Rania's Khaliji?

[taheya]

It is such a shame that it is not feasable for you aisha to make an instructional vid on khaleegi, i too would buy it. I like many others here really want to see and learn from authentic dancers, there are so many fusion dancers now it is hard to see through the clouds. No offense to fusion style! There is a place for it but i personally prefer dancers who promote authenticity.

 

[Shanazel]

Alas, my dear, I cannot help you with the technical aspects of making videos. I am uniformed about and unconnected with anything to do with such an endeavor. My son is buying a video camera to film his snowboard feats, and that is about the best I have to offer.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

A'isha, just do a homemade video, like Veda Sereem. Her stuff is ancient and still sells! You don't need fancy graphics and flying monkeys to have a good instructional video.

But you said BOTH Saut Wa Soora vids are good --- what's the other one? I don't see another Kuwaiti video on my list, but it is an old list.

Thanks!

 

[Aisha Azar]

Khaliji

Dear Aziyade,
I have seen home made vidoes and feel that they do not usually do the dance justice because the quality of the camera does not allow for all the nuances, and since in several froms this dance is just about all nuance.....PLus there is still that nasty little music rights issue. I COULD get my dance company to sing and play drums but that would be for one specific style and they are used to me doing the lead singing. ( AND as of yet, we only really know one song!!).

The other video is called "An evening with Leila Addulaziz". There is a lot of amazing and wonderful dance on it.

Thank you, everyone, for the encouragement to make a video. It might happen some day, but right now I think I need to teach the dance in person. If you want to sponsor me or come to Spokane, let me know!!
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Simone min al Akariyah]

where are these vids?

I'm searching the web for Sout wa Soura and an evening with Leila Abdulaziz but even Google doesn't lead me to these vids.

Can someone help me?

 

[Aisha Azar]

Rania's Kahliji

Dear Simone,
Try Saut Wa Saura.
Sometimes I forget and spell it more like it sounds when it is spoken.
Actually, here is the info off the video:
Saut Wa Soora Co.
Tel. (714) 220-0553
Fax (714) 220-2099



Regards,
A'isha

 

[Simone min al Akariyah]

Dear Aisha,

they do not seem to have a website.
If I contact them by Fax or phone I guess they do not ship it to Europe as they have no distritutor here so far.

But I do not give up. I will try it later on.

Thank you very much for their no.

 

[sedoniaraqs]

I would just like to add that I sponsored A'isha about a year ago to teach both Egyptian belly dance and Khaleegi dance, and to perform in a show. It was all great but keeping on topic with this thread, her Khaleegi workshop was well attended and even drew in some non-belly dance people who came specifically for the folkloric cultural experience. It was very well-received by all and I highly recommend her as an instructor (of both Egyptian and Khaleegi). I felt she went the extra mile to teach all aspects of the dance: movement, music, cultural framework, costumes. Many teachers who teach the khaleegi or Gulf women's dance are really teaching what they see the Egyptian dancers do in *their* routines, which doesn't necessarily look much like the real deal as shown to us in video documentary footage.

Sedonia

 

[Aisha Azar]

Saut Wa Soora,

Dear Simone,
I for som,e rreason thought they had a distributor in London. I will try to find a contact number or something for you.

Dear Sedonia,
Thank you!! I had a great time teaching the class, and all of the participants were wonderful, asked really thoughtful questions and seemed to understand the concepts taught. I think we did both traditional and modern Samri styles, if I remember correctly. I taught another workshop last year, with my freind Leila, from Saudi Arabia, and we taught modern Gulf and Nejdi styles. It was interesting because one is a group dance and the other is a couples dance.

Regards,
A'isha

Dear Aisha,

they do not seem to have a website.
If I contact them by Fax or phone I guess they do not ship it to Europe as they have no distritutor here so far.

But I do not give up. I will try it later on.

Thank you very much for their no.

 

[Eve]

we were working on this style last night, I can see the essence of what she was doing but what she was doing in that clip was 'bigger' than what I was being taught in class, if you're meant to be showing off the front panel bling why wave it round? Maybe trying to make it more showy or Reda-ise it? Doesn't work for me.

 

[Aisha Azar]

Samri, etc.

