Bellydance & Its Styles
Women throughout the Middle East have been using dance to celebrate all that is uniquely feminine for centuries. For thousands of years, subtle yet powerful feminine movements were used through dance to teach young girls about womanhood and to prepare their bodies for the role of a woman, especially childbirth and motherhood. Other times were cause for celebrating, like marriage or pregnancy, these were times the older generations could share their wisdom and knowledge. Many of these celebrations were women only.
Through the nomads, these first dance movements spread throughout India, Asia, North Africa and Europe. Now the variety of dance styles that have come from these traditional dances, have come to be known in the West as Belly Dance, a term that evolved in San Francisco in 1889.
Middle Eastern dance has seen many changes, growing from a ritual activity for women, into an art form, used for entertainment and performance. This dance was created by women for women and no other dance celebrates womanhood as this wonderful dance does. For every woman, regardless of age, shape and size, can connect to their own natural beauty and express this in a healthy and positive way.Endorphins are released whilst dancing, which heals stress, building confidence in the self and balancing the body, mind and soul.
Belly dance teaches women to accept their bodies and celebrate their uniqueness!!!
• Middle Eastern Dance
This umbrella term includes belly dance, among other forms. Some people consider it a more prestigious title than belly dancing. While this term acknowledges the culture that historically has had the strongest association with belly dance, it fails to recognise the many other cultures which form and influence the world of belly dancing today.
• Egyptian Raks Al-Sharqi
This Egyptian term means Dance of the Easterner — one preferred by some American and Egyptian dancers.
• Danse du Ventre
This is the French phrase for belly dance meaning dance of the solar plexus or vent (ventre referring to the belly area), where all the nerve endings come together in the diaphragm. When the dance was presented at the Chicago World's fair in 1893, the world was deep into a period of art history known as the Orientalist era. Traveling European painters and writers brought home fascinating descriptions and illustrations of the Orient, mesmerising the west with human curiosity. Danse Du Ventre — or dance of the belly — was the name given to this dance, witnessed in a predominately Muslim world.
• Dance Oriental or Oryantal Dansi
This term often was used in Greek night clubs. The name arose from the traditional Turkish term Oryantal, which referred to the area now known as the Middle East, but once commonly called the orient. To the western ear this sounds a bit confusing because the orient is thought of as being Asia. In past ages these geographical boundaries and associations were drawn very differently from where they are now. For instance, more Roman ruins can be found in North Africa than in present day Rome.
AL JEEL
(Pronounced "ahl JEEL".) This refers to a style of music popular in Egypt today, which is representative of the students and more mobile youth of Egyptian cities. It's a reaction to Western influence, to new technology, and the universal need of young people to get up and dance. The al jeel style first emerged in the mid-1980's. Like city kids everywhere, the young Egyptians wanted their own music, and they wanted it fast and danceable. Lyrics are variously about love or country, and rarely stray into more sensitive areas. Vocalists who are representative of the al jeel style include Amr Diab, Hanan, Ehab, Mohamed Moneer, Khedr, and Adel El Musree. A CD that includes several excellent examples of al jeel music is Yalla Hitlist Egyp.
AMERICAN CLASSIC STYLE
This style describes the belly dance performed and cultivated by American women, since about the early 1970s. It developed out of the rich collation of cultures in the American melting pot, especially in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. Immigrants brought belly dancing from Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Central Asia, Lebanon, Israel, Armenia, The Balkans, Persia, Iraq, India, and Africa. All these cultures have their own unique customs, traditions, languages, foods, music, and dances, yet each recognized some form of the belly dance as a part of their heritage. In the less conservative American environment, the dance began to flower into its full potential. The American style of belly dance incorporated cultures from around the globe and added its own liberating trademarks. One of these trademarks was the steady development of the gymnastic use of the veil within the dance. Another was a wider stance and bolder use of space than in the Middle East. The American Classic style began spreading all over the world, even circling back to influence dance in the Middle East. Egyptian dance businesses flourished to meet the enjoyment of the western woman’s love of this dance. This dance intrinsically belongs to every woman, so it easily transcends all borders.
