ABSTRACT
A noticeable shift occurred in relation to dance education in Cairo, after the 2011 uprisings. Prior to the uprisings a clear divide in the Cairo contemporary dance scene existed between those supported by The Egyptian Ministry of Culture and those who were engaging with independent or private dance learning institutions. The overthrow of the Mubarak regime brought new possibilities and freedoms for dance education. The optimism demonstrated in Mounir Saeed's performance did not survive long within the dance environment in Cairo. In June 2013 artists dancers, choreographers, actors, musicians, directors, writers, painters occupied The Ministry of Culture demanding changes. Many of the dancers involved in this occupation were dance students and staff from the Higher Institute of Ballet and the Cairo Contemporary Dance Center. These students and staff were demanding access to dance education in Cairo, an education they had worked hard to re-imagine in the post-2011 revolutionary environment in Cairo.
