Khalida's Blog: June 2017

Friday, June 30, 2017

Raqs Sharki 1-2-3: Katie Fotsaty - Time traveling with the stars of Egyptian Dance

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties - Katie Fotsaty

KATIE/Katy/Kitty Fotsaty was born in Alexandria in 1927 to Greek parents, and was famous for fusing Western style dancing with the Oriental style. She danced in nearly 50 films but left the country in 1960 in mysterious circumstances. She returned to Athens in 1965 after being implicated in a spy plot.

See also: https://thecarovan.com/category/katy-1927-1980

Videoclips

Love this video of Katie.. now THAT is a leg-intro haha <3

(there is also a 'flying splits' move at 01:00 ...and world's fastest costume change right after that :))

Katie playing finger cymbals:

Full movie featuring Katie, 1954

Other videoclips:

Bonus!! Love this one:

Here is a full playlist of Katie videos

Enjoy!!!

PS: If you want to dance and move with me online.. then my BOOST Membership is for you! Tap www.khalidadance.com/vip for all details and the Enrollment form - The theme of 2024's live BOOST classes is 'Time Traveling with the Stars' - plus you'll get access to my bonus DVDs and online courses.

I look forward to welcoming you as a BOOSTie member :)

xx K.

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties:

Stars of the Sixties/Seventies:

Nagua Fouad

Soheir Zaki

Fifi Abdo

Modern Legends:

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Raqs Sharki 1-2-3: Naima Akef - Time traveling with the stars of Egyptian Dance

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties - Naima Akef (7 October 1929 – 23 April 1966)

NAIMA AKEF (October 1929 – 23 April 1966) was a famous Egyptian belly dancer during the Egyptian cinema's golden age and starred in many films of the time. Naima Akef was born in Tanta on the Nile Delta. Her parents were acrobats in the Akef Circus (run by Naima’s grandfather), which was one of the best known circuses at the time.

She started performing in the circus at the age of four, and quickly became one of the most popular acts with her acrobatic skills. Her family was based in the Bab el Khalq district of Cairo, but they traveled far and wide in order to perform.

The circus disbanded when Naima was 14, but this was only the beginning of her career. Her grandfather had many connections in the performance world of Cairo and he introduced her to his friends. When Naima’s parents divorced, she formed an acrobatic and clown act that performed in many clubs throughout Cairo.

She then got the chance to work in Badia Masabni's famous nightclub, where she became a star and was one of the very few who danced and sang. Her time with Badeia, however, was short-lived, as Badia favored her, which made the other performers jealous.

One day they ganged up on her and attempted to beat her up, but she proved to be stronger and more agile and won the fight. This caused her to be fired, so she started performing elsewhere.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Fotos

More about Naima Akef:

Videos

Sitt al Bayt, 1949

Lahalibo, 1949 (full movie)

Ya Halawet al Hob, 1952

Tamr Henna, 1954

Kholkal Habibi, 1960

'Amir al Dahaa', 1964

Enjoy!

I look forward to welcoming you as a BOOSTie member :)

xx K.

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties:

Stars of the Sixties/Seventies:

Nagua Fouad

Soheir Zaki

Fifi Abdo

Modern Legends:

Raqs Sharki 1-2-3: Samia Gamal - Time traveling with the stars of Egyptian Dance

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties - Samia Gamal (5 March 1924 – 1 December 1994)

SAMIA GAMAL was born in 1924 as Zaynab Ibrahim Mahfuz in the small Egyptian town of Wana. Her family moved just months later to Cairo and settled near the Khan El-Khalili bazaar.

It was many years later that Samia Gamal met Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental dance. Badia offered Samia an invitation to join her dance company, which Samia accepted. Badia Masabni gave her the stage name Samia Gamal, and she began her dance career.

At first, she studied under Badia and Badia's star dancer at the time, Tahiya Karioka. However she soon became a respected soloist and brought forth her own style.

