Sharqi and Baladi ?
- Thread starter khanjar
- Start date
Kashmir
New member
Oh yes, you can spot it a mile off. That said, there are many types of beledi (even without counting folk styles which are strictly beledi - and even sharqi is seen by some as a type of beledi - but I'll ignore that as it isn't very helpful). Let's restrict it to urban dance that is ot sharqi (or Orientale as it is also known).
First there is a music choice. Less orchestration. Less complex themes. So you'd expect the movement vocabulary to be smaller. If you are dancing to a mawaal you have very little movement choice if you want to stay within genre (and the heels stay on the floor - even with hip drops).
Watching you see much, much less use of space. When the dancer does travel you’ll see simple scissor walks, shimmy walks - no fancy footwork or arabesques.
Arm work is simpler and lower (they very rarely lift above the shoulders). Sharqi arms are usually lifted by the back and just below shoulder height but also work higher. Beledi arms are lower and deceptively casual (you have to work very hard to make those arms look natural!). You won’t see dancers dancing with their arms – they frame and enhance. No Indian style snake arms – but you might see a relaxed shoulder roll initiated arm undulation.
Movement vocabulary is usually restricted – degree and choice depends on style of music. Generally speaking the main movement is in the hips and a little belly (but NOT a belly roll). Very little upper body work except a chest heave and a chest shimmy (the elegant shoulder shimmy doesn’t fit with most beledi styles). No upper body undulations.
The dancer is often quite relaxed as in she’s one of the people – she might casually interact with the audience or the band breaking the fourth wall (even if she is on stage). Professional dancers usually keep their sharqi posture – but some will relax into a most lean back style.
One big thing is the music is not over worked. Miss an accent? Yeah, well – better than hitting every beat and looking like a wind-up toy. As in any belly dance, the dancer becomes the music – the extra layer is it is the music of home. This isn’t dancing to impress. It is dancing for love.
First there is a music choice. Less orchestration. Less complex themes. So you'd expect the movement vocabulary to be smaller. If you are dancing to a mawaal you have very little movement choice if you want to stay within genre (and the heels stay on the floor - even with hip drops).
Watching you see much, much less use of space. When the dancer does travel you’ll see simple scissor walks, shimmy walks - no fancy footwork or arabesques.
Arm work is simpler and lower (they very rarely lift above the shoulders). Sharqi arms are usually lifted by the back and just below shoulder height but also work higher. Beledi arms are lower and deceptively casual (you have to work very hard to make those arms look natural!). You won’t see dancers dancing with their arms – they frame and enhance. No Indian style snake arms – but you might see a relaxed shoulder roll initiated arm undulation.
Movement vocabulary is usually restricted – degree and choice depends on style of music. Generally speaking the main movement is in the hips and a little belly (but NOT a belly roll). Very little upper body work except a chest heave and a chest shimmy (the elegant shoulder shimmy doesn’t fit with most beledi styles). No upper body undulations.
The dancer is often quite relaxed as in she’s one of the people – she might casually interact with the audience or the band breaking the fourth wall (even if she is on stage). Professional dancers usually keep their sharqi posture – but some will relax into a most lean back style.
One big thing is the music is not over worked. Miss an accent? Yeah, well – better than hitting every beat and looking like a wind-up toy. As in any belly dance, the dancer becomes the music – the extra layer is it is the music of home. This isn’t dancing to impress. It is dancing for love.
Amulya
Moderator
Great post Kashmir 
yes can spot it from a mile distance, indeed the flat feet and the relaxedness are very distinct things in the dance, easy to spot. Different costume too, sorry if Kashmir mentioned that already. Here are some examples:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...yTiQe5poCoAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=644
yes can spot it from a mile distance, indeed the flat feet and the relaxedness are very distinct things in the dance, easy to spot. Different costume too, sorry if Kashmir mentioned that already. Here are some examples:https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...yTiQe5poCoAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=644
khanjar
New member
Relaxed, ah, okay, then that seems to be what I am learning for relaxed it is, but that might just be my teacher's personal style, but I had heard she is good with Baladi with an unique style.
But in the past, where I could not get off the flats of my feet, now it's the other way around, as this dancing has made me a bit bouncy, but maybe that is due to it being relaxed.
But in the past, where I could not get off the flats of my feet, now it's the other way around, as this dancing has made me a bit bouncy, but maybe that is due to it being relaxed.
Last edited:
Kashmir
New member
There is a bouncy style of beledi which is mostly on the balls of the feet when walking.