'Belly dance is being hidden in Egypt'
As a trickle of tourists slowly returns to Egypt, the floating nightclubs along the Nile are back in business. And belly dancers are once again in high demand. The glitzy late-night shows attract visitors from all over the world, and especially from the Gulf’s Arab states, with dancers in revealing outfits performing with full traditional musical backing. But while many dancers are happy to be getting back to work, there is growing disquiet that the artform is becoming closely associated with drinking and nightclub culture. They feel that the belly dance, which is deeply rooted in Egyptian h...