Samia Gamal incorporated techniques from ballet and Latin dance into her solo performances. She was also the first to perform with high-heeled shoes on stage. She starred in dozens of Egyptian films next to the famous Farid Al Attrach.

Together they could be thought of as the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of the Middle East.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Samia Gamal

Samia and Farid

Samia and Taheiya

About Samia Gamal:

About Samia Gamal (by worldbellydance.com)
Spotlight on Samia Gamal (Sequins and Shimmies)
Samia Gamal (by belly-dance.org)
Samia Gamal (by serpentine.org)

Interview with Samia Gamal (translation from Shira.net)

Samia Gamal Movies (youtube playlist)

Documentary on Samia Gamal (youtube video)

Videos

Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, 1944

Farid and Samia in Afrita Hanem, 1949

Bint Al Nil, 1952

Don't tell anyone, 1952

Valley of the Kings, 1954

'Zanouba', 1956 (I danced a tribute to this Samia clip at Delanna's 360 degree festival here)

Samia dancing to 'Zeina' (also from Zanouba, 1956)

Samia in 'The Second Man' (Al Rajul el Thani, 1959

Enjoy!

I look forward to welcoming you as a BOOSTie member :)

xx K.

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties:

Stars of the Sixties/Seventies:

Nagua Fouad

Soheir Zaki

Fifi Abdo

Modern Legends:

Raqs Sharki 1-2-3: Tahiya Karioka - Time traveling with the stars of Egyptian Dance

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties - Tahiya Karioka (February 22, 1915 – September 20, 1999)

TAHEYA CARIOKKA was born in 1915. She was discouraged from performing as a dancer by her family.

Due to family differences that could not be settled with her father and brothers, she moved to Cairo to stay with an old neighbour, Suad Mahasen, a night club owner and an artist.

Tahiya had asked several times for employment in Suad's nightclub but Suad refused to employ her due to the disreputability of working at a night club. However, many of Suad's associates and friends became acquainted with Tahiya through various visits to Suad's home. They all advised Suad to add her to one of the shows as a chorus girl but still she refused. Soon, Tahiya was mentioned to Badia Masabni, the owner of Casino Opera, one of the most prominent nightclubs of the time.

Badia offered a position in her troupe to Tahiya. Tahiya accepted and was given the stage name Tahiya Mohamed. She soon began gaining popularity as a solo dancer and as she became more experienced she learned a popular Samba dance from Brasil at the time called the Karioka.

After that she became known as Tahiya Karioca. Tahiya began starring in movies during what is dubbed as the Egyptian film industry's "Golden Age".

She was a talented dancer, singer, and actress. In 1972, the film “Watch out for Zouzou”, starring Soad Hosni with Tahiya performing the supporting role, was released to become the biggest box- office hit in Egyptian cinema to date.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Taheya Cariokka

About Tahiya

The amazing life of Taheya Cariokka (by Raseef22)
Tahia Carioka (Serpentine.org)
About Tahia Carioka (belly-dance.org)

Videos

From Aheb El Ghalat 'I love this mistake' , 1942:

From Amiret al Gaziera (Emira of the Island), 1948:

Taheya dancing to Taht El Shibak:

And.. a few more favourites - if anyone knows more about the movie titles/backgrounds of the following videos, please let me know!

with finger cymbals! (zills/sagat)

Enjoy!

I look forward to welcoming you as a BOOSTie member :)

xx K.

Favourites of the Fourties/Fifties:

Stars of the Sixties/Seventies:

Nagua Fouad

Soheir Zaki

Fifi Abdo

Modern Legends:

Raqs Sharki 1-2-3: Badia Masabni - Time traveling with the stars of Egyptian Dance

Time Traveling with the Stars

Part 1: Badia Masabni (1892-1974)

BADIA MASABNI was an actress and belly dancer born to a Lebanese father and a Syrian mother, best known for opening a series of influential clubs in Cairo from the 1920s onward.
Badia is considered to be the matron of modern belly dance and is credited with launching the careers of Egyptian belly dance stars Samia Gamal and Taheyya Kariokka.

(Source: Wikipedia)