AMERICAN TRIBAL BELLY DANCE
A style developed by the great matriarch of the dance Jamila Salimpour, and manifested through her dance troupe, Bal-Anat. Jamila is often called the mother of belly dance in America. While this form of the dance included elements of Middle Eastern and North African dance styles, it was full of a good deal of old-fashioned show biz theatrics. Introduced in the 1970s, it quickly defined itself as a wildly popular American style. American Tribal Belly Dance performances might include the balancing of swords and other props, snake dances, and folk line-dances. Costuming is distinctive with black and silver asuit, and facial drawings to simulate tribal tattoos. The tribal musical instruments used here include a variety of hand drums, zornas, miz mar, and saz. A later offshoot of the American Tribal troupe, spearheaded by Carolena Nericcio is called “Fat Chance Belly Dance”. It has a distinctive and colorful, costumed character of its own by use of choli tops from India, tightly wrapped turbans, Afghan jewelry and camel tassels. Carolena’s brand of Tribal belly dance, innovated a unique cooperative method of spontaneous group choreography.
AMERICAN GYPSY STYLE (not to be confused with Romany Gypsy Dances)
The Romany people (Rom) migrated from north India’s province of Rajistan in 1000 AD. Generation after generation, they traveled all over the world with their crafts, music and dance trades, picking up a little of this and that from the cultures they encountered. This dance is reflective of what many call “gypsy style.” However, in America this style of dance is very eclectic. The Turkish Gypsies belly dance topless in the famous Sulukele district of Istanbul (which offends the sensibilities of dancers who are struggling to overcome sexist images of the dance and gain wholesome acceptability).
The American version of Gypsy style belly dance fuses many dance flavours together. The Spanish/Moorish influence manifests as “Zambra,” a form of flamenco employed by belly dancers, along with Indian Kathak, Turkish Gypsy, folk dance, American spunk, vamp, and imagination. Typical costume characteristics include large, full, colorful skirts, fringe scarves on hips, flowing sleeves and Moorish art accents.
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN PHARAONIC STYLE
These are dances that use stylistic costumes depicting a time in history and are inspired by the study of Ancient Egyptian art, ritual, symbols, Gods and Goddesses, hieroglyph, and the use of creative imagination. Laurel Victoria Gray and Delilah have done much with this style in a featured production of “Egypta” in 1997 and 2003. Delilah’s solo role as “Hathor” and “Cleopatra” in 1997, as well as her depiction of “Isis” in the video “
Dance to the Great Mother” in 1981 also exemplify this belly dance style.
BAUCH TANZ
Bellydance in Germany experienced a surge in the 1970s via a German male belly dancer and instructor named Bert Baladine who was living in America at the time. Interest developed quickly and the revival brought an acceptance of the dance as both exercise and art form. German women began following the lead of their American counterparts to develop the art in as many sub-styles as America: Fantasy, el Raks Sharki, Modern Egyptian, American Classic, Turkish. . . Unlike the common American belly dance venues of ethnic restaurants and hotel banquet stages, the Germans more often choose to present the dance in traditional theatres. They developed beautiful, commercial-quality trade magazines, schools, concerts, cabarets, touring networks for teachers and performers. Many accomplished American belly dancers have toured in Germany.
BELEDI OR RAKS BELEDI: (pronounced “BE-LE-DEE”, spelt Belady, Beladi, Baladi) means “of the country”. A Beledi dance is performed to earthy music. Often the Beledi rhythm and the Saidi rhythm are played interchangeably. A Beledi dance from the region of Cairo includes vocals, and may involve a question-and-answer play between two instruments or between the vocals and the instruments. Beledi music is used specifically for a dance known as the Melaya Leff (pronounced “ME-LIE-AH LEF”). This dance is from Alexandria, Egypt. A melaya itself is a large, black shawl made of nylon or silk, in which the women wrap themselves completely from head to toe. For the stage, the melaya is trimmed with gold or silver pailettes. The word leff simply means “to wrap”. Under the melaya, the dancer wears a form-fitting dress that is short, ruffled and bright in color. She dons open-toed slippers with high heels called ship-ship, and on her head she ties a small scarf decorated with pompons or flowers. Also worn is a crocheted face-veil known as a burr’oh. The melaya is draped upon the body, and during the dance it slips off and is re-wrapped time and again.
