Egyptian/American Fusion
- Thread starter Jane
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Aisha Azar
New member
Nagwa
Gosh, is that really her singing? Her voice is about 100 octaves deeper these days, even when she was still singing in her shows some years ago. I just saw her on Saturday night on the belly dance contest the Lebanese are doing with about 5 dancers left I think.
Regards,
A'isha
Gosh, is that really her singing? Her voice is about 100 octaves deeper these days, even when she was still singing in her shows some years ago. I just saw her on Saturday night on the belly dance contest the Lebanese are doing with about 5 dancers left I think.
Regards,
A'isha
Caroline_afifi
New member
The twist with balady is pretty much American/Egyptian fusion! :lol:
Rushdi Abaza was hilarious... those facial expressions and shoulders.
Jane, this was a great find, I am a big fan of Egyptian cinema.
Tarik Sultan
New member
Just goers to show you, its all been done before. The only thing that kills me are all those guys twisting their hips to rock and roll, but god forbid they did the same moves to balady music then the censors would have had a field day! How hypocritical! WHATEVER! It was a cute scene.
PriscillaAdum
New member
The scary thing is that I actually remember parties like this from when I was little, and my mom and her sisters and all their friends looked exactly this odd to my five year old eyes. 
Their "fusion" was twist and latin though, rather than twist and oriental.
Regards
Priscilla
Their "fusion" was twist and latin though, rather than twist and oriental.Regards
Priscilla
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Tarik Sultan
New member
I wonder if you guys understand the context behind this little clip .. of a move from the 60.
Why make it what it is not ??
Well then why don't you explain it if you see that people obviously don't understand? That is far more instructive than just making a vague comment and the kind of thing we need from natives such as yourself to give a better cultural understanding of the dance in its cultural context.
Jane
New member
I wonder if you guys understand the context behind this little clip .. of a move from the 60.
Why make it what it is not ??
Please explain, I'm curious now.
masrawy
New member
Life goes on ....
My apology, I thought it was clear from the clip what was going on since it doesn't have much dialect.
I haven't seen this movie, but as you can see. She bought a ticket to get into this nightclub. She was told by the man at the door she can get in because what she's wearing " Melaya laf " she pushed her way in but the waiters came in to kick her out claiming the place is for families/different class of people. She was asked by the audience can she do the twist she said she can't do the twist but she did it anyway .... no fusion
Life goes on .... :shok:
My apology, I thought it was clear from the clip what was going on since it doesn't have much dialect.
I haven't seen this movie, but as you can see. She bought a ticket to get into this nightclub. She was told by the man at the door she can get in because what she's wearing " Melaya laf " she pushed her way in but the waiters came in to kick her out claiming the place is for families/different class of people. She was asked by the audience can she do the twist she said she can't do the twist but she did it anyway .... no fusion
Life goes on .... :shok:
Tarik Sultan
New member
My apology, I thought it was clear from the clip what was going on since it doesn't have much dialect.
I haven't seen this movie, but as you can see. She bought a ticket to get into this nightclub. She was told by the man at the door she can get in because what she's wearing " Melaya laf " she pushed her way in but the waiters came in to kick her out claiming the place is for families/different class of people. She was asked by the audience can she do the twist she said she can't do the twist but she did it anyway .... no fusion
Life goes on .... :shok:
Okay, I could see that. Thought there was something else going on. By the way, remember what I said a while back about how nightclubs treat the traditional folks?
Anyway, this is fusion because at a certain point she started doing Baladi, to music that was a Rock and Roll, Balady fusion, then she did twist again. Fusion can take many different forms. Switching back and forth between two styles in the same routine is one possible form that fusion can take.
Okay, both of you, enough!
Tarik, why are you being snarky (also refered to as bitchiness)? These are female traits
To clarify this issue, she was not meant to be doing a fusion dance in this scene, despite the final outcome. That was not her intent (or the director's). She goes into the nightclub with her melaya, and because she gets confused she switches between the type of dance that she knows (baladi) and the other dance. She is actually supposed to be really bad at the twist and the people behind her are "the good dancers" making a mockery out of her. However, the final result IMHO is that the extras in the background are the ones looking hideous, not her. And I'm pretty sure that wasn't intended. Get it?
Tarik Sultan
New member
Okay, both of you, enough!
