The Cairo Opera House honored the enduring legacy of Abdel-Moneim Kamel, a prominent figure in Egyptian ballet, with two gala performances on June 19 and 20, 2025. Titled Legendary Ballet Dancer, the tribute celebrated Kamel’s life and artistic achievements as a dancer, choreographer and former head of the Opera House.
The performances featured dancers from the Cairo Opera Ballet Company and musicians from the Cairo Opera Orchestra, conducted by conductor Mohamed Saad Basha. The program featured iconic sections from ballets that Kamel introduced to Egyptian audiences, including Swan Lake, The Pirate, Don Quixote, Giselle and Omar Khayrat’s The Nile. The galas also featured choreography by Erminia Kamel, the company’s current artistic director and Kamel’s wife and longtime collaborator.
Visual projections immersed the audience in Kamel’s artistic journey as violinist Hassan Sharara performed selections from Oriental Steps, composed by his father Attia Sharara. Since his death in 2013, the Opera House has held several commemorative events reflecting his enduring impact on Egypt’s cultural scene.
Often hailed as the “Spiritual Father of Egyptian Ballet,” Kamel began his career with Egypt’s first national ballet company in the 1960s. However, a devastating fire at the Khedivial Opera House in 1971 and the departure of Soviet ballet instructors derailed the company’s development. Kamel studied further in the Soviet Union, earning a doctorate in 1979 and performing internationally, including at La Scala in Milan, before returning to Egypt in the early 1980s.
In 1988, he played a key role in integrating the ballet into the newly built Cairo Opera House and re-established the company as the Cairo Opera Ballet Company. Under his leadership, the company flourished artistically and gained international recognition. Notable choreographers such as Lorca Massine and Maurice Béjart collaborated with the company. European tours, especially the production of Zorba the Greek, were highly acclaimed.
Beyond his ballet work, Kamel also served as Artistic Director of the Cairo Opera House and later as President of the National Cultural Center from 2004 to 2011. He remained deeply involved in the arts until his sudden death following a rehearsal for Swan Lake in 2013.
Remembered by his colleagues as a visionary and tireless advocate for the arts, Abdel-Moneim Kamel’s legacy lives on in Egypt’s vibrant ballet tradition, the company he rebuilt, and the generations of dancers he inspired.