(Printed in the Fall 2006 Issue Oct/Nov/Dec of The Belly Dancer Magazine)
A Tale of Two Festivals
As Written By Dr. Wendy (Milena) Miklos, MD
I attended both the Nile Festival and Ahlan Wa Sahlan in Cairo this past June. I enjoyed the festivals very much. Each one had a different feel and its good points. I am happy to share my personal experience from my visit to Egypt.
The Nile Festival is organized by a group of people; the main leader is Aida Nour. It is held three times a year in the fall, spring, and summer. This past June it was held from the 19th until the 26th. They were celebrating the festival's first anniversary. The dates worked well because Ahlan Wa Sahlan was held the following week. Apparently, last year, due to unavoidable scheduling, both festivals took place the same week and this created a conflict.
I was greeted at the airport by a Nile Festival representative who assisted me with purchasing a visa, customs, obtaining my luggage, and transport. The festival location was about a kilometer from the Pyramids at the Movenpick Hotel, a clean, pleasant, one-level place with marble floors. There was a nice pool, and the rooms were in rows of buildings. The rooms were small but comfortable. Each had a small patio with seating.
Tito
The opening gala included performances by a male dancer, Tito, and his troupe. Next was a fashion show with the work of Sahar Okasha. Then there was dancing performed by Nour, a Russian lady who dances in Cairo. She was very energetic and lively. She was followed by Lucy. Lucy's band was the largest of all and the volume was deafening. Egyptians like their music at one volume which is "too loud." Lucy was most entertaining and playful. Some of her costumes raised eyebrows in the crowd. For example, one was a black bra with matching skintight pants that had ample cut-outs. 
Lucy
The week was filled with classes and three-hour master classes cost $40, exercise classes cost $20. Everything was paid in cash, either U.S. or Egyptian pounds. Amongst others, instructors included Liza Laziza, Tito, Khaled Mahmoud, Freiz, Farida Fahmy, Lucy, Leila, Nour, Magdy El Leisy, Aida Nour, and Mahmoud Reda. I chose classes from Liza Laziza (Modern Oriental), Khaled (Khaleegy), Freiz (Classic Oriental), Lucy (Lucy style), Leila (Modern Oriental), Nour (Om Kalthoum choreography), Zeina (Baladi with sagats), Dandash (Classic Oriental), and Aida Nour (Oriental). I soon learned that taking more than one or two classes a day was physically exhausting, especially after staying up late at night to watch the shows. Also, while the rooms were air-conditioned, the outside daytime heat index was in the 90's and 100's F.
My favorite classes were with Liza Laziza and Aida Nour. Liza taught choreography but she kept a close eye on individual technique and gave feedback. Aida had a genuine love of teaching and just kept going and going. After teaching an initial choreography in detail, she proceeded to teach three more for a total of four in all. I got something out of all of my classes except for Dandash's. I'd previously read one good and one bad review about her teaching. But after the first hour when we were still performing the same first minute of her song over and over again, including a deep knee bend, I was done and I left.
In most of the workshops, there were opportunities to purchase CD's, take photos, and even do some videotaping. It was always best to ask the teacher first what was allowed. At a minimum, the instructors allowed videotaping of the students, but a few allowed themselves to be taped too. There was a performance night and sign-up was at no cost. One could perform to CD or live music, and I opted for live music. That was such a treat to dance to a real Egyptian band in Egypt! Aida Nour also danced that night and she was beautiful, all made-up and in costume.
Aida Nour
In regards to vending, when I first saw the Sahar Okasha costumes, I did not think much of the bra construction. It was like a unipiece for both cups and the center. However, a friend pointed out that after you get it on, it's one of the most secure constructions for keeping the "girls" in place, and she was right. Everything stayed in place and nothing jiggled out. Aida Nour was also vending at the festival and her costumes were constructed in a similar fashion. Near the end of the week I arranged a taxi to Khan el Khalili and found Al Wikalah, the shop with four stories. However, there really wasn't anything on the first floor. The rooms upstairs had a lot of space, but I kept wondering where all the costumes were located. There were ample supplies of hipscarves and skirts. I found one room with coin belts and bras and then a few racks of costumes upstairs as well. I tried on a couple but did not care for them. Even the one shelf of khaleegy dresses I found were the made-in-India kind from a poly material, not silk, and all were black except for one in green. I left having purchased (in cash again) only a few hipscarves and that was the end of my Al Wikalah adventure. 