Tarik, why are you being snarky (also refered to as bitchiness)? These are female traits
To clarify this issue, she was not meant to be doing a fusion dance in this scene, despite the final outcome. That was not her intent (or the director's). She goes into the nightclub with her melaya, and because she gets confused she switches between the type of dance that she knows (baladi) and the other dance. She is actually supposed to be really bad at the twist and the people behind her are "the good dancers" making a mockery out of her. However, the final result IMHO is that the extras in the background are the ones looking hideous, not her. And I'm pretty sure that wasn't intended. Get it?
????? Huggh? You have a strange habit of reading negativity into things where they don't exist. Where was I being bitchy? Believe me, there's only been two people on this form I've ever been bitchy with. One hangs around here like a black spider holding court 24/7, ( can't stand the bitch and its no secrete), and the other was a Coptic cu-cu, who was attacking the nameless one without cause. I defended her to the point where that thread was shut down. Believe me, when I'm bitchy, I leave no room for alternative interpretation. As for it being a feminine trait, well I am half woman on my mother's side now aren't I?
:lol:I just thought that maybe he was familiar with the movie and that there was more going on than the obvious. As for the fusion, that's what it was. as I said, there are many types of fusions. This routine was a fusion because she switched between two styles in the same dance.
Sometimes fusions are the natural result of a certain situation. For example, when I'm performing at the club and my CD finishes, I end up having to dance on the DJ's music. He could be playing hip-hop, or Techno, however, since the only style I am trained in is Oriental, I use that movement vocabulary. The end result IS a fusion. I didn't intend to do a fusion number that night, it just happened. This sort of thing happens in real life all the time. it's normal. A person doesn't have to shout on a loud speaker they are now doing a fusion, it just evolves in the context of the situation that's all. This film clip reflects that type of situation. And by the way, having seen Nagwa live several times, I can testify to the fact that she was no stranger to fusion. However, it was understood what she was doing. She didn't need to shout it over the loud speaker.
Tarik,
I did not read your reply to Masrawy with negativity, but thank you anyway. You were complaining in the past about females getting more privelages than male dancers because of "good traits", so I included a negative trait this time. Anyway, I was only joking with my last post, hence the *wink* in case you haven't noticed I chose to stay out of most arguments for months now and it feels a lot better this way.
I heard so much about the notorious Bin Rodi I had to go back and read that thread! Thanks for standing up to him and defending "her". But "she" and I are in good terms and I can't speak negatively about her. And I wish if both of you can makeup soon, because as far as I noticed if one of you posts in a thread, the other person stays out of the discussion, and this ruins it for other people who want both your input on the same topic.
Okay, going back to fusion :lol:, I am not going to argue something I don't know so well, but when I think about fusion someone like Nadia Gamal comes to mind. She had a very elegant feel to her dancing and she could do both styles equally good. And yes, I am very aware of Nagwa Fouad's infamous "fusions", the last one I saw almost had a devastating effect on me.
I was just explaining the scene in this movie which is predictable, for me at least, a common Egyptian woman gets caught in the wrong atmosphere and let us make a comedy scene out of it.
I did not read your reply to Masrawy with negativity, but thank you anyway. You were complaining in the past about females getting more privelages than male dancers because of "good traits", so I included a negative trait this time. Anyway, I was only joking with my last post, hence the *wink*
in case you haven't noticed I chose to stay out of most arguments for months now and it feels a lot better this way.I heard so much about the notorious Bin Rodi I had to go back and read that thread! Thanks for standing up to him and defending "her". But "she" and I are in good terms and I can't speak negatively about her. And I wish if both of you can makeup soon, because as far as I noticed if one of you posts in a thread, the other person stays out of the discussion, and this ruins it for other people who want both your input on the same topic.
Okay, going back to fusion :lol:, I am not going to argue something I don't know so well, but when I think about fusion someone like Nadia Gamal comes to mind. She had a very elegant feel to her dancing and she could do both styles equally good. And yes, I am very aware of Nagwa Fouad's infamous "fusions", the last one I saw almost had a devastating effect on me.
I was just explaining the scene in this movie which is predictable, for me at least, a common Egyptian woman gets caught in the wrong atmosphere and let us make a comedy scene out of it.
Tarik Sultan
New member
Tarik,
I did not read your reply to Masrawy with negativity, but thank you anyway. You were complaining in the past about females getting more privelages than male dancers because of "good traits", so I included a negative trait this time. Anyway, I was only joking with my last post, hence the *wink*
I heard so much about the notorious Bin Rodi I had to go back and read that thread! Thanks for standing up to him and defending "her". But "she" and I are in good terms and I can't speak negatively about her. And I wish if both of you can makeup soon, because as far as I noticed if one of you posts in a thread, the other person stays out of the discussion, and this ruins it for other people who want both your input on the same topic.
