Fantasia ..... bigger and better

Bigger and Better:Fantasia Festival 22/23rd Feb 2025

About Oxana Bazaeva
Ossetians or Ossettes are an Iranian ethnic group of the Caucasus mountains.  They speak Ossetic, an Eastern Iranian language and speak fluent Russian.  (Thus says Wikipedia) Parts are within the Russian federation and it is a place of outstanding beauty, much like its current import to Cairo:  Oxana Bazaeva
Oxana is our Fantasia Cairo Star in February 2025
This article is adapted and updated from one written by Kay Taylor in 2019.

I run specialist bellydance trips and  my 'Cairo nightlife' trip is for hardcore bellydancers.  Those that want to visit different venues and see lots of dance shows all through the night.  Not for the feint hearted as some don't dance until 5 or 6am.  On one particular night we went to the VIP cabaret on the Giza corniche to see Oxana Bazaeva.  We knew she didn't dance until 6am so were prepared for a long night.
At about 3am we were delighted to recognise Shahrzad take to the stage.  She came over to say hello then we watched her working the audience.  Cabaret is so different to performing your own show in a restaurant or boat setting.  She has a gorgeous quality about her dance and a statuesque presence.  That woke us up but by 6am we were flagging.
 When Oxanas band stared and she entered the stage, the atmosphere was electric.  She has a way of drawing your attention and pulling you in.  'You came' she shouted delightedly to us.  I had let her know we would be there ..... but not many dancers last out until this time.  We watched in amazement as she was showered with money from around the stage, her singer shouting encouragement to the punters.  Oxana took the microphone and introduced us to everyone as 'her English friends'.  She danced the next few numbers exclusively for us.  She melted in Maoud and sizzled with energy in her shaabi number.  Sitting near us was a Saudi prince (apparently).  He threw lots of money and sent a pile of money over to our table for the girls to throw on Oxana.  What an experience.  We were all blown away by Oxanas performance, her skill, her musicality, her warmth and the way she engaged her audience.

A few days later I met Oxana and grilled her about her route to fame.  There was an International Folklore week when she was at school and one of her teachers performed some bellydance.  Oxana was spellbound .... but slightly shocked.  The small town in which she lived was quite conservative..  Oxana carried the image of bellydance with her and started to listen to music and dance.  She became part of a folklore troupe and when she was 15 they incorporated a bellydance tableau for her to show off her dance.  She discovered Elena Ramazanova who was president of the league of bellydance masters in Russia - and had worked as a professional dancer in Cairo.  Oxana travelled to study with Elena and eventually moved to Moscow to continue dancing.  She worked as an economist and danced as a hobby ..... building up her dance and working in several restaurants until eventually she gave up the day job.  Under Elenas mentorship she entered a competition in Moscow.  Dina was one of the judges and Oxana won the competition.  Dina invited her to take part in 'El Rakassa' a televised bellydance competition in Cairo.

Filming took place over two months.  Oxana loved Cairo and loved dancing with a band.  She said the audiences were amazing in the way they responded to the music and to the performers.  She described herself as a 'child in a sweet shop', soaking up all the Cairo experiences.  The passion and expression that the Egyptian women gave to the dance and music enthralled her.  The love/hate relationship that many Egyptians have with the dance fascinated her.  Oxana came 4th in the competition - but it launched her on national television.  Offers of work flew in.  She was a celebrity.
Oxana went back home sizzling with inspiration.  She didn't feel ready to take the plunge and work in Cairo yet but by 2015 she agreed to perform at a New Years party in Cairo and stayed for two weeks.  The hotel made her papers to allow her to perform legally and worked at the VIP nightclub.
 

What does your family think?  I asked.
Oxana has a mother and three sisters.  Oxana is the eldest.  Her younger sister is married with two children and lives in the States.  Her youngest two sisters are twins - and she proudly showed me photos.  All have visited her in Cairo.  Oxanas mother loves to watch her dance but feels sad for the unsociable hours and sees what a hard life it is to be a dancer in Cairo.

Where would you like to be in a few years time?  I asked.
Oxana does want a family - but not yet.  She would love her own venue with a stage where people come to see the show, listen to the music and enjoy the artistry of the dance.  And earlier ..... not 6am!
So - I interviewed Oxana in 2019 when she was still working at the VIP cabaret.  Since then she has worked at other cabarets and also found a venue at the 5 star Fairmont hotel where she can produce her own show and has a different clientele to the cabarets.  She is in demand to perform at weddings and is one of Cairos top paid dancers.  Girl power indeed!

Study with the fabulous Oxana Bazaeva at Fantasia in February 2025.  
Only 14 Superstar Packages left.  3 x 2 hour workshops in our main hall.  1 x 2 hour workshop with limited numbers exclusive to Oxana package holders.  Your wrist band allows you access to Oxanas workshops without queuing.  You also get access to watch the open stage, the tabla competition and to our amazing Gala show on the evening.
Or book individual workshops with Oxana.
Oxana is not only an amazing performer, she is also an excellent and generous teacher - don't miss this opportunity.

Book your workshops or Oxana superstar package here.

fantastic workshops to choose from
different amazing teachers
days – all of these across two days
afternoon Open Stage
Live Tabla solo competition
 evening Gala show with our fabulous teachers and our Cairo star:  Oxana Bazaeva

All our Fantasia workshops are now on line.  We have some non dance options:
Drumming with Joelle
Bellydancers on Film: talk with Yasmina of Cairo
As well as amazing dance classes with:
Oxana Bazaeva
Levana
Khaled Mahmoud
Yasmina of Cairo
Katie Alyce
Jamilah Aziz
Dorte Evelyn
Joanne Miller
Tevec Ibrahim
Naama Gelber
Moyra Banks
Kay Taylor

Find out more about Fantasia

Fantasia is the longest running festival in the UK.  We have hosted amazing dancers over the years.  From top Cairo stars to new names on the dance scene who are already making themselves known.
Last time we moved to a new venue:  Conway Hall, Holborn, London.  Everyone who joined us loved it so we are back at Conway Hall for 2025.  We are keeping a similar format.  Classes in the main hall and library through the day.  The main hall then hosts the Open stage AND NEW for 2025, a live tabla solo competition.  Our drummer is the amazingly talented Joelle Barker.  
Bookings to perform on the open stage and to enter the tabla competition will open at the end of September.  Anyone who has booked two or more workshops at Fantasia will be emailed and given the chance to book first.  
So, book your workshops NOW!
Gala show tickets are on sale now - we can look forward to an amazing show - and of course the final of our BellyDance Now International Challenge.  You get to vote for the peoples choice award.
EVEN BETTER - Fantasia is now over 2 days.  Saturday and Sunday.  More workshops, more dance, more fun!  
Our 'Festival hotel' is the Premier Inn - a 2 minute walk from the venue.  Great bars and restaurants nearby.
22/23rd February 2025

For our Fantasia timetable and workshop descriptions, click here

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE SONGS YOU DANCE TO MEAN?
Join Yasmine, Egyptian singer and translator, to break down a famous Ahmed Adaweya song.  Yasmine has been offering a translation service to dancers since lockdown.  
This is on Zoom Sunday 29th September 2024:   5 - 6pm (UK time)  Live only.

Click here to find out more and join Yasmine

Dance Joy is a fabulous festival held in Yorkshire.  It is not run by BDN but we love to support other events around the country and are delighted to offer a ticket to the Gala show as a prize for some lucky dancer.  An amazing line up of performers.  The winner of the Gala show ticket will be announced in the next newsletter.  www.dancejoy.co.uk 