Fatima
The closing gala included performances by Raghda, Leila, Liza Laziza, and a new dancer, Fatima. I knew Leila from having seen and met her in the U.S. She was right in her element, beautiful and athletic, lots of hip movements, just as I remembered her. Fatima is a pretty, young Egyptian dancer who'll be one to watch for in the future. Rumor has she may play Tahiya Karioka in an upcoming movie. The energy and exuberance of the top performers in Cairo and their bands was amazing. I watched them for hours on end without tiring of their talent.
The Nile Festival organizers were a constant fixture and were present for all of the events. They were approachable and quick to remedy any problems. The general feeling was that you were part of the festivities. There was an emphasis on enjoying oneself and learning about the culture. I estimated about 150 attendees with many from Europe, Japan, Russia, Central Asia, and Brazil including Lulu Sabongi and a pack of her students. I fell in with a group of ladies from Australia, South Africa, and England. I only ran into two other Americans there. One was Saphira of Sahara Dance in Washington DC, who was one my first teachers and just an absolute delight to see again.
The Nile Festival hotel package included the cost of both the opening and closing galas (dinner included). The galas and other parties went until the wee hours in the morning, ending somewhere between 1:30 and 3:00 a.m. Dinner at the parties was usually served late, around 9:30 or 10:30 p.m. On off nights, we would walk a few blocks to Felfela, an Egyptian restaurant with both walk-up or sit-in service. We could eat there at reasonable prices. Once or twice, I caught a taxi for 5 or 10 Egyptian pounds to a McDonald's a few kilometers away.
At the Nile Festival, lectures were provided by Farida Fahmy and Hassan Khalil at no additional cost. To my disbelief, there were only about 20 attendees at Farida's lecture. Really, she was a star of the Reda troupe and a legend in her own right. She showed old footage of the Reda troupe which you simply cannot find. As she explained, the government sponsored the troupe, so the government kept most of the footage and sadly over the years it has been pilfered or destroyed. One night, as a surprise, the organizers loaded us on buses and treated us to El Elezba, a resort with dinner, entertainment and dancing. They also held the Hassan Khalil lecture there, but I found his delivery a bit rambling and obscure.
Melina and Farida Fahmy
The room price at the Movenpick for the week was single $396, double $312, or triple $276. Breakfast was included with the cost of the hotel room. Items such as a 2-liter bottle of water cost 10 Egyptian pounds or about $1.70 (one Egyptian pound equaled about 17 cents US). Internet access was 35 Egyptian pounds for a half hour, 50 for an hour. About a block away there was kiosk that also sold bottled water, soda, and other small items for lesser prices. After the first week, I wrote out a cheat sheet using the calculator on my cell phone (a pocket calculator would have been nicer, but I hadn't thought to bring one). 
I kept this cheat sheet handy and it was a great help with currency conversion. Taxis had to be dickered with for a price. It was best to refuse those who wouldn't bargain and keep walking down the street. Another taxi would come along every few seconds. I learned that destinations across the city should only cost about thirty to thirty-five Egyptian pounds. For additional money, the drivers were willing to wait around, site-see, and drive back to the hotel, but there were taxis everywhere around Cairo so it really was not necessary.
The following week was the Ahlan Wa Sahlan (AWS) Festival. It is held annually and this past June went from the 27th until July 3rd. It was apparent from the beginning that it was much larger festival and consequently more crowded. I later learned there were about 1200 participants. Their location was the Mena House hotel, about a kilometer away from the Movenpick. It resides near the base of the Pyramids. It is an older, glamorous hotel with many exquisite chandeliers, vintage portraits, and elaborate woodwork. My room was in a second building across a courtyard from the main hotel and on the fourth floor. 
The rooms were more spacious and each had a balcony. There was also a hotel pool and restaurant where breakfast was served (included) each morning. Attendance overflow went to a different hotel, the Meridien, about a half kilometer away. 
