Most of us, when we started to take belly dance classes, had no idea that learning about cabaret belly dancing was only the tip of the iceberg (or should I say, the tip of the pyramid?). In Time, we become inundated with terms and names with which a ‘good’ student of the art of oriental dance should become familiar. Beneath the tip of the pyramid is a vast historical structure, a lineage that began way back in the times of the pharaohs. You could spend your lifetime exploring this history, learning the authentic roots of the dance, presenting its folkloric aspects as well as that of the cabaret style. Someone like Mahmoud Reda of Egypt did just that and brought to the stage a beautiful, theatrical version of age-old folk dances that were passed down through the generations.
It is not easy to find a comprehensive dictionary of these dances (although Mr. Reda himself may be considered a walking encyclopedia), so I thought you might enjoy a brief discussion of some of the most commonly performed folkloric dances.
Let’s start with Saidi (pronounced SIGH-EE-DEE). The Saidi dance is from Upper Egypt, between Gizeh and Edfu. 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 The dancer uses one or two sticks, originally made of bamboo.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, much more feminine and graceful, and can only lightly imitate the Tahtib. Saidi music is typically 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 traditional men’s costume consists of long pants, two galabeyas with wide sleeves and a round neckline, and a long scarf wound around the head. The women wear a Beledi dress with a belt or scarf around the hips and a veil on the head.
Please don’t confuse Saidi with Saudi (pronounced “SOW-DEE”). A Saudi dance is from the country of Saudi Arabia, using the Khaleegy rhythm. It is very different from the Saidi dance, in costuming, in feeling and in movement. The women’s costume is called a thobe. 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.
Beledi (pronounced “BE-LE-DEE”) means “of the country”. Thus, ‘Egyptian Beledi’ means ‘of the country of Egypt’. A Beledi dance is performed to earthy music based on the easy-to-dance-to Beledi rhythm. 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. It is a modesty garment for when they leave the house. 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. As Alexandria is a port city, the dance scene is between the fishermen and the women who are looking to profit by sharing their liberties. The men sit on the street beside a café, drinking and smoking their water pipes. The women compete for attention by flirting. Eventually, the men and women dance together. The men’s costuming is that of the typical fisherman, including a black trouser, a sweater, a multi-colored waistcoat and a white fisherman’s hat.
Last but not least, let us discuss the Fellahin (pronounced “FE-LAH-HEEN”), who are the farmers of Egypt. A Fellahi dance uses the Fellahi rhythm, which is quick, light and very similar to the malfoof rhythm. 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 the dancer may tie around her hips during the dance to make her hip movements more visible.
The short explanation of some of the various folkloric dances has hopefully enlightened you and perhaps even intrigued you enough to do some research on your own to learn more about how to perform them. Should you wish to do so, please do your best to be authentic. Remember, it is folkloric dance, not fake-loric!
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Your journey past the tip of the pyramid should be fun and fascinating!
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©2001 Jasmin Jahal