Star Stalker Sunday: Samia Gamal

Zainab Ibrahim Mahfuz was born in 1924 in a little Egyptian town names Wana. When her family moved to Cairo, her path crossed with that of Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental dance. Zainab was accepted into Badia’s dance company and was given the stage name Samia Gamal. She danced alongside Tahia Carioca and the two was considered to be Badia’s protégés.  After a while, Samia developed as a soloist and started incorporating elements of classical ballet and Latin American dancing into her improvisational style. She was also the first dancer to incorporate a veil in her dancing, after receiving instruction at the Ivanova Belly Dancing School. Samia was not only a belly dancer, but also a film actress. Her filmography included “She-devil.” “The valley of the kings,” “Jackal of the desert” and “Blood in the desert.” She starred alongside Farid al-Atrash, Nabil Al Alfi, Dalida and Kouka. There was a spark of romance between her and Farid al-Atrash, but the union didn’t last very long. Samia stared in international films as well, including “Ali Baba et le quarante voleurs.” (Ali Baba and the forty thieves) She married twice in her life, but none of the marriages lasted very long either.  She died in 1994 on December 1st in Cairo, but her legacy in belly dancing lingers on.  (Source: www.bellydance.org)