After years of silence, Egypt’s Latin dance community is finally speaking up against the horrors they face. It started with just one student’s video to open the floodgates, and suddenly, more women came forward with their personal stories of harassment and abuse of power.
At the center of it all is Latin dance instructor M.A, who isn’t just facing an isolated case, but several stories that reveal a pattern that has driven many women away from a community and an art form they once loved.
The Core of the Crisis
The sheer number of statements now makes it impossible to ignore how often professional boundaries were crossed. For years, newcomers were quietly warned about the man, but nothing changed. He kept teaching, and the cycle persisted.
The matter was publicly known when a dancer shared a video that was shared on the Latin women support page @latinwomensupport.egypt of the man clearly touching her inappropriately mid-dance.
Several women later made it clear that this behavior wasn’t rare; it was common, and it left real damage in its wake.
Women have shared serious experiences from both private and group lessons, describing unwelcome contact, aggressive physical behavior, and pure sexual assault during rehearsals.
Whenever students tried to speak up or set boundaries, they were met with manipulation. They were told this kind of contact was just part of the dance.
Excuses like “This is how you learn body connection” or “This is how you understand the space between partners” were thrown around to cover up what was actually harassment.
The problem didn’t end in the studio. Students and dance partners say they were often filmed during class demos without ever being asked, and some weren’t even aware they were being filmed.
Once these videos went online, some women in them faced backlash and stress at work, while the instructor only gained publicity. For many victims, the impact was heavy. They were left doubting themselves and feeling as if they had lost control of their own bodies in a space that was supposed to be safe.
As more people spoke out, the man tried to defend himself by saying the videos were taken out of context and claiming he had a past consensual relationship with the first victim.
Major dance institutions, organizers, and studios across Egypt acted quickly to cut ties with the man and protect their students. their students.
Establishments and platforms, including Adams Dance Studio, Alma Latina, Loca Latina, SoulMotion Studio, GDF Festival, Brass Monkeys, and more, have all issued immediate bans and zero-tolerance statements.
They have come together to ban him from future classes, events, and socials, making it clear that no amount of talent is worth more than student safety and honesty.
Dance Is Not the Lone Sport Here
This issue isn’t limited to dance. It happens in other art forms and sports where physical contact is part of the activity.
One example that was recently reported on was the case of a female tourist who was diving in Hurghada and was also inappropriately touched by her Egyptian trainer.
The video showed the trainer touching her inappropriately underwater in Hurghada. She posted it on Instagram, and it quickly went viral in March.
And without even seeing videos online, several women, and children even, face many unwanted physical contacts in sports and dancing classes by their trainers and coaches, and are gaslit into thinking this is normal.
The Accountability Era Must Stay
Dance is a vulnerable and intimate space built on trust between partners. When an instructor abuses that trust, it goes beyond being unprofessional. It violates a space that should always feel safe.
The current show of solidarity matters, but the truth is, people knew. Testimonies ask how someone with a history of being banned from clubs and spaces kept being allowed back in. For too long, the community relied on private warnings, while institutions chose convenience and popularity over safety.
