Due to the unstable political situation in Egypt, a popular holiday destination for Russians, tourists often do not manage to visit the historical heritage sites of this country, which are known to every Russian since school - the Karnak Temple, the Archaeological Museum or the Pyramids of Cheops. In resort areas by the sea, as a rule, everything is fine, life goes on as usual and there is a great opportunity to get acquainted with national dances. 
Dance is one of the oldest forms of art. There is no doubt that since man became a man, he began to gesture, change his facial expression, move his arms and legs. The first images of dances were Egyptian ones, which demonstrate poses, each with its own meaning. It is believed that they were the first dance textbooks.
As a rule, dancing was associated with religious ritual
One of them is the dance of the dervishes. which brought the dervishes into a state of ecstasy. The right hand of the dervish is raised, through which the dervish receives a blessing from heaven, and the left hand is lowered and it conveys the blessing to the earth.
Dance-prayer. It turned out to be a very spectacular ritual.
In Egypt, the dervish dance is the national dance of Tanura, during which the performer spins from several minutes to several hours. Translated from Arabic, tanura means skirt. Several skirts are worn, and during the dance they are removed one by one. The skirt weighs up to 18 kg. You understand that it is not an easy job to dance gracefully, practically with two buckets of water on your waist.
Tanura is almost always danced only by men. Art is passed down from generation to generation. Boys learn to dance tanura from early childhood. The dancer must move well, be flexible and have a good respiratory system.
A type of dance is Tanura with tambourines. Without stopping the rotation, the dancer takes the tambourines and passes them from hand to hand, performing rotations.
Prolonged rotation certainly puts both those dancing and those watching into a trance state, if they are ready for it.
It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times - enjoy the tanura - the national Egyptian dance!
Many tourists who visited Egypt saw such a dance. Now tanura is danced in Russian establishments.
The only woman in Russia and one of three women in the world who dances tanura lives in St. Petersburg - this is Evelina Vigovskaya.
She performed this dance for the first time at the Minute of Fame in 2008.
Have something to say on this topic? Write in the comments, I'm interested in your opinion.
Many thousands of years ago, BC, the first known civilization on Earth, Ancient Egypt, arose in the Nile River valley. It was a strong state, headed by the pharaoh - god on earth. The Egyptians built huge cities, protected from enemies by strong walls, created majestic temples and pyramids, and made amazing scientific discoveries. The monuments of art and literature that have reached us testify to the great importance of music and dance in Egypt. Music sounded in folk life, accompanying work, and was performed during mass celebrations and celebrations, solemn processions and palace entertainment.
Archaeologists have discovered many complex musical instruments in the tombs - arched harps, flutes, lyres, lutes, drums; and on the walls there are amazingly beautiful drawings depicting dancing people. On one of the reliefs, Pharaoh Akhenaten gives gifts to the priest, and he joyfully dances in front of his master. Another depicts acrobats; they play with balls, do tricks, stand on one leg, jump high. Interestingly, the dancer is depicted here completely leaning back - this position is somewhat reminiscent of a “bridge”. Of particular value is a fresco from one grave, which depicts a feast scene. Here, dancers in long transparent dresses move smoothly and gracefully to the sounds of a tambourine. These discoveries proved that in Ancient Egypt dance was of no small importance and not a single festival, not a single religious or palace ceremony could do without it: in the home circle, in a public place, in a temple - dance is found everywhere. In Ancient Egypt, there were even special institutions where dancers, musicians and singers were trained; most often such music and dance schools existed at large temples.
Classification of ancient Egyptian dances:
1. Sacred dances. The priestly caste played a large role in the cultural and political life of Ancient Egypt. The servants of the gods tried to surround religion with an impenetrable mystery; the rituals were full of mysticism and supernaturalism. Dance rituals surrounded most of the ancient Egyptian sacred cults. It was considered the oldest dance in Ancient Egypt astral dance of the zodiac. It was performed at night in the main temple of the city. On the platform in front of the temple, under a clear starry sky, an altar was set up and a fire was lit. Twelve young beautiful priestesses, depicting the twelve signs of the zodiac, in long robes, holding hands, moved around the altar in the direction from east to west. Their slow, solemn dance symbolized the movement of the Earth around the Sun. Then each priestess mimicked the events associated with the appearance of each constellation. For example, priestesses depicting the autumn signs of the zodiac - Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, danced to show the harvest, harvest, etc.
