8:00 AM CEST

Unveiling the Future: The Raqs Sharqi Museum and Its Path Ahead

by BADRIYAH

Join us for an engaging lecture on the Raqs Sharqi Museum as we explore its history and, most notably, its exciting future. Discover the journey of this museum, which is on the verge of becoming a physical space. Lenka Badriyah will announce essential updates on the museum’s development, sharing insights and plans that will leave you eagerly anticipating the vibrant future of Raqs Sharqi preservation.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

9:00 AM CEST

Dancing with Spirits. The Silver Jewellery of the Egyptian Zār

by SIGRID VAN ROODE

Zār is a possession cult that involves trance dancing. In the Egyptian zār, silver jewellery was used with images of spirits on them – and much more. But what was the meaning of this jewellery? In this talk, we’ll see and explore this jewellery alongside zār itself. You will not only learn to recognize and understand zār jewellery, but you will see the world of the women that danced in zār: when you’re wearing these, you’re not just dancing with spirits, but with the history of resilient women, too.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

6:00 PM CEST

Little Egypt and the Introduction of Belly Dance in the U.S.

by LASKA

Presumably a dancer named Little Egypt introduced MENAHT dance at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Although no records of a dancer with that name at the fair have been found, legend credits her as the dancer who startled and delighted audiences on the Midway Plaisance. This talk debunks the myth and delves into the origins of this dance in the US through an examination of prints and photographs of dancers advertised to American audiences.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

7:00 PM CEST

Pyramid Street Cabarets: Negotiating Slippery Stages and Contradictory Competitions

by CHRISTINE ŞAHIN

Şahin’s book, Core Connections: Cairo Belly Dance in the Revolution’s Aftermath, soon to be published with Oxford University Press, investigates local, intra-Middle Eastern, and global circulations of raqs sharqi centered within Cairo, Egypt. This lecture will delve into a night at the cabaret to explore how dance and on and off-stage ‘choreographies’ of nightlife create and embody socio-political meanings, values, and power while viscerally navigating intersectional politics of gender, nationalism, class, and sexuality. 

As the night wears on in a Pyramid Street cabaret, the dancer’s stage becomes increasingly slippery, not just from five-pound notes littered across the dance floor but from the layered choreographies of intra-MENA male clientele, who contentiously perform their masculinities and nationalist identities through tahayas (greetings) and tipping. As the tipping wars become heated, the cabaret dancer remains the centrifugal force in precariously performing, playing, and being policed by these intersectionally vexed power plays. Grounded in feminist ethnography and larger Critical Dance and Middle Eastern Corporeality Studies; this talk explores cabaret nightlife and how raqs sharqi and other cabaret workers engage with power and possibilities amidst the precarious political and economic transformations Egypt has been experiencing since the 2011 revolution.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 PM CEST

Mapping a Belly Dance Landscape: The Intertwined Histories of Belly Dance, Belly Dancers, and the City of Cairo

by NISAA

In the city of Cairo, certain spaces bear strong historical associations with belly dance, belly dancers, and professional entertainment in general.  Azbakiyah, Imad al-Din Street, and Muhammad Ali Street were all staging grounds for the development of raqs sharqi at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and in the Egyptian popular imagination, these places continue to be linked to professional entertainment and entertainers.  However, research reveals that the ties binding these spaces to entertainment extend much deeper than the 19th century.  For example, the area that would become the Azbakiyah Gardens was associated with entertainment, recreation, and leisure since the era of the Fatimids, and near the intersection of Muhammad Ali Street with Fatimid Cairo’s main north-south thoroughfare, there was a market for musical instruments fully five hundred years before the former was even constructed.  The longstanding associations between belly dance and certain Cairene spaces demand a more in-depth investigation into the nature of this historical interconnection.  Nisaa’s forthcoming book examines this issue in detail, relying on a theoretical framework informed by Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice, Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia, and Mikhail Bakhtin’s notion of the carnivalesque.  In this presentation, Nisaa presents a snapshot of her analysis, revealing the mutually constituting relationship between dance, dancers, and the Cairene landscape, and explaining why and how certain Cairo spaces have retained their centuries-long historical associations with belly dance and its professional practitioners.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

