EgyptianballerinaYasmineShahirdancesinthestreet,oblivioustopassersbyMOHAMEDTAHERAstwowomensittalkingonthestepofanoldbuildinginCairo,ayoungwomancomesandsitsbetweenthemcasually.Dressedinawhiteblouseandashortredskirt,shecouldn’tbeanymoredifferentthantheothertwo,bothofwhomaredressedinchador,thetraditionalgarmentwornbyMuslimwomenconsistingofalongcloththatenvelopsthebodyandhead.
Whatshedoesnextisanevengreatercontrast.Shetightensthestrapsofherwhitesilkshoes,which,oncloserinspection,turnouttobethepointeshoeswornbyballerinas.Thenshespringsupwithalissomegraceandleavingeveryonearoundherspellbound,beginstodanceintheoldalley.
SinceSeptember2015,thishasbeenhappeningagainandagaininCairo.Thedancersaredifferentandthelocationsvarybutthepurposeremainsthesame-tellingtheworldabouttheBallerinasofCairoproject.
Shallwedance?
It’sbeenahecticstarttotheNewYearforMohamedTaher.The32-year-oldEgyptianfilmmakerhasshotseveralvideosandgivenseveralinterviews,includingoneonAlHoumShow,theprimetimenewsmagazineairedbytheUnitedStates-basedArabiclanguagesatelliteTVchannelAlhurra,withMireilleAzer,whowasthefirstrunner-upintheMissEgypt2016beautypageantandwinnerofMissEgyptGrand2016.
ButTaherhasareputationforrespondingtoallcommentsontheBallerinasofCairo’sFacebookpagewithinanhour.Andhelivesuptohisformidablereputation,makingtimeatnearmidnighttotalkabouthisbrainchild.
“IpersonallyloveballetandoneofmyfavoritefilmsisBlackSwan,”hesaid,explainingwhatmadehimchooseballerinasasthesubjectofhisphotographicproject.“Besides,IwasreallyinspiredbytheBallerinaProject.”
TheBallerinaProject,startedabout17yearsagobyNewYork-basedphotographerDaneShitagi,combinesballetandphotographytoproducewhathecalls“theetchingofaballerina’sheartandemotions.”Thegrowingcollectionofphotographs,displayedonsocialmedia,fromFacebooktoInstagramandTwitter,hasfedtheviewershipandkepttheprojectalive.
Taher’sownplanwastogetEgypt’sballerinasdancingonCairo’soldstreets,creatingacontrastbetweenthegracefuldancingandthe“roughness”ofthestreets,photographthem,makevideosandusesocialmedia,likeShitagi,tocreatebuzz.Atfirst,hewasjoinedbyfellowfilmmakerAhmedFathyandonamorningofSeptember2015,thefirstshootingwasheldinElKorba,ahistoricalareainCairofoundedin1905byaBelgianbaron.
Thefirstballerina,MariamElGebali,camefromtheCairoOperaHouse,alandmarkinEgypt’sculturalhistory.Builtinthe19thcenturytocelebratethein-augurationoftheSuezCanal,itwasanearlyexampleofEgypt’sglobalization.DesignedbyItalianarchitects,theoperahousewasthefirstofitskindinAfrica,andoneofthefirstoperastobeperformedtherewasAida,speciallywrittenforthetheaterbyItalianmaestroGiuseppeVerdi.
ManyofthedancersinTaher’sBallerinasofCairoprojectarefromthesameoperahouse.“It’sallduetonetworking,”Tahersaid.“Afterweshotthefirsttwosessions,manyballerinasapproachedusandalsoaskedtheirfriendstojointheproject.”
ThoughasectionofthemediahasportrayedthephotographersandtheballerinasasbeingindangerfromconservativeIslamicclerics,Taherdismissedthem,sayingthereactionhasbeenpositive.“Peoplegetdazzledbywhattheyseeandtheylikeit,”hesaid.“It’ssomethingnewonthestreetsofthecapital.Mostpeopleappreciatetheballerinasandtakephotographswiththem.”
MarinaBahy,a20-year-oldmasscommunicationsstudentwhoalsoworksasaballetinstructorinCairo,isoneoftheparticipantsintheproject.“IstarteddancinginasportsclubwhenIwassix,”shesaid.“WhenIwas12,IstarteddancingattheCairoOperaHouse.AfriendofminetoldmeabouttheprojectandIwasveryimpressedwiththeideaandagreedimmediately.”
