Dina Talaat

Dina
Born	Dina Talaat Sayed Muhammad (1965-03-27) March 27, 1965 Rome, Italy
Nationality	Egyptian
Alma mater	Ain Shams University
Occupation	Belly dancer, actress
Years active	1985–present (dancer) 1987–present (actress)
Spouse(s)	Sameh El Bagoury Hossam Abol Fotouh Wael Abo Hussein
Children	Ali El Bagoury
Website	www.dinadancer.com www.instagram.com/dinadancerofficial

Dina Talaat Sayed Muhammad (Arabic: دينا طلعت سيد محمد‎‎; born March 27, 1965), IPA: [ˈdiːnæ ˈtˤɑlʕɑt ˈsæjjed mæˈħæmmæd]; 1964) is an Egyptian belly dancer and actress. She was named as the "Last Egyptian Dancer" by the American magazine Newsweek. She has a master's degree in Philosophy.

Personal life

She was born in Rome, Italy. Her father was the news correspondent for the Middle East News Agency in Rome. Her sister Rita is a retired singer. At age 16, Dina became depressed after her young fiancé committed suicide and she unsuccessfully attempted to kill herself. She earned a master's degree in philosophy from Ain Shams University at the insistence of her father. Her first marriage was unhappy and ended in divorce in 1998. She then married director Sameh El Bagoury, the father of her son Ali. After El Bagoury's death from a brain tumour in 2001, she secretly married Hossam Abol Fotouh.It was rumored that she would retire, but she returned to her career. She is now married to the Egyptian businessman Wael Abo Hussein.

Career

Dina started her career in the early 1970s, dancing with the Reda Dance Troupe. She became a solo dancer in the 1980s and soon became well known. In the 1990s she became known for her dancing at hotels like the Cairo Sheraton where she shocked Egyptian society by eschewing the traditional bellydance costume for shorts and a bikini. In addition to public performances at hotels and resorts, Dina also dances for private functions. As of 2007, she charged around 7,000 Egyptian pounds to appear at weddings. In 2005, she travelled to Brazil to teach belly dance workshops.

In 2011, she released an autobiography entitled Huriati Fi Al Raqs (My Freedom in Dancing). Because of the 2011 Egyptian revolution it did not sell well in Egypt, but the French-language edition Ma liberté de danser (2011) was more successful.

Filmography

• El-Kammasha (1987)
• En-Nasib Maktoub (1987)
• Ginan fi Ginan (1990)
• Al-Ghashim (1991)
• Albaree wa al-Gallad (1991)
• Esteqalet Gaber (1992)
• Mazbahet al-Shorafaa (1992)
• Demo Sahebat Al-Galala (1992)
• Al-Mansi (1993) - Guest of Honour
• Qshr el-Bondoq (1995)
• Estakoza (1996)
• Ibn Ezz (2001)
• Alaya el-Tarab bet-Talata (2007)
• Elbelyatsho (2007)
• Maganin Nos Kom (2007)
• Ezbet Adam (2009)
• Wlad Al Balad (2010)
• Shari' Al Haram (2011)

Television

• Rod Qalbi (1998)
• Fereska (2004)
• Raya Wi Sekeena (2007)
• Romanet el-Mizan (2008)
• Al Ashrar (2009)
• Samasim (2009)
• Zahra Bareyya (2009)
• Khas Gedan (2009)
• Waad Mesh Maktoub (2009)
• Qeshta We Asal (2013)

Theatre

• Alabanda (1995)

Bibliography

• Dina Talaat, Ma liberté de danser: la dernière danseuse d'Égypte (My Freedom to Dance), Michel Lafon, January 2011 ISBN 9782749913629