BELLY DANCE FUSION
This dance style mixes recognisable traditions, themes, costuming, or music used to construct the dance performance. In today’s modern world, we are more globally influenced. The veiled boundaries between people and ideas are quickly falling away. This style can incorporate, Indian, Latin, Asian, African, Modern and much more.
BOLLYWOOD
Bollywood is the name given to the Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. Bollywood films are usually musicals. Few movies are made without at least one song-and-dance number. The plots are often melodramatic. The dancing in Bollywood films, especially older ones, is primarily modeled on Indian dance: classical dance styles, dances of historic northern Indian courtesans (tawaif), or folk dances. In modern films, Indian dance elements often blend with Western dance styles. The heroine will often perform with a troupe of supporting dancers. It's fun and very expressive and there's a lot of deep meaning behind music in the films. You can actually express what the music means, through the graceful movements of the body. Costuming ranges from the classical, heavily embroidered Lahenga Choli with traditional ornaments to more modern style, salwar kameez consisting of trousers gathered at the ankle, and a three-quarterlength embroidered tunic with a dupatta shawl.
CABARET /NIGHT CLUB STYLE
This dance was most often called Cabaret style in the U.S., until it was noted that in Europe, the term connotes an X-rated club or performance. Now, dancers usually default to the term “Night Club” belly dancing. In the U.S., the term “cabaret” meant an ethnic family restaurant and bar, largely and colorfully supported by ethnic clientele. Belly dancers usually perform a multi-faceted routine, sometimes on a raised stage (to afford the audience a better view) and most often to live musical accompaniment. The musical instruments might include oud, bazooki, keyboards, drums, violin, kanoon and vocals. Costumes are flashy and sparkling, with beads and sequins rather than the heavy, woven, embroidered, coined look of tribal costuming. Often the establishment sports a large dance floor for public participation in folk dancing and free style dancing to traditional ethnic music, or to Middle Eastern pop disco
DANDIA
(Sticks dance) – This is a folk dance form of Gujarat State situated in the Western part of India. Dandia dance is performed by a group who move in circles to measure steps, making time by sticks called dandia. The sticks of the dance represent the sword of Durga. The performers wear traditional dresses such as colorful embroidered choli, ghagra and bandhani dupattas dazzling with mirror work and heavy jewellery.
DEBKE
(Pronounced "DEB kee".) This is a folk dance native to Lebanon. It involves intricate footwork, and often some squats, and is done to folkloric music. The upper body is held in a proud, upright posture with minimal movement.
FANTASY BELLY DANCE
This could involve many other titles of belly dance as a motif: Gothic, Goddess, Space Age, Animals and mythic creatures, Fairy tales or myth. . . whatever is fantastic, outside of reality or tradition, and evolving from imagination. The movements are recognisably connected to the vocabulary of belly dance. Extravagant costuming and props and back drops figure heavily into the act as does thematic content. Sheharazade, who is based in Germany, is of this style. As is the San Francisco dance troupe called “Ultra Gypsy.”
FELLAHIN
(pronounced “FE-LAH-HEEN”), who are the farmers of Egypt. A Fellahi dance uses a rhythm that is quick, light and very similar to the malfoof rhythm. Often a festive shimmy and fast-paced celebration dance. They use pots or doffs (tambourine) whilst dancing. The music always includes vocals, and the dance movements follow those vocals. A Fellahi dance depicts the everyday work of the farmers, such as gathering food in a basket and collecting water in jugs. The costuming for women includes a loose, long dress that is ruffled at the bottom and very wide, along with a veil worn on the head. Sometimes a long scarf is worn around the neck, which she may tie around her hips during the dance to make her hip movements more visible.
