It hasn't been difficult to spot a trend in recent cultural production tacking the revolution onto everything. Seemingly, the assumption is that if a work is produced in 2011 about Egypt, it must touch upon the 25 January revolution. Relating works to the revolution is an easy way to attract attention, yet the about-face made by some institutions aligned with the former regime raises reasonable suspicion. The process of collective history writing is in full-force, and nowhere is this more obvious than in “The Pyramids and the Revolution” ballet at the Cairo Opera House. In an adaptation of famed choreographer Maurice Bejart's 1990 ballet “Pyramide,” the revolution makes for a blockbuster ending in glorified tribute to Egyptian history. The plot line of “Pyramids” goes basically as expected, with segments devoted to the pharaohs, the Greeks, Coptic Egypt, Islamic Egypt, the invasion of Napoleon, Modern Egypt and finally the 25 January revolution. It weaves in historical characters, such as Alexander the Great and Om Kalthoum, along the way. Each segment stylistically represents the period it depicts in terms of costume and dance, with music from New Age flutes for the pharaohs and Beethoven's 9th Symphony for Napoleon. The pharaohs appear contemplative and mystical, but dance in jerky angled poses - not surprising, perhaps, for a depiction of a culture we know mostly from hieroglyphs. The Greeks are the most vigorous and exciting, although they maintain the ancient Egyptians' odd propensity for putting their arms and legs at right angles. As for the Christians, they are incongruously represented by dancers, dressed in 16th century monks and nuns clothes, acting out the story of the crucifixion to the tune of Mozart's Requiem. Written not long after Bejart's own conversion to Islam, the ballet pays homage to both Egypt and Islam with the segment on Islamic Egypt featuring a devotional dance that makes for the most soulful moment of the work. The addition of the Christian segment in this new interpretation can be seen as an attempt to tone down the emphasis on Islam as the guiding force in the development of Egyptian civilization. The original ballet would have ended in "Modern Egypt," carrying on this theme with a dancing Om Kalthoum emerging amid a sea of short-skirted girls as the prevailing voice of Muslim enlightenment. “Despite the wars, dissidences, lack of understanding and prevailing materialism, Islam continues its march toward light,” reads the program notes. The notes for the late-edition Christian segment simply state: “Christian religion has appeared in Egypt, and a lot of Egyptians believe in it.” “The Pyramids and the Revolution” is the story of the glory of the ancient world, carried forward by the splendor of Islam. But what is made clear is that Egypt now has a new myth. Six months since it began, the 25 January revolution is already portrayed as the great, triumphant culmination of thousands of years of history. For the final act, the full company emerges to the tune of Shostakovich's 7th Symphony, and white-clad dancing revolutionaries spar with each other, fall, dance in synchronization, and eventually unravel a long, rippling Egyptian flag, washing themselves in the flowing cloth as if it's the Nile, just as cleansing and pure as in ancient times. The ballet functioned in its original form as a portrayal of the history of the country in full “Om al-Dunya” (Mother of the World) glory, showing Egypt as the original source of knowledge and enlightenment. This latest version makes a nod toward cultural diversity by including the Christian scene while framing the revolution as the ultimate ending to Egypt's glorious history, thereby becoming a new form of nationalist propaganda. New books about the revolution emerge weekly, and the Supreme Council of Antiquities will soon release an exhibition - to travel the globe - commemorating the 25 January uprising. Before new elections have been held, with protests and clashes with police again taking over the streets, the great organs of cultural production from The American University in Cairo Press to the Cairo Opera House are already erecting monuments to solidify the latest Egyptian myth. It makes for a convenient ending to a history like the one presented in “The Pyramids and the Revolution.” But while it is fascinating to watch myth-making in action, it is fair to question the motivations of institutions that a few months ago were closely aligned with a regime protesters sought to topple. And whatever their motivations, it seems premature to give this particular story an ending so soon. The Pyramids and the Revolution is shown until 9 July at the Cairo Opera House Main Hall. The show starts at 8 pm and is closed on Friday.