The performances associated with the myth of Osiris and Isis were grandiose and solemn, during which the "Dance of Apis" These celebrations took place before the Nile flooded. According to the teachings of the Egyptian priests, the supreme deity, the beloved god of the ancient Egyptians Osiris, was incarnated in a bull every twenty-five years. It was believed that the bull was born from a lightning strike. This bull was searched throughout Egypt; it had to be black and have special features. For forty days this bull was fed in the sacred Nile Valley, he was served by special priestesses dressed in white translucent clothes, who performed sacred dances in front of the bull. Forty days later, the bull marched to the main temple of Ancient Egypt in Memphis, where the main celebration began. The procession was accompanied by cheerful dancing, music, and singing of priests. The dances told the myth of Osiris and Isis - the birth of God, his union with Isis, the goddess of the Earth, the murder of Osiris by his evil brother, Isis's search for her husband's body, her crying and the resurrection of Osiris. In the finale, the dance was performed at a very lively pace: the priestesses jumped high, strongly bent their bodies and rotated quickly. After twenty-five years, the time came when Osiris had to move into the body of another bull, Apis, and the old one was sacrificed. His death was accompanied by the same celebrations and dances as during his deification, but no longer cheerful and joyful, but sad, funeral ones.
2. Home dances- they were performed for the entertainment of guests during the feast by specially trained dancers called almei. They performed in long transparent dresses or short aprons. The dancers' arms and legs were always decorated with bracelets, their chests with a necklace, their bodies with garlands of flowers, their heads with a ribbon or lotus flower, and their hair was styled in several braids. They danced to the accompaniment of musical instruments. Was especially popular belly dance, preserved in the East to this day.
3. Ritual dances. Description preserved funeral dance: Her images are found on the walls of sarcophagi and tombs. When a person died, his body was embalmed: the ancient Egyptians believed that if the body decayed and collapsed, the soul of the deceased would cease to live. After embalming, the body was swaddled, placed in a decorated sarcophagus, and the funeral procession set off for the “city of the dead.” The procession was very solemn: with the lingering sounds of trumpets, mourners in long transparent tunics of yellow color (the color of mourning in Ancient Egypt) depicted desperate grief with gestures, screamed and cried, tore out their hair, raised their hands in prayer, palms up, wrung their hands and depicted deeds in pantomime deceased.
Ritual dances include dance "Four Fundamentals", which was performed in the temple of the goddess Isis. This dance was attended by priests and priestesses, in whose hands there were various symbols - flowers, mirrors, hair and sometimes harps, the main instrument accompanying these dances.
Types of Egyptian dances:
Mimic– in which gestures and postures served as an expression of thought;
Clean– it consisted of oscillatory movements of the body, exercises for flexibility and agility.
There were schools at the temples of ancient Egypt, the graduates of which were “concubines of deities”, priestesses-dancers, and enjoyed great authority among the Egyptians. The main subject in schools was dance. In all dances performed by girls, the role of the hips is so great that there is not a single dance without their movements. Hands play an important role in dance. In the ritual women's dance of snakes there are snake-like movements of the hands: the hands are closed in the form of a snake's head and raised upward.
Dances performed were very popular in Ancient Egypt "Almeyami" and "Gavazi". The plasticity in these dances was of Arabic origin, but none of the researchers claims that everything Egyptian disappeared in them. The designs in these dances were of the Arabic type, but some of the poses and musical instruments that accompanied the dances remained Egyptian for a long time. “Almei” and “Gavazi” were different from each other, the plasticity and poses of the former were more modest, and the “Almei” themselves considered themselves noble and educated. They were invited to holidays and to the houses of the rich, not only to have fun with their dances, but also to learn the basics of choreography and singing. The “Almei” were rich, their art and skill were paid very generously, it happened that some of them worked for many years as dancers in the harem of some rich man, and most importantly, they had unlimited freedom. One of the popular Almey dances was the saber dance, in which some of them brilliantly controlled sabers, juggled them, and at the same time perfectly coordinated the actions of their hands with virtuoso dance technique. Almey dances could be found not only in Egypt, but also in Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Tripoli, Turkey and Persia. Their dances defined the style, and now it is called Egyptian-Arab. Love was depicted in the Gavazi dances. The dancer made slow movements, then the tempo quickened, the gestures became sharper, so that at the end of the dance she could barely stand on her feet or fell exhausted.
Egyptian culture is more than 5 thousand years old. Already then the feast and preparation for the entroche, as well as jumps and spins, were known. Songs and dances accompanied numerous Egyptian rituals and various events - weddings and even funerals. The Egyptians had religious dances, which reflected the relationship of man to the deities, but there were also home dances, in which there was a place for fun and amusements. A simple man worked and contemplated, all this found a response in his soul and consciousness.
Gaweisi
Gaweizi is a professional women's dance of Upper Egypt with its own distinct style, passed down from mother to daughter from generation to generation.