For classes, it took a couple of hours just to get registered because I had to take a number and wait for it to be called. If I were to do it over again, I would walk over a day early to register or just return at a later time. Registration remained open all week. The opening gala was included in the hotel package. The closing gala was not and cost an additional $60. Three hour master classes cost $60, three hour beginner classes were $40, and two hour folkloric ones were $30 -- cash. There were no lectures. On the second night, the teachers performed. This was followed by four nights of competition dancing from 8:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. followed by performance slots until 1 a.m. It cost $40 to enter the competition and $20 just to perform. I opted for neither. After having traveled thousands of miles only to be told I'd have to pay to dance (the costs had not previously been listed on the website), I was a bit turned off by the whole idea. I went lighter on my class schedule so as to not overdo things and to sightsee around Egypt as well. In fact, I didn't watch much of the competition or performances at all that week.
For the opening gala, there was a zeffa outside with music and entertainers including Khariya Maazin. Inside, the entrance line was in a hallway that grew crowded to the point of stuffiness. It started as a line but then people simply strode past it and gathered at the front entry point. There were no photos or videotaping allowed.
Bags were searched and cameras and camcorders were checked behind a counter. The banquet room was about the size of a football field with tables lined up and packed in tightly. After having waited in line for a good seat, we found many tables with good views already reserved. Ushers kept order and enforced crowd control. TV screens were set up on either end to help assist with viewing.
Dina
The performances again went into the wee hours of the morning. There was a troupe that performed a variety of numbers, mostly folkloric. There was a fashion show by Eman Zaki. Later, Dina took the stage. She danced better than what I've seen in her videos and her charisma speaks for itself. Dina's costumes had a lingerie emphasis. One costume had a faux thong piece in full view and dropped more than a few jaws. She could also change in and out of costumes in record time. Sorraya was on next. She was a lovely dancer with a nice body and flowing movement. Outside in the hallways, vendors were beginning to set up. The next day, they were in full force with costumes galore, sagats, CD's, DVD's, jewelry, and much more. Vendors included Eman Zaki, Amira el Katan (Pharaonics of Egypt), Crazy Move, Fouad Sarkis, and many more. Payment was accepted in Egyptian pounds or U.S. in, you guessed it, cash.
There were many instructors to choose from including Dina, Asmahan, Sorraya, Randa Kamel, Momo Kadous, Amir Thaleb, Zaza Hassan, Faten Salema, Dr. Mo Geddawy, and Mahmoud Reda again. I believe he was the only instructor who taught at both of the festivals. There were other instructors from various places around the world including the U.S. However, my intent was to study from the Egyptians and a few others who you simply cannot otherwise get. My classes included the Matrooh Group (Hagallah), Khariya Maazin (Ghawazee), Sema Yildiz (Turkish), Raqia Hassan (Modern Oriental choreography), and Hamada Hossam (Nubian choreography). I learned something from all of my teachers. They were all knowledgeable within their area of expertise. The Matrooh Group and Khariya Maazin's classes did not have much structure per se, but I knew that ahead of time. As a rule, the more popular the teacher, the more packed the class was with no cap on the number of attendees. The teachers had individual CD's for sale too and allowed for photos at the end. Some videotaping of the class was allowed but usually not of the instructor.
My sightseeing that week included a trip to the Natroun Valley to see a few of the Christian Monasteries and Lake Natroun, a salt water lake in the desert. Another interesting area was located in Cairo and called the City of the Dead. It is an area homeless people have been relocated into a cemetery for a place to live. I saw it at night and it was eerie, but I was fortunate to have an Egyptian friend drive me through. Otherwise, I'd definitely recommend only visiting during the day. Also, from the Mena House, I walked up the road to the Pyramids and took a camel ride after dickering over the price. My camel driver later arranged for a ride to see the light show at the Sphinx from the desert. Afterwards, we attended a local wedding. We watched the celebration, the bellydancers and the local Egyptians dancing alike. I felt truly immersed in the culture and safe the entire time. The Egyptians are a very peaceful people and once they befriend you, they watch over you carefully. You have more of a chance of getting hit by a car in Cairo then anything bad happening to you. The traffic was the most terrifying thing. The Egyptians drive as fast as they can, as aggressively as they can. It's just the way it is, but it didn't prevent me from covering my eyes at times. The drivers will stop for pedestrians granted they see them. This is a good thing because there's hardly a crosswalk to be found in Cairo. There are tourist police on nearly every corner as they take their tourism business very seriously. There were a few times when I inquired about any existing threat or violence, but the Egyptians always gave me the same quizzical response, "But this is Egypt."
