Ballet isn't a subject one would expect to be the focus of an Egyptian film, given the scarcity of the art form in the Arab World. That's what makes Egyptian director Hisham Abdel Khalek 's new project stand out.
In "A Footnote in Ballet History", Khalek is aiming to document the history of ballet's golden age in Egypt through the eyes of a pioneering dancer who helped shape it: world-renowned Egyptian ballerina Magda Saleh.
The feature-length documentary, which is currently being filmed in Egypt and the United States, will feature Saleh as she reflects on the evolution of ballet throughout the different eras in Egypt's history and the cultural changes that accompanied them, as well as her influence on the process.
Saleh studied at both Moscow's Bolshoi Academy of Ballet and Cairo's Academy of Arts, she went on to become the prima ballerina of the Cairo Ballet Company, which was established in 1966, and the founding director of the Cairo Opera House.
During her ballet career, Saleh performed with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, as well as represented Egypt on the International Dance Council, which is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world.
She also performed and played a role in the Egyptian film "Ibnati Al-Aziza" in 1971, alongside iconic Egyptian actor Roshdy Abaza and Egyptian singer and actress Najat Al-Saghira.
However, the documentary will not only highlight Saleh's professional career but her life story as well, including her time in New York where she has lived for years and her passion for Egyptology, one she shares with her husband, American Egyptologist Jack Josephson.
"A pioneer, a feminist and an artist, she witnessed and helped shape the history of ballet in Egypt and its influence abroad. Her colleagues and students will speak about her legacy today and how she influenced their art and careers," read the message for the documentary's Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, which Khalek started to complete the budget for the film.
The film will also include a special performance by Broadway dancer Peter Chursin, which will reflect through dance the different stages of the ballerina's career and life, choreographed by Saleh herself.