Seen as a passing fad when it was introduced to Hong Kong in the 1990s, belly dancing remains a fun pursuit and alternative way to stay in shape. It no doubt helped that pop icons such as Britney Spears and Beyonce began slipping classic moves into their videos and live shows. Still, our images of belly dancing tend to be limited to variations on that theme, so veteran Egyptian choreographer Mahmoud Reda is out to show there's much more to Middle Eastern dance.
The 80-year-old, who was in town to give workshops at a recent belly dance festival, has promoted the dance form for the past five decades through his Reda Dance Troupe. Incorporating different indigenous styles, the troupe has shown Arabic dance to the world, from New York to Nairobi.
Reda says he got the idea for preserving Egyptian folk dance while touring Europe as a dancer with an Argentinian folk troupe during the 50s. 'I thought, 'why not take from my own culture?' People dance at parties in the home or in restaurants all the time, but not on the stage.'
So in 1959 he returned to Cairo to start his own dance company. They were an instant hit, and Reda wanted to delve deeper into traditional forms. He and a few dancers spent two years in the mid-60s travelling all over Egypt to learn local dance steps.
'Before we did that, I used to choreograph according to what I knew or from imagination. That wasn't enough. I don't want to lie to people. I want to give them something genuine - how people really dance in different parts of Egypt.'
Reda learned about local musical instruments, studied rhythmic patterns, dialects, lyrics and recorded details of costumes and jewellery that were typical to certain areas. Conservative traditions in some rural areas made it even more difficult to pick up the dance moves.