Mahmoud Reda Mohamed Reda was an Egyptian dancer, choreographer, and gymnast known for competing at the 1952 Summer Olympics and later co-founding the Reda Troupe.
12 Facts About Mahmoud Reda
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Mahmoud Reda was the eighth of ten children and his father was the head librarian at Cairo University.
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Mahmoud Reda's elder brother Ali was a dancer and through his influence, Mahmoud became interested in dance.
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Mahmoud Reda originally trained as a gymnast, representing Egypt in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.
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Mahmoud Reda attended Cairo University where he received a degree in political economics.
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Mahmoud Reda joined the Heliolido Club in Cairo, where he met Anglo-Egyptian baladi dancer Farida Fahmy, who became his dancing partner.
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Mahmoud Reda's choreography combined traditional Egyptian folk dances with Western styles like ballet.
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Mahmoud Reda stepped down as the principal dancer of the troupe in 1972, but still continued choreographing and directing performances.
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In 1990, Mahmoud Reda retired as director of the Mahmoud Reda Troupe.
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Mahmoud Reda married Farida Fahmy's elder sister Nadeeda Fahmy in 1955.
11.
Mahmoud Reda served as the costume designer for the Reda Troupe until her death from rheumatic heart disease in 1960.
12.
Mahmoud Reda's second wife was a Yugoslavian ballet dancer, with whom he had a daughter, Shereen.