Discover the world of belly dance
Dancers, styles, rhythms, songs and festivals — one connected atlas. Start anywhere; every page leads somewhere new.
Events
Upcoming festivals
Belgrade, Serbia · 21–22 November 2026
Belgrade Raqs Weekend
The Balkan meeting point: two days of workshops, an open-stage evening and a Sunday gala in the heart of Belgrade. (Demo festival.)
3 artists in the line-up →
Istanbul, Turkey · 8–10 May 2026
Istanbul Oriental Days
Turkish Oriental, 9/8 musicality and zil technique on both sides of the Bosphorus — workshops by day, dinner-show galas by night. (Demo festival.)
1 artists in the line-up →
Cairo, Egypt · 12–18 October 2026
Cairo Nights Festival
A week of morning workshops, live-orchestra galas and Nile-side shows in the city where it all began. (Demo festival for the platform preview.)
2 artists in the line-up →
Encyclopedia spotlight
Legends of the Golden Era
Legend · Egypt
Fifi Abdou
The definition of bint el-balad on stage: commanding, funny, improvisational and unmistakably Egyptian. Ruled Cairo's five-star nightclub scene for decades.
Legend · Egypt
Soheir Zaki
Called 'the Umm Kulthum of dance' for her delicate, faithful interpretations of the great singer's repertoire — the model of understated Egyptian musicality.
Legend · Egypt
Naima Akef
Circus-trained prodigy turned film star of the 1950s — acrobatic precision, joyful speed and a musical-comedy sparkle unique among the legends.
Learn
Dance styles
Turkey
Turkish Oriental
The Turkish branch of the dance: faster, bolder, with Romani influence, 9/8 karşılama rhythms, floor work and zil (finger cymbal) virtuosity.
Egypt
Drum Solo
The percussive finale of a routine: dancer and tabla player in open conversation, accents made visible.
Egypt
Shaabi
Street-smart popular dance of working-class Cairo — direct, humorous and tied to shaabi music's blunt poetry, later feeding into mahraganat.
Egypt
Saidi
The folkloric style of Upper Egypt, inseparable from the assaya (cane) and the martial game of tahtib. Proud, playful and rhythmically bouncy.
Egypt
Baladi
'Of the homeland' — the urban Egyptian social dance that grew when rural families moved to Cairo. Intimate, witty and grounded; often called the soul of Egyptian dance.
Egypt
Raqs Sharqi
The classic Egyptian stage form — 'dance of the East'. Born in Cairo's early-20th-century music halls and refined by Golden Era cinema, it blends baladi roots with orchestral music and theatrical staging.
Music encyclopedia
Know your rhythms
Chiftetelli
8/4Slow, luxurious, full of space — the taksim rhythm. Perfect for floor work, veil and expressive slow sections.
Ayoub
2/4Hypnotic and driving. Used for dramatic moments, drum solos and folkloric zar-inspired pieces.
Malfouf
2/4Fast and travelling: entrances, exits, veil work and transitions. Often opens a classic oriental routine.
Directory
Dancers on the platform
Cairo · Egypt
Nadia El Masri
Cairo-based star of the current generation, known for baladi depth and orchestral raqs sharqi with live musicians. (Demo profile.)
Istanbul · Turkey
Leyla Demir
Istanbul performer specialising in Turkish Oriental and 9/8 musicality, with a signature zil-heavy stage show. (Demo profile.)
Belgrade · Serbia
Amira Novak
Belgrade-based performer and instructor focused on classic Egyptian style and drum solo. Studies yearly in Cairo and teaches weekly classes and regional workshops. (Demo profile.)
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