HerfirstshootwasontheiconicSixthOctoberBridgeontheNilethatisalsoknownasthe“spinalcordofCairo.”“IwasalittlenervousatthebeginningbutwhenIsawpeople’sreactions,howtheywereimpressedandhappy,thatcomfortedmeandmadememoreexcitedabouttheproject,”Bahysaid.Herparentswereworriedatthebeginning.“Butwhentheysawthepictures,theybecameasexcitedasIwas.”
Bahysaysthatshehasbenefitedpersonallyfromtheproject:“Itmotivatedmealotasaballerina.Iwasexcitedtopracticemoretobeabletoshootmoredifficultmoves.”Shehopestocontinuewiththeprojectuntilitbecomes“oneofthebestknownballetprojectsworldwide.”
MarinaBahyhopestocontinuewiththeprojectuntilitbecomesfamousworldwideMOHAMEDTAHERNewwindowtoEgypt
VeronicaEmad,whoisstudyingtobeatouristguideattheAinShamsUniversityinCairo,startedlearningdancingattheCairoOperaHousewhenshewas11.“Ilikedthe[BallerinasofCairo]ideaatthebeginningjustforfunbutafterwedidmanyshootsindifferentplaces,ithasbecomeoneofmypriorities,”shesaid.“Webecameonefamily.”
Sheremembersherfirstshootwithclarity.“Thereweremanypeopleinthestreet.AmanwaswalkingwithhisDalmatiandogandweaskedhimifwecouldtakeapicturewiththedog.Hewasveryniceandsaid,‘Withpleasure.’”
EmadthinksBallerinasofCairohasthepotentialtoboosttourisminEgypt:“Ihopetofirsttravel[withBallerinasofCairo]toallcitiesinEgypttopromotetourisminEgypt,thenshowpeoplearoundtheworldthatwehavemanydifferenttypesoftourism,frombeautifulcitiestoPharaonicmonuments.”
Whenhestartedtheproject,Taher’splanwastoultimatelyholdexhibitionsinartgalleries.Butinlessthantwoyears,hehasfoundtheprojectgrowingmanylayers.“OneofthemisshowingEgyptissafe,”hesaid,atacitreferencetotheearlierinstabilityandterrorattacks.Anotheris“womengainingtheirpublicspacesagain,”showingthestreetsaresafeforwomen.
Yetanotherdevelopmenthasbeentherevivalofballetandphotography.“VeryfewpeopleknowthatEgypthasballettoo,”hesaid.“Wewanttochangethatperception.”
WhatbeganashisandFathy’sprojecthassnowballedintoamuchlargerinitiative.Liketheballerinas,otherphotographersarealsoseekingtobeinvolvedintheproject,theirphotographsaddingtoitsrepertoire.
Snowballeffect
“Iamoneofthephotographerswhoaredeterminedtobefilminginmoreplacesjusttoconfirmthatwearenotdifferent-wedonotkillcreativity,artandimagination-andtoassurethatEgyptisoneofthemostsecurecountriesintheworld,”OmarHefny,an18-year-oldphysiotherapystudent,said.“BallerinasofCairoisaverysuccessfulprojectduetothereactionofpeopleinthestreetsduringthefilmingandofcourse,theviewershiponsocialmediaandourbeliefinthisproject.”
Hefnyboughthisfirstcamerafourmonthsago,taughthimselftouseitfromYouTubeandsincethen,hasbeenfilmingballerinasandmusiciansplayingonthestreetsofCairo.Andtherearemanymorelikehim.
Theprojecthasalsobeguntocatchthemedia’seye,fromlocalpublicationsandTVtotheBBCandeventheItalianeditionofVanityFair.Andpeoplefromacrosstheworldareappreciatingthework.
OntheFacebookpageofBallerinasofCairo,SalvadorDominguezSanchez,aU.S.resident,haspostedthephotographofhisdaughterdancinginthestreetinNewYorkCity.Hismessageissimple.“IfyouevercometotheUnitedStates,cometoCincinnatiplease!”
Commentsto
Ihopetofirsttravel[withBallerinasofCairo]toallcitiesinEgypttopromotetourisminEgypt,thenshowpeoplearoundtheworldthatwehavemanydifferenttypesoftourism,frombeautifulcitiestoPharaonicmonuments.
VeronicaEmad,balletdancerandtourismstudentinCairo
AballerinatightensthestrapsofherwhitesilkshoesinCairoCOURTESYPHOTOInspiredbytheBallerinasofCairoproject,18-yearoldOmarHefnyistakingphotographsofmusiciansplayingonthestreetsofCairoOMARHEFNYVeronicaEmadthinksBallerinasofCairohasthepotentialtoboosttourisminEgyptAHMEDFATHY