9:00 PM CEST

Beba Ezzeldin – An overlooked dance superstar of the 1930s

by RAPHAEL CORMACK

The history of Egypt’s 1920s and 1930s cabaret scene is dominated by Badia Masabni. But she had a rival, Beba Ezzeldin, whose story is often forgotten. This talk tries to unearth Beba’s contributions to Egyptian dance and to question some of the anecdotes from Badia Masabni’s memoirs which have become canonical history.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 AM CEST

Suez Canal Bambouteyya Dances

by SAHRA C. KENT 

In the two main cities of the Suez Canal, Port Said and Ismailia, we can find their unique dance which is a product of fusion with both historic beginnings and a story of resurgence. We will view Bambouteyya Dance in social settings, as well as on stage.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides (pre-recorded)

9:00 AM CEST

Video archive: Why does it matter?

by DANCE ARCHIVIST

In this presentation, I will talk about my personal experience in establishing and managing the Instagram account @Dance_Archivist. I will discuss the motivations behind its inception, the different methods I employ to unearth and explore old videos, as well as my overall approach to curating and editing the footage. Using video support, I will also shed light on recurring discussions and themes from my account: the diversity of dances and dance styles from the region, the representation of these different styles within the region, and how reactions to my videos connect to broader conversations on the authenticity of diverse expressions of belly dance.

Lecture type: Inspirational talk

10:00 AM CEST

Turkish Style Bellydance in the Dance World

by SERKAN TUTAR

Do you know what the difference between Turkish style Bellydance and Raqs Sharki? In this workshop you will learn, understand and when you understand more you enjoy more about Turkish Style Bellydance, We will start with  Chiftetelli than continue Turkish classic style and than modern Turkish style bellydance. with many explanations about postures, technics, costumes, and more details about Turkish Oriental.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

6:00 PM CEST

Maqam: The Key to Embody Arabic Music

by MAYA YOUSSEF

Join us for a talk with maqam mentor Maya Youssef, the renowned ‘Queen of the qanun’, as she explores the essence of Arabic music; Maqam and its connection to dance. In this talk, Maya will explore how Maqam can unlock a profound understanding and embodiment of Arabic music that brings belly dance to life. Discover the profound range of human sentiment and musical expression within the melodic modes of Maqam and how it can impact your dance practice. Whether you’re a seasoned dancer, an arabic music lover  or simply curious about Maqam, this event offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of the music that animates the art of belly dance.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

7:00 PM CEST

Maintaining the Tradition of North African Maghreb Dance in the 21st Century

by AMEL TAFSOUT

North African dance styles have not been studied seriously nor performed in an authentic way. In the West, the costume has been improvised, and the image of the dance was and still is stuck in Orientalism and demeaning colonial postcards. It was part of the “folklore repertoire of the Belly Dancer”. Western white men wrote about North African dancers and added their own fantasies, misconceptions, and interpretations of the dances. 

Living far from home made me appreciate the dances of my people and ancestors more than ever before. I was longing for the reconnection to my culture and to feel the joy of my dance tradition to heal my homesickness, myself, and my soul. For that reason, in the 1970s, I decided to focus on teaching the dance styles of my culture. I founded a dance company with Arab and North African women, called “Banaat as Sahra” (Daughter of the Sahara Desert) in Germany and later the dance company, “The Tafsoutettes” in London.  My mission was and always is to deconstruct the negative image of North African dances. My Maghreb dances style is to bring awareness, authenticity, and respect to my dance culture. My work is to educate others about the dance traditions and the evolution of the dances. Being a North African woman and dance artist who has lived in many Western countries that participate in the appropriation and miscommunication of these dances, led me to this question: How do I navigate in a Western society based on oriental fantasy and white privilege while keeping my tradition in the 21st century?

