Eight men in black tights turn on command and stare as I enter their studio. Their attention makes me blush. Together they cross their hands behind their backs and bow before their instructor Safwat Mohamed demands their attention once more and they shift their collective gaze away from me.
"Get ready for the move!" Safwat commands, "the studio under us must hear your sound!" They lift their legs and crash their toes against the floor again and again.
It takes military discipline to become a ballet dancer, but these men also know, of course, that only the very few will make it to the Cairo Opera House stage at the end of their nine-year programme at the ballet academy.
A gigantic Russian doll hangs by the entrance, dusty and red, to let those who enter know that the Soviets were here. Egyptian instructors mix Russian with French, "assemblé, e pliée, e jeté". Many speak Russian; the older generation learnt while studying ballet in Moscow, the younger learnt from their elders. Pianists from the collapsed Soviet Union say it is like a little version of the USSR here.
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"You might think I am mad," says Aleya Abdel Razek before wandering off to find her en-pointe shoes, which are as old as the ballet itself in Egypt. "I danced my graduation part on the Bolshoi's stage wearing these shoes. I used newspaper to wrap around my toes, there is still newspaper inside."
The daughter of an Egyptian military pilot who served during the reign of the monarchy, Razek was one of the first ballerinas to travel behind the Iron Curtain in 1963.
In the post-war years, Moscow sought allies in the Middle East to challenge the United States. After the end of the monarchy in 1952, the new Egyptian government formed an alliance with the Soviets for economic and military support. During the Nasser years, many young Egyptians studied at Soviet universities and military schools while Soviet experts travelled to Egypt.
The Egyptian ballet was born amid Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev's and Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser's arms deals when, in 1958, Dr Tharwat Okasha, Egypt's culture minister, approached the Soviets and asked for assistance.
The Russians sent Leonid Labrovsky, the Bolshoi's former director, to Cairo to establish an academy. Five Egyptian girls and three boys were selected to study ballet in Moscow for two years.
Those eight young dancers became the pioneers of Egyptian ballet. Behind the Iron Curtain, isolated from their Russian classmates and monitored by the KGB, the young dancers lived a kind of dream at the Bolshoi.
Meanwhile, from 1958 to 1963, the ballet academy in Cairo took shape and became part of the Higher Institute of Art. Academic and dance studies were combined. The system continues to this day. In the mornings, the children dance in tights and afterwards change into yellow uniforms and attend classes upstairs.
In 1966, the first ballet production, The Fountain of Bakhshisarai, was staged at the Royal Opera House. Based on a Pushkin poem, a Polish princess, Maria, is kidnapped by a lusty Tartar prince. She is killed by Zareema, the prince's wife, who then commits suicide. Aleya performed Zareema. It remains her favourite role.
Okasha called Nasser and asked him to see the production. The next day he saw it and presented orders of merit to the soloists and organisers. Aleya's award hangs on the wall across from her father's medals.
When the Cairo Ballet Company was formed, it became the only Arab resident classical ballet company in the Middle East.
Then, one morning in 1971, the 800-seat Royal Opera House was engulfed by flames. Some speculated that it was a political attack on then-president Anwar Sadat. Whatever caused its destruction, a multi-storey car park would eventually be built in its place.
The following year Sadat severed Soviet ties just before the 1973 war, which ended with a ceasefire between Egypt and Israel. Without Soviet management, the academy kept losing dancers, who fled to Germany, the USSR and the US.
Meanwhile, Ala Shiveleva was studying at the University of Theatre Arts in Moscow. "When Sadat deported Soviets from Egypt, our Egyptian classmates were literally sitting on their luggage in classes, ready to be deported at any minute."
Japan later funded the construction of Cairo's new Opera House in 1988, and the company returned to the main stage. Twenty-five years later, Ala and her Egyptian classmates are together again under one roof at the Cairo Opera House, training a new generation of dancers.
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"Marina, la música por favor!" instructor Jose Chavez tells pianist Marina Davlionidze. Jose came from Cuba and Marina escaped from the USSR before it disintegrated in 1991. "Con la música, uno, dos, tres." Jose taps his hip, Marina hits the piano keys, and dancers creak the floorboards.
The troupe consists of 85 dancers, mainly Egyptians and Ukranians, Russians and Spanish.
For some dancers who are bred on Russian discipline, Jose's Cuban technique is unusual. Later Jose tells me, "the [Egyptian] dancers have energy, forsa, but no disciplina. Ballet is disciplina, no disciplina, no ballet."
Unlike Jose, Erminia Kamel, the troupe's artistic director, is strict and precise during rehearsals. It was difficult for the dancers to adjust to her attention to discipline when she took the post in 2004, "but they slowly digested me," she says laughing.
In a studio back at the ballet academy, a 33-year-old soloist pulls boys by the hair, splits their legs and arches their backs. Hany Hassan himself was pulled by the hair when he was young in the same studio. "I want them at the end to dance on stage, I must know from the way one dances, is he happy or sad, dying or alive, sober or drunk."
Hany's first stage appearance in Cairo's Opera was in Don Quixote when he was 12. Later, Hany, the son of a military officer, moved quickly to lead roles in classics such as Zorba the Greek, Romeo and Juliet, Spartacus and Swan Lake. He knew he must excel. Not all had Hany's luck and potential; many of the graduates fall victim not only to their limitations, but also to the limited places available at the only ballet company in Egypt.
Since 2011, Hany has produced Rasputin, the story of the infamous "holy man" whose ability to heal the Russian royals made him the supreme mystic at the court of Emperor Nicholas II. He was poisoned, shot, beaten, wrapped in a carpet and drowned in an icy river. "I can put all my experience as a dancer in this character." Hany was drawn in by the character's complexity, and the parallels with the current religious and political climate in Egypt.
By the end of the sessions, the studio is hot and smelling of sweat and menthol from muscle cream. The dancers take turns doing arabesques, pliées and pirouettes again and again. They grab their chests to draw breath and wipe off beads of sweat.
The audience sees them striding gracefully in their beautiful tutus, but don't see the sweat or blisters, nor hear their lungs gasping for air. Hany says every movement conveys a dancer's experience of how to save energy. "It is difficult - every day you do the same thing over 150 times."
As she wraps her red toes with plaster, soloist Ekaterina Ivanovna says: "It needs patience and a strong will to really, really love ballet. It is not about wearing beautiful tutus."
Mona Abouissa is a documentary journalist covering the Middle East and is based in Egypt.
Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')
Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')
Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)
Essentials
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Seattle from Dh6,755 return in economy and Dh24,775 in business class.
The cruise
UnCruise Adventures offers a variety of small-ship cruises in Alaska and around the world. A 14-day Alaska’s Inside Passage and San Juans Cruise from Seattle to Juneau or reverse costs from $4,695 (Dh17,246), including accommodation, food and most activities. Trips in 2019 start in April and run until September.
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
RESULT
Bournemouth 0 Southampton 3 (Djenepo (37', Redmond 45' 1, 59')
Man of the match Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
Australia (15-1): Israel Folau; Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; David Pocock, Michael Hooper (capt), Lukhan Tui; Adam Coleman, Izack Rodda; Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson.
Replacements: Tolu Latu, Allan Alaalatoa, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Pete Samu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua, Jack Maddocks.
Madrid Open schedule
Men's semi-finals
Novak Djokovic (1) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 6pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11pm
Women's final
Simona Halep (3) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 8.30pm
Kill%20
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THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
RESULTS
6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock
9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer