Nesma with her Company Nesma Al Andalus Danza present
Dances of Egypt
Egyptian Folk Dances
Mahmoud Reda Choreography
A tribute show with the Egyptian folk dance created by the prestigious Egyptian master Mahmoud Reda, performed by Nesma and her company.
The show was performed in the library of Alexandria in 2009 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Reda Troupe.
“The theater piece which best recreates the character of the Egyptians.”.
Ismail Serageldin. General Director of the Alexandria Library
Mahmoud Reda “founded the Reda Company in 1959 and presented his shows in the most prestigious”
“theaters around the world. He is recognized as a key artist in the cultural development of his country and of the Arab world as a whole. He was chosen in 1999 by UNESCO to read their message for International Dance Day.
This show was performed in the Alexandria Library on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Reda National Dance Company of Egypt.. The show was introduced by Mahmoud Reda and Farida Fahmy accompanied by a conference on the professional work and research of this great artist, who has been the subject of a book published by the Alexandria Library, as well as workshops, photography exhibits, folkloric costumes and more.
The New Nubia Dance from the Aswan region, the present location of Lake Nasser.
Siwa Dance from the oasis of the Western Desert.
El Hamama The Doves. Dance from Sudan.
El Assaya The Stick Dance. Saidian dance from Upper Egypt.
Layal Twal Arrows.. Muwashahah Andalusian-inspired dance
Garib Al Dar Muwashahah Andalusian-inspired dance
About Mahmoud Reda
Born on March 18, 1930 in Cairo, Egypt, Mahmoud Reda has been a pioneer in theatrical dance in the
Arab world. Dancer, actor and choreographer, he has directed hundreds of productions.
His university degree was in Economics, which he studied at the same time as participating in sport and the study of classical dance in Egypt and Paris. In 1952 he participated in the Olympic Games in Helsinki and in 1954 he joined the Argentinean Folklore Dance Company “Alfredo Alaria”, which performed various tours across Europe.
In 1959 he co-founded the “Reda Troupe” in Egypt. At the beginning they numbered only 15 people, but by the mid-60s there were over 150 members, including dancers, musicians and technicians. Their performances were inspired by popular song and folkloric dance. Thanks to his talent and creative vision, the Reda Company earned the respect of his country’s government which deemed it “a group capable of representing Egyptian folklore, in music as well as in dance.”
After the 1960s, Mahmoud Reda and the Reda Company traveled around the world performing their shows in the most prestigious theaters of the world: Stanslauski Theater (Moscow), The Carnegie Hall (New York), The Albert Hall (London), L’Olympia (Paris), La Zarzuela (Madrid), and many more.
Recognition of his talent was not long in coming. In 1967 he was awarded the Order of the Arts and Sciences by the Egyptian government, as well as by King Hussein in Jordan in 1965 and later received the Order of Tunis in 1973.
From 1982 until 1990 Reda held the position of Subsecretary of State for the Popular Arts.
Mahmoud Reda influenced numerous aspects of Arab culture within Egypt and beyond, presenting conferences and teaching workshops.
He is the author of the book In the Temple of Dance..
