Dalilah

Dalilah was a Spanish dancer who achieved an unusually successful professional career in Egypt during the 1950s. She arrived in Cairo in 1954 and initially worked in other dance forms before committing herself to Oriental dance around 1957. By the end of the decade she was performing at elite Egyptian venues and was selected to perform during the opening period of the Nile Hilton. Her career later took her throughout Lebanon, Europe and the United States. After relocating to Las Vegas, Dalilah became an important teacher and organised pioneering study tours that brought American dancers directly to Egypt. She also helped introduce major Egyptian artists such as Mahmoud Reda to American dance communities, making her an important bridge between Egypt and the early international belly-dance scene.