'Ballerinas of Cairo': New project captures stunning ballet moments

A new Instagram account has quickly gained popularity after posting a series of stunning photos of ballerinas posing around Cairo.

Egyptian photographers Mohamed Taher and Ahmed Fathy launched Ballerinas of Cairo just nine weeks ago with the aim of exploring Cairo's beauty and diversity, according to CairoScene website.

"We wanted to create the project to explore the beauty of the city and how diverse it is, with an intention to spread the idea of shooting in the streets of Cairo," said Taher.

"We want to make this project a hub for photographers and dancers in Cairo for more art collaborations."

The photos feature ballerinas Passant Abou Pasha, Maryam al-Gebali and Nour al-Gazar perfectly performing a variety of dance moves in front of historical and modern sites  including Old Cairo's Khan al-Khalili and the medieval Islamic Citadel of Saladin.

In an interview with Egyptian newspaper el-Watan News, Taher said the project aimed to take photos of as many places in Egypt as possible, creating a new link between art and cities.

"We tried to show Egypt's beautiful side, especially with the gloomy and low-spirited mood that has prevailed recently," he added.

The young photographers also hope the project will help promote tourism in Egypt.

Taher and Fathy were inspired by The Ballerina Project, launched in 2009 by New York photographer Dane Shitagi as a "collaborative work of dance, fashion design and photography played out against the city's landscape", according to his website.