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Encyclopedic Dictionary of Ethnic Dance Arts

Music, Dance, Costuming and History for the Ethnic Dance Arts

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

 

AIDA AL ADAWI

An early student of Jamila Salimpour and performer with Bal Anat who went on to achieve distinction as a soloist dancer, teacher, and musician and still a strong presence in dance and music.

 

AISHA ALI

A folkloric dance performer and researcher residing in the USA.

 

AMEL TAFSOUT

Algerian-born performer, teacher and choreographer of North African traditional and contemporary dance.
  • Tempest, writing about an interview with Amel in a 2011 issue of Zaghareet, described studying with Amel Tafsout as a life-changing experience which "brought North African dance to life for me like none other, and struck a chord in my heart and stirred my spirit." A portion of the interview covered dance presentation. Amel stated:
    • Dancing in restaurants is a good school, but it will keep the dance in that milieu.
    • Most of the festivals don't pay attention to having good lighting to make the dance look more professional.
    • When working on an event with a theme, start with the music.
    • After the music, work on the dance, paying special attention to the lyrics and the movements needed to express them.
    • Then think about the costume color(s).
    • Then I decide how traditional or how simple the costume needs to be.
    • I love being creative using different layers and headdresses.
    • Remember that the costume doesn't make the dance, it is the dancer.
 

ARABIC Cultural Awareness

U.S. Navy paper on Arabic culture in the context of a Cultural Awareness strategy, dated 2005.

B

 

BACKBENDS

From Deb Rubin, writing in Fuse, Summer 2011:

  1. Yoga techniques are invaluable.
  2. The lower body needs to be strong and stable.
    • Use the power of the inner thighs to support back bending; do not push the thighs forward.
    • Pull low abdominal muscles in towards the spine to lengthen the tailbone.
    • Completely stabilize the lower part of the body, the core, so that the upper back is free.
  3. The middle and upper body needs flexibility, extension and strength.
    • [The Cervical spine is the upper seven vertebral elements, located in the neck region. They contain openings for the arteries that carry blood to the brain. The Thoracic spine is the upper back with 12 vertebral bodies. They are attached to the ribs and breastbone. lumbar spine is the lowest 5 vertebrate, which are the ones supporting the weight of the entire torso. Most causes of back pain originate in the lumbar spine.]
    • When the lower body is strong, stable, and engaged, focus on the backward extension through the Thoracic spine, not the Lumbar spine.
    • On each inhale, lengthen the spine and back body, growing longer and taller with each breath, allowing the upper body to float up and back.
    • On each exhale, gently pull your navel into the spine to create more lower body support.
  4. Your head is an extension of your spine.
    • Keep it in alignment with the rest of your spine to prevent injury to your neck.
    • Do not lead with your eyes or the crown of your head.
    • Only go down as far as you can come up gracefully with ease and without any pain in your lower back.
    • Practice going down halfway and coming back up in a fluid and snakelike manner to strengthen and support the muscles around the spine in all the phases of the backbend.
  5. Recommended yoga asanas:

From an article by Shira on Shira.net, 2011: Two types of backbends:

  1. Kneeling backbend;
  2. Standing backbend.

Backbends not recommended for people with a history of spinal surgery, knee, ankle or foot problems, or who are currently pregnant.

Learning backbends:

  • Padding recommended for:
    1. knees;
    2. tops of feet;
    3. underneath you
    4. Leg warmers that cover your thighs.
  • Shira lists eleven exercises that develop the strength and flexibility needed for backbends;
  • When starting backbends, she recommends lifting your chest high and supporting yourself with hands on the floor behind you.

Videos:

  • Naemet Mokhtar in a 1957 Egyptian movie: check out the move at 1:37 - 1:53.
 

BAL ANAT

Jamila Salimpour's famous performance group of the 1960s and 70s. Jamila and Bal Anat are considered to be the original 'tribal' dancers... the root of a tree that sprouted many branches, including FCBD and Compton's Hahbi Ru.Jamila says that she organized the group when the local Renaissance Fair complained that her student dancers were overrunning the event, performing everywhere they could find a blank space and an audience. Jamila drew on her circus background to design a format that is still famous (and imitated) today.

 

BALLET

 

BELLY DANCE

There is a thousand ways to classify belly dance, and the advocates of one style do not always agree that the others are actually belly dance. But here is a useful breakdown.

  1. Raqs Sharki, Egyptian Style. It can be argued that this style evolved as entertainment for tourists and cosmopolitan Egyptians in Cairo. It is based on Egyptian folk dance and music, with influences from Hollywood, western ballet and western theatre adopted to improve the attractiveness of the entertainment.
  2. Oryantal Tansi, Turkish style. Shares many of the basic dance movements as Egyptian style but with the lively sass and attitude resulting from the strong influences of Turkish and Turkish Roma music and folk dance. More energetic and less subtle than Egyptian and certainly more overtly sexual.
  3. Lebanese dance, ditto; similar to the above but with, surprise, heavy influence from Lebanese folk dance. More expansive than Egyptian, more refined than Turkish, pretty arms, high heels. Conchi and Nataj of Cincinnati are current regional exponents of the Lebanese style.
  4. Greek: strongly Turkish-influenced, tempered by time, place, musical traditions and a close proximity to Egypt. It is called Tsifteteli, and, similar to the situation in Egypt, is frequently performed by folks in social settings.
  5. American Orientale AKA Vintage Orientale.
  6. Tribal. Tribal style belly dance is influenced by movements and music of the Middle East but is an American invention. It is rooted in group performances, which are not choreographed but which are guided via cues given onstage that are associated with a particular dance combination, or short group of movements. Solo performances have also become popular, especially since Rachel Brice became an international celebrity.
  7. Experimental Mid-Eastern Dance (X-MED): This, like Tribal, is a composed genre loosely based on authentic Middle Eastern dance movements but which incorporates many other influences and inspirations. Some traditional dancers insist that it is more modern dance or fusion dance than belly dance... again generating much heated discussion. Amara is probably the dancer most closely identified with establishing this dance genre, although many other dancers now incorporate some X-MED dancing into their repertoire.
 

