August 7, 2023
WoEgypt

Dancing is an integral part of Egyptians’ social gatherings and festivities. It continues to play an essential role in preserving Egypt’s cultural heritage and providing a glimpse into the country’s diverse vibrant traditions. Egyptians love to celebrate various occasions with dancing, 

Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, dancing for Radwa Nasr became part of her identity, and sense of belonging to the culture and traditions of the land. It traveled with her half way around the world. Radwa describes herself as an Egyptian artist who physically lives in Canada, but her soul in Egypt.

Despite the difficulty of life and the challenges of moving to a new country, Radwa and her family were able to settle and create a new life for themselves.  In Canada, Radwa who had graduated in Cairo with a degree in Science, abandoned her field of study. Instead, she studied massage therapy for two years, and worked for sometime in this field. 

In 2019,  she fulfilled her dream of opening the Egyptian Folk Dance Academy, the first school to teach Egyptian folk dance in Calgary, Alberta and became its artistic director. She  presented her first  performances in cooperation with Egyptian dance instructors, including students of renowned dancer and choreographer Mahmoud Reda, co-founder of the Reda Troupe in the late 50s. Reda’s choreography combined traditional Egyptian folk dances with Western styles.

Egyptian folk dance reflects the country’s rich history. It includes a rich and diverse range of traditional dance styles that have been passed down through generations. Not only that, but as each region in Egypt has its own unique characteristics, so does the dancing of its people. 

Baladi dance, also known to the world belly dance, is most common between all regions. It is performed at weddings, celebrations, and other festive occasions. There is also Saidi dance, in Upper Egypt, where dancers use a stick and wear traditional costumes.

And while Nubians in southern Egypt dance to the rhythms of the Duff, a traditional drum fashioned from goat skins and wood, the dances of the people in the Nile delta are performed in a group, known as Haggle dance, with women forming a circle and men dancing in the center. There is also the Ghawazee Dance, that originated with the gypsies who roamed around the county. While there numbered have dwindled over the past century, their dancing is still performed to the rhythms of drums and tambourines. There is also Fallahi dancing, Bedouin, Zar and others.

There is also Tanoura dance which is a Sufi-inspired spinning dance performed by male dancers wearing colorful skirts. It represents a spiritual journey and is often accompanied by music and chanting. Recently women also started to whirl in their colorful skirts like men; and Radwa became the first female Tanoura dancer in Canad, and among the pioneers in that field, worldwide. “Spinning has a philosophy, scientific and spiritual interpretations. When we start spinning, the soul transcends and releases all the negative energy,” Radwa Nasr said about Tanoura dancing. 

At her academy, Radwa offers classes for varies Egyptian folk dances, Nubian, and dances from Upper Egypt, in addition to ancient Egyptian dances, Tanura and others.

She participated in several Canadian festivals, such as the Egyptian Folklore Festival in Toronto; and “This is Egypt” festival; and Canadian RAW Festival. She also represented Egypt at the African Festival in Calgary; and on World Heritage Day. 

In 2019, the same year she opened her academy, she launched the first Folklore Dances Festival in Calgary, where Egyptian folklore dancers participated from around Canada and abroad. 

She aspires to spread the Egyptian culture around the world. For that, she joined the board of directors of the Arabian Culture and Arts Wheel, founded in Alberta, Canada, to introduce the Arabic heritage of poetry, singing, dancing, and other arts to the public.

Through the foundation, Radwa participated at the Egyptian Heritage Month 2023 in Toronto, Canada. She also presented three events in Montreal, Vancouver, and in Mexico.

Earlier this year, she represented Egypt at the opening of the African Festival in Canada. She also performed at the opening ceremony of the World Folklore Festival in Calgary. 

Visit Radwa Nasr page here and learn more about her dance classes.

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