This post was originally written for Siobhan Camille’s newsletter subscribers in 2022, and updated after another trip to Egypt in 2023. To receive cultural tidbits like this in your inbox, sign up for the Greenstone Dance Arts newsletter!

Different venues and contexts for raqs sharqi (“belly dance”) in Cairo

I’m going to dive into some of the different venues in which you can see raqs sharqi (“belly dance”) in Cairo, and how these spaces (and the clientele) affects the kind of dance you see in Egypt. Let’s dive in!

Above: Being showered with money in a Cairo Cabaret

Nile Boat Restaurants (Moored)

These don’t move, and are boats that are moored and often have a club, different kinds of restaurants, and sometimes a cabaret all on the same boat. 

I went to the Blue Nile to see Egyptian dance superstar Sahar Samara. The place was packed so it was hard to get a great view, but thankfully Sahar is super tall! 

She danced with her band on a non-raised stage, but did travel around the room for tips and taheyya (the shout outs the singer gives to generous tippers) and danced right in front of us then! 

This particular restaurant had a largely Egyptian clientele, who were obviously there for Sahar (most of the crowd left after Sahar’s act, even though there was a DJ afterwards) and very super excited and vocal. 

There was a mix of families, women, and men. We saw Vlada first around 11:30pm, and Sahar came on around 1:30am (I think!). We were home by around 3am. 

Above: Sahar Samara at the Blue Nile 
Above: Sahara Samara at the Blue Nile

Cruising Nile Boats

These are the boats that do the cruises you often hear of as a tourist. Like restaurants, there are different kinds of cruising boats at different pay scales and catering to different audiences. 

I went on one specifically to see UK/Egyptian dancer Zara. She dances on that boat specifically because it has more of an Egyptian clientele, so I didn’t see any of the boats that were super touristy.

There were a lot of families on this particular boat, and they also had a shaabi singer and well-known tanoura dance Osman, who was fantastic! This Nile cruise reminded me a lot of the restaurant show set ups outside of Egypt; there was a lot of audience interaction and animation involved, and dancing around and to different customers throughout the sets. 

The cruise started at 8pm and finished around 10:30pm, which was really early for a show in Cairo (and meant I could go to the cabaret after!).

Pictured: Siobhan Camille and Zara on the cruising Nile Boat. No videos unfortunately because Siobhan’s phone was out of battery!

Five star Hotels

These are usually for the wealthier tourists – there are lots of Saudi guests here. It’s really expensive to get in, but the dancer is on a raised stage with a full live band. This is a really high quality show, where the really big names appear. 

I saw Oxana at the Fairmont and she was incredible. No filming is allowed in these venues, for a variety of reasons; primarily that the clientele don’t want to appear on film. 

The shows typically start with a dancer and progress to live singers. Oxana was the first act and started around 11:30pm. We left early (!) at around 2:30am, partway through the second singer’s act.

Unfortunately no video of Oxana from the Fairmont because no filming is allowed, so here’s a video of the fab Oxana for you to enjoy!

Gala Shows at Dance Festivals

I didn’t even realise that my trip coincided with a couple of big festivals! Like elsewhere, these sorts of shows are mainly frequented by dancers. 

I didn’t go to any festivals apart from the opening show of the Ahlan Wa Sahlan festival, because DINA was the star dancer! Dina does the fastest costume changes I’ve ever seen (I timed them – about 90 seconds), and her band is INCREDIBLE. 

Sneaky shots of SUPERSTAR Dina performing at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan opening gala in 2022 – she did her costume changes in just 90 seconds!

A lot of people say you have to see Dina to understand why she is so loved, and I agree. She is incredibly charismatic, and you really feel the tarab saltanah experience whilst in the audience (a huge sense of presence and emotional connection, because of her connection with the music, the audience, and the moment). 

Dina on stage in Cairo, 2022
Dina sprinting on stage after one of her legendary costume changes! She had a man side of stage whose sole job was to signal to the band when she was ready to run back on

We were super lucky, because Dina has largely stopped performing since COVID, so this was my one chance to see her whilst in Egypt in 2022. At the same show I also got to see rising Egyptian star Hendayawho was awesome and killed an improvised drum solo when the power went out and her band couldn’t play! Hendaya usually dances in cabarets around Cairo.