Lecture type: TBA

8:00 PM CEST

Al- Khaleej 1.0 (The African experience edition)

by KHADIJA 

“Get to know the culture before you get to know the dance” basic class: Khaleeji is more than just what the others think it is. This class is especially formulated in celebration and awareness of the people of The African diaspora. I will especially discuss the African foundations in Khaleeji dances that have gone unrecognized or erased from Khaleeji culture and common knowledge. This all includes mannerisms/cultural etiquette, khaleej dance etiquette, religious aspects, historical information, proper attire, musicality / musical instrumentation, and various styles of dress. Getting to know other regions of the gulf, everyday khaleej life and of especially the African experience. 

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 AM CEST

“Neurospicy”: Dancing and Neurodivergency

by KAMRAH

The arts attract those of us who are “neurospicy” (the Internet’s term for neurodivergence, used to get around algorithms that suppress discussions on social media), and our brains present unique challenges to learning, keeping a regular practice, and staying motivated when the executive dysfunction keeps us wrapped in a blanket fort rather than on the dance floor. While recently diagnosed, Kamrah has worked with and around his neurodivergencies for his entire career. In this lecture, he will offer tips for getting a practice habit started and maintained, as well as how to work with neurodivergent dancers as an instructor.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides (pre-recorded)

9:00 AM CEST

Pregnancy & Parenting: Balancing Dance and Parenthood

by Badriyah & Sheyla

Join Lenka Badriyah and Tereza Sheyla as they moderate an insightful discussion on the topic of Pregnancy and Parenting as professional dancers. In this open and honest conversation, they will tackle the taboos surrounding the challenges and joys of balancing parenthood with a career in dance, while exploring its realities and misconceptions. Join this discussion that aims to break barriers and be a starting point to discuss this very sensitive topic.

Lecture type: Discussion round

10:00 AM CEST

Dancing your inner game: What’s standing in the way?

by Jana Mitzoda

TBA

Lecture type: Hands on

6:00 PM CEST

Building Resiliency In Dance – How Failing Leads To Success

by SAMANTHA KARIM

Failing in anything doesn’t feel like it’s something to be proud of. Yet, in order to reach goals, succeed in our endeavors, and push ourselves to our fullest potential, it’s absolutely necessary. In this workshop, we will be openly discussing and questioning the mindset of failing and how that applies to your everyday life.  Please come prepared to dialogue honestly and kindly about failure and the impact it has on you as a belly dancer and/or instructor. Interaction is encouraged. Handout will be included.

Lecture type: Inspirational talk

7:00 PM CEST

Men and Masculinity in American Belly Dance

by DRAKE VON TRAPP

In this lecture, we will explore excavated histories of men in belly dance in the United States using a transfeminist theoretical framework. We will discuss topics such as male dancer privilege, gender politics, heterosexism, and femmephobia.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 PM CEST

Stage Fright: What it is, why it happens, and how to navigate it

by DHARA

Have you ever experienced jitters, a rising heartbeat, sweaty palms and shallow breathing right before or during a performance? Let’s take a deep dive into the biological and environmental factors that contribute to stage fright and why we all feel it. We’ll discuss the importance of nervous feelings and recognize when it starts to become a problem. We’ll also learn how we can navigate stage fright with practical tidbits and takeaways.

Lecture type: Hands on

8:00 AM CEST

Before you start organizing events

by Sheyla

Having a 20 years of experiences with organizing events from photography exhibition to five days international festival, I want to share some practical tips and ‘behind the scene’ stories about how it is to be an organizer in a “dance world”. We will talk about planning the event, communicating with guest dancers and discuss some stories about “what you may come across”. Important part of the lecture will be a “disaster planning”, executing and promoting the event itself.

Lecture type: Hands on

9:00 AM CEST

How to Build up a Community Online

by Silvia Brazzoli

My personal story, tips and tricks, analisis and also tools to handle haters (i’ll deepen the conversation about body shaming and hate from social media and how to deal with it). With a lot of followers comes more responsibility more love, and due to the dualism of the universe, more hate too, how to be professional and prepared for it!

Lecture type: Inspirational talk

10:00 AM CEST

Maintaining a Healthy & Successful Career

by JASIRAH

– Finding the balance between working as a belly dancer and your private life
– Boundaries between you and your organizers/sponsors/managers
– Boundaries between you and your students
– Respecting your free time
– When to say NO
– Ways to overcome the burn out

Lecture type: Inspirational talk

5:00 PM CEST

Working groups – information moment

by Badriyah a co.