BHANGRA

was originally a folk art that has shed its folk associations and is now considered to be a urban commercial genre. It is very popular among the youth and among the Indian Diaspora.

Originally, the bhangra was a folk dance performed by the Punjab men during the harvest festival. Over the centuries, bhangra grew to encompass not only the female dances at the harvest festival giddha but a number of rural Punjabi folk dances. It grew in popularity, and expanded its range to the point where bhangra was then found over much of Northwest India and Pakistan. Furthermore, it could be performed on any festive occasion, and not just during the harvest festival.

Bhangra's growth as an international art form began in Great Britain. The Indo-Pakistan expatriate community was in its second and third generation. They could not relate to a changed India or Pakistan, but were also unable to completely assimilate into traditional British society. In this cultural vacuum, the bhangra grew to become an important symbol of self identity.

ChandraKantha.com

 

BHARATA NATYAM

From Dance Dialects of India, by Ragini Devi:

With the decline of the southern kingdoms and the final event of British rule in India, royal patronage of the arts ceased, and dance and music in temples was curtailed. Rajadasis (dancers in the royal courts) were compelled to seek remuneration for their art from wealthy patrons and a few Rajas who could maintain their services. Immoral women, calling themselves Dasis, exploited the dance.
The British ruling class, who did not understand the art..nor the customs and social environment of these gifted dancers, began to condemn the dance...Eventually orthodox Hindu society turned against them and, as a result of social ostracism, some Devadasis gave up their profession...some families of Dasis continued to learn the art as their Kuladharma (sacred family duty) without any hope of emolument of fame.
Perhaps the ethereal beauty of Anna Pavlov's dances in India in 1929 re-kindled the vital spark of enthusiasm for the age-old Hindu dance. The anti-nautch reformers who had banished the dance were suddenly confronted with a pro-nautch movement, which grew into a public controversy trough the medium of the Madras press led by E.Krishna Iyer, an advocate, who was able to demonstrate the beauty of the dance as a convincing argument. Finally, the Madras Music Academy took the initiative and staged performances by the Kalyanai sisters of the Devadasi community before a cultured audience in 1936. Captivated anew by the chaste beauty of these dances, people began to take an interest in the art... Aged dance masters were summoned to Madras to teach in newly established dance academies. Eventually the traditional dance of the Devadasis found a secure place in the art-life of Madras under the new name "Bharata Natyam."
Bharata Natya, in its pure form, Nritta, interprets the language of rhythm and melody in diverse patterns of curves, angles, and lateral movements, of precise rhythmic movements of the hands, and the continuous footwork that is the basis of the dance. Rhythm and emotion are beautifully blended in Nritya, the expository dance, that conveys poetic meaning to gestures and facial expression combined with rhythmic gaits and postures.
 

BINDI

A Bindi was traditionally a large red dot of colored paste worn by married Hindu women. It has now become more of a decorative accessory, often worn in the center forehead by Indian and tribal dancers. Decorative bindis come in all colors and shapes and are frequently stick-on accessories that can be worn several times.
 

BODY SUITS

A bellydancer's bodysuit is usually what goes between her bra and her skirt to cover skin. A popular style is a leotard, flesh-colored or otherwise, cut down in front and back and held up with clear straps. Other variations are net; colors; and translucent styles that extend as far as the wrists. Sources:

C

  CANDLE DANCING

A good short summary by Ruric-Amari.

 

CANDLEMAS

  • http://www.schooloftheseasons.com/candlemas.html
  • http://www.northofthemoon.com/2009/01/midwinter-day-of-goddesses.html
  • http://projectbritain.com/year/candlemas.html
 

CANE DANCING

The masculine version from Egypt is called Tahtib.

Videos:

 

CHRISTMAS

 

CORE

From an article by Deb Rubin in 2011 Fuse magazine:

Known by Japanese as the hara and by Chinese as the lower dantian, the abdomen is the physical and energetic center of the body. The abdomen is the root source of our vital energy, nervous system, and muscular energy, and regulates both our physiological and spiritual well being... and produces the qi (life force) that flows along our meridians. Energetically, from a Yoga perspective, the core houses our first three chakras, responsible for rooting, basic needs/drives, and physical embodiment and empowerment. Our legs extend the abdomen to connect with the earth, establishing grounding and enabling us to move. Cultivating our hara through self-care practices such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, and...Tribal Fusion belly dance... develops mastery, strength, wisdom, and tranquility.

Deb Rubin and Hather Stants of Urban Tribal define the core as the entire torso, from the top of the leg to the chest line. Abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, lower back, psoas, and stabilizers of the spine.... the core is the place where the deepest abdominal muscles and deepest back muscles meet.

Deb Rubin: Physically, stronger cores, deeper body awareness, and more core-integrated movements can radically improve extension of lungs, deepen slow ooey-gooey serpentine slink, improve posture, protect knees during level changes and floor work, and create a more graceful, controlled aesthetic -- all of which are characteristic of Tribal and Tribal Fusion belly dance.

