America has Broadway and Hollywood.  Egypt and other Arabic countries have had their equivalent; lavish productions of song, dance, and acting.   Choreographed productions with ballet and jazz trained dancers, dramatic singers, and of course their heroine, Belly Dancing her way through the production.  The shows had a fairy tale production number ending. 

Among the Middle Easterners, Egyptian Dancers have always been seen as the top stars. Oriental Dance, as it is called in Arabic Countries can be held in the same esteem as is ballet and opera to the Americans, English and French.  The music is so soulful, so heartfelt and passionate that it is not uncommon to bring a Middle Easterner to tears. Much of the music is based on artists such as Farid Al Atreche, Oum Kalthoum and Abdel Halim Hafez.  These singers have been esteemed as national heroes, part of the very core of the Egyptian culture.

Many of famous belly dance stars became mega film stars. Tahia Carioca, Samia Gamaal, and Nagua Fauod not only Belly Danced, but sang, waltzed and acted their way to the hearts of Middle Easterners.

Today, the future of Belly Dance in the Middle East is uncertain.  Egypt's 12 most famous belly dancers, led by Fifi Abdou and Dina, contributed the equivalent of $264 million in taxes to state coffers in 1995. One report said their tax payments constituted the country's fifth biggest source of revenue after the Suez Canal, tourism, petrol and cotton. (5) In spite of this, the ancient but lucrative art of belly dancing which was largely swept out of favor by a wave of Islamic fundamentalism in the late 80s and early 90s.  Local MTV interest has caused many young people to believe that belly dance is “old fashioned”.  The economics of paying for highly paid belly dance stars has forced 5 star hotels and private parties to search in other places for entertainment. 

 In Egypt, where in 1957 there were 5000 registered dancers, in 20001999 there were only 357  registered dancers  and many of those were not Egyptian Dancers but belly dancers from Russia, England and other countries. (4)

One of the four pillars of the Muslim religion is going to Mecca to perform the Haj whereby they visit the birthplace of Abraham and do a ritual of repentance of sins.  (3).  Belly dancers and performers are prohibited from going to Mecca to perform this important act of faith forcing many dancers and would be dancers to abandon their dream to dance..  "Ninety percent of Egyptians see belly dancing as shameful," says Essam Mounir, a 37-year-old agent who has taken on Russian dancers for lack of local talent. "Foreign women are educated, they are not maids or poor girls looking for rich husbands and they show up on time and love to dance," he says. "But as for feeling our music, not one of them really gets it." (3)

There is concern by some Arabic and Egyptian people that foreigners distort the distinctive Egyptian style of the dance.  World famous Suhair Zaki is quoted as saying of the new dancers imported from other countries  “They will never be up to the Egyptian standards, the Egyptian belly dancers' standards," she says. "They don't have the lively spirit, they don't have the sense of humor and they don't have the musical ear.” (1) (2)

There is some hope that belly dance is making a comeback.  In 1999, Egypt held its first festival devoted to the ancient art and in June 2002, the 3^rd Cairo Oriental Dance Festival was held.  Students from the world over attended classes led by stars such choreographers Mahmoud Reda, Ibrahim Akef,  Soheir Zaki and Mrs Farida Fahmy and Madame Dina (5) (6)

While belly dance gains in popularity gains world wide, the future of the dance is uncertain in Middle Eastern Countries. Hope remains that Oriental Danse can once more flourish in its homeland.