Dancer pushes for UNESCO to recognize Egyptian belly dancing
Egyptian dancer Amie Sultan is working to get classical belly dance recognized as Egyptian heritage globally.
The walls of the Pharaonic temples are adorned with drawings of women belly dancing in supplication to deities of fertility and prosperity, clear testimony that belly dancing is an original Egyptian art form.
In an effort to preserve and protect this art form, Amie Sultan, one of Egypt's most prominent dancers, working to get Egyptian belly dance included in UNESCO's Intangible Heritage List. One of the project's goals is to create a multimedia archive of various forms of belly dance from across Egypt. The initiative is one of three projects by Sultan's nongovernmental organization Tarab, which aims to change belly dancing stereotypes in the eyes of the public.
