Dany Bustros ( ar, داني بسترس, 8 October 1959 – 27 December 1998) was a Lebanese

belly dancer Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditio ...

and

stage actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

. She was a member of the

Bustros family The Bustros family is a prominent Lebanese Antiochian Greek Orthodox family. One of the “Seven Families”, it is one of the original Beirut families along with the descendants of Sursock, Fernaine, Dagher, Trad, Tueni and Gebeily families, who ...

, an

aristocratic Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word's ...

Beiruti family. At the height of her career she was considered to be ''"Lebanon's Leading Belly dancer"'' who had successfully combined traditional dance with western dance forms such as

Flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...

and

Modern Modern may refer to: History * Modern history ** Early Modern period ** Late Modern period *** 18th century *** 19th century *** 20th century ** Contemporary history * Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century Phil ...

Biography

Origins

Dany Bustros was born on 8 October 1959 in Beirut, to the prominent

, one of the seven original

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

aristocratic families that constituted the traditional high-society of Beirut. The Bustros family were originally estate holders and feudal lords, they later became business owners, artists and land owners throughout Lebanon.

Career

Bustros achieved acclaim for her dance revue "Boulevard de la Cité" in 1991. In 1993 she made her acting debut in the French play "Encore une minute" (One more minute). Two years later, she starred in a musical alongside Lebanese singer-composer

Melhem Barakat Melhem Barakat ( ar, ملحم بركات‎; 15 August 1945 – 28 October 2016), also known as Melhim Barakat, or Abou Majd was a Lebanese singer, songwriter, and melodist. Barakat was a well-renowned singer in Lebanon and the wider Arab wor ...

Personal tragedy and later suicide

In 1994, Bustros witnessed the drowning of her 16-year-old son George. She

attempted suicide A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying that a suicide resu ...

twice before her death in 1998. In the weeks leading up to her death, a close friend of the entertainer frequently saw her at church. When asked what was wrong, Bustros replied, "I need God".

Death

Bustros died in December 1998 at her home in Adma. The cause of death was suicide.

Cultural impact

In 2017, Lebanese singer Elissa released a music video that depicted the life of Dany Bustros. It was directed by Angy Jammal. The song's title "Aaks Elli Shayfenha", which translates to "The opposite of what you see", is supposed to shed light on depression and mental health issues.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bustros, Dany 1959 births 1998 deaths Lebanese dancers Belly dancers Lebanese socialites Eastern Orthodox Christians from Lebanon Lebanese stage actresses 1998 suicides Suicides by firearm Suicides in Lebanon