Raqs sharqi has experienced its fair share of controversy over the generations but despite adversity the power of Middle Eastern dance remains strong and is currently attracting growing global attention. Maria Golia reports from Cairo.

Not far from the pyramids at one of Cairo’s 5-star hotels, several hundred women of a dozen nationalities file into a conference hall to the strains of raucous music. The gathering they are here to attend will offer special insights into Egyptian character and culture. What’s more, it will kick off a week of ‘joyful activities’ designed to further their quest for self-expression, as well as physical and mental empowerment.

These women haven’t travelled from Siberia and Sao Paolo just to contemplate the Sphinx, though it’s in their itinerary. They’ve come to Cairo for a concentrated dose of the hootchy-kootchy, as it was once called, or belly dancing, now more acceptably referred to as Middle Eastern Dance.

The Nile Group, founded by several Egyptian dance aficionados, is one of two local organisations offering these ‘dance holidays’, mini-festivals comprised of workshops, top-notch performances, and sightseeing opportunities. Their clients are garnered partly from the internet, but largely through an informal network of dance instructors and enthusiasts extending around the globe.