Suggested core strengtheners:

  1. Plank 2
  2. Spinal Roll-ups
 

COSTUMES

D

 

DABKE

AKA Dabkha, Debke

 

DANCING

 

DANDIYA

Dandiya is a traditional Indian stick dance that has become very popular among Indian and Indian expatriot communities, especially at American universities. Often called the stick dance because it uses short sticks or dandiya (often with bells attached to the ends). It is danced by men and women in pairs moving in circles. The partners strike each others sticks while dancing. Elaborate bright colored tiered skirts (women) and shirts (men) are often worn for this dance.

  • Bride and Prejudice includes a couple of choreographed Dandiya dance scene.s
 

DELSARTE

  • http://www.archive.org/details/americanizeddel00bishgoog
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/artoratorysyste00delsgoog#page/n30/mode/2up
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/DynamicBreathingAndHarmonicGymnastics/dynamic_breathing_Stebbins#page/n0/mode/2up
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/adelsarteanscra00russgoog#page/n24/mode/2up
  • http://www.archive.org/stream/adelsarteanscra00russgoog#page/n40/mode/2up

E

 

EGYPTIAN DANCE

EGYPTIAN BELLY DANCE (Raks Sharki)

From Jasmine Jahal:

Egyptian style belly dance primarily uses classical as well as modern music produced in Egypt with Arabic rhythms. Turkish belly dance music is similar to Greek and Armenian. It is usually faster than Egyptian dance music, and often there are less rhythmic changes. That is not to say that a Turkish style dancer can't dance to Egyptian style music. It happens all the time. And, of course, vice versa. However, one who is trained in classical Egyptian dance would not feel as comfortable with a Turkish Karsilama as with, for example, a masmoudi.
There is also a notable difference in the actual dance technique. Egyptian style movements are very precise, with the hips held under the rib cage. Turkish style often leans the upper torso back, pushing the pelvis forward. Also, it is not "in vogue" for an Egyptian dancer to do floorwork, while it is very popular in Turkish style.
 

ELENA LENTINI

Elena started with Middle Eastern Dance in the late 1960s and has over the past three decades developed her own distinctive and inspiring dance style, incorporating Middle-eastern dance, mime, Spanish and Moorish dance, and modern interpretative dance to create spell-binding performances.

F

 

FAN DANCING

Fan sources:

FLAMENCO

  • History of Flamenco from Saudi Aramco world, 1994. Flamenco is considered by many to have evolved among the Gitanos (Gypsies) who migrated from India across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. La Convivencia is a term denoting the coexistence of Jews, Muslims, gitanos and Catholics in relative peace together during the tenth to twelfth centuries AD in Arabic Spain, an event which tempered and influenced the Spanish Gitano music and dance.
  • Basic Palmas video
  • Timeline
  • Flamenco Clock
  • Studio Flamenco online handouts.
  • Ravenna Flamenco.com recommended by Paul Carney of Flamenco Louisville.

FLAMENCO VIOLIN

FLOORWORK

G

 

GHAWAZEE Dance, Music and Costuming

Ghawazee (pronounced "guh WAH zee") refers to the descendents of Rroma (Gypsies) that migrated to Egypt 350 years ago. The Ghawazee are known as professional dancers, entertaining the outdoor festivities of the lower classes. Commonalities in movement are huge hip swings, hip shimmies layered over other hip movements, shoulder shimmies, spins and foot stomps to emphasize accents in the music, occasional head slides, back bends and some floor work. Ghawazee music is organic in sound, utilizing instruments like the mizmar and rebab with tabla, tar, and finger cymbals for percussion.
-- Oriental Dancer.net
  • Aisha Ali in a short clip of Ghawazee style dance, wearing the older style Pharonic dress.
 

GIGS

It's Not all Wine and Roses

 

GYPSY

See Roma : Gypsy

H

 

HABIBA

American dancer, choreographer and teacher who has done extensive field work on Tunisian and Ghawazee dancing.

2011 article in Zaghareet, duplicate of one in Arabesque in 1983:

  • Tunisian dance is particularly strenuous and features twisting movement as opposed to the dropping of the hip typical in Egyptian dance.
  • Raks Al-Juzur is the traditional pot dance, performed with a pot partially filled with water balanced on the head.
    • Usually performed to a medley of popular traditional songs, arranged to increase in tempo, with the last song reaching the climax.
    • Typical steps include a counterclockwise twist step, with the right arm raised and the left outstretched.
    • Also included is the basket step, during which the right arm reaches in and out of a basket formed by the left arm as the left foot kicks out.
    • A typical entrance step consists of three forward and one back.
    • Another entrance uses two clockwise twists with feet together followed by two steps, then reverse.
 

HAHBI RU

John Compton and Rita Alderucci, the founders and directors, both studied with Jamilia Salimpour and performed as solo dancers in Jamila Salimpour's Bal Anat in the early 1970's. They organized Hahbi Ru in 1991 in part to recreate the ensemble style of performance developed by Jamila Salimpour and to develop the genre further. From their web site:

Hahbi Ru's focus is on the Tribal-Folkloric style, quite different from the Cabaret style or American Tribal style most people think of when they picture Middle Eastern dance or belly dance.
 