Rising Cairo star Hendaya, who dances primarily in cabarets
Hendaya, a Cairo cabaret dancer and rising Egyptian star, dancing with a live band on stage at the 2022 Ahlan Wa Sahlan opening gala
Siobhan Camille with Egyptian dance superstar Dina of Cairo

Above: Siobhan CHEESING with Egyptian dance superstar Dina!

Below: With friends at the Ahlan Wa Sahlan gala show!

NightClubs

This venue type is honestly incredibly similar to clubs outside of Egypt. It is a young clientele wanting to hear the latest hits, dance, drink, and have a good time. But the dance floor really gets FLOODED when the Raqs Sharqi dancer appears.

The dancer often has a tiny stage on the floor (you can see it in this video, it’s black), and a bodyguard / bouncer (he’s to the left just out of frame of this video) to make sure no one touches her. Because of the small space the dancer has to perform on, she’s limited in her movements, but she’s ultimately just there to get the party started!

I unfortunately didn’t find out this dancer’s name, but she was performing in a nightclub on the outskirts of Cairo and we are pretty certain she was Russian

In this video below you can actually see the bodyguard to the left. Notice that the dancer shimmies in *his* direction so she’s essentially protected (you can hear my friend Magda, who lives in Cairo, explaining this to me in the video actually!), and you can see him telling an excited night club goer to stop waving his crutch around!

Footage in the Cairo nightclub where you can clearly see the dancer shimmying in the direction of the bodyguard

Interestingly, I know that as recently as 2022, it is illegal for dancers to perform without a live band. So even in the cabarets, there is a drummer and a sagat player accompanying the dancer. However, this nightclub was on the outskirts of town, and there wasn’t even a live tabla player. I wonder if the rules have changed, or if they just get away with it because they’re not in the centre of Cairo, so less likely to be checked on.

Cabarets

Above: Fangirling as we meet famous Egyptian cabaret dancer Mokka!


I was lucky to make the acquaintance of dance ethnologist Meg Morley whilst in Cairo, and she got us booked for the particular cabaret we went to.

These venues can be a little bit harder to get into as foreigners unless you speak Arabic or have a contact. In general, photography and filming is not allowed here, for the same reasons as in the five star night clubs. The cabaret was a really surreal experience, and in many ways hard to describe. It’s seen as a lower class venue, and yet they try to make it a high-class experience in that you’re waited on by tuxedo-ed waiters, an abundance of food is served. 

The big difference between other venues and cabarets is that cabarets are primarily frequented by men, and the main activity here is encouraging these men to spend money. There is a really wild cash rental system. In the clip at the beginning of this blog post, you’ll see us being showered in thousands of Egyptian pounds. 

Men rent cash in the cabarets (I don’t think they have to, but a big part of attending the cabarets is to show off how wealthy you are to those around you). They pay around 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around 50 euro / USD) to rent 10,000 Egyptian pounds (around 500 euro / USD). For reference, when I was in Cairo in 2023, it cost 50 Egyptian pounds to FILL a tank of gas in a car. A full meal out with drinks for two people at a fancy place cost around 20 euro total (two mains, drinks, sometimes entrees as well).

They then throw this money on the dancers, musicians, or even as you see with us, other patrons!

The really wild thing is no one gets to keep this money except for the cabarets themselves. Theres are tens of young men in the cabaret whose job it is to pick up the money as soon as possible, and take it away to restack it for further renting. 

So how did we end up showered in money? Aside from two other foreign dancers, we were the only foreigners in this venue. But of course, we knew all the words to the songs, because we love Egyptian music! One man at a table next to us was tickled by the sight of 4 foreign women singing and dancing (we were just boogieing in our seats), and came over and showered us with money until we agreed to get up and dance on stage with the legendary Aziza of Cairo!

Aziza of Cairo is a total sweetheart. We unfortunately didnt’ get to see her dance all that much – because the cabarets are more about getting people to throw money, the dancers tend to just walk around and shimmy a little. But she knew right away when she came out on stage that we were fans (us screaming “AZIZA” was probably a give away!!), so she paid us a little extra attention. When we were on stage with her (and even more money was flying!), she really danced with us, and was super fun and lovely.

No cameras allowed in cabarets, so here’s the amazing Aziza of Cairo on stage at a festival in Turkey!

