Egyptian favorites

[Ahava_Melantha]

oh yes. right now I was just practising some common dance moves to certian types of music, like belly pops and the part where your hip is out and you pull ur belly in. WOW. my belly is soo sore. Who knew! It most definitely works these crazy tiny muscles u didn't know existed lol.

and the musicality of it - I feel myself understand music in general better. even pieces that are NOT really beledi/shaabi or baladi progression pieces. very nice.

much harder than it looks.

 

[Kashmir]

oh yes. right now I was just practising some common dance moves to certian types of music, like belly pops and the part where your hip is out and you pull ur belly in. WOW. my belly is soo sore. Who knew! It most definitely works these crazy tiny muscles u didn't know existed lol.

and the musicality of it - I feel myself understand music in general better. even pieces that are NOT really beledi/shaabi or baladi progression pieces. very nice.

much harder than it looks.

Playing with the music is important - and fun. But as a rule popping isn't a big part of any Egyptian style.

"Musicality" is more than just being in time with the music. I once saw a (good) Turkish dancer murder an Om Khalthoum piece. Yes, she was in time. Too much so - she hit every beat - which is so wrong. And she hit them hard with big, sharp moves - and her arms were going overtime. She may have been doing good Turkish - but it was appalling Egyptian.

 

[Yame]

Playing with the music is important - and fun. But as a rule popping isn't a big part of any Egyptian style.

I'm not sure what you think Ahava meant by "belly pop" but my interpretation of what she meant (a quick pelvic release and tuck with the accent on the release so that the belly "pops," it can be done really small or really big) is a huge part of Egyptian style. Almost every Egyptian dancer since Mona Said has that move in their repertoire.

 

[Pirika Repun]

"Musicality" is more than just being in time with the music. I once saw a (good) Turkish dancer murder an Om Khalthoum piece. Yes, she was in time. Too much so - she hit every beat - which is so wrong. And she hit them hard with big, sharp moves - and her arms were going overtime. She may have been doing good Turkish - but it was appalling Egyptian.

Kind of off topic...

Kashmir, what do you think this Turkish dancer dance with Ahmed Adaweya's "Aiyela Tayha" (Baladi/Shaabi)?



When I saw this, I felt "Oh, no way! No floor work with Baladi/Shaabi!!" and I felt her music interpretation was totally NOT Egyptian, and all head slide and facial expression was killing me!

 

[Kashmir]

I'm not sure what you think Ahava meant by "belly pop" but my interpretation of what she meant (a quick pelvic release and tuck with the accent on the release so that the belly "pops," it can be done really small or really big) is a huge part of Egyptian style. Almost every Egyptian dancer since Mona Said has that move in their repertoire.

I'd call that a contraction. "Pop" to me is a fast outward movement.

 

[jenc]

Isn't contraction accent on the "in"

 

[Kashmir]

Kind of off topic...

Kashmir, what do you think this Turkish dancer dance with Ahmed Adaweya's "Aiyela Tayha" (Baladi/Shaabi)?

When I saw this, I felt "Oh, no way! No floor work with Baladi/Shaabi!!" and I felt her music interpretation was totally NOT Egyptian, and all head slide and facial expression was killing me!

I agree. I'm a grumpy enough old stick-in-the-mud to say bra and belt!! with all that bling!! Gah! The cute head slide and epression made me think "Indian" rather than belly dance (I know Egyptian dancers do use a headslide - but quite differently)

 

[Pirika Repun]

Gah! The cute head slide and epression made me think "Indian" rather than belly dance (I know Egyptian dancers do use a headslide - but quite differently)

Yes! I felt exact the same way! I thought not only her head slide, but also her hand gesture also more "Indian" than Egyptian! This video is from start middle of the song, so I don't know how she started it. BUT I can see veil on the floor, so if she start using veil for Adaweya's song, I won't surprised and sooooooooooo wrong for Balasi/Shaabi!

 

[Yame]

I'd call that a contraction. "Pop" to me is a fast outward movement.

And this is a fast outward movement we are talking about. The accent is on the release and not on the contraction, so even though the contraction is part of the move it would be misleading to call it that.

 

[Ahava_Melantha]

kashmir - i know u're not supposed to hit each and every beat and musical nuance. I was just relating how studying the music adn the rythms of strictly egyptian dance has helped me better with choreographies that aren't really egyptian choregraphies. its helped me in other non-eyptian parts of bd.