[Sujhata]

I've been considering a sort of 'gap-year' for quite a while now to go travelling. Japan, India and Egypt have been countries I have either wanted to visit/stay in (I've already been to Japan many a time, but would love to stay longer).

Funnily enough, I've been dancing for five and a half years and never considered the possibility of studying dance in Egypt (I've been interested in the country for several other reasons), and now that I think of it I would love to. But I just wanted to know how possible this is for me?

(Just to add, it's not in the pipeline yet, I'm still musing about it).

I'm 22, I have a degree in English/Art History and am currently doing a TEFL course and considering going on to teaching (I graduated this summer). I would love to have some teaching experience abroad - I know a friend of the family stayed in Egypt and taught English for years and loved it. If I were to study dance I'd like to stay a little longer, but at the same time I'm guessing I should visit the country first to get an idea of how it is. Having said that, most people I know who have been travelling had never been to the country beforehand and it worked out for them. 6months to a year is what I'm looking at, possibly.

Would it be possible to work in Egypt and study bellydance? I'm not sure how many of you have done anything similar, but I'm curious to know. I'd also like to hear experiences/advice on staying in Egypt. Where to go, how much living expenses are, how could I secure a place to stay, visas, practical things etc.

Also:
-how good a dancer would I have to be? I'd rank myself in the mid-upper range of intermediate. I've had the basic moves drilled in, I've learned quite a few more advanced ones (layering, backbends etc.). But I wouldn't say i was anywhere near a professional standard and my body could be in much better condition. I personally wouldn't be offended at taking beginners classes again from a good teacher.
-how safe is Egypt? Everywhere in the world at the moment is considered 'unsafe', especially the Middle East and North Africa - but what is the reality of the situation and what are the real dangers?
-Who would I get to teach me? More importantly - who could I afford to pay to teach me?

I'm not looking to perform in Egypt, as I understand you need a license for that. Also, I don't want to risk sounding like a sourpuss but I'm not asking this to get approval (bad experiences before, sorry), I just want to get a bit more information and learn the facts.

Many thanks in advance.