FLAMENCO
Flamenco dancing is one of the three integral parts of the art of flamenco. The flamenco came from Andalusia in what is now Spain, influenced heavily by the local gypsy population, the Gitanos. Large amounts of the musical stylings and dance movements of flamenco come from the Jewish tradition, as well as from Moorish culture.
Flamenco dancing appears to have it’s origins in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Originally the dancing was set to no music, only singing and toque de palmas, the clapping of hands. Flamenco dancing may be of different styles depending on the intention of the dance —- whether it is to entertain, to pursue a lover or to comfort those in need. Flamenco dancing is an incredibly emotive dance style, with the dancer always striving to express his or her emotions through movement. While flamenco dancing, the dancer may clap their hands, kick their feet, snap castanets (small handheld percussive instruments), or jerk their body abruptly to demonstrate the desired emotion.. Ruffled skirts and dresses, shawls, fans, castanets are some of the costuming of flamenco dancers
Elements such as the deep-seated plie, outturned leg position, sharp angles of the body and arms, splayed fingers, rapid barrel turns and, most certainly, the percussive foot movements are all evident in flamenco dance.
There is almost no similarity between flamenco and Middle Eastern dance. Even the open-knee hip movements of flamenco are attributed to the African influence from the colonies and/or Indian dance. Ruffled skirts and dresses, shawls, fans, castanets are some of the costuming of flamenco dancers
GIDDHA
The most favorite dance of Punjabi women and it is danced at weddings, birth of a child, the spring festival and other happy occasion. This thrilling and pleasing dance consists of springing, clapping, performance of folklore and pure dance. The dance is accompanied by a drum or pitcher beating or may be performed to the rhythm of clapping.
GHAWAZEE
The Ghawazee were one of the most famous dancing tribes in Egypt. The Ghawazee were said to be different in appearance from the rest of the Egyptians and were considered by many to be the most beautiful women in Egypt. The Ghawazee lived in settlements of tents and huts in Upper Egypt. The tribe always traveled around from city to city, attending fairs and going to troupe camps. Ghawazee women danced in the streets, usually passing the tambourine after their shows. While the men of the tribe played instruments, the women danced, accompanying themselves with finger cymbals. They had the prestige of being the most well-known dancers in Egypt. They were among Egypt’s most fortunate citizens. Their economic structure allowed their women to acquire considerable wealth, fame and good marriages. The rich Ghawazee dressed in silk and wore necklaces, anklets, heavy gold bracelets, and coins across their foreheads. Sometimes they wore a nose ring. Both men and women blackened their eyes with kohl and hennaed their hands and feet as was the custom of the Egyptian middle and upper class.
Theirs is an earthy dance, rather heavy, quite voluptuous, and definitely not graceful. Shimmies, bumps, and spins are a commonality of all forms of belly dance, but their hip shimmies usually twisted forward and back, parallel to the floor, rather than a vertical up-and-down hip movement. They included many shrill cries and zagreets, some floor work and backbends, an occasional head slide, all the while playing the finger cymbals. The gestures most often implied a calling to the audience to participate and clap with the music, as well as to acquire money.
GODDESS BELLY DANCE
Some women focus on tracing the belly dance back through history to ancient times of goddess temples and to matriarchal cultures such as those of Sumerian Iraq and the Anatolia region of Turkey, and even to the caves of the most basic birthing rituals. This would also entail a Pharaonic style. The cave is analogous to the belly, or the womb. Goddess Belly Dance may use characters from ancient cultural mythology and religion as potent theme material for constructing dances. Some ancient movement practices such as Yoga, Tai Chi, and Zen practice the pursuit of the ancient wisdom embodied in the dance. Goddess Belly Dance may be shared through public performance or used as a private devotional exercise.
