Hi,

Egyptian Dance Code is the term I coined back in September of 2003 to identify that which makes Egyptian dancers look Egyptian when they dance. Egyptian dancers, native to Egypt and who have made a name for themselves such as Nagwa Fouad, Fifi Abdo, Taheyia Karioka, etc., look different when they dance from Western or American dancers. That's because Egyptian dancers hear and feel and keep the beat of the music differently than do the Americans or Westerners. Even if the Egyptian dancers were to dance to Western style music, they would still look Egyptian while we in the West ,when we dance to Egyptian music, will still look American. The difference is what I call the Egyptian Dance Code.

I teach what this Egyptian Dance Code is in my classes and how to include it in ALL belly dance movement, and although it is a fairly easy concept, it is often difficult to maintain in the dance for Westerners because it is not in our cultural experience. It has never been within our cultural experience. Why? Because the Egyptian Dance Code is part if not all expression of the Egyptians, especially the Egyptian women.

Each Egyptian dancer brings this cultural expression into her dance along with the way she hears and keeps the beat of the music which is also inherent in the Egyptian culture. We, Americans, have our own cultural expressions which we unconsciously bring into the dance, and that is why we look American and the Egyptians look Egyptian. The Egyptian Dance Code is the term that identifies that which makes Egyptians look Egyptian in their dance.

I hope this answers your question. Thanks for asking it. :-)