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DO
IT YOURSELF DANCE TOUR OF CAIRO, EGYPT
These
pages can help you organize your stay in Cairo to make the most of
costume shopping, dance classes, sightseeing and watching belly
dancers. Enjoy and
“minawara masr.”
CAIRO
DANCERS AND DANCE VENUES:
When
you ask someone in Cairo involved in the dance world to recommend a
dancer to see they will usually recommend their friend, student or
someone who buys their costumes.
If you ask someone not involved in the dance world they may
send you off to a seedy cabaret in search of a dancer their cousin
saw in a wedding three years ago.
Finding a belly dancer to see in Cairo is not as easy as you
would think. Do you want to see an Egyptian or foreigner, an
established star or a new face, do you want to stick to a budget or
blow over $150 on your night out? A fantastic venue does not necessarily
guarantee a fantactic dancer and a dancer at a not-so-great
nightclub might just surprise you.
www.gildedserpent.com/calendarpages/cairoClubs.htm
To
help you navigate the Cairo dance scene this page from Gilded
Serpent lists MOST of the dancers currently working in Cairo and the
venues that offer belly dancing.
I work with Lynette of GS to keep this page current (updated
every new season) but things change in Cairo from week to week.
This will at least give you the numbers of the hotels so you
can call and confirm which dancer is dancing and what day. Be aware they may tell you the dancer you are asking about is
working just to get you there and when you arrive you may find a
different dancer…demand a discount if this happens. Also ask what
the cost is (including taxes) when you are making the reservations.
You may be shocked to learn that a ratty cabaret may cost
more than a five star hotel nightclub (this may have more to do with
the singers who are performing that night than the belly dancer).
TEACHERS
IN CAIRO:
All
teachers are Egyptian unless otherwise indicated.
NG-teachers
participating in the Nile Group Festival,
AWS-teachers
participating in the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Festival
Leila
(That’s me)-012 746 7520 Dokki (sharki, technique, choreography)
NG rakslila@yahoo.com www.leilainegypt.com
Aida
Noor-012
273 0234, 02 386 3899 Harem (sharki, folklore, choreography,
technique) NG www.welcome.to/aidanour
Mahmoud
Reda-010
198 4051Downtown (folklore, technique, choreography) NG mreda_troupe@yahoo.com
Farida
Fahmy-02
735 28 55 Zamalek (folklore, technique, choreography) NG
Prof.
Dr. Hassan Khalil-02
383 24 50/02 508 33 84 Harem (folklore, technique, choreography) NG
www.hassan-khalil.org/
Raqia
Hassan-012
329 2386, 02 748 2338 Dokki (folklore, technique, choreography) AWS www.raqiahassan.net
Freiz-012
733 1334, 02 345 5775 Mohandaseen (folklore, technique) NG www.fly.to/freiz%20
Dina-contact
Raqia Hassan for number, Mohandaseen (sharki, technique) AWS
Randa-012
313 6524 Fasil (sharki, technique) AWS www.randakamel.com
Lubna
Eman-010 668 3132, 02 745 4453,Moreotaya (folklore, technique)
NG www.go.to/lubnaeman
Mohamed
Kazafy-010
140 8689, 02 320 2470 Dar el Salaam (folklore, technique) NG www.dancemix.at/kazafy
Deana
(French)-010 518 1677 Dokki (sharki, technique, choreography)
Nour
(Russian)-010 510 8410 Mohandaseen (technique, choreography) NG www.nour-orientaldance.com/
Liza
Laziza
(British)-012 366 9734 Agouza (technique, choreography) NG
lizalaziza@hotmail.com
Yasmina
(British)-012 746 5185 Harem (technique, choreography) www.yasminaofcairo.com
Shalaby-012
297 0718 (folklore) AWS
Ossama-012
786 8311(folklore) NG www.ousamaeman.dances.it/
*This
is not a complete list of teachers in Cairo but it lists some of the
best known teachers who are readily available.
COSTUMERS
IN CAIRO:
Approximate
price range
E=Expensive,
4000egp and up
M=Moderate,
2000epg-4000egp
I=Inexpensive,
1000egp-2000egp
Eman
Zaki-02
748 6128, 012 370 2949 Dokki, M
Aida
Noor-02
386 3899, 012 273 0234 Harem, I/M
Sahar
Okasha-012
313 8248, Manial, E
Amira
Kattan-02
749 0322,012 213 9971 Mohandaseen,M/E
Nousa-02
387 1634 Harem, M
Madam
Abla Atilier-02 390 4475 Bab el Kalk, M
Madam
Hekmet-02
390 6209 Bad el Kalk, I
Halla
(American)-02 585 0971,010 102 9085 Harem, E
Hannan-02
453 1733, 010 152 4892 Masri Gadida, I/M
Some
of these costumers are in the most out-of-the-way places. Make sure you get good directions before setting off and also
make sure they will be there when you arrive.