Aziza was accompanied by her AWESOME sagat (finger cymbal) player, who was an artist and serious performer himself! As well as tabla players and a singer who spent a lot of time singing to encourage the tips! Its interesting, because whenever he sang in the direction of a man who had cash, the man seemed sometimes annoyed that he was being asked to throw money again – but the man being sung at would ALWAYS do it, because of this pressure to appear wealthy and generous.

I found a new favourite Egyptian dancer at this cabaret – Nany.  She was one of the few dancers that night that really danced, and I was SUPER impressed by her skills! Overall, the cabaret is a FASCINATING place. I can’t wait to go back!

Did you learn something new about Cairo dance venues?

I find dancers who are not Egyptian (or have never been to Egypt) can sometimes make dispraging remarks about the dance styles they see coming out of Cairo. But that’s often because they don’t understand the context within these dancers are performing, and the clientele they’re performing for.

I hope this blog post helps you understand a bit more!

Siobhan Camille in Alexandria, Egypt

This post was originally written for Siobhan Camille’s newsletter subscribers in 2022, and updated after another trip to Egypt in 2023. To receive cultural tidbits like this in your inbox, sign up for the Greenstone Dance Arts newsletter!

What is All or Nothing Thinking?

I spend a lot of time with my dance students and Dance Strong Challengers talking about something called “All or Nothing Thinking.”

In short, All or Nothing thinking is when we think that if something can’t be done perfectly, it isn’t worth doing.

Read on to learn more about All or Nothing Thinking and how I combat it in dance (and life). 

Wanna learn more? Check out my latest podcast episode here!

Read on to learn more about All or Nothing Thinking and how I combat it in dance (and life).

Wanna learn more? Check out my latest podcast episode here!

How do I identify All or Nothing Thinking?

You might be thinking “Well, I’m not a perfectionist.” (Or perhaps you are!). But All or Nothing thinking can be sneaky. 

All or Nothing Thinking in Dance Can Look like:

  • Not choosing to do your dance practice because you’ve “only” got 10 minutes and that doesn’t feel “worth it”
  • Focusing on the one, single mistake you made during a performance, rather than all of the audience cheers and compliments you received after
  • Not placing on the podium during a dance competition, so determining your performance and preparation a failure
  • Deciding not to watch a pre-recorded class because it’s 60 minutes long and you’ve only got 30 minutes to practice

Do you recognise any of these in yourself?

Combatting All or Nothing Thinking

I’ve been keenly aware of all or nothing thinking in the past 7 or so years, and I’ve worked hard to combat it. But it still sneaks up on me sometimes – which is why I need these reminders too!

The most recent occurrence I remember was when I’d had a super busy work week. I was working until 9pm at night, but I’d planned to go for a 10 kilometre run that evening. I caught myself thinking “well, now I can’t go for that run.” Because I’ve gotten quite good at catching this style of thinking, I realised what was happening! And I went for a 3 kilometre run instead.

Was it what I’d planned in my training schedule? Nope!

Did it still do me good, both physically and mentally? You betcha!

Did it mean that I was closer to my weekly training goals, and therefore better prepared for the next training session than if I hadn’t run at all? Absolutely!

If you’d like to learn a little bit more about my approach to combatting all or nothing thinking, check out my new podcast episode which launched today! 

Listen to the episode here or click the button below.

Know a friend who might enjoy the podcast too? 

Please feel free to forward this blog post to them!

Enjoy the episode. And leave me a comment if you take a listen and you’ve got any questions for me!

I recently learned a pretty tricky drum solo by another dancer in 5 hours, over 3 days.

When I was cast in Jillina’s stage production of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, I learned 7 choreographies in about 6 weeks. So here are some of my main tips to learn choreography quickly!

1. I watch well

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that fires both when we perform a specific action (like an arabesque) and when we observe someone else performing the same action.

That is to say, when we see another dancer perform an arabesque, the mirror neurons in our brains fire as if we were performing the movements ourselves.

This can help us understand and learn movements more effectively – so watch first, try second!

2. I don’t repeat mistakes

This one sounds really silly, but I’ll explain what I mean!

If I’m running through a choreography, and I keep making the same mistake, I don’t just keep going and hope it will get better.

I stop what I’m doing. I watch that section again. I practice it without the music. And then I do the run-through again. If I get it wrong again, I stop the music there immediately to break the pattern in my brain. I go from the top (or the top of that section again) and try to get it right.