Dear Eve,
In some places in the States, when the teachers talk about the dance, they tell their students that the dance is meant to show off the embroidery. I have never heard that from any natives and when they dance, often the dress is sort of crunched up in one hand and the embroidery does not seem to be the focal point at all. Many times, the ladies wear a simple shawl like thing, or just their party dresses and no thobe at all. You are right on in your observances about that!!
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Habibiyaeini]

The dance doesnt look as controled as it should be. Its a bit all over the place, flinging arms and such.

 

[Habibiyaeini]

Here is some clips of khaleegy dancing on youtube. its mainly men abut there are some parts with the girls dancing.

YouTube - a dubai band =p

YouTube - tdall

 

[Aisha Azar]

Samri

Dear Habibiyaeini,
Wonderful!! I LOVE that heavy pelvic style that these ladies did. It is one of my favorites. In some locations the style is more smooth. In other places the hair is swings differently ( Here the hair is moved from the back of the skull.) Each location seems to have its own style, but the biggest difference that I see between the authentic Khaliji/Saudi dances and what is often presented here in the States is the very relaxed attitude. Also, note the lack of choreography in the women's dance, even though this is for stage!
I loved the guys in their formal thobes with the placket hiding the buttons down the front, and their very typical headwraps for the lower Gulf region. I have a photo of a friend dressed in his winter thobe with matching kufiyah wrapped like the red ones in the film. The colors are brown and cream houndstooh. He is from Abu Thabi. We had a good laugh as he was sitting in my dining room in his "winter thobe" with snow outside; a thing that would never happen for him at home. ( I eventually made him promise he would not go out around here in his thobe anymore as things got more creepy with the situation in the 1st Gulf War. I got to be pretty afraid for him because he just did not like western clothing and rarely wore it.)
Thank you for sharing these videos!!
Regards,
A'isha

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I love the second clip!!

The Saudi boys at the University always dance like this, but when I've asked about it they are reluctant to talk to me. Could be cultural or could be that the college coeds are more interesting to talk to (lol). I love the white thobes too!

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

In some places in the States, when the teachers talk about the dance, they tell their students that the dance is meant to show off the embroidery.

The lady I student taught under INSISTS that the dance is all about showing off the thobe and the jewelry. Argh!

Also, you know that limp step thing they do? Well, she continually choreographs the dance to alternate feet with that limp step. Like, RLR, LRL, RLR, LRL. In all the video I've seen, they don't alternate. The alternating makes it more bouncy - up and down rather than the heavy pelvic down you were talking about. In your experience, do they alternate or stick with one leading foot until it tires?

 

[Aisha Azar]

Dear Aziyade,
In some places the "limp step" is not even there. It is specific to regional
styles. In the dancers that I have seen and learned from, the limp step might or might not be done on both sides. In some places, the girls turn strongly from side to side and then it seems more prominent on both sides. In lines, they tend not to use it on both sides as clearly. In some styles they lead with the place in the front of the body where the leg and body meet, and in other places they seem more to land heavily on the leading foot and not so much forward action. The dance really has a lot of variety from location to location.
Regards,
A'isha

The lady I student taught under INSISTS that the dance is all about showing off the thobe and the jewelry. Argh!

Also, you know that limp step thing they do? Well, she continually choreographs the dance to alternate feet with that limp step. Like, RLR, LRL, RLR, LRL. In all the video I've seen, they don't alternate. The alternating makes it more bouncy - up and down rather than the heavy pelvic down you were talking about. In your experience, do they alternate or stick with one leading foot until it tires?

 

[Shanazel]

Thank you for the clips! Now I am more interested than ever in learning this genre of dances, but alas, it is unlikely I shall get the chance. One of my current projects for embroidery is a thobe, though I am using perle cotton instead of gold and silver because it will be for my home use and needs to be easily washable. I don't know a lot about the dance, but I am getting a fairly decent education in the embroidery.

Strangely enough, the lilt of the music reminded me of Celtic- real Celtic and not the rocked up stuff of River Dance and similar entertainment.

 

[Habibiyaeini]

I must admit those men in the crisp white galabeyas get my heart racing a bit!!

Some similar dancing to Khaeegy is Iraqy dancing. Its great!! Im going to start up a new thread about that with clips from youtube. i posted them on bhuz a while ago.

 

[Moon]

I'm sorry, I hope I don't offend anyone by asking this but I just need to ask: Do I miss something in these clips? Because to me it looks like the men are doing a dance that I think is very nice to watch, but it looks like the girls are only swishing their hair! I'm sure I'm missing something?