During classes and at the hotels, I was in workout clothes. However, when I was elsewhere, I dressed conservatively in a galabeya or in a long skirt or loose slacks with a long-sleeved tunic. The lighter the material was, the better, in order to keep cool. I usually made an attempt to cover my hair with a scarf, but I never could get the nice snug wrap that the Muslim women achieved. One of my Egyptian friends told me, "You know you don't have to cover your hair. We do have Christians here." But the scarf kept the sun off my head and I felt less conspicuous, despite my botched wrap job. The Egyptians, by nature, are curious and are always watching other people, whether a foreigner or not. The people of Cairo are constantly outside, on the street, walking, working or watching life go by. Men mostly keep company with other men. Women are almost certainly with another woman friend or with their family. They are reserved but not unfriendly, especially if you make a sincere effort to speak to them. The children are playful and often ask for your name. However, if they begin to follow you or ask for money, it's best to you're your bag in front of you and ignore them. There is always at least one person around who understands English, although learning a little Arabic doesn't hurt. Because I often took taxis and not all the drivers knew English, I began to learn how to give directions: shiMELL (left), yiMEEN (right), HIna (here), and hiNEK (there), for example.
The AWS closing gala was less crowded than the opening, given the additional cost. Tables were placed more spaciously apart. Performers included Kasumi, Madrina from the U.S., the four winners of the nightly competitions, Nancy who is a relatively new Egyptian dancer, Asmahan, and Randa Kamel. There was also a fashion show by Fouad Sarkis, a haute couture designer. Kasumi was Japanese. She danced for a long time, and I have to hand it to her for her stamina. Madrina who hails from Tampa, Florida, won the Queen of Raks Sharqi competition in the U.S. last year. This landed her a performance slot at AWS. She looked and performed well. The competitors included Bozenka who was a surprise for me to see there. She took first place, winning a gold crown and a costume. The second and third place winners won costumes as well. Nancy will be one to watch as her style and costuming was right up Fifi Abdo's lane. Asmahan performed several sets with "themes" including a planetary set, a clownish set, and a pirate-TigerLily like set. Themes set aside; she remained a powerful, charged dancer, who, during an expression-filled taqseem, brought a friend at our table to tears. Randa Kamel was a joy to watch, my favorite, graceful and yet dynamic and fully engaged to her music. I stayed up until 3 a.m. that night just to watch all of her performance.
The AWS festival was glamorous, but it was operated in a strict, business-like fashion. On one hand, it had to be that way because of its size. On the other hand, it had a tendency to feel impersonal and indifferent. Attendees came from around the world as well, just in greater numbers. The room prices at the Mena House for the week depended on "Pyramids view" or "non-Pyramids view." For example, I was in a double, non-Pyramids view and the rate was $388. Other examples of the Mena house prices included 14 Egyptian pounds for a 2-liter bottle of water. Internet access was 100 Egyptian pounds for a half hour. It was, in fact, cheaper to get a taxi to the nearest internet cafe and return than it was to pay the hotel price. The taxi drivers just outside the hotel were more aggressive and higher priced than elsewhere. I avoided them saying, "la, shukran" (no, thank you) and just walked down the street to catch another.
Attending the festivals was the chance of a lifetime. Both festivals were positive learning experiences, but they were also dissimilar in many ways. The two were, in fact, so different that it made comparison near impossible. Cairo itself is a fascinating place, and a city that truly never sleeps. Having said that, I do not feel inclined to pack up my bags and move to Egypt. I would compare a move to Cairo to try professional bellydancing to an Egyptian moving to Hollywood to try professional acting. Needless to say, it would be very difficult, and it is only becoming more so. In Egypt now, foreigners have to apply for a work permit, and then leave the country while the application is reviewed. Learning the language would be essential as would finding people who are willing to help out a dancer and not take advantage of her. Nothing is ever just handed out regardless of looks or talent. There are many poor people in Cairo, all trying survive, and some of the living conditions and sanitation were saddening. It was still an amazing trip and experience. I am most grateful to have seen Egypt and experience its culture to the fullest.
http://www.nilegroup.net * http://www.raqiahassan.net