The Ghawazi are a gypsy tribe that settled in Southern Egypt. Ghawazi women are called Ghazeeye and men are called Ghazee. The name Ghawazee usually refers to female dancers. During their travels, the nomadic Gaweisi gypsies absorbed local traditions, incorporating dance styles into their culture.
In every large village of Egypt, especially in Upper Egypt, and in the cities located in the Nile Delta, the Ghawazee lived in settlements of tents and barracks. They considered the birth of girls to be successful, and the birth of boys as economically unprofitable. Without exception, all Ghawazee women were raised as prostitutes and dancers. Before a girl got married, her father would sell her to the highest bidder. After this, she usually married a man from her tribe.
The first significant mention of Ghawazi dates back to the 18th century. Western researchers date the heyday of Ghawazee dance as an integral part of Egyptian society to the 1700s. This flourishing continued until 1834, when the Ghawazee were expelled under religious pressure. The main reason for the expulsion was that they did not wear the burqa.
Historically, the main income of the camp came from funds received from gypsy performances at fairs, weddings and private parties. In the harems of the sultans there were always haweizi dancers, who with their dances cut down the leisure time of the concubines and wives of the sultan. Gaweizi dances were performed for 2-3 hours.
Ghawazee Dancers perform in a traditional style, not diluted with alien ballet steps and movements borrowed from Latin American and modern dances. The Gaweisi of Upper Egypt maintain a clearly distinguishable regional and ethnic style of dance, which is in no way influenced by the styles of Cairo and Alexandria. The regional style is dictated by the requirements of traditional musical accompaniment, which is provided by drums and mizmars (ethnic wind instruments). Their dancing is rough, quite heavy, sensual and definitely not graceful. Shimmies, kicks and spins are the essence of all forms of belly dancing, but their hip shakes were usually twisting back and forth parallel to the floor rather than vertical up and down movements. The dances contained a lot of shrill screams and zaghareets, some stalls and backbends, all this was accompanied by playing the sagat and tambourine.
Gavazi's costumes have a connection with Turkish folk costume. Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1517 to 1805. The Ottoman Turks, in turn, adopted a lot from the Persian costume. Ancient Persian culture left behind amazing frescoes depicting women dressed in tight, fitted kaftans and loose trousers.
The outer dress in the costumes of Gaweizi dancers is usually worn over fluffy trousers and a blouse, and a voluminous scarf with fringe is tied on the hips. Often, a hat with a large number of small ribbons and beads woven into the costume becomes a colorful detail.
Saidi
One of the styles of oriental dance is Saidi, a folk style.
Its name comes from the name of the area El Said - a region in southern Egypt that was known during the time of the pharaohs (and to this day) as Upper Egypt. Said's territory extends from south of Memphis to Aswan. This area is called Upper Egypt because it lies upstream of the Nile and is therefore closer than Lower Egypt to the highlands of eastern Africa, where the Nile originates. The main cities of the Saids include Luxor and Asyut.
With the word "saidi" we can name the people living in this territory, the territory itself, characteristic clothing, dance, music, rhythm.
There are two types of Saidi dance with canes: Raks el Assaya and Tahtib. The style of performance of female saidi is playful and cheerful, while that of males is militant and collected.
The word "Takhtib" means stick dance and is actually a stick fight between men to show their strength. Takhtib is the oldest form of Egyptian martial art, which later developed into a game in which men compete with each other according to certain rules. Traditional music is used as background for exercises in this martial art.
Takhtib has undergone many changes over the years before it became a form of cane dancing. The cane in this dance is a symbol of courage, namely masculinity. Previously, the length of the cane was equal to the height of the man. When he went out to work in the fields, the stick was used as a weapon of self-defense against wolves and other predators. Over time, a lighter and smaller stick began to be used in men's folk dance; the choreography of the dance was based on martial art movements.
Men jump high in the dance, always showing off their shoes to competitors - after all, shoes in Egyptian folk culture were - and remain - a source of pride.
Men of the El Said region are very fond of beautiful mustaches - they specially grow and groom them, because a large and long mustache is a sign of prosperity and wealth, especially if the mustache is accompanied by weapons, gold and four wives. There is a saying that goes like this: “The most handsome man can put an eagle on his mustache.”
Women's dance with a stick originates from men's dance. Women imitated the movements of men in dance, but in a more feminine manner. They transformed takhtib into a lighter, flirtatious, playful dance, gradually creating the independent style of Raks El Assaya (literally translated: dance with a cane, cane - Asa, Asaya or Assaya).
The manner of a female saidi is the manner of a cheerful young girl, even if the performer is well over 50.
