people think it’s cute, but I’m ready to take it to the next
level!) I never went to school for Arabic–--I was too busy
working, and in Sharm, it wasn’t necessary because there
were so many English speaking guests and managers. But in
Cairo, it’s a totally different story. Time to buck up and get
serious about my Arabic. Why? Because I want to do acting
again. I’m missing the acting classes, plays and productions I
did in the USA. I’m interested in doing a little bit of acting
in plays and perhaps some small parts in the movies here
in Cairo. Sometimes they need foreigners who can speak
Arabic for such roles. So that is a new dream for me. I’m also
going to start singing again. I used to have to sing all the
time for musical theatre auditions and shows. Now, I sing a
few words here and there inside my show, but my goal is to
have a small collection of songs that I can sing at any time.
This will take a lot of work. So, wish me luck!
Describe a “typical” night…
Boat shows are usually a 2 hour sail: 7-9 or 8-10 are the
typical sail times, but there could be daytime sails (which
I avoid at all costs!) as well as later sails. Sometimes there
are two decks working, which I prefer, because you do 2 sets
per show, and 2 shows back to back. This makes the time
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The Belly Dance Chronicles
October 2016
pass quickly, and it’s how I prefer to work if I’m on a boat.
Other boats only have one working deck, so you have to
wait before and after your show, which feels like a waste of
time, since you are stuck on the boat until it docks. For this
reason, I prefer to work in hotels, because you do your show,
and you leave as soon as you’re done! I also don’t have to get
there 30-45 minutes early like on the boats. I can show up
15 minutes before showtime at the hotels! These shows are
typically during or after dinner–possibly 9-10 or 10-11. In
any case, all these shows are set up usually to have 2 sets. The
first set is in a bedlah or dress, and the second set can be in a
galebeya, or perhaps eskanderani dress, or even just another
style of belly dance costume. It’s pretty much up to me.
If I have one hotel venue three days in a row, there is the
possibility of repeat guests, so I make sure that each show
is different, and I try to not repeat any of the songs. On a
boat, the guests are different from day to day, so there is
not a problem with repeating the format from day to day.
These earlier shows are usually over by 11pm. I go home
and eat something, and sometimes I even get in a short nap.
I retouch my makeup, and pack my bag with fresh costumes
for the nightclub shows. Usually, I leave the house again