GOTHIC FANTASY STYLE
Gothic Belly Dance, or "Raks Gothique" merges the styling of the Gothic or "Goth" subculture from the last 20 years with the beautiful expression of Middle Eastern Dance in both cabaret and tribal formats.
Gothic music covers a wide variety of voices and sounds within itself, but many of the major founders in this music scene have long discovered the benefits of fusing Western music with the sounds of India and the Middle East (Dead Can Dance, Vas, Faith and the Muse, Sisters of Mercy to name just a few.).
Gothic fashion embraces Victorian, 1920's/Art Nouveau, Renaissance, Punk, Cyber, and Ethnic-Primitive influences, creating a distinct and dramatic look that is both modern and antique. The fashion truly reflects the music and the attitude.
So, when it comes to Gothic Belly Dance, the artists who choose this means as their form of expression bring to life the music through their costuming, expression, and choreography.
There are two main types of Gothic Belly Dancers: those that are inspired by Gothic culture/music and perform this style of dance on special, usually seasonal occasions, and those that actively use it in their repertoire on a very regular basis--the full time dedicants of the art.
Must you be Goth to do GBD? The short answer is no--BUT the dancer should have a strong understanding of Gothic culture--just as one would study the culture behind any genre of art. Gothic Belly Dance is not about "playing dress-up" or "looking weird." It's about the expression of your darker self, baring your soul in a theatrical dance performance.
Dancers have been dabbling with GBD for years, but due to efforts made within the last 5 years or so, things are becoming more focused, defined, and recognised. And it's only getting stronger, all around the globe.
Costuming Elements
What makes a costume goth? Does it have to be black? No matter the nuances between a "Cybergoth" and a "Graver," there tends to be something that just exudes Goth which pulls it all together visually . That something could be akin to the notion of duende, that it's a spirit-like element, or simply no matter the parts used, there's an overall look that's accomplished. No matter what it is, read on for some key costuming elements found in Gothic Belly Dance:
Fishnetting and lace: whether it's a bodysuit, gloves, stockings, small weave or open work, fishnetting and/or lace tends to play a big part in the dancer's costume.
Black: although a costume doesn't need to be entirely black to be goth, generally black is the base for the costume. Common accent colors: reds, wines, purples, metallics
Make-up: Gothic make-up tends to be more whimsical and artistic in nature, especially when it comes to the eyes and lips. Pallor of the skin depends on your natural skin-tone---in contrast to the popular stereotype of the white, deathly pale Goth, Goths come in all colors--so whatever best accents your natural color.
Metal: chain maille, bells, link fringe, spikes/punk accents, and also, a touch of the exotic, some dancers prefer to use antique jewelry from India and other tribal localities.
Art/history-based:Goth has many historic costuming influences, so you may find one costume that leans toward the 1920's, another that's more Medieval, and another that's pure Punk--wherever there is dramatic/romantic human expression in art and word, Goth has had its way with it!
Fabrics: costumes made from lace, vinyl, latex, PVC, leather, Assuit, velvets, gauze, sari, imported textiles, and heavy satins
Hair: Artistic hair is a big thing for Goths, both male and female. Unusual colors and cuts, fake hair in a variety of materials, hair adornments, and more.
What Defines the Dance...
Attitude of Movement:
Gothic Belly Dancers access the whole vocabulary of moves found in belly dance, but more often than not, there is an additional aura to the performance. Some of things you'll see in Gothic Belly Dance: a trance-like feeling to the movements, a mysterious, sultry, and/or passionate intensity to facial expression and actions, often the use of mudras (sacred hand gestures) and other classical Indian dance accents, unabashed use of floorwork, and the application of ritual elements. A more Industrial or Cyber performance will often feature harder accents to traditional movements, incorporating moves from the Gothic club scene (what we often like to call "stompy! stompy! moves).
Going Deeper...