Okay, going back to fusion :lol:, I am not going to argue something I don't know so well, but when I think about fusion someone like Nadia Gamal comes to mind. She had a very elegant feel to her dancing and she could do both styles equally good. And yes, I am very aware of Nagwa Fouad's infamous "fusions", the last one I saw almost had a devastating effect on me.
I was just explaining the scene in this movie which is predictable, for me at least, a common Egyptian woman gets caught in the wrong atmosphere and let us make a comedy scene out of it.
Okay. I still don't get the first part, but whatever, no biggie. I think I read too much into it because you've misunderstood the intent of some of my threads and posts in the past.
As for Madam.... well just because I think she's the second coming of Satan, (I'm sure there must be a hadith somewhere to back this up), doesn't mean I have a problem with anyone else liking her. My friends love that black drink they sell on the street in Egypt, I hate it like vampires hate crosses!, (wonder what happens if the vampire is muslim or jewish though? :think
. Doesn't mean I don't love my friends because I think their taste in food is horrible. So feel free to love you some A'isha all you want, no biggie.As for making up..... Well here's the problem with that and why I don't like her: Its impossible for me to have an intelligent conversation with her. In her book everything is either black or white and that's not the way real life is. Its not that I think she's always wrong, its that she has one aspect of the truth and tries to make it look like the whole thing. She's incapable of realizing two people can have a piece of the same puzzle in a discussion. Each person provides something new that makes the picture more complete. She has her pieces of the puzzle and wants everyone to believe its all done. I come along and show that there are indeed pieces missing and fill it in. She resents that to the point of acting stupid or outright ignoring the evidence AND she talks down to people and is mean. After 10+ years, she's demonstrated to me she has no interest in conversation, only pontification. As we say in Jamaica: CHUH! MEK HAR STYEH DEH!
now for you young lady> I totally understand staying out of ARGUMENTS, but don't you realize that there are many times when your cultural input is of value? Its not an argument to fill in with an inside perspective. One of the reasons the dance community is such a confused mess is because there has been such a lack of cultural input from the Egyptian community. I really mean it when I say this dance has been removed from the cultural context for far too long. What other ethnic dance form do you know of where there is almost 0 input from the native population and the practitioners have to go scrounging around for information?
If you take African dances, you're going to find someone from that culture, or someone whose studied and traveled in that culture extensively. Same thing with Indian. They will know something of the language, culture etc. Here?! We still have people making arguments for why we DON'T use the culturally correct name for this dance!:shok:
And if they don't know something, no problem JUST MAKE IT UP!:shok: This is why I thing Egyptian input is so important and why I get so frustrated when you or Masrawy just drops a comment and runs. So in the future when issues like using the term Raks Sharki and phasing out the term belly dance come up, I hope you'll chime in. Even if it means writing a short book, or disagreeing with your "friend". If she REALLY is your friend, she'll listen to you, even if she disagrees with you. Otherwise your friendship isn't real. Its just you suppressing your feelings to stay on her good side.As for fusion, there are many types. Yes Samia is a perfect example. That is one type of fusion where you combine two dance forms. Using a cultural movement vocabulary to the music of a different culture is another type of fusion, like ballet to Um Kalthum songs, or Baladi to Hip-hip. It takes many forms.
Shanazel
Moderator
Tarik, why are you being snarky (also refered to as bitchiness)? These are female traits
As a long time advocate of human equality, I feel I must go on record as defending Tarik's inalienable right to snarkiness.
rotest: By George, some of the most accomplished bitches I know are male, and they deserve recognition for their stellar achievements in the kennel.
masrawy
New member
Baby don't write books first ..
Hey Jane,
it's quite all right as Egyptians we don't see it as fusion by Westerner understanding, because it's simply not. On the other hand, there is a license for creativity when it comes to any art form. But you have to know the vocabulary first and I might add You have know it well first before you can come up with your own sentence. Baby don't write books first ..
Unfortunately, it seems to me that as soon as somebody knows couple of movement from belly dance, claime that license ...
Hey Jane,
it's quite all right as Egyptians we don't see it as fusion by Westerner understanding, because it's simply not. On the other hand, there is a license for creativity when it comes to any art form. But you have to know the vocabulary first and I might add You have know it well first before you can come up with your own sentence. Baby don't write books first ..
Unfortunately, it seems to me that as soon as somebody knows couple of movement from belly dance, claime that license ...