| Abstrakt: |
Abstract: “ Oriental ” dancers in Cairo are part of festivities that take place in hotels, night-clubs and late at night in the streets. The way that they use their body in the dance is quite specific: by accentuating body movements and by strongly involving the public in the dance, these dancers behave differently from other women in such social contexts. Egyptian society and government made many efforts throughout history to condemn the peculiar behaviour of the professional “belly dancers”. Nonetheless, their performances attract a large Egyptian audience whether on stage or on television as well as in current and older films. But since the audience in Cairo related to international tourism is currently declining, another kind of international public inclined towards folk culture has been developing for about a decade. To answer this new demand, a professional group of Egyptian “folk” dancers organizes events for these consumers, building a new cultural industry in Cairo. This contribution studies foreign apprentices going to Egypt to learn this type of dance who arrive there with preconceived ideas about “Oriental” dancing and “Oriental” femininity, allied to the tradition of Edward Said’s Orientalism. |