HALLOWEEN

 

HULA

I

 

IRISH MUSIC

J

 

JAMILA SALIMPOUR

Considered by many to be the originator of American Tribal Style. In any event, she was an innovative and inspired dancer who codified the Middle Eastern dance steps that she learned into a format that could be taught to Americans. Her circus background inspired her to create Bal Anat, her now famous dance company. Her daughter Suhaila continues the family tradition.

K

 

KAJIRA DJOUMAHNA

A well-established and long-time American Tribal Style dancer who studied with FCBD went on to create her own version of Tribal style (Black Sheep Belly Dance, BSBD). Unlike the original ATS format, her format develops and uses both sides of the body.

She and her husband Chuck produce largest and longest-running Tribal belly dance festival in the world every May in Northern California. She is a writer, with a regular column for the belly dance magazine Zaghareet and she is the author of the definitive book on Tribal style belly dance, The Tribal Bible.

 

KARSILAMA

A Turkish dance done in 9 counts, except the last three counts go a little faster than the first six... more of a triplet feel... the only way to learn it is to listen to lots of it.

 

KHALIJI

  • "Khaliji refers to Arab dances from the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, UAE and Bahrain). The movements have some African and Indian traits due to geographic interaction, yet the core is definitively Arab. The movements consist of limping steps, shoulder pulses, various hand vibrations, swaying, turning and hair twirling."
    -- Karim Nagi, Arab FolkDance DVD.
  • A brief clip of Aisha Ali performing a khaliji dance. Her semi-sheer robe is unique and beautiful.
 

KLEZMER

L

 

La Meri

Famous American ethnic dancer, active from the 1920s through the 1970s. Possibly THE most famous ethnic dancer in the Western hemisphere.

 

LEARNING to DANCE

Anthea discussed the problems of teaching yourself to dance in a 2011 edition of Zaghareet.

  • The body develops habits very quickly and will even change its shape to accommodate repeated movements.
  • Using DVDs encourages folks to skip the parts they aren't interested in, even if essential.
  • You have no teacher to set goals, drill, clean up mistakes, polish technique.
  • You will have to be both teacher and student; to assess yourself and then act on it. It is a monumental task!
 

LEONA WOOD 1921- 2007

Leona Wood was an accomplished book designer and illustrator, painter, and folk dancer. As artistic director of the Aman International Folk Ensemble, she moved into new territory by moving belly dance to the stage. Aisha Ali was quoted in a 2002 issue of Habibi Magazine as saying:

“It was Leona Wood who was largely responsible for taking the belly dance from the cabaret setting of ethnic nightclubs and outdoor festival venues and presenting it as an art dance in the theatre. It was her keen aptitude for lighting and dramatic choreography and an accurate knowledge of ethnic and tribal costuming combined with a solid knowledge of the cultural history of the Middle East that made her productions breathtaking to the connoisseur audiences who frequented the Los Angeles Music Center and California's University auditoriums.”

From the book Leona Wood published in 2011:

In the 1960s, Wood turned her attention to dance. She started a small performing ensemble that soon joined forces with another local group to form the Aman International FOlk Ensemble. As Artistic Director of the company, Wood used both her artistic talents and advertising expertise. In 1980, she received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to produce “Tseyka — Episodes from Kwakiutl Dance Drama.” Wood's vision for the mise en scène included innovative concepts such as lighting the stage from instruments located center stage, and a traditional dance screen (painted by Wood) hung upstage to allow performers to enter without using the wings. (“A visual masterpiece,” wrote Martin David in Dance West (April, 1980).

In the 1960s and 70s, she began a series of paintings of 19th century Middle Eastern dancers which established her reputation as an Orientalist artist. Some of them were used as cover pictures for Aisha Ali's albums of MED music. The painting Entertainment in the Desert is familiar to many dancers as the cover for the Music of the Ouled Nail album published by Aisha Ali.

Aisha Ali highly recommends Leona Woods articles on the history of BD, first published in Arabesque Magazine.

 

Louisville Ethnic Dancers

The Louisville Ethnic Dancers have been meeting once a week for twenty five years, learning and performing the folk dances of Romania, the Balkans, Israel, and Greece.

M

 

MAKEUP

Ben Nye, Mehron, and Kryolan brands are frequently cited as the best theatrical makeup source. They are carried by many distributors. NorCostCo.com carries all three. Ben Nye is said to be especially hypo-allergic.

 

MAQAM / MAQAMAT

Arabic scales.

 

MARY ELLEN DONALD

A legendary American percussionist who has made a career of teaching and performing Middle Eastern music for decades.
 

MICROTONES

 

MOROCCO

American dancer, teacher and researcher, active since the 1960s. She has been a vocal and active influence for authentic Middle Eastern Dance for decades. Her dance company has received major arts grants and performed in prestigious venues. She has received awards from major dance organizations, written for many publications, produced a series of videos recording the ethnic dances of the Middle East, led numerous dance tours to the Middle East, and, in 2011, produced her long awaited book on the history, performance, practice and business of Middle Eastern Dance, YOU ASKED AUNT ROCKY: Answers & advice about Raqs Sharqi & Raqs Shabbi

 

MUSIC

There is information about specific music topics all throughout this Encyclopedia. If you are looking for something specific, try that category.

