Jalil, Male Ra'asa

[Mark_Balahadia]

I stumbled upon this clip on youtube and I thought I'd like to share it with you: I've gotten some emails from Argentina about this guy but this is the first time I've seen him dance:

YouTube - JALIL JALIL Male Dancer Super Star from Argentina

His music choice is a bit funny. It's like elevator music meets A7med Adawiya :lol: I love his costume and he has very interesting and unique dance stylings although I see a bit too much Reda fakelore for my liking. But he's loads better than some of the stuff you see out there...all in all I had a pleasant and enjoyable viewing experience.

:dance: Yay! We need more male belly dancers like him

 

[Aisha Azar]

Jalil

I stumbled upon this clip on youtube and I thought I'd like to share it with you: I've gotten some emails from Argentina about this guy but this is the first time I've seen him dance:

YouTube - JALIL JALIL Male Dancer Super Star from Argentina

His music choice is a bit funny. It's like elevator music meets A7med Adawiya :lol: I love his costume and he has very interesting and unique dance stylings although I see a bit too much Reda fakelore for my liking. But he's loads better than some of the stuff you see out there...all in all I had a pleasant and enjoyable viewing experience.

:dance: Yay! We need more male belly dancers like him

Dear Mark,
I thought he had great technique and I like his dancing as an overall picture. I would love to see him break out of that "perfection in every move" western mode and .... I don't know, get messy and Middle Eastern with it. I actually liked his music and I loved his costume!! I want to see him 10 years from now!
Love,
A'isha

 

[Zorba]

Overall impression: If I could dance 1/3rd that good, I'd call myself a Belly Dancer! He's very smooth, very fluid, doesn't masculinize, and his arms are very good. I'm into arms these days as mine suck.... Oh, and he easily passed the "Zorba gender inversion test"!

I liked his music, and he seemed to interpret it well. I'm not so sure about emotional projection - its hard to tell at the other end of a camera. Costume? There were elements of it I liked a lot - the nice flowing sleeves and the bell bottom pants. I'd like to see some hip enhancements, and some jewelry. And, of course, let's see some midriff and grow some hair! But I'm picking nits, the guy is very good and is 4 times the dancer I am, easily! Mark is right, we need more male Belly Dancers like him.

I think I'd like to meet him someday. Does he have a website?

 

[Maria_Aya]

I liked him also (have posted on youtube) he have a freedom in his dance, that i like.

Maria Aya

 

[Kharmine]

Mark, is a touch of ballet part of the Reda thing? Because that's what I noticed stood out a bit, especially with some of the arm positions. Maybe I just notice it more because I used to study ballet myself...

He's certainly graceful, maybe a bit feminine for my taste in male dancers, but he has a nice feel fpr the music. Too often dancers seem to have picked music fairly randomly, just so it gives the right number of throbbing beats.

He's also so thin that those bell-sleeves and pants seemed to me to emphasize the thinness of his upper arms and legs and make him look a little spidery. He could use fuller sleeves and pants, and a hip scarf that doesn't look quite so sarong-like on him.

And just from a theatrical POV, I'd also recommend he get a touch of stage makeup because he looks awfully pale under those lights.

 

[Mark_Balahadia]

Kharmine,

I'm refering to the Reda Troupe's reliance on ballet and modern dance forms. And yes he does have some Reda and Raqia Hassan influences particularly in the way he does his hip shimmy. There is a tedency for many of the South American dancers to be influenced by Reda.

I am with Zorba in saying that I am happy that his dancing isn't masculinized and fits perfectly within the confines of Oriental Dance as it is done in the Arab World. Is there a particular reason why he may be too feminine for your taste in male dancers? I find the best male dancers here and the Middle East to have a feminine or non-masculine styling to their dancing.

I do love the costume. He could use some more fringe but I do rather think it looks quite smashing on him. His pants and sleeves are already quite full...I'm not exactly sure how he can get them bigger...:shok: Although he is quite thin, I think that he body suits his dancing style nicely. I'd have to agree with you on the make-up though...he needs some dark kohl around his eyes or something. Also, his hair is quite cute

Mark, is a touch of ballet part of the Reda thing? Because that's what I noticed stood out a bit, especially with some of the arm positions. Maybe I just notice it more because I used to study ballet myself...

He's certainly graceful, maybe a bit feminine for my taste in male dancers, but he has a nice feel fpr the music. Too often dancers seem to have picked music fairly randomly, just so it gives the right number of throbbing beats.

He's also so thin that those bell-sleeves and pants seemed to me to emphasize the thinness of his upper arms and legs and make him look a little spidery. He could use fuller sleeves and pants, and a hip scarf that doesn't look quite so sarong-like on him.

And just from a theatrical POV, I'd also recommend he get a touch of stage makeup because he looks awfully pale under those lights.

 

[Kharmine]

Kharmine,

I'm refering to the Reda Troupe's reliance on ballet and modern dance forms. And yes he does have some Reda and Raqia Hassan influences particularly in the way he does his hip shimmy. There is a tedency for many of the South American dancers to be influenced by Reda.

