Rules of beledi

kayshier

New member
I didn't know what else to call it.

anyway, is it typical or even correct, to do floor work in a beledi piece?
is it one of those cardinal rules you just don't venture into?

are there any other do's and dont's for a beledi piece?
 

Marya

Member
I didn't know what else to call it.

anyway, is it typical or even correct, to do floor work in a beledi piece?
is it one of those cardinal rules you just don't venture into?

are there any other do's and dont's for a beledi piece?

Would you write more about what you mean by beledi? I have learned a few slightly different definitions. Ranya Renee's is one of them, she refers to it as primarily a social dance, commonly performed at weddings, with specific music for men and women. The performance aspect of this dance by professional dancers being just a subset of the social dance.

Marya
 
Last edited:

Mya

New member
Hi Marya,

I hope you don't mind me answering; Kayshier and i were having this conversation prior to the thread so i know what she means.

We're talking beledi like Ranya Renee does in her Beledi dvd and as you describe it.
 

Kashmir

New member
anyway, is it typical or even correct, to do floor work in a beledi piece?
is it one of those cardinal rules you just don't venture into?

are there any other do's and dont's for a beledi piece?
Beledi is a wide range of dances. I have seen both AIda Nour and Denise Enan do florwork in some types of beledi - but not others.
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
Floorwork is a very general term and conjures up many images.

The 'floorwork' occasionly seen in Beledi is not quite the same as what people may see in Amcab or Turkish. :D
 

Tarik Sultan

New member
Floorwork is a very general term and conjures up many images.

The 'floorwork' occasionly seen in Beledi is not quite the same as what people may see in Amcab or Turkish. :D

....Yeeeah. There is none of the lounging around on your side doing undulations kind of stuff. What you will see,(although its never performed in the 5 star night clubs, come to think of it, I've never seen it in any nightclub) are people going down to the floor in a backbend where they end up on the knees and then bend all the way back till their head touches the floor, I've also seen where they kneel on one knee and do hip drops with the other hip. They will also do hip circles, side to side hips twists while kneeling. The only time I've seen people roll on the floor is when they were balancing something on the head like the Shamadan. There is also the thing they do where they sit cross legged and wiggle across the floor. Still can't figure out how they do that! Other than that, the only other thing I've seen has been by the really raunchy street wedding dancers which looks something like what you'd expect to see as a Passa Passa if you know what I mean. I'll leave you to explain to the folks what a Passa Passa is:tongue:
 
Last edited:

Mya

New member
Well he must mean you...couldn't mean me...you've lived in Jamaica...must mean you. :lol:
 

kayshier

New member
Well he must mean you...couldn't mean me...you've lived in Jamaica...must mean you. :lol:

we have passa passa in trinidad. :lol:
but lets not detract from the thread though

tarik would the floor work you speak about be similar to your shisha dance?
 

Marya

Member
Hi Marya,

I hope you don't mind me answering; Kayshier and i were having this conversation prior to the thread so i know what she means.

We're talking beledi like Ranya Renee does in her Beledi dvd and as you describe it.

The only time I have seen floor work with the Beledi as defined by Ranya Renee is when it is American nightclub style, that is, the dancer is not dancing Egyptian Style.

My comment is based on observations from the US and videos.

Marya
 

Mya

New member
Thanks Marya - there's an American version of beledi? *is confused*

How does that work? Do you mean that they're dancing to beledi music but not dancing beledi dance?


Tarik, i think i understand what you and Caro mean - can you direct us to any videos for a visual reference?
 

Marya

Member
Thanks Marya - there's an American version of beledi? *is confused*

How does that work? Do you mean that they're dancing to beledi music but not dancing beledi dance?


Tarik, i think i understand what you and Caro mean - can you direct us to any videos for a visual reference?

Hi Maya,

I guess I was a little confusing, sorry about that.

