Egypt has a
bellyful of its exotic dancers
FROM
MOUNIR ABBOUD IN BEIRUT
EGYPT has decided that when it comes
to belly dancing, enough is enough.
It has stopped issuing licences to
women who want to shake it all about because, says the Egyptian Culture Ministry,
"there are just too many of them".
About 1,500 women hold licences and
there are complaints that the market has been flooded by former ballerinas from Russia and
Eastern Europe.
Critics of the government decision to
ration the entertainment say it is pandering to puritans who see belly dancing as immoral
and seedy. The dancers are now subjected to swoops by "morality police" who
check that acts are not too sexually provocative and that they are not baring too much
flesh.
Performers must also clothe their
midriffs to avoid being ruled too titillating.
It is all a far cry from the original
art of belly dancing, which, according to historians, began as a religious rite during the
days of the Pharaohs.
Dancer Nadia Gamal says: "Belly
dancing is not just a question of shaking or exposing flesh. It is an expression of
femininity and must be in good taste." Others claim their only aim is to excite,
especially the ones who now spice up their acts with Hollywood routines to keep their
audiences enthralled.