Arabic Music

Bashraf: like the Sama'i, a composed genre with four khana each followed by a taslim. Usually played as an opening composition in a suite. One rhythmic mode is followed throughout the composition: 28/4, 24/4, 20/4, 16/4, or 93/4.
-- Simon Shaheen

Dawr: Vocal genre in simple rhythmic modes sung in colloquial Arabic which was developed in 19th century Egypt. It alternates between a refrain and a verse. Usually begins with a Dulab.
-- Simon Shaheen

Dulab: an introductory short instrumental composition which sets the mood of a maqam. 8 - 16 meaures long, and usually a prelude to other musical genres.
-- Simon Shaheen

Longa: Lively dance form in simple 2/4 rhythm. Originally a Turkish /Eastern European style. Alternates between khanat and taslim, each 6-16 measures long in 2/4, except for the last which is occasionally in 3/4 Samai Darji meter.
-- Simon Shaheen

Maqtu'ah Mousiqiyyah: Instrumental composition performed by an ensemble, usually incorporating melodies and rhythms found in rural folk and dance music.

Muwashah: performed by a chorus alternating with a soloist. The lyrics are written in Classical Arabic and often deal with the subject of unrequited love or with wine, used as a metaphor for religious intoxication.
-- Simon Shaheen

Qasida: A song whose text is a classical Arabic poem, performed by a solo vocalist with instrumental accompaniment. Usually performed in wahdah rhythmic mode. The subject is most often love, but could be about patriotism, death or other themes.
-- Simon Shaheen

Sama'i: a composed genre with four sections (khana, plural khanat), each followed by a refrain (taslim). A 10/8 rhythmic mode (sami'i thaqil) is utilized in the first threee hanat and the taslim. The fourth khana is typically composed in a 3/4 or 6/4 rhythm called Samai Darji, although some contemporary composers use a 5/8, 7/8 or 9/8 rhythm.
-- Simon Shaheen

Tahmila: a dance form in a simple 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm which alternates between short improvisational solos and composed ensemble refrains in a call-and-response format. Each section is two measures long.
-- Simon Shaheen

Taqasim: an instrumental improvisation which can be metric or non-metric. Usually performed solo but sometimes accompanied by a percussionist or an instrumentalist playing a drone. The taqasim is based on a maqam but often includes modulations to related maqamat.
-- Simon Shaheen

 

Musical Terms

From Feiruz Aram via Marguerite Kusuhara. Hilarious!
  • ALLREGRETTO: When you're 16 measures into the piece and realize you took too fast a tempo
  • ANGUS DEI: To play with a divinely beefy tone
  • A PATELLA: Accompanied by knee-slapping
  • APPOLOGGIATURA: A composition that you regret playing
  • APPROXIMATURA: A series of notes not intended by the composer, yet played with an "I meant to do that" attitude
  • APPROXIMENTO: A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity of the correct pitch
  • DILL PICCOLINI: An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays only sour notes
  • FERMANTRA: A note held over and over and over and over and . . .
  • FIDDLER CRABS: Grumpy string players
  • FLUTE FLIES: Those tiny mosquitoes that bother musicians on outdoor gigs
  • FRUGALHORN: A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument
  • GAUL BLATTER: A French horn player
  • GREGORIAN CHAMP: The title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note the longest
  • PLACEBO DOMINGO: A faux tenor
  • SPRITZICATO: An indication to string instruments to produce a bright and bubbly sound
  • TEMPO TANTRUM: What an elementary school orchestra is having when it's not following the conductor
 

KEYS vs MODES

N

 

NABAWEYA MUSTAFA

Egyptian dancer active in the 1940s. Her effortless hip movements, flexibility and subtle facial expressions made her a legend.

O

 

OUD

An oud is a fretless stringed instrument, similar to a lute, frequently used to play Arabic music. The lack of frets means micro-tones are much easier to produce.

Irish fiddle player buys an oud. Now what?

 

OULED NAIL

Refers to both a people and a style of dance originated by the Ouled Naïl people in Algiers in North Africa. The women frequently left home to work as dancers and prostitutes in order to earn a dowry. Dancing and music was an important part of their public presentation.

P

 

PERFORMING

 

PERSIAN DANCE, MUSIC and COSTUMING

Costuming:
 

PERSIAN NEW YEAR

Some insight into why entertainment that incorporates fire is such a hit at the Persian New Year.

The arrival of the spring equinox on Sunday will cue Persians to party. Far from a gardening rite, the equilibrium of day and night marks the start of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The holiday is the most revered celebration in the greater Persian world. (Persia includes the countries of Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and portions of western China and northern Iraq.)
"[Nowruz] is a celebration of the renewal of nature after the slumber of winter, so to speak, and along with it the human response to that awakening of the Earth," said Mahnaz Afkhami, director of the Foundation for Iranian Studies in Bethesda, Maryland. The Persian New Year has been celebrated for at least 3,000 years. Its roots stretch back to Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest religions. While Nowruz customs and traditions have evolved with time, the spirit of Nowruz remains the same, Afkhami said.
 

PUBLICATIONS

R

 

RAQS SHAABI

Raqs Shaabi is a relatively new genre of Egyptian dance, a blend of traditional beledi combined with each dancers own individual improvisation. Moroccan Chaabi style is also very popular, although the music is different from the Egyptian style Shaabi. Moroccan Chaabi music uses a lot of violin, and is typically in 6/8 rhythm. It starts slow, and builds to a fast frenzy, and it could include anything from tea tray dancing to jafna, dancing on top of a wash tub.

RHYTHM

Diagramming the Swing of Ethnic Music Rhythms.

Drumming for Dancers and Dancing for Drummers

MIDDLE EASTERN Rhythms

Some insights from Mary Ellen Donald.

Fabulous collection of rhythm diagrams at Alsiadi.com, both diagrammed and audio files.

