02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
How belly dancers are reclaiming their artistic heritage after decades of stigma
Originating in the Middle East, belly dancing has evolved to incorporate a variety of styles in the regions it has spread to over the centuries.
Now, as it continues to gain popularity internationally, young Egyptian performers are working to restore its reputation at home, pushing back against decades of stigma to reclaim the dance as part of their artistic heritage.
Once well-known figures of Egypt's cinematic golden age, belly dancers have watched their prestige wane,
their art increasingly confined to nightclubs and wedding halls
'No woman can be a belly dancer today and feel she's truly respected,' says Safy Akef, an instructor and great-niece of dance legend Naima Akef, a fixture on the silver screen during the 1950s.
Despite her celebrated lineage, Safy Akef, 33, has never performed on stage in Egypt.
'Once the show ends, the audience doesn't respect you, they objectify you,' she says.