3. I sing the timing

Especially with lyrical pieces or raqs sharqi pieces in general, steps are not usually on counts, but they follow the melody or other musical accents.

If I’m struggling with a step, I watch the piece again (there’s a theme here!) and I sing the steps. So if there’s a tricky arabesque combo with suspension, I sing along to the dancer performing it in whatever way makes sense for my brain. For example: “left, right, left, riiiiiiiiight, turn and….”

This helps me hear where it fits in the music.

4. I ask the silly questions!

If it’s an in-person or live-streamed choreography workshop, I’m not afraid to ask questions.

Don’t be afraid of looking silly. You’ll be more equipped to learn things independently if you ask questions about the technique or choreography while the expert is right there in front of you.

And chances are, there are other people in the room or the class who have the same questions as you, but are too shy to ask!

5. I prioritise practice frequency

Here for a good time, not for a long time! When trying to learn choreography quickly, I prioritise practice frequency over practice duration.

This increases the chances of me retaining the choreography in the long-term, compared to one or two super long practice blocks in a week.

6. I review right before bed

Sleep provides a lot of benefits to memory consolidation and learning (so getting enough sleep is also key to learn well).

Something I’ve done for a long time, is reviewing tricky things right before bed – even just once, perhaps even just watching instead of dancing.

So my brain can consolidate while I sleep!

These are just some of the ways that I learn choreography quickly!

Want dance tips like this in your inbox?

Sign up for my weekly newsletter here. I regularly send out short practice videos, tips, and freebies!

P.S. Here’s the drum solo I learned in 5 hours, employing a lot of these tricks:

Siobhan Camille challenged herself to learn this drum solo in 5 hours over 3 days

I spoke to Aziza of Montreal, an internationally reknowned dancer and superstar – and a huge inspiration to me as both a person and a dancer.  We chatted practice, consistency, stage presence, cycling and more!

Join us for online belly dance workshops and a hafla featuring Aziza of Montreal on February 5, 2022!

Watch the interview with Aziza on the Greenstone Belly Dance IGTV below!

I’ve adored Aziza for a long time. Not only for her extremely elegant, poised technique, but also because she’s just a darn lovely person.

Aziza is a teacher who cares about you and your dance development.

She’s had a huge impact on my dance over the years, which is why I had to host her for our Online Workshops & Hafla this February 2022!

Join us for online belly dance workshops and a hafla featuring Aziza of Montreal on February 5, 2022!

YES! Recordings of the workshops will be available to stream for 2 weeks after the event.

For a long time, I didn’t publicly state this because it felt performative. But I’ve realised that being more vocal about what we believe in also helps ensure we attract the students and collaborators who also share the same core values.

To that end, I want to tell you what inclusivity looks like to us, and what we’ll be doing to do better as we go forward.

💚 Modifications are always offered in classes to accommodate injury or illness. You are always allowed to take a seat if you need a rest. On the rare occasion I don’t offer you a modification and you need one, you are always welcome to ask.

💚 There is no shame in leaving your camera off during online classes. I do often acknowledge it and invite you to give me feedback if you have a question (as I can’t see you and give feedback), but there is no shame here.

💚 There are no body type requirements and no body shaming in our classes.

💚 There is also no tolerance for whorephobia, fatphobia, racism, homophobia or sexism in our classes. I, Siobhan Camille, acknowledge that as a white female in our society, some of these things are ingrained and unconscious. I invite you to call me in if you hear me slip up.

💚 We make multiple donations per year to anti-racist organisations, and causes supporting dancers of MENAHT origin and MENAHT peoples in general.

✨ The important part – how will we continue to do better? ✨

💜 We will be more transparent in our donation processes. Currently we’ve been providing the donation overview amounts only to those who request it, for no real reason other than it felt “showy” to publicly post our donations. These will now be public. We hope this will also help highlight some awesome organisations and initiatives doing good in the Black and POC communities, MENAHT communities, dance communities and beyond.

💜 We will continue to teach on cultural relevance and significance in all dance classes; you cannot divorce this dance from its roots and context.

I also want to give a huge shout out to Eshe of Mahasti Creative Emporium who inspires me to stand up for what is right even when it’s uncomfortable. I truly appreciate you.

Let’s make the world a kinder place together.