Middle East & North Africa

Arab world · Raqs Sharqi

Raqs Sharqi developed as an Egyptian theatrical and social dance practice, influenced by local traditions and twentieth-century stages and cinema. Regional social dances and professional stage repertoires should not be treated as interchangeable.

History

Professional Egyptian dance moved through theatres, nightclubs and cinema during the twentieth century. Artists such as Tahia Carioca and Samia Gamal helped shape screen and stage Raqs Sharqi without erasing regional social traditions.

Key forms

Raqs Sharqi
Egyptian stage dance

Elements

Torso articulation
Musical interpretation
Improvisation

Masters & companies

Samia Gamal
Tahia Carioca
Mahmoud Reda

Watch Live

No official live dance stream verified for this tradition yet.

Watch Recorded

Serpentine Dance Studios · Yasmin Henkesh

Official publisher’s recordings, performances or programmes. · Free and paid options · checked 2026-10-21

Arab world · Raqs Sharqi · YouTube search

Search results, not a verified recording; choose official company or institution uploads.

Learn

Serpentine Dance Studios · Yasmin Henkesh

Official publisher’s recordings, performances or programmes. · Free and paid options · checked 2026-10-21

Attend

Cairo Opera

General institution or cultural programme; not a dedicated online dance archive. · Check publisher access · checked 2026-10-21

Serpentine Dance Studios · Yasmin Henkesh

Official publisher’s recordings, performances or programmes. · Free and paid options · checked 2026-10-21

Some publishers offer paid access. Public recordings do not grant permission to reuse choreography or ceremonial material.