Teachers

Safaa Farid, director of the Camp el Negum dance festival, has been entertaining, accompanying and inspiring dancers for more than thirty years. As well as performing with many famous names in the oriental dance world he has appeared, accompanied by his talented musicians ‘Fe’ret el Negum’, at numerous festivals both in Egypt and in many countries around the world. His voice can also be heard singing on numerous CD’s  made for and by  dancers, making him one of the most recognized vocal performers on the international oriental dance scene.

Originally a Reda Troupe member and with a long career as a star oriental dancer in Cairo in her own right, Aida Nour needs little introduction. She has become one of Egypt’s best-loved teachers, in demand all over the world for the last two decades to teach and perform at international dance festivals and solo courses. Her style is utterly authentic and simultaneously accessible to all levels. Aida is always irresistible!

With an original Baccalaureate in sports and fitness, Mona Mustafa was a key member of the Reda Troupe from 1978, and a soloist in the Troupe from 1981, as well as trainer to the company. In 2005 Mona became the Troupe’s General Manager, overseeing their national and international repertoire and appearances world-wide. Camp Negum is proud to present Mona as a folklore teacher with wide experience

Essam Tork began his professional dance career in the mid 1980’s, working closely with choreographers Mukhtar Mustafa and Ibrahim Akef before joining the Reda Troupe in 1992. He was also assistant to the great Hassan Afifi, working in television and theatre, and established his own group, the ‘River Nile Troupe’ in 2007. In demand as a teacher at festivals such as Cairo’s Nile Group, as well as many events world-wide, we welcome Essam Tork to Camp Negum for the first time in 2020.

Nasra was a member of the Kowmeya (National) folkloric troupe from an early age, graduating to soloist and trainer. She has featured and taught at numerous dance festivals all over the world including China, Japan, Russia and all over Europe. A regular at Camp Negum she brings a joyfulness and wonderful energy to both her classes and performances.

Nasra ia a great supporter of Camp Negum, part of the Camp Negum family.

Yasmina has been working as an international performer and teacher of oriental dance for over thirty years, including eight years in the clubs and weddings of Cairo with her orchestra led by Safaa Farid. She has appeared all over the Middle East and worldwide, both for general audiences and on the international festival circuit. She remains in Cairo where she hosts dancers from different countries for dance holidays and tours at her ‘Belly Dancers’ B&B’. She teaches workshops and lectures on the history and culture of the dance, and has produced seven music CD’s and two documentary films about the dance in Cairo for dancers everywhere.

Yasmina has worked with live music for years as a professional performer in Cairo.  She loves sharing her knowledge and experience with her students.  Don’t miss Yasminas workshop.

Kay Taylor is one of the UK’s top teachers with a reputation for inspirational and challenging classes, as well as being a major event organizer for many years.  She loves live music and brings groups regularly to Cairo to see dance in different settings.  Kay has worked with Safaa for many years taking him and the band to the UK along with some of Cairo’s top dance stars.  ‘Teaching with Safaa and the band is a joy’, says Kay who taught for the second time at Camp Negum 2019.
Kay loves the intimate nature of Camp Negum and its family feel.  She is delighted to join Safaa and Nibal Adel Aziz in 2020 as co-organizer of this special event.

This year Kay plans to focus on ‘developing your own tabla solo’.  It will be possible to record the tabla solos for later use – challenging but in a very supportive environment.

Originally from Nubia, Ashraf Kodak is a multi-talented performer not only of Nubian style but also Saeedi and other Egyptian folklore. He is a long-time member of the Forset el Sharq Dance Company at the Cairo Opera House, performing folklore/contemporary fusion in acclaimed productions that have toured internationally. Ashraf appears regularly on Egyptian television channels, and has his own Nubian troupe of dancers and musicians that perform all over Cairo at weddings, parties and various dance festivals. He has travelled to teach, including producing theatre shows in Japan. Ashraf’s teaching style is thorough but totally fun. He is a long-standing feature at Camp Negum.

Heba is a natural born performer who began appearing as a dancer at parties from the age of four! She has a diploma from the Cairo Conservatoire as a musician and vocalist, and has already embarked on her solo singing career. As a dance teacher she is in demand for her fresh and irresistible oriental style, and also her delivery of maharaganat shaabi which is one hundred per cent authentic from the streets of Cairo.

Rakiya el Maaza is half Spanish, half Moroccan, trained in many dance styles including ballet, contemporary, Bollywood and Flamenco, and brings to oriental dance a passion and singular vision that makes her unique both as a performer and teacher. She is the director of Arabesque Dance School in Mons, Belgium, since 2000, has her own dance company and produces theatre shows in multiple styles. Rakiya is a dynamic and inspiring teacher who describes herself as ‘an eternal student’. She says: ‘There is only one dance, that of expression, of emotion, of the translation of the unconscious self.’

Bassant is a multi-faceted Egyptian dance trainer with a varied background in many dance forms, from contemporary to salsa, folklore to oriental. She works on the contemporary dance scene with Egyptian dancers producing theatre choreography, but her comprehensive break-down of moves and instinctive feeling for oriental also makes her an innovative oriental choreographer and inspiring teacher. Bringing a fresh approach and with a fun teaching style, this will be Bassant’s first appearance at Camp Negum.

Sayed Amar has been dancing tanoura since 1997. Passionate about his art, he trained from the age of 15, and rose to become one of Cairo’s most in-demand performers, working consistently ever since. He has appeared in many countries including Lebanon, Spain, Australia, the UK and India. An experienced and patient teacher, Sayed provides an expert introduction to this challenging art form.