Al-Masri - Dancers

THURSDAY & FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Fayruz	Valentina

SUNDAY
Open Dance Night
Stop by to see some of the newest dancers in the restaurant.

ABOUT THE DANCE...
At Al Masri, we hold as much pride in our dance, Raqs Baladi, as we do in our cuisine. Raqs Baladi (Local Dance) is a celebration of the femininity and sensuality of woman. It is fundamentally an improvisational dance with its own movement vocabulary, fluidly integrated with the rhythm of the music. In Raqs Baladi, the dancer internalizes and expresses the emotions evoked by the music. The most revered Raqs Baladi dancers are those who can best project their inner emotions through dance, even if their movement vocabulary is very simple. Al Masri is the only venue in the Bay Area to see authentic Egyptian Raqs Baladi.

HOUSE ETIQUTTE...
A Raqs Baladi performance is an interactive experience. Feel free to turn your chairs around and clap to the music! If the dancer invites you onto the stage and you choose to take part, please do so in a respectful and mature manner. Service may be limited during the performance.

TIPPING THE PERFORMER...
In Egypt, it is customary for the audience to tip the performer as a sign of appreciation. For your convenience, a “Dancer’s Gratuity” envelope will be provided for you with your bill book. Please place your gratuity for the performer in this envelope.

A BREIF HISTORY OF THE DANCE...
From as far back as the fourteenth century BC, Egyptian tomb paintings depict dancers whose calisthenic positions mirror those used in Raqs Baladi. Since then, the dance evolved alongside Arabic music, Cairo being the cultural center due to its musical innovation. In the 1930’s, the Egyptian film industry, one of the largest in the world, made the dance accessible to audiences all over the world. The mold for modern Raqs Baladi was set by the dance legends of this time including Tahia Carioca, Samia Gamal and Naima Akef.