Actually, I don't believe that So'ad was ever coached by a belly dance teacher. She just danced. And because she's an Egyptian, she just knows how to dance like one and so dances like one. :-) She was probably better at it than others, just like some of us doing hip-hop are better at it than others.

Nadia Lotfi and Nabila Ebaid also just danced, although Nabila did get some coaching from some of her dancer friends when she was up for the part of some of the roles in her movies. But Nadia and Nabila, too, just naturally danced because it is part of their culture.

On a personal note.....

I have to say that we, as Western dancers trying to emulate the Egyptian dancer, seem to have a lot to say and do with comparing Egyptian dancers to Egyptian dancers. Nabila Ebeid was the one who actually made an effort to learn to dance better from her dance friends; So'ad just danced. Nadia Lotfi also just danced and has a real natural ability that is specifically her own. My apologies for coming across this way. But knowing what I now know about the Egyptian culture and the lives of many of the actresses/actors, I would never think to compare Egyptian actresses to one another with the quality of their dance, for they are the ones who were born into it and know it inside and out -- better than we do. Each dancer just dances according to how she feels within her cultural norm. So'ad Hosny was always thought of as a "song and dance" girl (actress) much like Lebleba is thought of. Nabila and Nadia were never though of that way; they were thought of as just actresses who danced occasionally in their films. Perhaps that's why you might think that So'ad looks like she made an effort to learn to dance.

I also love to watch Nadia El Guindi dance. She can really strut her stuff and because she was an actress did not feel badly about playing the part of a low life dancer. Suhair Zaki would never be caught playing a part like thatm and that's why she stopped dancing in movies. I don't think that either really had belly dance lessons either.

I think we really have to look at the dancing in Egyptian film as part of the culture and through the background of each actress/dancer. I think we also really need to talk a lot with many different Egyptians who lived during the time of these actresses/dancers and who knew/knows them personally to really get the feel of what the dance really is. ....and what it has become.