Dancing to his tune

It is not uncommon to see in central Cairo a young couple, preparing for marriage, browsing shop windows for a dancing costume.

"My fiance has asked me to buy one to dance for him after we get married," said Hanaa, 24. "I want to make him happy and show off my feminity," she told Gulf News. Hanaa admits she likes dancing in the presence of family members or in women-only gatherings.

"The purpose for buying these outfits is to boost marital bliss. We mustn't be ashamed about dealing with this issue, especially in this age of satellite TV where men watch pretty women dancing in music videos all the time and want their spouses to be like Nancy Ajram or Haifa Wehbe," said Ahmad, a taxi driver, referring to the two Lebanese pop divas.

"If my future wife decided to buy a bellydancing costume, I wouldn't mind. But I wouldn't ask her to buy one."

Over the past few years, many young girls have started buying these outfits, which have come to be considered a marriage accessory.

Egypt, known as the Hollywood of the East, has long built a global fame as a hub for bellydancing or oriental dancing. Famous belly-dancers starred in musical hits in the 1950s and 1960s.

A recent revival of Islamic practices in this predominantly Muslim country has, however, discouraged Egyptian women from pursuing bellydancing as a profession. Most dancing professionals in Egypt today are foreigners.

"We used to sell dancing outfits to foreign tourists. But over the past few years, the local market has been growing remarkably," said Nawal, who works at a shop in Khan Al Khalili in Historic Cairo.

"Brides and their would-be husbands come to ask for these costumes and choose their colours," she added. "This one is called the Nancy Jalabiya, named after a famous music video by Leb-anese singer Nancy Ajram."

Prices of bellydancing kit start at 80 Egyptian pounds (Dh55) for a two-piece outfit. Some costumes may cost as much as 2,000 Egyptian pounds, depending on the quality of the costumes, which are all hand-made.

"I don't like the idea of dancing for my spouse at all," said Manal, a school-teacher. "It detracts from a woman's dignity and reminds me of the old days when a woman's role in life was to please men.

"Times have changed. Women do not want to be treated as sex objects any more."