Trekking out to Heliopolis or Harem or wandering around Bab
al KalK will be a drag if you find the costumer has gone home early
that day!
BELLY
DANCE SUPPLY STORES IN KHAN EL KALILI:
Yasser-012
361 4845, 02 786 5966, 2 St. Sekket, near Fishawy Ahwa, a small door
leads to 3 floors of almost anything you could want for dancing.
Yasser is friendly and helpful and the prices are fair.
You can get a inexpensive costume here although some are
imitations of a designer costumes (I recommend going to the designer
directly in this case), as well as other pieces to mix and match.
Yasserbelly@hotmail.com
Macmoud
el Gafar-02
589 7443, 02 390 0357, 73 St Gawhar Al-Qayid, not far from the main
tourist entrance to the market.
There is a huge selection of jewelry, hip scarves, canes,
swords, and every other imaginable dance accessory.
The costumes are inexpensive
but high quality and some are even fashionable.
Gaffar is not a fan of bartering and usually won’t budge a
ginea.
DANCE
TOUR GUIDE FOR CAIRO:
Nibal
Gouda - www.egyptguest.com
If
you ask dancers what their favorite part of their Cairo trip was,
many will say Nibal. Nibal has been guiding dancers visiting Cairo
since 2001. She is a licensed tour guide for cultural spots such as the
Pyramids, Sakara, Khan el Khalili, Al Azhar, Islamic Museum and
Egyptian Museum. She is
friendly and personable and knows how to find even the most
out-of-the-way costumers and dance studios. Nibal speaks French and
English and also guides for Farida Adventure dance tours.
***Recommended***
BELLY
DANCE FESTIVALS IN EGYPT:
Nile
Group Festival-held three times a year in June, November and April www.nilegroup.net
A friendly and inexpensive festival with some powerhouse
teachers and performers. Small class sizes and fun nightly parties.
**Recommended**
Cairo
Seminar with Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy for teachers and professional
dancers-February.
www.safticraft.com/events.asp
Teacher
Intensive Course-December www.raqiahassan.net
Aimed
at teachers with both lectures and dance classes.
Ahlan
wa Sahlan-June www.raqiahassan.net
The biggest festival in Egypt with impressive location,
vending, parties and headliners. It can also be expensive and have a tendency to disorganization
with huge class sizes and many foreigner teachers.
HOTELS
IN CAIRO:
THE
SKY IS THE LIMIT:
Four
Season, Giza-modern luxury, quiet and elegant, 02 573 1212, www.fourseasons.com/cairofr/,
$300 per night
Mena
House, near the Pyramids-fantastic views, fantastic interior but far
from anything but the pyramids, 02 377 3222/3444, www.oberoimenahouse.com/index.asp?leftinfo=1&leftitem=1
$160
per night
Grand
Hyatt, Garden City-an Arab favorite and wonderful Nile views, 02 365
1234, http://cairo.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp,
$170 per night
Marriot
Zamalak, Zamalak-in an old palace with a great outdoor garden
restaurant, 02 728 3000, http://marriott.com/property/abouthotel/recreation/caieg
$150
per night
YOUR
BASIC 5 STARS:
Semeramis,
Cornich el Nile-convenient location with great restaurants, 02 795
7171, 0800 44 333 22, www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ic/1/en/hotelsearchresults?_requestid=909494
$120
per night
Movempick
Harem, near the Pyramids-a moderately priced option to the Mena
House and you can still see the Pyramids, 02 385 2555, www.moevenpick-hotels.com/hotels/Cairo_Pyramids/welcome.htm
$90
per night
Pyramisa,
Dokki-small and friendly with a busy lobby and a mix of Arab and
Foreign guests. Convenient location, 02 336 0791/2/6/8, www.pyramisaegypt.com/PyramisaSuitesHotel/accomodation.asp
$90 per night
ON
A BUDGET:
Flaminco,
Zamalak-Old and charming 02 735 0815/16/18, www.flamencohotels.com/Tulip/Tulip.htm,
around $75 per night
Winsor
Hotel, downtown-faded glorey in a beledi neighborhood with a
interresting ex-pat bar, 02 591 5810/5277/4853 www.windsorcairo.com/information.htm
around $35 per night
Odeon
Palace Hotel, downtown-no palace but old style mashrabeya and the
best cheep “shisha and beer” rooftop bar in Cairo, 02 577
6637/576 7971 www.server2002.net/odeon/about.html,
$35 per night
Berlin
Hotel, downtown-cheep and has hosted many belly dancers over the
years, 02 395 7520, berlinhotelcairo@hotmail.com,
around
$15 per night
New
President Hotel, Zamalek-cheep and on a quiet street next door to my
favorite café “crave” in a hip neighborhood with good shopping,
www.ase.net/servlet/DisplayHotel/9010595
$15 per night
Kind
Tut Hostel, Talat Harb Downtown, www.hostelz.com/hostel/32500-King-Tut-Hostel
$5
per night
TIPS
TO NEGOTIATING CAIRO
**Cars
will not stop for you when you are crossing the street!
