Ali Kaka dancers in Zakazik, Egypt 1896

[Duvet]

I found some photos online at various sites labelled as above. Can anyone tell me more about this dance - the occasion, what it's about, etc?

It seems to be some large occasion - hundreds of people of both sexes and all ages, with people selling stuff, and oxen and camels in the background. Not everyone is focused on the cleared circle where the dancing is occurring.

I'm not convinced I have the photo sequence correct, but I'll make a guess;

1.Two men walk in, each with a woman on his back (one of the men is bare-chested), accompanied by a drummer and a couple other men.

2.The women are now standing, and they and the men (minus one of the carriers) all seem to have a discussion.

3.Two men play the flute whilst a third drums, and one of the women (the other has vanished) dances. The bare-chested man vocalises(?) and is holding a length of rope(?).

4.The second woman reappears brandishing a long stick.

5.The two women then seem to have a mock stick fight accompanied by music and the bare chested man dances or postures whilst holding the rope-like object above his head.

6.The women are now gone and the bare-chested man is dancing alone to a flute, whilst holding a reed(?) in his mouth.

7. The bare-chested man is now alone. The rope(?) is tucked into his back waist and he seems to be playing a small instrument, or has his hands cupped to his mouth.

 

[Kashmir]

Do you have a link? My first guess would be it is a Moulid (a Saint's Day celebration) which used to be a major part of performers' work.

 

[Duvet]

Sorry. Having problems attaching photos. The first of the series is here;

Zakazik ALI Kaka Dancers AT Arab Market Egypt 1896 Stereoview Alikaka | eBay

9843&d=1377551264

 

[Duvet]

There are more here, including one I missed from the sequence (bare-chested man carries one woman, whilst the second woman looks on. His rope lies on the floor in front of them. None of the musicians are present).

Ali Kaka dancers at the Arab market- Zakazik. Egypt.

 

[Duvet]

And here's the one of the dancers having their pre-dance discussion (it's not on the page I linked above)

View attachment 9844

from this page; Alikaka Dancers. Zakazik. Egypt.

 

[AndreaSTL]

Other than mentioning that the place is nowadays translated as Zagazig I'm afraid I can't help you. I would also guess a moulid based on the large number of people in attendance, but it's really just a guess. Lovely photos, though!

 

[Duvet]

I was interested in the women dancing with full size sticks. I hadn't seen pictures of that before.

 

[Tarik Sultan]

It doesn't look like a moulid. Back in the day certain dancers would perform in market places. To the best of my knowledge these markets happened on certain days attracting people who came to buy, sell etc. My guess is that these entertainers were of the class who would migrate to different market gatherings and moulids as well, performing for tips from the audience, or busking as we call it in the US. I'm not sure if this tradition is still alive or if it has totally died out. You can get a feel of what this was like in Marakech Morocco where performers gather in the Jma el fina market in the afternoons and evenings. [video=youtube;0AfU2LS1foU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AfU2LS1foU[/video]

 

[Duvet]

Could it be some kind of comic dance/buffoonery? The entrance and the outfits - and are the women dancing with full size sticks as part of that?

 

[Tarik Sultan]

Could it be some kind of comic dance/buffoonery? The entrance and the outfits - and are the women dancing with full size sticks as part of that?

Anything is possible. But without any audio, there's no way to know. However, it's not unheard of for women to dance with naboots. They did a lot of funky stuff that was not seen in the glam nightclub routines that developed later, like dancing with chairs in their teeth.