, and provides her meals and medicine. This maid often becomes
her advisor and some times, a friend. It is a rather lonely lifestyle.
Most tourists and visitors are guided away from the lesser clubs, as I was for many years. And I confess that when friends visit me, I do
not want to take them into this darker side of Egyptian dance, especially when there is so much good dancing to be seen in the quality,
professional environment of the 5-star venue.