Gothic Belly Dance is a complete entity, from all sides. It's not just dancing to "gothic" music in bedlah, or dressing goth and dancing to standard/traditional Middles Eastern music...and believe it or not, it's not just looking the part and dancing to gothic music either---there is a third element that is vital to the performance: a sense of theatrics, emotional intensity, drama, and purpose. The Gothic Belly Dancer part actress, part vamp, part gypsy, part rebel, part sorceress, and part priestess---and all focused on a known or perhaps unknown (occult) intent. I would liken this third element to phenomenon known as duende in flamenco: a possessive, present, yet ethereal spirit/power, where both the dancer and subsequently, the audience, fall under its spell.
Variations - Splitting hairs and adding spice...
Gothic Belly Dance can come in slight variations or flavors, depending upon the dancer and their intent. The reason behind this is the fantastic diversity found within the Gothic subculture. Here's a few that are pretty easy to identify:
-"Burlesque" -right now, Burlesque in itself is experiencing a renaissance, and there's a lot of crossover between burlesque and belly dance, and gothic elements and burlesque.
-"1920's/ the vamp" - Think silent film, flappers, and drama. Think Theda Bara, the original vamp, mixed with the vampy tendencies of Goth.
-"priestess" - I use this heading to describe more ritualistic tendencies, crossing into spirituality, Paganism, and the mystery of the temple dancers from days of old. Think Ruth St. Denis.
-"cyber/techno/industrial" - a futuristic hardcore edge from the Industrial side of Goth. A good example would be the djinn scene from Ultra Gypsy's "Medusa and The Machine."
Gothic Terms…
Gothla: a Gothic Hafla! Credit for this one goes to Zan of Chovexani. The first gothla was held in NYC on December 11th, 2005, following a workshop by Tempest.
GBD: the quick and dirty abbreviation for Gothic Belly Dance. A GBDer is a Gothic Belly Dancer.
The Gothfia - spawned by a discussion on the origin of gothla, in which Tempest said, "Gothic Belly Dancers - just like the mafia, only hotter" and from there, all sanity was lost. The Gothfia are the keepers of the artform, but in a cheesegoth sort of way.
Cheesegoth - another Tempest-term. Can describe the classic Gothic stereotype, usually fang-in-cheek. Most Goths embrace the cheese-factor, especially as they age---it's the point where Eldergoths can laugh at the silly things they did in their younger days, meanwhile rolling their eyes at the Emos.
HAGALLAH
The folkloric dance of celebration known as the hagallah is performed by the Bedouin in Western Egypt. The word "hagallah" is believed to derive from an Arabic word hag'l, meaning to skip or jump. The men of the community/family clap and sing together showing their solidarity. The female dancer, is fully or partially veiled and moves in front of the line of men, called kefafeen . She does a steady, unwavering shimmy walk up and down in a line in front of them, taking very small steps. She may have either a small stick which is held not twirled or a handkerchief in her hands. The dancer is either a member of the bride's family, or a professional performer. This is a dance about girls/women both representing the power and richness of their world, and showing their own beauty and grace as individuals. It is playful but not flirtatious. Women wear a Matruh - a simple long dress with long sleeves and a wide muffler-like heavy fabric wrapped around her hips. Sometimes a scarf is simply tied around the hips. The Libyan hagallah costume, which has become the style most used in troupe performances, has a peplum skirt, with a buffer under the top part of the peplum so that the skirt moves more visibly. The modern net hagallah dress with two rows of ruffles and metres of long beaded fringe has been designed expressly for nightclub tableaus and theatrical performances.
HULA
Originally a sacred dance of Hawaii, created by the myth of Pele. It is a sensual dance performed by women who rock their hips back and forth. Hula means "dance" in Hawaiian language. It can be traced back to Polynesia and India. Rattles, gourd rattles, drums, and other instruments accompanied the dance. The music is written in 4/4 time with an accent on the first and third beats. The hula has a steady beat. Some songs are “I wish I were a bird,” “The Multiplication Table,” “I can hop,” and “Eight Islands.” There are many other songs also.
