Egypt’s first prima ballerina Magda Saleh dies aged 78

Egypt’s first-ever prima ballerina Magda Saleh died early on Sunday aged 78  in the Egyptian capital Cairo, state-run Ahram newspaper reported.

A number of public figures as well as the Cairo Opera House and the Academy of Arts in Egypt mourned her death in official online posts and statements to the local media.

Saleh was one of the first ballerinas to enrol in the newly-established Higher Ballet Institute, affiliated with the Academy of Arts. 

In 1963, Saleh was among only five women ballet students offered scholarships to study at the Bolshoi Ballet Company in Russia.

Upon returning, the Cairo Ballet Company held a performance of Boris Asafiev’s Fountain of Bakhchisarai in which Saleh starred.  

Saleh's contribution to the cultural and artistic scene in Egypt became even more prominent after she held several top positions in notable arts bodies, including the dean of the Higher Institute of Ballet and the director of the Cairo Opera House during the early 1980s.

The iconic ballerina moved to the US during the 1990s, residing in New York City and continued to visit Egypt regularly until her death.

The burial service of Saleh will be held later on Sunday at the family’s cemetery in Giza province, west Cairo.