Mary Ellen Donald:

The Middle East is essentially divided into three cultures: Arabic, Turkish, and Persian. There are a lot of similarities in those three cultures, though the languages are different. They all have quarter tones in their music, tones that come between the half-steps in our western scales. If you look at a piano, quarter tones are the notes between the black and white keys, the notes in the cracks. We don't have them in our music scale. But all three Middle Eastern cultures do. In addition, Turkish music is very particular about dividing a tone into nine parts and tuning to the exact ninth of a tone. So a very subtle ear is necessary.

In my specialty, Arabic music, there are three further subdivisions corresponding to geographic regions.

  1. One region is North Africa: Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya. There, 6/8 rhythms and 3/4 rhythms are dominant. They have some short 2/4 rhythms, but they emphasize 6 and 3. Then they overlay those two and a very exciting polyrhythmical texture comes out of that.
  2. The second area is called the Arabian peninsula, or as we know it now, the Persian Gulf. The rhythm from that area has an almost Latin sound to it. It has a 3/3/2 pattern. They call that music khaligi. It is sometimes very fast, very lively music, and it is typical of the Gulf area.
  3. Finally, the area of my heaviest specialty is Egypt/Levant. Levant refers to several countries: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine. Egypt shares that same music.
    • The key Levant rhythm is called the baladi rhythm when it's played slow and heavy.
    • When it is speeded up, it's called maqsoum.
    • Then, in Egypt, that same pattern gets speeded up even one more notch and is called fallahi. Fallahi is very popular in upper Egypt.
    • There is also a malfouf rhythm, which has a 3/3/2 pattern, that is very much in use in the Levant area.

Sami'i Thaqil: 10/8, with emphasis on 1, 4, 6,7, 8 and sometimes 10.
D - - t - D D t - -
D - - t - D D t - t

URBAN GREEK (rebetiko) Rhythms:

  • Sirtaki (aka Hasapiko) including various kinds of Greek music. It is also the fast version of Chasapiko (like 4/4 and 2/4 meter)
    • You Tube
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=6OZPRctkwFI
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6is5aJjzeIU&feature=related
  • Syrtos, line dances with a leader: mostly a 4/4 meter in various forms
  • Zeibekiko (or Zeimbekiko)
    • Greek folk dance with a rhythmic pattern of 9/4 or 9/8.
      1 2& 3 4 5 6& 7 8 9
    • The origin of the dance may be a Turkish warrior's dance, Zeybek. Zeibekiko, as danced by the Greeks, is a showcase for passionate improvisation and is usually performed by one person, usually a male. Depending on the inclination of the dancer and the music, it can be as emotional as Flamenco The name of the dance comes from the Zeibek warriors of Anatolia.It is danced by one person only and is of free choreographic structure. In older times if a second dancer got up to dance, it would be a cause for conflict and possible violence. However, in the 21st century a certain dance etiquette has evolved, so that other men wait to take turn after and if the dancer stops. Traditionally, applause was not sought nor commonly given, out of respect.
    • Tutorial from Sirtaki.com on You Tube
    • Soldier takes the stage to perform during a concert.
  • Hasapiko , (a 4/4 meter and the fast version Hasaposerviko in a 2/4 meter)
  • Antikristos or Karsilamas and Argilamas (a 9/8 meter)
  • Kamilierikos , (a 9/8 meter) and Aptalikos, broken down in two sixteenths, (slow version a 9/4 and fast version a 9/16 meter in various forms)
  • Tsifteteli (not the same as the Arabic Chiftelli)
  • Kalamatianos, circle dance in 7/8 time, organized in a slow 3, quick 2, quick 2 rhythm which is repeated twice per phrase. The steps of the Kalamatianos are the same as those of the Syrtos, but the Syrtos is slower with a 4/4 beat.
  • Zembekiko: male line dance.

ROMA : GYPSY

Turkish Romany Dance videos

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktB_-EyHMHA
  • Serkan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuwjmecmEwc
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIqmw576908&feature=related
  • Sophie Armoza: and a great costume! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jssEX_4S2OE&feature=youtu.be
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn4CMCCa5H4
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OCINl2S4BE
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYqJuMD_pb8
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HBUnvznl54
 

RUSSIAN ETHNIC DANCE

These were posted on Facebook by Laurel Victoria Gray.

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SAGAT

Another name for zills, or finger cymbols, especially the one-hole kind. More information in Zills.
 

SAIDI

Saidi refers to dances and music from Sour then Egypt (aka Upper Egypt). This style is famous for the use of a cane or stick, and is often called Raqs Assaya (can dance), which is an offshoot of the martial art Tahteeb. The movements consist of legs swoops and hops, cane rowing, cane spinning, cane flipping, cane striking, and mock battle.
-- Karim Nagi, Arab FolkDance DVD.
 

SERENA

One of the most famous oriental dance teachers in the late 20th century.

 

SHAMADAN

AKA Raks Shamadan.