The movements tell a story. Movements representing trees, flowers, houses, the sea. There are many other movements also which are important when hula dancers have to perform. Hula dancers have to dress in bright and colorful clothes. One outfit a hula dancer might wear is a flowered shirt and a grass skirt which is also called a hula skirt. Watching a hula is reading a book about Hawaii
KATHAK
Kathak dancing comes from northern India. It originated with traveling storytellers called Kathaks. They told mythological stories using hand gestures, instruments, and vocal music. Kathak dancing is accompanied by percussion instruments. Men and women perform Kathak. Kathak is known for its fast footwork, complex rhythms, and the many spins executed by the dancer. The turns often end in defined poses. The dancer wears strings of bells on the feet, and must use different parts of the foot to create different sounds. This means that any single step taken by a Kathak dancer is really a set combination of up to 12 steps that must follow strict rhythm. The choice of step to create sound is coordinated with the instrumentalist. Unlike other forms of Indian dance, the emphasis in Kathak is clearly on footwork.
MODERN EGYPTIAN STYLE
This is a contemporary Egyptian nightclub style of belly dancing. It is accompanied by European orchestral music imported by fashionable Cairo nightclubs to satisfy Western tastes. A new, modern Egyptian sound was cultivated by two of the most famous Egyptian singer/musician composers of from the 1930s to the 1970s: Mohammed AbdelWahab and Farid Al Atrash. Costumes are glitzy and elaborately beaded. Various styles have been popular over the years. Madame Abla is legendary for her modern Egyptian costume designs. Modern Egyptian belly dance incorporates sound mix, orchestra, and drum machine, seasoned with lively vocals.
RAKS SHARQI
An Arabic term meaning ‘Eastern Dance’. The term has been in use for at least a century but is of unknown age. It refers to a dance form originating in Egypt and usually means a dance performed in public by women. It involves an integrated use of the body, and respects the conventions of Egyptian musical traditions. Raqs Sharqi is not narrative - it does not tell a story - but expresses mood, interpreting the essence of a piece of music and its nuances of feeling. In terms of principles of movement, Raqs Sharqi is very grounded, centred and abstract: the dancer works with gravity, and movements that are softly geometric in form. While the three forms of Raqs Sharqi - Sha'abi, Sharqi and Baladi - share this basic dance vocabulary, they have markedly different conventions - of music, instrumentation, range and quality of movement, and dress- reflecting their different origins.
SAIDI
(pronounced SIGH-EE-DEE). The Saidi dance is from Upper Egypt. Usually a Saidi dance is lively, energetic and earthy, using the 4/4 rhythm known as the Saidi rhythm. The dancer uses one or two sticks, originally made of bamboo. There are two types of Saidi stick dance: Raks Assaya and the Tahtib. The Tahtib is performed by two men and depicts a dance of combat and the handling of weaponry. Raks Assaya is performed by men and/or women and shows off a more acrobatic version of handling the stick. The women’s version of the stick dance is, of course, more feminine and graceful, and can only lightly imitate the Tahtib. Saidi music is played by traditional instruments such as the Rababa (the grandfather of today’s violin), the Mizmar (a horn which emits long, whiney tones), and various percussion instruments such as the dumbek and the tabla beledi. The women wear a Beledi dress with a belt or scarf around the hips and a veil on the head.
SAUDI
(pronounced “SOW-DEE”). A Saudi dance is from the country of Saudi Arabia, using the Khaleegy (Pronounced "kuh LEE jee") rhythm. Sometimes spelled Khaleeji or Khaliji. In Arabic, this word means "gulf", and belly dancers use it to refer to the style of music and dance from the Persian Gulf/Arabian peninsula area--Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman. It uses a particular rhythm that American musicians and dancers often call "Saudi". It is very different from the Saidi dance, in costuming, in feeling and in movement. The women’s costume is called a thobe. The term Khaleegy Dress, which appears in some belly dance catalogs that sell them, is another name for a Thobe Al Nasha'ar. It is a wide dress in a brilliant color elaborately adorned, especially around the neckline. No hip scarf or belt is worn. Thus, the movement is focused on the upper body and footwork, and includes a lovely way to toss long hair from one shoulder to the other.
