Photo: Jenny Johansson Graphics: Karin Öhman

The repertoar of the dancegroup ISIS gives performances with different groupdances in folkloric style mainly from Egypt. The dances are from different parts of Egypt and all have their own character. We perform in typical costumes created for use on stage.  Most of the costumes we bring home from our trips to Egypt, where we go to practice and get new inspiration, music, choreografies and dresses. The famous "Madame Abla" in Kairo has made most of them. The folkloric numbers are mixed with solos in "Cabaret"-style (Raqs Sharki), where we use two piece costumes. The solos, what most people call "Belly-dance",  contain many elements of the folkloric musical styles and dance movements. Many dance teachers and choreografers say that you cannot become a really good Bellydancer without knowing the folklore.

 Most important in all of the dance is the feeling anyway. As Samir Gaber, one of our teachers expressed himself:
"If you haven't got the genuine feeling in the dance, then it's just gymnastics!"

Maybe it is this respect for the original culture surrounding this dance, and our interest in constantly learning
more about it, that makes us very popular among immigrants from the Middle East?

Some different examples of our dance-numbers (click on picture for  better view) :
 

(48,7 Kb)	Bambouti from Alexandria, joking, different sailorsdance, where we play on spoons, choreography Yousry Sharif
(60,8 Kb)	Gipsydance,  "Gawazee", earlier it was often their women supporting the family by their dancing, wich gave them alot of confidence, choreography Yousry Sharif
(77 Kb) Photo:Olof Näslund	Canedance from southern Egypt in a modern style, choreography Denise Enan. We have many different types of canedances, among them some made by Mahmoud Reda and some made by Yousry Sharif
(34,9 Kb)	Peasants dance,  Fellahin, traditional dancestyle about life in the countryside, in this picture bringing water, choreography Britt Thellberg. We have more different types of fellahin-dances, a couple of them made by Yousry Sharif.
(131 Kb)	Veildance, with fantasy-elements from the Andalusian style, choreography Yousry Sharif .  We also have many different veil-dances, some of them made by Denise Enan.
(73 Kb) Photo:Olof Näslund	Solo, "Raqs Sharki" we all do in many different styles, this is a picture of Ann in her latest Abla-costume from Cairo.

Saidi-dance from southern Egypt, choreography Mahmoud Reda

Nubian, a bunch of guys are looking for girls in a typical egyptian, joking way,choreography Mahmoud Reda

And we have many  more.....

And since we lately got two new members in the group, both of them brilliant choreographers, we right now experiment with some new stuff. We will present a "Shamedan" (candelabra-dance) this spring on a SODA-show, and we allso work on some more exciting numbers... Stay in touch to see some upcoming new pictures and presentations!






Please get in touch with us for a discussion about your needs for your festival, gathering or other performance.
Call Ann Larsson, phone: +46-8-551 714 35 , or send us a mail.