Fifi Abdou, Egyptian Style !!! video clips
- Thread starter Maria_Aya
- Start date
MirahAmmal
New member
Ooo--thanks for posting this!
Yasmine Bint Al Nubia
Moderator
Hi Maria, Fifi is Magnificent!!
Yasmine
Yasmine
sedoniaraqs
New member
Maria Aya, those clips are from a dvd called "Fifi Abdo: the Egyptian Star". It is available on www.maqam.com I think the video is by hollywood music
I highly recommend this dvd. It is my favorite Fifi video. She does either 3 or 4 sets with costume changes -- The pink bedlah, a melaya style dance in galibaya, and a purple dress that is to die for.
Sedonia
Sedonia
I highly recommend this dvd. It is my favorite Fifi video. She does either 3 or 4 sets with costume changes -- The pink bedlah, a melaya style dance in galibaya, and a purple dress that is to die for.
Sedonia
Sedonia
Yasmine Bint Al Nubia
Moderator
Thanks Sedonia for the info, I was enthralled by her performance, I kept replaying the clip!
. I really like FiFi's style, how would you describe it? To me it appears she uses alot of beledi elements in her dance. Any way magnificent!
Yasmine
. I really like FiFi's style, how would you describe it? To me it appears she uses alot of beledi elements in her dance. Any way magnificent!Yasmine
Aisha Azar
New member
Fifi
Dear Aya,
Was she not just beautiful when she was young? What a wnderfu dancer, and I agree with Yasmine that there are a lot of Beledi elements in her dance. She also has such a different basic posture from most dancers.
Regards,
A'isha
Dear Aya,
Was she not just beautiful when she was young? What a wnderfu dancer, and I agree with Yasmine that there are a lot of Beledi elements in her dance. She also has such a different basic posture from most dancers.
Regards,
A'isha
Freya
New member
I just love this clip as well!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylSEKcEMNQc&mode=related&search=
Freya
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylSEKcEMNQc&mode=related&search=
Freya
Freya
New member
I really like her style as well, and I would love to hear more comments about it. I am trying to look at the various "legends of Egyptian dance" and figure out their style. If some you lovely ladies and experienced dancers could put it into words for me I would be very appreciative!
Aisha, you mentioned that her basic posture is very different from other dancers. How so? Also, I know Suhair Zaki is one of your all time favourites. How would you describe her style and how is it different from Fifi's? Furthermore, what is your favorite Suhair video? A lot of questions for you
Please, anyone else feel free to contribute as well! Thanks Sedonia for identifying the Fifi video. I'll take your recommendation and look for the DVD next time I go to class (We happen to have a very well stocked dance store at my school...it's very thrilling, but very dangerous for my wallet!)
Thank you all!
Freya
Outi
New member
Yep, I have the DVD, too. It's great! At least she wrote the name of the DVD in the pages.
Tarik Sultan
New member
That's a really good DVD. It was one of the first videos I ever saw of Fifi. This was also when I realised I was doing my shimmies all wrong. I like this clip also. I wish I could find a DVD with the whole performance. Anyone know where its from?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=expjL32dg2M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=expjL32dg2M
sedoniaraqs
New member
I was watching this DVD again this evening and decided to revisit this thread. Freya asked to here more comments about Fifi and her style so I'll start the ball rolling again.
I never tire of watching Fifi because she does so many different variations of movements and steps. On this DVD we've been discussing, she dances in a purple dress and she does I don't know how many variations of a 3/4 shimmy, and what I call the Egyptian figure 8. Even something that looked like these two layered together. If you watch her performance with an eye for trying to break down what she's doing so you could copy it, you see very quickly that its pretty difficult.
A'isha mentioned her different posture. I think that Fifi has a posture that is very lifted in the upper body. I think this is a general feature in the Egyptian dancers (that's often lacking in non-native dancers), but in Fifi it is especially exaggerated or strong. Part of this may be that she has a really long torso, so movements look different and especially good with her body. Also, Fifi bounces alot in the upper body; she actually carries the beat of the music in her chest -- always up on the downbeat. Even when she's standing still shimmying the chest is going up up up up with the tempo. Again, this is a general trend in Egyptian dancers but much exaggerated in Fifi.
Also what Fifi's feet are doing is different than the footwork used by most Egyptian dancers. She uses some kind of rapid little step ball change when she's doing travelling steps usually.
I love Fifi! So what does everyone else love about Fifi? Are there particular moves that she does that you have picked up, or wish you could do?
Sedonia
I never tire of watching Fifi because she does so many different variations of movements and steps. On this DVD we've been discussing, she dances in a purple dress and she does I don't know how many variations of a 3/4 shimmy, and what I call the Egyptian figure 8. Even something that looked like these two layered together. If you watch her performance with an eye for trying to break down what she's doing so you could copy it, you see very quickly that its pretty difficult.