SCHIKHATT
(Pronounced "SHE kaht".) Other valid spellings include Chikhat, Shakhatt, or Shikhatt. The Schikhatt is a particular style of dance which originated in Morocco. Originally, it was an erotic dance with exaggerated hip, stomach, and breast movements used to educate a bride during the pre-wedding festivities on how she will be expected to move in the marriage bed. More recently, the Schikhatt has become a social dance that women do with their families or female friends.
SHAABI
(Pronounced "SHAH bee".) This refers to a type of modern-day Egyptian music. It is often cheeky, flirty and fun. Shaabi music is the music of the back streets of Cairo, modernized and not necessarily poor, but traditional. It includes woeful cries of mawwal, a vocal improvisation saddening melancholy hearts with themes never straying too far from the pain, torture, suffering, and betrayal that is life and love. Lots of hand gestures and eye flutters etc. Lyrics often stray into commentaries on events and social conditions.
SHIMMY DANCE
This is an old term sometimes used in America for dance that exhibits gyrating and shaking movements of hips and shoulders. The term was popularized after the 1893 Chicago’s world fair along with the legend of Little Egypt. Shimmy was a dance movement used by Haitian and the African-American community of the 1880s or earlier (and later recreated by Gilda Gray). The shimmy and its energetic and vibrating derivatives are a vital part of belly dance; such movements were not likely to die away in a culture embracing freedom and energy.
SUFI WHIRLING DERVISH
A mystical dancer who stands between the material and cosmic worlds. His dance is part of a sacred ceremony in which the dervish rotates in a precise rhythm. He represents the earth revolving on its axis while orbiting the sun. The purpose of the ritual whirling is for the dervish to empty himself of all distracting thoughts, placing him in trance; released from his body he conquers dizziness.
TRIBARET
Tribaret is a word used to be clear about the current fad of tribal. Tribaret is used mainly to refer to the fusion of tribal belly dance--usually in costume only--with the cabaret style of belly dance, and the dancers calling themselves tribal despite the fact that they do not fit some of the basic criteria which defines tribal belly dance.
TURKISH BELLY DANCE
Turkish belly dance music is characterized by the sounds of the oboe, clarinet, oud, ney, kanoon, finger cymbals and hand drums. Turkish instrumentation also varies from that of Egyptian music. The bouzouki is played instead of the oud (the ancestor of the lute and guitar). More wind instruments are used, such as the clarinet. Turkish Dance costumes are among the more risque of the cabaret styles, baring plenty of leg and cleavage. They are usually beaded, but may use coins too. The music has basically the same rhythms, but often uses rhythms that Egyptian music does not, such as the chiftetelli and the karsilama (also known as kashlimar). Chiftetelli is slow and lends itself to flowing veil dances, snakey arm movements, and sensual floorwork. In a way, it can be considered counterpart to the Egyptian taxim. The karsilama is an unusual 9/8 beat rhythm, counting 9 beats to the measure. Egyptian music never uses this rhythm. Getting used to recognizing the karsilama rhythm and to dancing to its lively feeling is a bit tricky.
Turkish style uses a lot of zill rhythms which differs from Arabic style. If you are interested in specialising in Turkish belly dance, you need to become familiar with classical musical favorites as well as spirited contemporary songs. RAKKASS: Turkish term for dance. Flamboyant cabaret belly dance done in two piece costume with a lot of hip work, especially hip lifts and shimmies.
ZAAR – TRANCE DANCE
Egyptian trance dance and spiritual cleansing ritual that involves shaking the body and flicking the hair. Borkhul (incense) is sometimes brought out by the dancer in a brass holder, and the dance begins slowly, building up to a frenzied trance state, with hair flicking. It is an energetic pre-Islamic trance ritual done to exorcise negative energy and involves swinging the arms and head, shaking, pelvic tilts, and other loose movements. A zaar can go on for many hours, until the dancers drop down exhausted.
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