Cairo Belly Dance Guide

Cairo is the heart of the belly dance world, and as dancers we constantly look on what’s happening here. We often dream to visit this city because we know that learning dance is not just about the movements, but also about immersing yourself into the culture and environment. That’s why I’m so happy to share this new intensive: “Cairo Belly Dance Guide”, which combines dance and travel explorations together.

Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced

Workload: Medium

Suggested duration: 7 weeks

If you follow our suggested duration of seven weeks, get ready to invest 1-2 hours per week in your training. But remember, you can always go through this intensive at your own pace. One week is just a suggested structure.

After the experience of living in Cairo for 5 months, I can see how this city can be overwhelming: so many festivals, shows, classes, costume shops, and many of them are hidden from the obvious touristic eye. You need to know where to look, and in this intensive I’ll share all the secrets we’ve discovered. We’ll give you a taste of belly dance adventures in Cairo.

This intensive consists of 2 parts:

The first part is all about practical belly dance classes. We’’ll work on better understanding of Egyptian style, nuanced hips technique, intricate patterns of steps, and much more. Some tutorials will show you a wide range of types of classes that you can attend here in Cairo, and there will be a whole section of classes related to dancing to live music. In fact, our final class will be accompanied by one of the top live bands in Cairo, specialized in playing for belly dancers, which will also give you great insights in performing at festivals.

The second part of the intensive is a series of lectures on different topics to take you on a journey around belly dance in Cairo. Some of the lectures will be directly supportive to the practical dance classes, giving you more understanding on what we are doing, and other lectures will be about your travel experience in Cairo. This is to give you a taste of what to expect from the city, and all the resources that are available here: where to find costumes, classes, and local shows. The lectures will also give you some practical tips on how to navigate the city and avoid common touristic traps.

This intensive has everything to take you on a journey with us, as well as to prepare for your upcoming visits to Cairo!

List of practical classes:

• Change of Directions/ Step Patterns (Combo)

• Cairo Gym Class (Fitness Workout)

• 3-Dimensionality of Movements (Combo)

• Detailed Hips (Technique)

• Traveling With Layered Hips (Combo)

• Signals Between Dancer & Drummer (With the Combo Example)

• Dancing to Live Music (With Mohamed Reda Saad Live Band)

List of theory and travel lectures:

• What Is Egyptian Dance Style

• The Wide Range Of Belly Dance Classes Available In Cairo

• Tips For Attending Festivals In Cairo

• Sightseeing Spots You Must Visit

• What Local Shows You Can Attend

• Where To Buy Belly Dance Costumes

• Practical Tips For Tourists In Cairo

• The Concept Of Dancing To Live Music & How To Get Ready For Your Performance

I hope you’ll enjoy our first official online retreat, as well as our first residency project at Yasmina’s Belly Dancers B&B which resulted in this intensive: the Cairo Belly Dance Guide.