I am not sure that the American style I was thinking of could strictly be called Beledi, but it is frequently referred to as Taxsim, the improvisational music section of a 7 or 5 part performance so in a way it fits the definition as Belidi in Ranya Renees video but the music in an American style performance may not necessarily be Egyptian.

I have not seen it but I am sure that it happens, that a American performer might use Egyptian Beledi music for their American Style BD and include some floor work.

Marya
 

Tarik Sultan

New member
we have passa passa in trinidad. :lol:
but lets not detract from the thread though

tarik would the floor work you speak about be similar to your shisha dance?

Yes. I got most of what I was doing there from my friend Osman from Luxor


Here's Aida Noor doing her thing with the shamadan
 

Maria_Aya

New member
Yes. I got most of what I was doing there from my friend Osman from Luxor


Here's Aida Noor doing her thing with the shamadan


awww Aida... my butt still hurts from trying to do the shimmying circle lol.
but finaly got it, now if I ever do it? not sure lol

Dear Tarik when you explained how you have seen egyptian style floorwork, (i've seen it also) I want just to tell all, that its 100% same with the old style greek chifteteli style for floorwork.

kissessssssss
 

Pirika Repun

New member
This is another Aida Nour's floor work. This video is NOT only her, and she did very short in this clip. Look at around 5:35 on this clip. She did floor work witout shamadan or any object on her head.


 

Tarik Sultan

New member
awww Aida... my butt still hurts from trying to do the shimmying circle lol.
but finaly got it, now if I ever do it? not sure lol

Dear Tarik when you explained how you have seen egyptian style floorwork, (i've seen it also) I want just to tell all, that its 100% same with the old style greek chifteteli style for floorwork.

kissessssssss

I can't do it. I don't have a butt:(
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
This is another Aida Nour's floor work. This video is NOT only her, and she did very short in this clip. Look at around 5:35 on this clip. She did floor work witout shamadan or any object on her head.



That 'floorwork' is Aidas party piece and it is fairly unique to her.

Most of the time this sort of stuff is seen in shows outside of Egypt.

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen any type of floor work in Egypt (live)which was not at an international belly dance festival?

I have seen some instances on clips of Shaabi dancers and Cameila briefly with a shamadan, but to me this is not really what I would class as floor work.. which brings me nicely to my next question... how do you personally define floorworK?

For me it is an intergral part of the dance (not a novelty party piece) like in Turkish and Amcab.
 

Tarik Sultan

New member
That 'floorwork' is Aidas party piece and it is fairly unique to her.

Most of the time this sort of stuff is seen in shows outside of Egypt.

Out of curiosity, has anyone seen any type of floor work in Egypt (live)which was not at an international belly dance festival?

I have seen some instances on clips of Shaabi dancers and Cameila briefly with a shamadan, but to me this is not really what I would class as floor work.. which brings me nicely to my next question... how do you personally define floorworK?

For me it is an intergral part of the dance (not a novelty party piece) like in Turkish and Amcab.

I said before that you won't find that kind of floor work in Egypt. The only thing you may find is the kind of thing Aida and Osman did. By the way, that wiggle thing is not unique to Aida. Its something you find in real social dancing, she's just the only one whose done it in a formal performance that I'm aware of.

As far as I know, floorwok is illegal for nightclub dancers in Egypt. Negwa was able to get away with it once because she did a tableaux set in Ottoman times. All she did was lay on her side and wave her hand around, no backbends, or anything like what you see in Turkey and Lebanon.
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
Tes, this is exactly how I understood it.

I have seen some dodgy things done on the floor as part of an act but not quite like A'idas were she does a full turn shimmying on her backside. I am sure it is like you said though, it is unlikely she invented it.
 
Last edited:

Pirika Repun

New member
By the way, that wiggle thing is not unique to Aida. Its something you find in real social dancing, she's just the only one whose done it in a formal performance that I'm aware of.

Now Tito is doing too. He does on the tabla (sit on the tabla), edge of the stage, and on the stage, and I'm sure he got from Aida. ;)
 
Top