I quit my job as an Emirates flight attendant to be a Belly Dancer — Now I earn £100 an hour

Lizzie Abou Chedid quit her job as Emirates cabin crew and became a belly dancer instead (Image: SWNS)

A former Emirates flight attendant from Cheshire quit her job to become a professional belly dancer and now earns £100 per hour at events. Lizzie Abou Chedid, spent nearly 10 years working as cabin crew for Emirates before the Covid-19 pandemic halted her work in Dubai.

Lizzie, from Cheshire, England, discovered belly dance at just 18. Like many young people, she loved it but life had other plans. She chose a stable, exciting career and spent nearly ten years working as a flight attendant with Emirates Airlines. The job took her around the world, gave her independence, and put her in front of people constantly. What it didn’t do was erase her love for dance.

Even while flying long-haul routes, Lizzie kept training. She trained to become a teacher and a performer. She had classes with her mentor, Lelya, on Zoom everyday, in the extra time. Looking back, she admits that aviation helped her in unexpected ways. In interviews, she’s shared how working as cabin crew builds confidence fast: you’re watched, judged, and expected to perform calmly at all times. “You learn to laugh at yourself,” she said, “and not take embarrassment too seriously.” That mindset would later become crucial on stage.

Then Covid happened.

Like thousands in aviation, Lizzie’s flying hours dropped sharply. Instead of seeing this pause as a setback, she saw an opening. She trained daily, turning a spare room into a personal studio and committing fully to belly dance. “That was it, train, train, train,” she said. Online mentoring, intense practice, and professional guidance pushed her skills to a new level.

Ironically, while the pandemic shut down many industries, it created space for her. In Dubai, a shortage of professional belly dancers emerged as performers left the country. Lizzie began getting bookings almost immediately when venues reopened. What had once been a passion quietly living alongside her career suddenly became real work.

After the birth of her son in 2021, Lizzie and her husband moved back to the UK in 2022. Shortly after, she made the decision official: she resigned from Emirates and committed fully to dance. She wasn’t sure what the scene would look like back home, but word spread fast. One recommendation led to another. Agencies noticed her. Gigs followed.

“I was immediately asked to do group gigs or bits on my own. A friend of mine recommended me to […] an agency in the UK without me knowing which was really sweet of her.

“It went from there — I’m really busy I do one to two gigs a week mostly in restaurants and so some corporate things and occasions like weddings and birthday celebrations. I absolutely love it. My husband always says to me if I’m a bit moody ‘you need to go and dance’.”

She now works part-time as a belly dancer — performing in restaurants and corporate events across Manchester and Liverpool — earning £8k-a-year which includes her teaching work.

Lizzie performs at weddings, restaurants, corporate events, and private functions across Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool, and surrounding areas. She often performs one or two gigs a week throughout the year. Alongside performing, she teaches belly dance classes, helping others build confidence, strength, and body awareness.

She’s also honest about the realities. Belly dancing isn’t instant wealth. A performance might pay up to £100, but once travel, costumes, and preparation are factored in, it’s not glamorous money. Still, for Lizzie, fulfillment matters more.

“I wouldn’t say it’s amazing pay because I don’t think anyone in performing arts is paid enough. Covid was a saving grace for me. Because we were grounded we weren’t flying as an airline and operation ground to a halt.

She often speaks about how misunderstood belly dance is — how people assume it’s “just wiggling,” when in reality it requires intense muscle control, isolation, and discipline. The body learns to move in sections, with precision and intention.

More than anything, Lizzie’s story is not about quitting a job, it’s about listening to something that never went away. She didn’t abandon responsibility; she built skill quietly, patiently, until opportunity met preparation.

Her journey reminds us that dreams don’t expire. Sometimes they simply wait for us to be ready enough, and brave enough, to choose them.