Badia Masabni

Badia Masabni
Born(1892-02-01)1 February 1892
Damascus, Syria
Died23 July 1974(1974-07-23) (aged 82)
Zahle, Lebanon
Other namesSultana, Sultanat Al-Tarab
Years active1926–1952
SpouseNaguib el-Rihani

Badia Masabni (Arabic: بديعة مصابني, born Wadiha Masabni (Arabic: وديعة مصابني; 1 February 1892 – 23 July 1974) was a belly dancer, singer, actress, night club owner and businesswoman considered as the developer of modern belly dancing,[1][2] by bringing the Western and Hollywood-esque vibe into it, after living for several years in the Americas since the age of seven.[3][4]

Masabni also became known for opening a series of influential clubs in Cairo from the 1920s onward bringing Egyptian belly dance to the Western audience and popularizing it further through Egyptian cinema. As a result of her influential casinos she is credited with training and launching the careers of many Egyptian artists, especially the belly dance's stars Samia Gamal and Taheyya Kariokka.

One of the most important bridges in Cairo, the Badia Bridge, is named after her and is located next to where she had her performance hall.

  1. ^ "Birth of Modern Raqs Sharqi, Baladi and Ghawazee (Late 1800s to 1930s) and Belly Dance". Worlddanceheritage.org. 7 May 2019. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020.
  2. ^ Rothman, Renee (2013). "From Cairo to California: A concise history of belly dance in Egypt and America". Archived from the original on 1 November 2021.
  3. ^ "بديعة مصابني.. هربت من والدتها في القطار وانفصلت عن الريحاني بسبب النوم", darelhilal
  4. ^ "Belly Dance and All You Need to Know About It". Dancelifemap. 25 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019.