My friend Stella is an Iraqi-born oriental dancer, one of the best in Egypt. Her character matches her vocation: passionate, earthy, histrionic. A talented story-teller, her romantic and professional intrigues rival those recounted in the Arabian Nights. More to the point, her career’s ups and downs reflect Cairo’s attitudes towards sexuality, which have in the past been more honest than they are today.
The Egyptian bureaucracy is a frequent protagonist in Stella’s stories. Obtaining work permits can be difficult for unaffiliated expats but it’s especially tough for dancers. Stella has to renew hers regularly with the vice police. She’s also obliged to entrust her British passport to the foreign ministry when in Egypt (though she lives here) and to request permissions to travel like a chattel of the state.