From Anna Cancelli's article in 2011 Zaghareet:

  • A lighted shamadan means open flames on your head. You must protect head, hair and floor from wax drippings, comply with any fire ordinances, and know where fire hazards and fire extinguishers are located.
  • The Shamadan is heavy, and a challenging prop to work with.
    • The dancer must be sure of her technique with strong isolation and precision.
    • Stamina and strength are required.
    • The shamadan needs to fit the head securely and comfortably. Use padding, foam or leather to the inside cap to keep the headpiece secure.
    • Warm up thoroughly before performing, paying attention to neck, back and upper arms and shoulders.
    • Do not do floorwork unless you are exceedingly skilled in floor work with exceptional upper arm and thigh strength.
    • Examine the dance area before the performance. Identify the location of light fixtures, decoration, and ceiling fans.
    • Keep away from blowing air: it may put candles out or blow wax on your skin or on the audience.
    • No-drip candles are a good investment. Use new ones each time because new candles drip less.
    • If live fire is inappropriate. use battery-operated candles.
    • Be prepared for hot wax drips. If you flinch, your Shamadan may topple off your head.
    • If the Shamadan feels unsteady while you dance, slow down and stand still. The audience will enjoy a good look.
    • Buy or make a carrying case to protect the shamadan and make your entrance to the venue more professional.
 

SKYPE

Skype lessons, the pros and cons on NY TIMES.com.

 

SWORD DANCING

 

SUFI

Sufi refers to a branch of Islam that often utilizes movement and song to augment prayer and to induce bliss or trance. Egyptian Sufi dance includes a ritual called "Zikr" (remembrance) which can be seen at the big Mulid birthday festivals for a famous historic Muslim Wali. The movement consist of swaying, bobbing, rotating and spinning.
-- Karim Nagi, Arab FolkDance DVD.

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TAHITIAN DANCE, COSTUMING and MUSIC

http://www.bergfashionlibrary.com/staticfiles/Encyclopedia/Dance-Costumes-Dress-French-Polynesia.pdf

 

TARAB

Ecstatic state in music and dance.

Dr. A. J. Racy: In Arab culture, the merger between music and emotional transformation is epitomized by the concept of tarab, which may not have an exact equivalent in Western languages.
Lee Ali: The shows which strive to achieve tarab are by design, very long. There must be adequate time to a) develop the magic, as there is a kind of aspect almost like magic to the tarab experience. when achieved, it is akin to out-of-body (would be the closest way to describe).
Cassandra Shore: Tarab is not the same experience as meditation or trance, and requires other sentient beings in the room to be involved in what is happening. That's part of the cycle of energy that happens to an audience and performers together. Trance can be communal as well as solo...When writing about tarab, Arab writers tend to write about it happening with music or poetry, rarely dance. Mostly, I think, because they rarely write about dance as an art.
 

TRAVELLING

Travelling to a gig is a job in itself.

You will be transporting costumes, props, jewelry, and street clothing and necessities. You will use things up, get things dirty, and you want to get home with everything you left home with.

  1. Bring a few plastic bags of various sizes. Perfect for organizing items and for soggy stuff and for things like shoes.
  2. Bring a laundry bag, one that breathes. A pillowcase will do fine, a large sack with a drawstring even better. You can use it to store street clothes at a gig.
  3. Shoes can store rolled-up small items.
  4. Careful coordination of costumes if a costume change is planned is important. Make mix-and-match an enjoyable part of your costume planning.
Keep close at hand:
  • Driver's license.
  • Credit cards and cash.
  • Maps.
  • Eyewear such as glasses, contacts and cleaning fluid.
  • Chargers and cords for any electronic devices you may be carrying, such as cell phones or i-pods.
  • Comb, travel mirror, hair bands or clips used to control hair.
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Deodorant
  • First aid kit, including small packets of electrolyte drink, anti-diarhea pills, and anti-bacterial ointment.
  • Sanitary products.
  • Skin lotion.
Think through your costuming needs:
  • Jewelry: hair, ears, neck, arms, hands.
  • Makeup: Eyes, lips, skin, makeup remover, moist towelettes
  • Hair: hair spray, ornaments, crowns, flowers.
  • Costume: tops, bottoms, arms. If performing outside, make sure legs will be covered if the costume can flare up. Make sure the costume is not see-through.
  • Props: veil, sword, cane, zills.
  • Coverup and washcloth for sweat.
  • Feet: shoes, sandles, jewelry.
 

TRIBAL BELLYDANCE

Asharah offered some definitions for Tribal belly dance in a 2011 article in Fuse.

  • Tribal belly dance must have roots in American Tribal Style (ATS) and/or the Jamila Salimpour format, the dance stylizations that led to the development of the Tribal aesthetic, movement vocabulary and musical selections.
    • Lifted chest, high elbows, grounded quality and proud demeanor;
    • Movement vocabulary derived from the Jamila Salimpour format;
    • May have other dance movement vocabularies incorporated;
    • Costuming that fuses the ethnic-fantasy American Tribal costuming with other designs;
    • Music that blends Middle Eastern and South Asian with other musical traditions.
  • Tribal Fusion:
    • Sharp belly dance isolations;
    • Rich ethnic and vintage costuming;
    • Many American Tribal-based movements;
    • Music that incorporates Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Balkan traditions;
    • Possible incorporation of the "sinewy, slinky" quality that Rachel Brice and similar have made into an art;
    • The music need not be Middle Eastern based.
  • Carolena Nericcio is the most prominent exponent of this style, which she calls (and owns a trademark for) ATS®, short for American Tribal Style. Carolena also owns the trademarks FatChanceBellyDance®, FCBD® and American Tribal Style®.
  • There are a lot of contenders for who-created-American Tribal Style, including Jamila Salimpour, who taught Masha Archer, who taught Carolena, but Carolena's efforts to codify and organize her vision of a group dance style was the one that got broad recognition, especially when Rachel Brice, who studied with both Jamila's daughter Suhaila and with Carolena, became a dance superstar. Carolena's decision to trademark the name American Tribal Style® was and is controversial among many tribal dancers; Carolena's own videos have her describing her format as "our version of American Tribal Style" and the history page on the FCBD website describes FCBD as "a prime example of American Tribal Style" and goes on to state that " Jamila Salimpour, an American, is considered the originator of American Tribal Style Bellydance.". So, reason some, what gives her the right to own the label? However, Carolena has spent many years developing her brand and much of what is considered Tribal is now based on her work.
  • Many Egyptian and Turkish dancers do not consider Tribal style to be belly dance since it is not strictly based on Middle Eastern dance. This generates many heated discussions and articles.
  • Videos:
"Tribal Fusion is a specific style of dance with certain characteristics, and it is in its essence belly dance. Tribal Fusion is not another term for popping and locking, nor is it a justification for dancing to non-Middle Eastern music or not learning more traditional Middle Eastern dance styles...also not a catch-all term for a dancer to use to label herself because she is not sure what else to call her dance."