In this informative session, we will introduce and discuss various working groups that are being established within the dance community. This session aims to inform participants about these groups, their focus areas, and how they contribute to research, history, equality, and other important aspects of the dance field. Learn about the exciting initiatives and projects these working groups will undertake, and discover how you can get involved and make a difference.

6:00 PM CEST

Empowering Oriental dance teachers to overcome challenges

by JULIA FARID

Join me for an inspiring and practical lecture designed to empower dance teachers in overcoming the challenges they face. Let’s explore the problems that may arise on your teaching journey and discover effective strategies to enhance your problem-solving skills, adaptability, how to maintain interest of students and tips for new approaches in teaching. Through insightful tips and real-life examples we’ll explore how to cultivate resilience for personal well-being and professional growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to build a stronger foundation for your teaching practice.

Lecture type: Hands on

7:00 PM CEST

Self Promotion for people that hate self promotion

by KATIE

Writing bios make you cringe? Hate it when you’re asked to talk about yourself? BUT, you know you have something to offer and know you have to put yourself “out there”? Join me as we go through the fundamentals of using social media with actionable steps of how you can put yourself in the spotlight and not feel like a slimy salesperson in the process.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 PM CEST

Movement Mythbusting: Addressing persistent anatomical and movement misconceptions in raqs sharqi and fusion dance

by Siobhan Camille

Raqs sharqi and fusion “belly dance” are niche art forms that sometimes stay within their own dance bubbles. This can sometimes mean that myths can be perpetuated and circulated without much outside critique, especially in regards to anatomy and injury prevention and management. Join Siobhan Camille, an exercise scientist and professional raqs sharqi artist, to examine and challenge some of these myths, so that we can move forward as better informed dancers and teachers.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 AM CEST

From the Studio to the Stage

by JILLINA

Jillina and her Bellydance Evolution team share insights and best practices on how to take your dance concepts into the theater and beyond. We’ll discuss casting, training, production budgeting, staging, costuming and more.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides (pre-recorded)

9:00 AM CEST

Insights on Dance Culture in the UAE

by MENWA DUKHAN

I will give a general idea about the country and it’s community. Some information related to culture and art. Views and understanding on the Dancing area; in addition to how are the belly dancing and Emirati Khaleeji styles viewed in this community.

Lecture type: Inspirational talk

10:00 AM CEST

Dance in Egypt Beyond Bellydance

by KAIDI UDRIS

Have you ever wondered, what is happening in the dance world of Egypt beyond bellydance? What work do professional dancers do in Cairo? Do they need training or not? How dancers view other dancers? How does society, tradition and Islam effect how Egyptian dancers behave and think? All of these questions and many more will be answered in this lecture by Kaidi Udris. Kaidi worked in Cairo Opera House and various dance scenes in Egypt for 6 years. The lecture also includes many eye-opening and OMG-moments from her dance career in Egypt.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

6:00 PM CEST

Amplifying voices

by MERCEDES NIETO

Choreographing and leading a performing dance troupe with unity and message.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

7:00 PM CEST

The Performer’s guide: The Artist vs. The Entertainer

by MELISSA GAMAL

As dancers we are placed in many different performance situations throughout our career, and sometimes it can be a struggle to understand the nuances of what each audience, event, and environment needs from us for a successful show. We wonder: Are we artists? Are we entertainers? are we both – and how much of each at which time!? In this lecture we’ll discuss different types of shows, how/what to prepare for each, interactions and expectations with audiences and clients, and tips for handling difficult situations that may arise while performing.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides

8:00 PM CEST

“Living with Shame”: An insight into traumas Egyptian dancers face

by ZARA

Zara dance gives a moving talk about the traumas and battles she has had to face as an Egyptian woman choosing to become a dancer and throughout her dance career. This talk aims to give the listener a better perspective on the issues Egyptian (and other MENAT) dancers face with hopes to inspire the community to better understand and support dancers of origin.

Lecture type: Lecture with slides