The revolution started by Badia and that influenced all subsequent dancers, continued in many ways, as we have seen how Samia Gamal made her own share of innovation, not just on the choreographic level but the very performative persona of a dancer.
What would be then interesting to see how other dancers took in those innovations and built on them and developed them further.
One of those icons who would be interesting to look at her career, in the 50s and the 60s and who belongs to the pantheon of bellydance legends is Na3met Mokhtar (1932 - ). There is no information about whether she is still with us or not. But that is the case for most of film or dance icons.
Most biographies or information on her life, said that she was trained with Na3eema Abdo, who was another great impresario of bellydance, but rather on a less glamorous and less Westernized way like Badia.
Na3eema is the same dancer that trained Houriyah Mohamed and hence we can imagine her as more classical and traditional in her style and method of dancing.
Yet what is truly surprising is that Na3met, shows little of the influence of traditional training or style. She created a very specific way of movement that a lot of other dancers will try to emulate and even push in other directions.
Among her many classic performances, is the one in the film Ibn Hamido, which was produced in 1957 and is considered a classic of Egyptian Cinema. It was directed by Fatteen Abdel Wahab (1913-1972), who was a master f romantic and light comedies and who directed many other classics.
The film starred the bad boy of Egyptian Cinema then, Ahmed Ramzy, and the most famous comedian of all time Ismail Yassin and Marilyn Monroe of her time, Hind Rostom and many others.
In that scene, the two main characters of the film, Ahmed Ramzy and Ismail Yassin, are undercover agents that are trying to unravel a drug smuggling business, and so they follow around one of the members of the ring, and naturally he hangs out at nightclubs! He whoever discovers who they really are, and while they are enamoured by the charms of the bellydancer, who takes the handkerchief of one of them (Ismail Yassin) gives it to him, and he slips a piece of hash into, gives it back to her, and she in turn, returns the handkerchief with the hash "unnoticed".
This became a common motif in representing bellydancers in film, as the evil seductress who works for a villain and who uses her to set a trap for his enemies or the police who is chasing him.
We see that she took to heart some of Samia's innovation, she is wearing high heels, she cuts the space a few times, although we can feel that she is "torn" between staying centered and moving across the space, in a way that almost gives a lost or hesitant feel to her performance.
In her movement we see none of the classical or no-classical basics that Houriyah and Tahia are famous for. Her movement is not subtle, or smooth, she is almost hysterical with her movement, creating a highly rhythmic manifestation of the beat. The incessant and very fast gyrations, very quick undulations, is more reminiscent of the Ghawazee style and brings to mind more of Na3eema 3akef style of movement.
A major difference though is that Na3eema had extraordinary control of her body and a perfect sense of rhythm, making her movement not only look seamless but also effortless, while we can sense that Na3met is struggling a bit to maintain this level of control and fluidity. Her dancing is not smooth and effortless. It actually looks like a lot of work.
Many people in her time considered her one of the best dancers and even Umm Kolthoum herself used to call her a "symphony". And she would become famous for her strong isolation of the torso and fire rapid gyrations that almost look they are anticipating the beat.
There is a lot of virtuosity that Na3met brings to her performance, she is very flexible, at some point she literally bend over backwards, and her control over her fast-paced movement (although not without a visible strain) is an impressive feat.
But what remains interesting about her legacy, is not only the physical feat of doing 40 gyrations or shimmys per second, but also the element of seduction that she would become famous for.
In many of her films, she always played the role of the seductress, who lures her audience by, not only the technical virtuosity of her performance, but also by her powers of seduction, so there is also a certain facial expression, certain hints by the eyes, coded gestures by the fingers and the hands.
While Samia usually had a very consumed and tortured expression on her face or a very stylized smile that was not necessarily flirty or lurid , and Tahia a cryptic expression that never really gave away too much, Na3met uses her face, hair and even fingers, she flirts, she invites her audience to look at her not only an exceptional performer but as an attractive woman who can dance very well.
Something almost all bellydancers after her we will try to do, in a way undoing the legacy of someone like Samia or Na3eema who tried to create the persona of the serious performer and dancer, who can be pretty but can still be respected for her extraordinary artistry rather her beauty or power of seduction.
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