That's interesting. Wonder where the dancers got the idea that was the style to be copied?

I am with Zorba in saying that I am happy that his dancing isn't masculinized and fits perfectly within the confines of Oriental Dance as it is done in the Arab World. Is there a particular reason why he may be too feminine for your taste in male dancers? I find the best male dancers here and the Middle East to have a feminine or non-masculine styling to their dancing.

Because I see many, many more women dancers, I tend to enjoy more of a contrast when I finally get to see a guy dancing. It's just my personal preference.

Mind you, I've seen male dancers from Arab countries and others who dance various styles and with different levels of "masculinity" -- each enjoyable in its own way when danced well. I would rather see a good male dancer who was less "masculine" than a mediocre male dancer who was more so.

I do love the costume. He could use some more fringe but I do rather think it looks quite smashing on him. His pants and sleeves are already quite full...I'm not exactly sure how he can get them bigger...:shok: Although he is quite thin, I think that he body suits his dancing style nicely. I'd have to agree with you on the make-up though...he needs some dark kohl around his eyes or something. Also, his hair is quite cute

Again, just a personal preference. I've had years of costuming people for various things and have my own parameters for what I like to see on the stage.

First, he's dressed all in one color, which tends to elongate the body and he's already very slim. Then the big, bell-shapes at the end of long, slim sleeves and pants tend to emphasize his thin upper arms and legs. I'd rather that the entire sleeves and legs were either straight or a bit more poofy so there wasn't such a contrast as between his limbs and those bells. Hmm, did that come out coherently? :lol:

I also think he'd look better in a strong color because it would be a nice contrast with his hair and skin. At least under stage lights, white tends to look better with a darker skin. White on white tends to be rather ghostly.

Absolutely, a bit of kohl would help! And some color as he's almost as pale as his outfit. Both distance and those stage lights have the effect of blurring the lad's features. One doesn't always have a choice as to lighting where one is performing, but a pale-skinned performer is always going to look better under stage lights with some makeup.

 

[Mark_Balahadia]

The dancers in South America study with Reda trained teachers, including Raqia Hassan. This is why this style is emulated in South American countries like Argentina.

I think the very fact that a guy is dancing at all is enough contrast from a female dancer. Regardless of styling, a male dancer is always going to look different from a female dancer. I don't think anymore contrast is needed or should be expected especially when dancing for Arabs.

From what I can conclude it seems like he purposely made the costume that color to look a bit nude. Naughty naughty :naghty::dance:

That's interesting. Wonder where the dancers got the idea that was the style to be copied?



Because I see many, many more women dancers, I tend to enjoy more of a contrast when I finally get to see a guy dancing. It's just my personal preference.

Mind you, I've seen male dancers from Arab countries and others who dance various styles and with different levels of "masculinity" -- each enjoyable in its own way when danced well. I would rather see a good male dancer who was less "masculine" than a mediocre male dancer who was more so.



Again, just a personal preference. I've had years of costuming people for various things and have my own parameters for what I like to see on the stage.

First, he's dressed all in one color, which tends to elongate the body and he's already very slim. Then the big, bell-shapes at the end of long, slim sleeves and pants tend to emphasize his thin upper arms and legs. I'd rather that the entire sleeves and legs were either straight or a bit more poofy so there wasn't such a contrast as between his limbs and those bells. Hmm, did that come out coherently? :lol:

I also think he'd look better in a strong color because it would be a nice contrast with his hair and skin. At least under stage lights, white tends to look better with a darker skin. White on white tends to be rather ghostly.

Absolutely, a bit of kohl would help! And some color as he's almost as pale as his outfit. Both distance and those stage lights have the effect of blurring the lad's features. One doesn't always have a choice as to lighting where one is performing, but a pale-skinned performer is always going to look better under stage lights with some makeup.

 

[Kharmine]

The dancers in South America study with Reda trained teachers, including Raqia Hassan. This is why this style is emulated in South American countries like Argentina.

Thanks for clearing that up! Sounds like this Reda has a franchise thing going. Does he have a "system" that he teaches?

I think the very fact that a guy is dancing at all is enough contrast from a female dancer. Regardless of styling, a male dancer is always going to look different from a female dancer. I don't think anymore contrast is needed or should be expected especially when dancing for Arabs.

I've seen a few male dancers I had to look closely at to determine they were guys. I want more of a contrast than that, but, again, that's a preference not a criticism. I don't think everyone, even Arabs, want to see the same thing all the time so it's great that we have male dancers of different styles who can please.

I no more want to see male belly dancers who all dance alike than I wanna see nuthin' but women who dance like Didem!

From what I can conclude it seems like he purposely made the costume that color to look a bit nude. Naughty naughty :naghty::dance:

Oh dear. I'm of the thinking that when it comes to dressing the body, one should accentuate the positive -- for many people, hard to do when you're nude...