Standard costume pieces:

  • Choli
  • Hip scarf or shawl
  • Tassel belt
  • Coin bra
  • Headdresses: the distinctive turbans have given way to hair flowers and headbands.
  • Tribal jewelry from Afghanistan and Pakistan, especially the Turkmen, India, and Middle East.
  • Makeup, facial tattoos and bindis. From a 2011 article in Fuse magazine: Earth-tones for eyes, bright colors for cheeks, and dark lips... catlike eyes, ruby lips.
   

TURKISH Dance, Music and Costuming

DANCE

From an article about Turkish Belly Dance by Artemis Mourat in Habibi Magazine:

The Turkish style is less refined than its Egyptian sister. It is less elegant but not less articulate. What it lacks in composure and predictability, it makes up for with spontaneity and passion. Neither style is inferior to the other. Both styles are expressive, playful and sometimes introspective. The Turkish dance is aggressive, passionate and sometimes arrogant or indifferent. The Egyptian style is more refined and elegant. For example, a typical Egyptian step is a 'step, step, glide' and a typical Turkish step is a 'walking strut.' ... Dancers are respected and still employed in their fifties and sixties in Egypt. Unfortunately, in Turkey, a dancer is not likely to be employed past her 30s without rather convincing cosmetic intervention.

Turkish folk dance and court dances at TurkishCulture.org.

COSTUMING

Music
  • Medieval Turkish music from Traditional Crossroads, Music of the Dancing Boys, which also has a nice booklet. The song Mevlana is period.

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UNIVERSITIES ONLINE

Stanford University Uncollege for free non-credit courses online.

 

UZBEK Dance, Music and Costuming

Uzbek dance has three major schools - Ferghana, Bukhara, and Khorezm. --Laurel Victoria Gray

Dance:

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W

 

WARMUP ROUTINES

Warm-ups need to be focused on cardio, cool-downs on stretching. Warming up means we increase the blood flow to our large muscle groups to make them more pliable and able to handle ballistic movement without causing injury. Walk, jogging, calisthenics, and the dance equivalents: travelling steps with undulations, hip snaps, hip lifts, hip circles, starting sloe and building intensity for ten minutes.

Learning research shows it best to teach three new things at a time and then cycle through the three again. This keeps student focus sharp without trying to cram too much in.

From June 2001 Jareeda article by Katisha on Reducing Muscle Soreness:

  1. Five to seven servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily will repair tissue damage.
  2. Proper hydration before, during and after dancing.
  3. Vary sessions to work different muscle groups or work them in different ways.
  4. Cool down at the end of any dance session for a minimum of five minutes. Flexibilty, stretching and yoga exercises are great cool-down exercises.
  5. When doing flexibility work, hold stretches for 25 - 30 seconds. Avoid the short and static stretches that cuase muscle tightness and tearing. Longer stretches allow the muscle to relax and give, and counteracts soreness from short, static work.
  6. Be consistent in your exercise habits and stay in shape.

From June 2001 Jareeda article by Katisha on Healthy Stretching: Stretching maintains flexibility but also releases tension and counteracts stress.

  1. Stretch five to seven times a week.
  2. Do a warmup of 5-10 minutes before exercise and stretch afterwards to counteract tension and soreness.
  3. Each stretch should last between 10 and 60 seconds. Control the stretch without bouncing.
  4. Do not push pas the point of discomfort. Stretching should not cause pain.
  5. Visualize the muscles lengthening while you relax and breathe.
 

WHIRLING DERVISH

William Prime's description of the dance of the 'derweeshes':

...a man dressed in a long white hooped dress, tight at the waist and some twenty feet in circumference at the bottom of the skirt, slid into the centre of the half circle, and commenced a slow revolution, apparently as gentle and easy as if he stood on a wheel turned by machinery. After a minute, during which he swung out his skirts and started failry, his speed increased. His hands were first on his breast, then one on each side of his head; and when the full speed was attained, they were stretched out horizontally, teh right hand on his right side, with the palm turned up, and the left hand on its side, with the palm down. For twenty-four minutes, without pause, rest or change of speed, he continued to whirl around like a top. The velocity was exactly fifty-five revolutions to the minute. I timed it frequently, and was astonished at the regularity. This was not a long performance. It is oftentimes an hour, and even two or three hours, in duration."
- Boat Life in Egypt and Nubia, a travelogue published in 1857 by William Prime, an American who went to Egypt with his wife and friends and went down the Nile in a boat.

X

Y

 

YOGA

NY Times article explains why a knowledgable teacher and personal attention is essential.

Z

 

ZILLS

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