Right and Left Handedness issues in Egyptian Style BD

[Marya]

I was teaching a cane dance workshop last weekend and someone asked me if the cane was used only in the right hand. A great question. I said I thought maybe Fifi sometimes used her left hand, but I am not sure. I am pretty sure all the other "big" name Egyptian dancers mainly use their right hand to twirl the cane etc.

This question allowed me the opportunity to discuss the cultural issues around right and left hands, but I really don't know if there are any Egyptian dancers who might use their left hand for cane work.

Anybody have any idea?

Are there American left handed dancers who use their left hand for cane dance?

Marya

 

[da Sage]

My friend is a new pro, and she does both cane and sword left-handed (unless she has to do right-handed for troupe work - amazing! ).

She also does lovely duets with a friend, and I think it works really well that she is left-handed and her partner is right-handed.

 

[jenc]

I have had to learn cane right-handed to fit in with troupe. also I would say that as a general rule, new moves are learnt on the right-side. Now I have always been very left-sided up to now, but I don't suffer from the one side not as good as the other syndrome that some dancers do. I feel that learning everything on my non-dominant side has meant that it transfers to the other side more easily.

 

[Samira bint Aya]

Marya, if I remember correctly, there used to be a similar thread a few months back…

I have taken seminars with Liza Laziza (in Cairo) and she teaches her students to use both hands. She is right handed and relies mainly on her right hand for canework during a show, but she will also use the left hand for variety, and more freedom during improvisation.

She also told us specifically, to practice our weaker side. She said that we will never try to wow the audience with our weaker side, but we will be able to cover more stage space and have more variety in positioning and angles if we can take advantage of both sides…

Also, you might like to do double cane work. You will need to have the left hand trained as well…

I really think that for solo performances, either hand would be OK. There is no rule really, I don’t think…

 

[Marya]

Marya, if I remember correctly, there used to be a similar thread a few months back…

missed that, I will look for it, was it posted under performance?

I have taken seminars with Liza Laziza (in Cairo) and she teaches her students to use both hands. She is right handed and relies mainly on her right hand for canework during a show, but she will also use the left hand for variety, and more freedom during improvisation.

She also told us specifically, to practice our weaker side. She said that we will never try to wow the audience with our weaker side, but we will be able to cover more stage space and have more variety in positioning and angles if we can take advantage of both sides…

Also, you might like to do double cane work. You will need to have the left hand trained as well…

Good point

I really think that for solo performances, either hand would be OK. There is no rule really, I don’t think…

thanks,

Marya

 

[shiradotnet]

Here's a thread on tribe.net in which Sausan posts her observations about "sidedness". She came up with these thoughts after scrutinizing many videos of Egyptian dancers:

Left Sided or Right Sided? - Egyptian Style - tribe.net

 

[Marya]

Here's a thread on tribe.net in which Sausan posts her observations about "sidedness". She came up with these thoughts after scrutinizing many videos of Egyptian dancers:

Left Sided or Right Sided? - Egyptian Style - tribe.net

I remember the discussions on sidedness, but I was curious about right or left handedness. Given the cultural issues around the left hand I was wondering if any Egyptian Dancers used their left hand to hold the cane. I could be trying to make connections where there are none.

As we see Western dancers will use either hand as needed

Marya

 

[Kashmir]

Yousry Sharif expected us to be able to use our canes in either hand in the workshop he took in Brisbane. We would do most combos on both sides and the finale involved a rapid hand change while doing cane poi - ie one figure eight with the right, one with the left, one with the right, one with the left :dance:

 

[Shanazel]

I can use a cane in either hand equally- learned to do it in order to do double cane work, but I am an Am-cab style dancer. I'm very interested to hear the answer to Marya's question in terms of Egyptian dancers.

 

[Kashmir]

I can use a cane in either hand equally- learned to do it in order to do double cane work, but I am an Am-cab style dancer. I'm very interested to hear the answer to Marya's question in terms of Egyptian dancers.

Yousry is Egyptian.

 

[Samira bint Aya]

missed that, I will look for it, was it posted under performance?

Marya, I finally found that old thread I was telling you about.

http://www.bellydanceforums.net/instructors-students/7292-dominant-side.html

My memory fooled me… :redface: It is not about assaya at all, it is more about training and practicing the non-dominant side…

 

[Marya]

Marya, I finally found that old thread I was telling you about.

http://www.bellydanceforums.net/instructors-students/7292-dominant-side.html

My memory fooled me… :redface: It is not about assaya at all, it is more about training and practicing the non-dominant side…

Thanks,

Marya