A'isha mentioned her different posture. I think that Fifi has a posture that is very lifted in the upper body. I think this is a general feature in the Egyptian dancers (that's often lacking in non-native dancers), but in Fifi it is especially exaggerated or strong. Part of this may be that she has a really long torso, so movements look different and especially good with her body. Also, Fifi bounces alot in the upper body; she actually carries the beat of the music in her chest -- always up on the downbeat. Even when she's standing still shimmying the chest is going up up up up with the tempo. Again, this is a general trend in Egyptian dancers but much exaggerated in Fifi.
Also what Fifi's feet are doing is different than the footwork used by most Egyptian dancers. She uses some kind of rapid little step ball change when she's doing travelling steps usually.
I love Fifi! So what does everyone else love about Fifi? Are there particular moves that she does that you have picked up, or wish you could do?
Sedonia
I really like her style as well, and I would love to hear more comments about it. I am trying to look at the various "legends of Egyptian dance" and figure out their style. If some you lovely ladies and experienced dancers could put it into words for me I would be very appreciative!
Aisha, you mentioned that her basic posture is very different from other dancers. How so? Also, I know Suhair Zaki is one of your all time favourites. How would you describe her style and how is it different from Fifi's? Furthermore, what is your favorite Suhair video? A lot of questions for you
Thanks Sedonia for identifying the Fifi video. I'll take your recommendation and look for the DVD next time I go to class (We happen to have a very well stocked dance store at my school...it's very thrilling, but very dangerous for my wallet!)
Thank you all!
Freya
Freya
New member
Sedonia, Sedonia, thank you so much!
I just logged in as a reward for much hard work into the morning hours, and saw your post. I'm working towards several big deadlines, so I've been trying to stay away from orientaldancer as much as possible What a treat this is!
It's easy enough to see whether a dancer is good or bad, or decide whether I like their style or not, but I find it difficult to analyse a dancers movement "vocabulary," and break it down analytically. Lack of experience for sure... So thank you for teaching me "how to see" and putting it into words.
At my school they have actually been screening this particular DVD on the TV in the lounge area. I'm pretty sure it's the same, but because of my heavy workload at the moment I've been running in and out without a chance to ask. I think it must be the universe conspiring and telling me that I need to buy it! Your comments will make such a difference when I finally get my hands on it.
A friend of mine and I where discussing chest movements the other day with our teacher. We are both fairly well "equipped" in that area and were expressing our concern about excessive "movement." Our teacher actually referred to Fifi's "bounce," and illustrated with quick, and successive, up-down-up-down movements of the chest, so this is clearly very distinctive of her style. We didn't have a chance to venture further into Fifi-land in that discussion, so I'm glad you clarified this.
Also, I found your comment on Fifi's anatomy (long torso) very interesting--you made another very perceptive remark about anatomy and hip-drops elsewhere on the forum as well. It's interesting because 1) I happen to have a very long torso, and realizing that Fifi does too makes it all the more interesting for me to study how she puts it to use. 2) I think anatomy contributes a lot to defining a dancers style.
From my own experience with various teachers I've found that those with a fairly similar physique to my own, teach choreographies that are more suited to my taste and expression. They may be shorter (which in fact has always been the case since I'm very tall), but they usually have similar proportions. I've danced with one teacher who is the same height as myself, for example, but much less curvy, and her chorographies have almost killed me on occasion because they were so bouncy I admire her dance and I learned a lot about technique from her, so it's not a question of quality but of expression. Does this make sense?
Freya
I just logged in as a reward for much hard work into the morning hours, and saw your post. I'm working towards several big deadlines, so I've been trying to stay away from orientaldancer as much as possible
What a treat this is!It's easy enough to see whether a dancer is good or bad, or decide whether I like their style or not, but I find it difficult to analyse a dancers movement "vocabulary," and break it down analytically. Lack of experience for sure... So thank you for teaching me "how to see" and putting it into words.
At my school they have actually been screening this particular DVD on the TV in the lounge area. I'm pretty sure it's the same, but because of my heavy workload at the moment I've been running in and out without a chance to ask. I think it must be the universe conspiring and telling me that I need to buy it! Your comments will make such a difference when I finally get my hands on it.
A friend of mine and I where discussing chest movements the other day with our teacher. We are both fairly well "equipped" in that area and were expressing our concern about excessive "movement." Our teacher actually referred to Fifi's "bounce," and illustrated with quick, and successive, up-down-up-down movements of the chest, so this is clearly very distinctive of her style. We didn't have a chance to venture further into Fifi-land in that discussion, so I'm glad you clarified this.
Also, I found your comment on Fifi's anatomy (long torso) very interesting--you made another very perceptive remark about anatomy and hip-drops elsewhere on the forum as well. It's interesting because 1) I happen to have a very long torso, and realizing that Fifi does too makes it all the more interesting for me to study how she puts it to use. 2) I think anatomy contributes a lot to defining a dancers style.
