Key Styles in Egyptian Dance
Egyptian belly dance encompasses a number of different styles. The dance is refered to in Egypt interchangeably as "Raqs Sharqi" and "Raqs Baladi" but in the West we generally use these two terms to refer to the two key styles of belly dance - the classical and traditional styles. There are also a number of folk styles, and even non Egyptian styles referenced in belly dance. Here are some of the key styles an Egyptian style Orientale dancer needs to know.
Raqs Sharqi – “Oriental dance”
Oriental is the classical style of Egypt and as such the music is generally orchestral and complex. Oriental music often contains themes and variations and may contain short sections of other styles (especially in the majensi, or dancer’s entrance piece) and rhythms. You can think of Oriental music as the equivalent of Western classical music.
- Dance style: the Oriental style is lifted, balletic, graceful and elegant. Travelling steps cover stage space, arms are extended and flowing. Accents are contained and powerful, layered shimmies common.
- Moves: Elegant Western-inspired travelling steps, particularly chausee step and arabesques. Almost all moves can suit Oriental Dance depending on the context of the music, but the overall feel should be graceful and refined. In modern Cairo style, small but powerful accents are common as are delicate layered shimmies.
- Instruments: Quanoon, violin/string section, full orchestra
- Rhythms: all rhythms can be used, but some rhythms are found only in classical, such as more obscure rhythms like “samai”. Majensi (entrance) pieces often start and end with “malfuf” rhythm (dum tak-tak), running through a number of different rhythms in between
- Costume: 2 piece costume or dress, often lavishly decorated
- Props: Veil is the most common prop, however in Egyptian style the dancer will most commonly dance her entrance piece with simple veil moves and then discard the veil by the end of the opening section of the dance.
Baladi – “Country music"
Baladi is the music of the rural people and of those who left these rural homes to look for work in the main urban centres, especially Cairo. As a result the music is often suffused with a sense of longing or nostalgia. Western instruments can be found in this style, adapted to play Middle Eastern music. Baladi comes in two forms, baladi songs, which are traditional songs, and baladi progressions, known as "afrah (or ashra) baladi". A baladi progression is an improvisation around a series of recognisable elements such as the “me attaa”, or question and answer section, though not all possible elements are necessarily included every time. Baladi is strongly improvisational and can be likened to blues or jazz.
- Dance style: Baladi is an earthy dance, generally danced more on the spot. Steps are generally flat footed and arms are simpler. In slower moments the dance is often introspective and full of emotional resonance. When the music is faster the dance becomes more open and joyful.
- Moves: The baladi circle is a classic baladi step. Shimmies, swerves, Egyptian walks, circles, undulations etc are all especially suitable for baladi, but overall it is more about getting an earthy vibe and interpreting the music appropriately rather than the moves themselves
- Instruments: Western instruments adapated for Middle Eastern music such as the accordion, sax or trumpet are common, particularly the accordion
- Rhythms: Maqsoum and variations are common – dum tak tak-dum tak – as well as the Saidi rhythm
- Costume: baladi dress – a type of fitted dress with flowing sleeves, maybe also a hip scarf and head scarf
- Props: often no props are used, but for baladi songs finger cymbals can be played
Saidi – “of the Said region”
Folk music and dance anywhere in the world reflects the individual nature of a particular region. The main folk style a belly dancer needs to know is Saidi. This comes from the Said region of Egypt (upper Egypt), a very hot desert region, with proud culture and a tradition of great horsemanship. Saidi music is played on older, more primitive instruments. Saidi can be thought of as similar to Western folk music.
- Dance style: Saidi is a heavy, grounded and proud dance style characterised by stepping, hopping moves some of which mimic the horse – a key part of traditional Said lifestyle. Men in this area used to fight with long staffs in a martial art called “tahtib” and this eventually became stylised into a dance. While it no longer exists as a fighting style any more, the dance carries on and for stage a belly dancer will present a more coquettish, cheeky, feminine version of this dance with lighter canes
- Moves: The saidi jump and the step hop, as well as the "horse" step, which mimics a horse stamping and lifting its hoof, are all distinctive saidi steps. Other belly dance moves can be used so long as they have an earthy feel. Moves often accent the heavy saidi rhythm.
- Instruments: Traditional instruments like the mizmar pipe and rabab (primitive violin)
- Rhythms: the Saidi style is often danced to the rhythm of the same name – dum tak dum-dum tak
- Costume: galabeya, head scarf, hip scarf
- Props: cane/stick or staff may be used, traditionally these are made of bamboo
Shaabi – “popular dance, folk dance”
Shaabi has heavy Saidi and Baladi influences, and more modern styles also have influences from Western pop. Originating in the 1970s with popular singer Ahmed Adewaya, shaabi is associated with the working classes and is often satirical, humorous or even nonsensical. Shaabi music is hard to define as there is a large crossover with baladi, with even Egyptians not necessarily agreeing which is which – or even bothering to really make a distinction! This is the dance of the working class "hood" so can be seen as akin to hip hop.
- Dance style: Shaabi style did not originate as a performance dance or a dance for professional dancers. It is more about attitude – fun, sassy, brash and cheeky. It can be hard for trained dancers to get the shaabi feel, just as it can be hard for a ballet dancer to get a street dance vibe.
- Moves: Any move goes so long as it isn’t too refined, arms are simple
- Instruments: Often has saidi elements but no specific instruments
- Rhythms: Most commonly maqsoum and saidi
- Costume: every day clothes – some professional dancers will even do a shaabi tableaux in jeans to emphasise that this is street dance
- Props: No special props
Khaleegi – Gulf style folk dance
Khaleegi is a folk style from the Gulf - e.g. Saudi Arabia, Iraq. It is not an Egyptian style and is not belly dance. However it is often incorporated in modern belly dance performances as the Egyptian dance scene has long been popular with wealthy tourists from the Gulf!
- Dance style: this dance has a very different feel to belly dance. The dance is relaxed and has a grounded feel
- Moves: The dance is charcterised by a bobbing gliding step, hair flicks, shoulder shimmies and a gliding step
- Instruments: Similar to Egyptian music. Iraqi music features rabid beats on a hand drum called the Zanbour or "wasp", because the sound is almost like a wasp buzzing!
- Rhythms: Khaleegi has its own rolling, syncopated rhythm, known by the same name.
- Costume: Though belly dancers will often perform this dance in their usual costume, the dance is traditionally performed in a long baggy decorated over-dress called the “thobe al na’ashal”.
- Props: long hair!