Al-Monitor highlights a new effort to get art to the street. Ballerinas of Cairo has some great pictures, combining cultural physique with iconic cityscape.
By taking to the streets of Cairo, the young artists have succeeded in breaking the stereotype that ballet is an art form for the upper class only. Despite the dangers of performing on the streets and fears of negative reactions from the public, the ballerinas surprise passers-by with their performances.
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When asked about the most difficult shows they performed, Taher said, “The performance in downtown [Cairo] was quite difficult given the heavy traffic, which made it harder for us to shoot. Our objective is an image that shows the beauty of ballet as an art as well as Cairo’s sites.”
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According to Fathy, the idea of the project is to combine three art forms: architecture, ballet and photography. So far, Ballerinas of Cairo has performed 11 shows on several streets in Cairo, all of which were photographed.
I can’t say I’m very knowledgeable about ‘the arts’, but I admire the efforts of Egypt’s cultural scene to take their passion to the people. Here are some efforts I’ve highlighted in the past.
- March 31, 2012: Drawing Through the Walls: Artists Beautify Cairo’s Barriers
- April 26, 2012: Beauty and Women Celebrated at Interfaith Art Exhibit
- July 19, 2012: Muslim Creativity Comes to Church in Alexandria
- March 20, 2015: Street Music as Solution
- April 6, 2015: CARAVAN: Art as a Path to Grassroots Peace
- April 15, 2015: Egypt Exports Interfaith Bridge
- August 29, 2015: The Egyptian Street is Still Alive
- February 21, 2016: India Through Egyptian Eyes
- May 21, 2016: The Mural in the Garbage: An Artist’s ‘Perception’ of Cairo’s Coptic Slum
- February 1, 2017: After the Terror: How Egypt’s Museum of Islamic Art is Fighting Back
Perhaps one day an greater cultural appreciation of art will take hold. But without such efforts to sow seeds even along the roadside, it probably never will.
Jayson Casper 