From my own experience with various teachers I've found that those with a fairly similar physique to my own, teach choreographies that are more suited to my taste and expression. They may be shorter (which in fact has always been the case since I'm very tall), but they usually have similar proportions. I've danced with one teacher who is the same height as myself, for example, but much less curvy, and her chorographies have almost killed me on occasion because they were so bouncy
I admire her dance and I learned a lot about technique from her, so it's not a question of quality but of expression. Does this make sense? Freya
\
Also, I found your comment on Fifi's anatomy (long torso) very interesting--you made another very perceptive remark about anatomy and hip-drops elsewhere on the forum as well. It's interesting because 1) I happen to have a very long torso, and realizing that Fifi does too makes it all the more interesting for me to study how she puts it to use. 2) I think anatomy contributes a lot to defining a dancers style.
From my own experience with various teachers I've found that those with a fairly similar physique to my own, teach choreographies that are more suited to my taste and expression. They may be shorter (which in fact has always been the case since I'm very tall), but they usually have similar proportions. I've danced with one teacher who is the same height as myself, for example, but much less curvy, and her chorographies have almost killed me on occasion because they were so bouncy
Freya
(Slightly off topic…)
Anatomy definitely contributes to different dancers’ styles. My waist it so short I my hips sometimes bump up against my ribcage! I’ve also noticed that certain movements look quite different. Where is the post about anatomy and hip drops? I’d like to see that!
Aniseteph
New member
Oh yes - some of us just aren't designed for bouncy
.Interesting about the physique/style connection though - obvious bounce issues aside, do any of the teachers out there have any examples of how different moves turn out on different anatomies? eg. what type tends to have problems with particular moves, what moves look good/not so good on different physiques?
sedoniaraqs
New member
I personally think that movements look different, but not necessarily better or worse, on different bodies. Though, I do think that in general, having extra fat around the midsection (as opposed to on the hips/butt/thighs) has a tendency to hide movement and even interfere with it, though this is going to depend on the individual. At least this is the case with me. I have been slowly but steadily losing some weight during the past year and since most of my fat is around my middle and upper torso, that is where most of the loss came from. I think my hip movements show more, and they *feel* better also. for example, before, when I liften my hip, the resulting fat roll between my pelvis and ribcage would be the limiting factor in my movement range.
Obvious exceptions are cases where a person has some kind of condition that is considered abnormal and problematic. For example I have a student who has pretty severe lordosis -- deep curve in her lumbar and anteriorly tilted pelvis -- that is beyond my ability as a teacher to "fix". Her feet are also pronated -- again not an easy fix. Pretty much every move I teach does not look right on her because of her alignment problems. Basically, if your pelvis is tilted forward all your up and down hip movement disappears and moves to the back of the body and becomes a side to side butt waggle.
Since she has already been told by a doctor about the condition, I have merely tried to encourage her to go back to all those physical therapy exercises and stretches the doctor gave her and work on mitigating the problems with muscular strength. I do think she can greatly improve her condition even if she never achieves a 100% normal lumbar curve.
Sedonia
Obvious exceptions are cases where a person has some kind of condition that is considered abnormal and problematic. For example I have a student who has pretty severe lordosis -- deep curve in her lumbar and anteriorly tilted pelvis -- that is beyond my ability as a teacher to "fix". Her feet are also pronated -- again not an easy fix. Pretty much every move I teach does not look right on her because of her alignment problems. Basically, if your pelvis is tilted forward all your up and down hip movement disappears and moves to the back of the body and becomes a side to side butt waggle.
Since she has already been told by a doctor about the condition, I have merely tried to encourage her to go back to all those physical therapy exercises and stretches the doctor gave her and work on mitigating the problems with muscular strength. I do think she can greatly improve her condition even if she never achieves a 100% normal lumbar curve.
Sedonia
Oh yes - some of us just aren't designed for bouncy
Interesting about the physique/style connection though - obvious bounce issues aside, do any of the teachers out there have any examples of how different moves turn out on different anatomies? eg. what type tends to have problems with particular moves, what moves look good/not so good on different physiques?
Freya
New member
hip drops
I just came home from the Cairo by Night Festival and I'm too exhausted to write a proper comment, but here, at least, it the hip drop thread I was talking about:
http://forum.orientaldancer.net/showthread.php?t=979&highlight=hip+drops
Cairo by Night was wonderful! I've had six and a half hours of classes straight today so I'm completely wiped but very happy.
- oriental with Khaled Mahmoud
- saidi with Professor Hassan Khalil
- zills with Yasser al Swery (and Nour)
I promise I'll write a full report once I have met my work deadlines
Freya
I just came home from the Cairo by Night Festival and I'm too exhausted to write a proper comment, but here, at least, it the hip drop thread I was talking about:
http://forum.orientaldancer.net/showthread.php?t=979&highlight=hip+drops
Cairo by Night was wonderful! I've had six and a half hours of classes straight today so I'm completely wiped but very happy.
- oriental with Khaled Mahmoud
- saidi with Professor Hassan Khalil
- zills with Yasser al Swery (and Nour)
I promise I'll write a full report once I have met my work deadlines
Freya