our first group audition–with 6 guys and 6 girls, and
it was then that it finally hit me–“I’m doing it, this is
really happening!”
How have you been managing to stay and work in
Egypt?
Cairo has proved to be easier at this time – people
are always going to get married; there are always
tourists and business people in the hotels; there are
guests in the nightclubs - locals are much more able
to support the economy there. The more you work,
the easier it is to get more opportunities. I’m also
lucky that many managers I worked with in Sharm
have also moved around–so I have been able to get
other contracts, as well as weddings and parties
throughout my time in Egypt.
How did the revolution affect your work?
When the first rounds of revolution happened, a lot of
us didn’t get paid for our work for January and New
Years. That next month, I moved out of my apartment
and into staff housing. We consolidated everything–it
was hard times. Hotels were at 10-30% occupancy, so
we were losing work in most hotels because they could
not afford to pay for shows–they were suffering too! I
was paying money out of my own pocket for the group
to help cover rent. People had to take a reduced salary,
or they had to leave. We had a really hard time, but we
were able to get through it, and eventually the work
did pick up. Unfortunately, it has never been the same
Photo by Pixie Vision Photography
since. Artists undercut each other to get any work they
could, and still to this day, people are working for a fraction of the prices we were working for in 2009. After several years of this
happening –tourism being so volatile, and expenses to keep a company going being so high (housing for the staff, transportation,
monthly salaries, costume maintenance and purchases, etc.) – I finally decided to relocate to Cairo, which is where I’m based
now. I consider the time we spent in Sharm El Sheikh to be a success. We worked in the best hotels and we were well known
and respected for our high caliber of work. Unfortunately, the economy in Sharm has not been able to recover.
Look for PART TWO in our next issue: Vanessa’s advice for dancers on pursuing work in Egypt, her typical night in Cairo,
and the American dancers Vanessa feels “paved the way”. Read more about Vanessa at www.vanessaraqs.com.
LISA PRICE
Lisa Price, aka Nara al’Misr, is a family nurse practitioner who spends her after duty
hours in the clutches of belly dance. A devoted student (and friend) of Isis since 1994,
she also studies, whenever possible, with Vashti (Dallas), Sharon Kihara, and Aziza
(Montreal). Special shout-out to fellow Aziza Dreamcampers!
July 2016
The Belly Dance Chronicles
15