Thread: Dancing in Egypt

I am considering the considering of a job in Egypt I only thus far know a few things.
It would pay room and board and 250-400 Euros a month, is that the going rate? Isn't that just a tad higher than the american $? How far does the Euro go in Egypt?
Also, it is in a hotel show, what is to be expected in terms of performance are you a soloist for an hour or do they usually have other dancers or acts, I will find out more directly but I just want and idea if I really want to do this before I ask more questions.
For anyone who has gone recently, although this is my dream to go there, I am a little scared a have a daughter that I would be leaving behind for 3 months.... but anyway... your input would be greatly appreciated.

The other job I was going to audition for in the US posted by appt. and no one answers the phone to make the appt. LOL,,, I called about ten times.

Dancing in a multi start hotel sounds glam but you could be dancing in a corner of the lobby or at the end of a hallway - not necessarily in a club or restaurant atmosphere. I recall one hotel that had a foreign dancer performing outside meeting rooms, at the end of a hallway and between the two doors to restrooms. Tiny set-up, not at all what she anticipated when she accepted the gig. I think the pay you mentioned is low. Unless you negotiate a car and driver as part of your package you will be spending a lot on taxis. Rehearsals usually take place mid-afternoon so two trips a day to the same location on those days. (In the beginning that will probably be daily.) If you do not perform in more than one location you will be expected to dance frequently. That will require lots of costumes. If you end-up performing in a hall or another public area you will have to think about how to secure all your belongings. Costumes, make-up, street clothing, snacks and water, hair supplies, various pairs of shoes, etc. Dressing rooms for public area performers are usually non-existent. On one of my trips to Cairo a dancer performing in our hotel was hysterical . She had stashed her items in a nearby utility closet, when she finished her set and searched for her items everything was gone. Her wallet, key to her flat, travelers checks, make-up, rented cell phone, everything she had with her was gone. She was scheduled to perform 3 more times that night and did not have another costume or even a way to refresh her make-up and hair. I took her to my room and she refreshed a bit but remained understandably upset. The hotel was not concerned, it was not their place to secure her items. The following is a link to a very informative article from a dancer performing in Cairo. She seems to speak the truth,

Gilded Serpent, Belly Dance News & Events , Facing Truth

It takes a LONG time for your permit to perform to come through, even when you have a contract all lined up, and you have to live in Egypt during that time, on no pay, because you aren't allowed to work without the right visa/licence/permit, and because you're contracted to work for a specific employer and can't work for anyone else. So you need to have a fair amount of money behind you even to contemplate moving over to Cairo to dance professionally.

Read Luna of Cairo's blog Kisses from Kairo and Lorna of Cairo's blog BellyLorna, to get a realistic idea of what it's like, waiting for that permit to come through.

Yasmina of Cairo made very informative DVD called "Journey of Desire" that addresses this topic as well.