DYinn Maciel
New member
Hi, I've been searching a video tutorial to learn how to move the stick in tHE Saidi dance (Is it the name? Stick? 
) Could you help me to find one? ray:
) Could you help me to find one? ray:
Stick tutorial
- Thread starter DYinn Maciel
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SeeJaneDance
New member
It's usually called a cane or an assaya (I think the assaya is the straight stick, with no crook?) Are you subscribed to Mahin's Daily Bellydance Quickies? She's got a couple of different cane videos, but some of them you have to have the link to watch. (To subscribe: http://shes-got-hips.com/Quickies.html)
This is not Mahin, but it's another teacher who posts lots of youtube videos that are very helpful. Saidi cane dance: how to do different types of twirls - YouTube
This is not Mahin, but it's another teacher who posts lots of youtube videos that are very helpful. Saidi cane dance: how to do different types of twirls - YouTube
Aniseteph
New member
My teacher has a couple of tutorials on YouTube:
Belly dance stick twirling tutorial - YouTube
Belly dance steps with stick twirl tutorial - YouTube
Belly dance stick twirling tutorial - YouTube
Belly dance steps with stick twirl tutorial - YouTube
Yame
New member
The Sa'idi dances that use stick are tahtib and raqs assaya. Tahtib is the mock-fight dance that the men in Upper Egypt do. Raqs assaya generally refers to the women's dance which started as a playful imitation of the tahtib.
I'd recommend finding a teacher who can do this dance... if not a local teacher, then a touring teacher. Meanwhile you can also use DVDs such as Mohamed Shahin's, Karim Nagi's, and Nourhan Sharif's.
If it has a crook we usually call it a cane, if it has no crook we call it a stick. Some belly dancers call it "assaya" regardless of whether or not it has a crook.
I'd recommend finding a teacher who can do this dance... if not a local teacher, then a touring teacher. Meanwhile you can also use DVDs such as Mohamed Shahin's, Karim Nagi's, and Nourhan Sharif's.
If it has a crook we usually call it a cane, if it has no crook we call it a stick. Some belly dancers call it "assaya" regardless of whether or not it has a crook.
Kashmir
New member
Complex topic - you could spend years learning it. First, there isn't a single Sa`iidi dance with stick (this could be just your phrasing - but I wanted to make that point).
There is a range of Sa`iidi style of dances - some of which involve either a short stick (assaya) and some which are more a martial arts thing (tahtib) - and some that use no stick at all.
Raqs assaya is done by belly dancers and men - that is there is a native version of assaya done by men in a social setting - I saw it myself once while in Egypt. The tahtib is a men's dance - although I have seen women do it - but as men ie in drag.
In Egypt there is also at least two other styles of dance that use a cane - beledi and ghawazee. Lebanese also has cane but is different again. And then there are little canes used by Saudis.
A (good) live teacher is best. Next best would be several DVDs by different teachers - at least one of whom should be Egyptian born and trained. You cannot learn a style with a single example - and a couple of hours of DVD even less so.
Good luck.
There is a range of Sa`iidi style of dances - some of which involve either a short stick (assaya) and some which are more a martial arts thing (tahtib) - and some that use no stick at all.
Raqs assaya is done by belly dancers and men - that is there is a native version of assaya done by men in a social setting - I saw it myself once while in Egypt. The tahtib is a men's dance - although I have seen women do it - but as men ie in drag.
In Egypt there is also at least two other styles of dance that use a cane - beledi and ghawazee. Lebanese also has cane but is different again. And then there are little canes used by Saudis.
A (good) live teacher is best. Next best would be several DVDs by different teachers - at least one of whom should be Egyptian born and trained. You cannot learn a style with a single example - and a couple of hours of DVD even less so.
Good luck.
DYinn Maciel
New member
Thank you so much. Do you have any video about Raqs assaya? Sounds very interesting. Now I totally understand why you said bellydance is not only for women.
bomu samba
New member
I was shopping at the weekend and was staring wistfully at all the sticks and canes but I haven't been able to attend any classes or workshops yet.
Kashmir and Yame - the information on stick/cane dances and DVD recommendations are really useful.
Aniseteph - thanks for those links. Even though I've seen lots of examples of cane dances I never understood the mechanics of the "twirl"!
Kashmir and Yame - the information on stick/cane dances and DVD recommendations are really useful.
Aniseteph - thanks for those links. Even though I've seen lots of examples of cane dances I never understood the mechanics of the "twirl"!
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Kashmir
New member
Sorry - as I've learnt my stick from live teachers I have never felt the need of buying a DVD.Thank you so much. Do you have any video about Raqs assaya? Sounds very interesting. Now I totally understand why you said bellydance is not only for women.