Do not expect traffic to yield to pedestrians. I have seen people hit and run over by cars in Cairo. If you
find you have to cross a busy street attach yourself to a group of
Egyptians trying to cross the same street and cross with them.
They will weave you in and out of traffic and most likely get
you safely across.
**Ask
at the desk of your hotel how much a taxi ride should cost to the
location you are going before you hail a taxi.
As a foreigner you will pay more than an Egyptian but you may
be taken to the cleaners if you have no idea what the ride should
cost.
**At
tourist places such as the Pyramids or Khan el Kalili you may want
to hire a guide, especially if you are a woman alone or a small
group of women. The harassment you may receive without a guide may be enough
to ruin your experience especially if it is your first time to these
locations. Be wary of
guides you meet on the street in front of tourist locations, they
usually will drag you around to their friends’ shops because they
receive a tip every time you buy something from them.
You can use a travel agency or ask at your hotel for a legitimate
guide. Guides expect
tips on top of their fees at the end of the day but it can be money
well spent.
**Drink
a lot of water. In the
summer this goes without saying as temperatures reach into the
40’s but even in winter you need more water than you think.
Many travelers have digestive problems from the food in Egypt
and even a small bought with this can cause dehydration.
If you are taking dance classes, sweating can cause you to
loose even more water. I
know of a few dancers who ended up in the hospital from dehydration
here in Cairo. Keep a
bottle of water with you and head to the pharmacy at the first sign
of digestive problems. It
can keep you healthy to enjoy your trip.
**Cairo
is one of the safest large cities in the world.
With a population hovering around 20 million, crime is
unbelievably low. Egyptians
are amazingly warm and generous people.
Ask anyone on the street for directions and they will drop
what they are doing sometimes to lead you to your destination.
Individual violent crimes against foreigners are very rare
but women may be venerable to harassment.
Here are a few situations to avoid. 1. Avoid crowds of young
men. Groppings, name
calling and even worse have happened when mob mentality takes over.
2. Avoid being alone in an isolated place with a man you don’t
know even if he seems harmless.
You are not sure what he is expecting and this is not
socially acceptable. An exception to this would be a licensed tour
guide. 3. Avoid wearing
tank tops, shorts or too revealing clothing in the street.
You will be followed, cat-called and possibly groped.
4. Be
aware of vacation Casanovas. There
are Egyptian men who are on the lookout for a foreign woman to
romance, marry and (after they have the travel visa and most of her
money) disappear.
DANCE
TOURS OF CAIRO
Farida
Adventures with Kay Taylor
.
With
all that said, Cairo is not an easy city.
The traffic, noise and shear crush of people can rattle even
the most experienced traveler’s nerves let alone if you are trying
to find costumers, teachers and dancers.
Cairo can be overwhelming, even for those of us who live
here, so if you are hesitant to attempt Cairo on your own, a tour
can be the answer. If
you would like someone who knows how to negotiate Cairo and it’s
dance scene then look to Kay Taylor of Farida Adventures.
Kay is based in England and has been operating tours to Egypt
(three tours a year) for the last 8 years.
Kay knows all the costumers, teachers, and dancers in Cairo
and she is a fierce bargainer so you get the most bang for your
buck. Described as “boot camp” by some, Kay’s tours pack more
dancing into a week then seemingly possible.
You will get Kay’s years of experience and guidance while
still experiencing the real cairo. www.faridadance.com
**Recommended**
SIGHTSEEING
TOURS OF ASWAN, LUXOR, RED SEA, ALEXANDRIA, SINAI AND FAYOOM
Egypt
Travel Agency with George Mounir
George
was a violinist who left music to open a full service travel agency.
He books the tickets for most of the Egyptian musicians and
dancers who travel abroad for festivals and workshops.
He can also book tours for visitors to Cairo for any
destination inside of Egypt. I
have taken two tours that George has organized to Luxor, Aswan and
the Red Sea. The first
was a 5 star-luxory, individualized tour that included air travel,
some of the best hotels in Egypt, private guides and entrance into
all the historical sights. It
was amazing down to every detail.
The second was a bit lower budget train, caravan and cruise
that included all meals, guides, entrance fees and a three night
stay at a resort on the Red Sea.
It was surprisingly inexpensive without feeling that way.
Both tours were well organized with knowledgeable guides and
no hidden costs or surprises. Along with tours and resort stays, George can also organize
tour guides within Cairo, vans and busses for larger groups and day
trips to tourist sights near Cairo.
Call
George at 0106107275 or www.egyptravel.net
**Recommended**
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