Mellilah’s Belly Dance Blog

Leila ~ You’re the best!

Posted in Dancers by Administrator on the August 26th, 2008

I have many favorite dancers but Leila remains at the top for me.

Even if she’s not your favorite dancer, you have to admit that she’s absolutely drop dead gorgeous to look at! Besides this, you have to respect her tenacity. Originally from the Northwest, north of Seattle, she quickly became one of Seattle’s most loved and regularly booked dancers. Determined to make a name for herself, she moved out to Cairo in 1999, studied with the best Egyptian instructors, learned Arabic, and quickly moved on to dancing at the top 5-star hotels with her own band, becoming one of Cairo’s most sought after belly dancers, as well as a well known Egyptian actress and model!

Leila and I have similar body types, which is another attraction for me. I find that there are some definite benefits of studying with people who are of the same/similar body type as you (that is once you get to a certain level). Long arms take longer to move through space, and I have a lot of real estate to move around! I have found that petite dancers sometimes have a hard time relating to this. Moves that look good on a petite person aren’t going to look the same on me! Did I also mention that I have four of Leila’s costumes! That’s another benefit of having the same body type as her. When she’s visiting Seattle, I can always count on picking up one of her hand-me-downs! : )

Most importantly, Leila’s dancing is elegant yet commanding, beautifully Egyptian, and mesmerizing to watch! See for yourself! Video Footage of Leila below:

Nile Group Festival Opening
Saidi at Nile Group Festival
Nile Group Festival
Nile Group Festival Part 2
Bint al Belad A sample of her first video
Leila w/ Singer
Cairo Belly Dancing
Raks al Assaya This clip was probably filmed
around 1999-2000.
Leila as Actress