More Cabaret and some disapointment...

I survived! I guess it was inevitable to not be sick when traveling to another country...Before leaving, the health center at Georgia Tech prescribed me some ‘traveler’s medicine’ for situations like this. That was my lifeline!

After a day and a half of staying in bed, I was finally well enough to go out again. We had initially made reservations at the Semeramis, but we called and they said Dina (nor any other dancer) was dancing tonight. For LE1000 per seat, I wasn’t about to pay that much and not see some dancing. So after calling around we finally settled on going to el-Leil.

El-Leil is one of Cairo’s oldest nightclubs. It used to be a hub for the stars of dance such as my idol, Soheir Zeki. Tonight, it had a more modest line up although fun nonetheless. I have no photos from el-Leil because photography was not allowed here, and the club had many bouncers to make sure that no photos were taken. It basically had the same set up as the other club we went to, with about 6 acts progressing in size, sound, and talent throughout the night.

This organization of entertainment gave me a thought. Cairo nightlife has it right! Why should the paying customers have to hop from club to club paying to get in each time, trying to find a new place to sit, and when we can pay one price and have the entertainment hop from club to club? Think about it!

So what about the dancer? She was horrible. First of all, let me say that this new style of bra that Eman Zaki started is horrible. The style I am referring to is a demi cub that seems to get smaller and smaller, with the connection of the two cups getting wider and wider apart. Dancers look more like porn stars than dancers – and this dancer was not an exception. Maybe the real reason why she didn’t dance was fear that she would loose her top. Never mind the fact that she oiled her chest up to look very tacky. Otherwise she was very beautiful in her liquid silver and pearl costume, perfectly done hair and make up, and she knew when the song ended and where all the Saudis were in the audience.

I’ve recently just begun to understand something. Let me tell the American belly dance community why a lot of people go on a rant about why this dance should be called ‘oriental dance’ and not cabaret dance. An Egyptian cabaret dancer, a dancer who dances at a cabaret in Cairo, does not hold in her best interest to actually interpret the music or actually pay the slightest bit of attention to dance as an artform. Her number one priority is to flirt and socialize with the audience to get tips for her and her band. She will walk around, chew and smack gum, fix her hair, lip sync to the music, and rarely move around stage while she is ‘performing’. I can only imagine the intricate steps, gestures, and interpretations Dina or Randa Kamel exude while they become the physical embodiment of the dance. I haven’t seen a real oriental show yet, and I hope someone can change my mind about what Cairo has to offer because as of right now, I am disappointed.

Anywhoo, these are my thoughts and opinions as I am experiencing them in the moment…next blog will be about our trip to the pyramids complete with pictures!