Karima Mansour

Karima Mansour is an internationally renowned performer, choreographer, dancer, actress, singer, and educator based in Cairo. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Cairo Contemporary Dance Center (CCDC), and the founder of MAAT Dance Company, both of which operate under the umbrella of MAAT for Contemporary Art that was also established by Karima. Karima is a graduate of the London Contemporary Dance School, where she obtained degrees in Contemporary Dance at both a bachelors and a masters level. Prior to this she also received a BA in Film from the High Institute of Cinema at the Academy of Arts in Cairo, Egypt. She has taught at the Cairo Opera Dance Theatre Company, was an Assistant Professor at the Ballet Institute of the Academy of Arts and has lectured as an Adjunct Professor of Dance in the Performance and Visual Arts Department at The American University In Cairo. Shortly after returning to Egypt from the UK, Karima founded MAAT, the first Egyptian independent dance company of its kind. It introduced its new format and re-launched in May 2018, after having grown significantly in scope and depth since its founding. Mansour through MAAT presented over 30 artistic creations, along with over 20 various collaborations in theatre and film. In 2019, Karima was chosen by the International Theatre Institute (ITI) to author the annual 'International Dance Day Message' and in the same year she was also named a 'Top 15 Inspiring Egyptian of the Decade in Arts & Culture'. In late 2021 Karima was honored by the French Ministry of Culture and given the title "Chevalier des Arts et des lettres". In addition to her dedication to MAAT and CCDC, Karima continues to work as a free-lance performer, actress, choreographer, and teacher both nationally and internationally.