Bio

Outi stepped into the world of Egyptian dance in 1992. What started out as a fun experiment soon turned into a lifelong passion. She was captivated by the new sounds and the beautiful, yet incredibly challenging movements. As her commitment to Oriental dance grew, she became an active member of the Finnish Masrah Dance Company, which performs both Egyptian cabaret style and different folkloric dances of the North Africa and the Middle East. Highlights with Masrah include several theater productions, as well as participation in dance festivals in China, Cyprus and Egypt. All the while she performed as a soloist in diverse venues and events in Finland.

Curiosity about the work opportunities in Egypt and the desire to take her dance to the next level resulted in Outi's arrival in Cairo in 2005. The transition turned out to be a success both artistically and professionally. She has already appeared on highly esteemed stages such as Sheraton Cairo, Nile Maxim, Marriott and Citystars, Heliopolis. She and her orchestra also perform in weddings and other private parties. Work
engagements have taken her to Alexandria, Hurghada, Sinai, to mention a few.

Occasionally the Egyptian television needs a beautiful exotic face, a rare quality which landed Outi in a commercial. She has also appeared in instructional DVDs for Mahmoud Reda and Raqia Hassan, both of whom have been a great influence on her dancing.

Outi has produced a CD, Al Amoura, featuring music from her show, a project which she took great pride in.

Dancing in Cairo means being in charge of an entire production, which is a complex artistic collaboration with musicians, choreographers, costume makers and more. But it also means being close to the roots of the phenomenon called bellydance.

"I have learned so much", says Outi, "about musical interpretation, the layers within Arabic music, interaction with the audience, the meaning of the dance itself. In fact, just being here among the people of Egypt has further opened my eyes and ears to this form of expression. They live from the heart. That's how we must
dance."