Here are a series of ARTICLES I wrote regarding Egyptian Oriental and Folkloric Dances and the Vision* I have of/for them.
Enjoy!
The so called “Egyptian” Oriental
dance style has often been talked about, chased and even taught without a clear
understanding of what it really means.
As I worked with Master Mahmoud Reda (search for “Reda Troupe”) on his
choreographic and teaching work I met a lot of dancers who popped out of every
corner of the world in order to study with him and yet not knowing exactly what
he was teaching. Was that egyptian dance? Oriental? Folklore? What?
I often ended up in charge of teaching dancers who came to Mahmoud´s
private lessons with no idea about what they were about to learn. I would first
explain what Mahmoud Reda teaches (not the “raks sharki” – oriental dance – aka
bellydance but his own creative version of the egyptian folklore he recovered
and re-invented around 50 years ago). After explaining the difference between
EGYPTIAN FOLKLORE and “RAKS SHARKI” or Oriental Dance I would go deeper into
the EGYPTIAN STYLE and what it makes it so special and – in my opinion – the
most interesting of all Oriental Dance styles (you can easily observe the
differences between the egyptian, lebanese, turkish and moroccan oriental dance
styles).
What was Oriental Egyptian Dance
in the past and what is it NOWADAYS?
First of all, let me add there are different styles of egyptian oriental
dance (classical, modern, baladi, shaabi – just to name the main ones) – not
only one. Let me also tell you I understand how hard it is to identify each one
of these styles if you didn´t have the personal and professional experience of
living and performing in Egypt for a while.
I personally learnt how to recognize each style – music and dance wise –
through daily life and work in Egypt. Each style has its own correspondent
people, context, music, cloth and posture (mental, physical, emotional,
spiritual).What connects all these styles is the EGYPTIAN FLAVOUR, the origins that
have not changed throughout the centuries and all the changes Egypt and its
people have been living.We could ask what differentiates the Oriental Egyptian style from Oriental
Dance of another neighbor countries.
My first answer would be:
the FEELING and the SOUL of the music and the same response required from the
dancer.
In no other style you will find so much emphasis on the FEELING of the
music. The tempo and melodic structures of egyptian dance help a great deal to
this FEELING focus. Other styles – like the turkish, for instance – work around
much drier and faster rythms that make feeling and “being in the moment”
practically impossible. Egyptian music gives you the time to enjoy each moment
and is embroidered around the concept of “tarab” which is supposed to drag you
into that oh so very special internal space of FUSION and EXTASIS through and
with the music.
We can also affirm that Egyptian
Oriental Dance – in the past and now, more than ever – is the most complete of
all styles because it moves internal and external (mind-heart-spirit and body); it works all parts of the body (despite the general idea associated with
“bellydance” that seems to limit the movement range only to the belly
and hips); it has a wide emotional palette of colors that goes from dark sad
blue to the brightest of the joyful oranges and red tones (you are expected to
explore all kinds of human emotions in this dance: from the happiest to the
saddest, the most introspect to the most extroverted: all that we are and
more!); it´s the richer of all Oriental Dance styles (in a big percentage due
to the music) because it entails a mix of different dynamics, rythms, musical
details and nuances that request a sophisticated, sensitive and original
approach to dance and movement.
- It is also the most fun of all Oriental Dance styles and this comes
directly from the egyptian people and their daily tendency to joke,
socialize, celebrate, laugh at the best and the worst situations and not
taking themselves too seriously.
- Egyptian dance had – and still has – what is known in Egypt as “labba”
(game or playful). The “labba” is – in its turn – an important part of the
egyptian sensuality that is flirty, extremely feminine and self-assured
and – essentially – natural and good.
- The egyptian oriental style possesses another special treat born from
Egypt: a religious focus mixed with organic, outrageous sensuality. The
religious focus is deeply connected with the “tarab” (already mentioned)
and the sensuality is – when experienced without any distortion – the
reflection of a person (dancer, in this case) that truly enjoys
him/herself and the pleasures (physical and others) that the body can
offer when marrying the music.
Why did I
choose Egyptian Oriental Dance for my Path and Career?! Well: I didn´t choose
it. It actually chose me.
Why do I keep falling in love
with this particular style – even after seeing and experiencing the darker side
of its coin?! I guess it´s because it´s a style of dance that teaches more
about myself, other people and life than any other socially accepted University
of the world.
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