The most effective techniques for working with a cane in the Raqs el Assaya dance are rotating the cane, balancing the cane on the head, chest, thigh in combination with continuous dance. All this makes Saidi’s style incredibly attractive and interesting.
It should be noted that all balancing with a cane - on the shoulder, head, hand - are not historically established elements of folklore saidi. They were already invented by pop dancers as elements of raks al asaya. In the production of a purely traditional saidi, they are undesirable, since they introduce a moment of stylization.
Traditionally, the cane is made from bamboo; it can be either straight or with a curved hook at the end. Currently, plastic canes are also made, wrapped in shiny tape. Canes decorated with beads and sequins look more beautiful, but at the same time, the tip of the cane by which you will rotate it should either be polished or covered with a soft cloth, since sequins can seriously injure your hand. The length of the cane should be up to the middle of the abdomen (up to the navel).
The dance uses a 4/4 rhythm known as the Saidi rhythm:
D-T - D- D - T -: basic saidi rhythm, read as DUM TEK DUM DUM TEK
tkD-T tkD-D tkT -: saidi with filling, read as tekaDUM-TEK tekaDUM-DUM tekaTEK
Traditional musical instruments for Saidi music are the mizmar (an oboe-like horn that makes long, plaintive sounds), the rebaba (a stringed instrument played with a bow - the “grandfather” of today’s violin), and a large, heavy drum worn in a sling on neck and is played with sticks, various percussion instruments such as Dumbek and Tabla Beledi.
Nuba.
Nubian dance is very fun and unique. It has a lot of jumping and clapping. The body position in Nubian dance is not found in other Egyptian folk styles. The center of gravity is greatly shifted forward due to the massive jewelry on the neck and arms. There are also a lot of unique movements, such as chest thrusts and interesting hand movements. Nubia dance has the same basic step as Khaliji, but with African elements and accents.
The most characteristic accessories are the dof (a tambourine without metal plates) and the khus (a basket woven from reeds, shaped like a basin or a large bowl). You can also use a large camel (non-living). Men sometimes dance with special short sticks, which they use to urge the horse. The stick has a rope at the end. In general, this is an analogue of a whip.
The canonical women's costume consists of an outer garment gathered at the waist, hips, and ankles—performance costumes often resemble nightgowns. A men's suit consists of a medium-sized tunic, tight pants and a turban.
Stage costumes: Women's Nubian dress is long, with a train at the back. It is necessary to free your legs to move. For this reason, dresses are cut slightly shorter in the front than in the back, to facilitate the complex footwork of the dance. Men's suits look like underwear. The suit consists of trousers and a shirt. This was done because Nubian men usually took off their galabayas (long robes) when working in the fields. The shirts have colored triangles on the edges.
There are many variations of Nubian rhythms - they are distinguished by a more “African” sound to the ear. The Karachi rhythm is often used in Nubian dance.
Nubia's territory extends from the area around Aswan in the north to Mero in Sudan in the south. The Nubians in Egypt (Nouba) and the Nubians in Sudan (Halaieb) are one and the same people. Nubians speak various languages. Some are on Fadidjah, others are on Kanzee. These two groups do not understand each other, and when they need to communicate with each other, they use classical Arabic.
The Nubians lived on the banks of the Nile in southern Egypt for thousands of years. Once upon a time, the territory of Nubia was very large - from Aswan to Dongola in South Sudan.
Nubians have mixed blood - African, Arab and Mediterranean. Politically, Egypt has always dominated Nubia and influenced the development of Nubian culture from 3000 BC. But despite this, the Nubians created their own great kingdoms and even the 25th dynasty of Egyptian monarchs were Nubians.
In 1971, the Nubian people were displaced from their homes when construction began on the Aswan Dam. The traditional lands of the Nubians were flooded and the people were resettled north of Aswan into Egyptian territory. Then many researchers decided that the features of Nubian culture - language and traditions - were doomed to extinction. But instead, the Nubians filled Cairo, bringing with them their joyful songs, colorful clothes and cheerful dances.
Nubian traditions are especially well and expressively preserved in music, which is based on the sounds of the tabla and the clapping of hands. Of course, now musicians are introducing new instruments into their compositions. A renewed style of Nubian music is gaining popularity in Egypt and beyond, and a culture that was predicted to be forgotten has conquered Egypt.
Alexandria.
This particular Eskandarani dance, originated in the north of Egypt, depicts Alexandrian-folk behavior. In the Alexandria dance, the woman walks softly and beautifully.
The traditional clothing for this style is a dress and cape (Melaya). Melaya is part of the national clothing of the women of Alexandria.
Suit for men: Loose and long pants, comfortable when working on a boat, they also wear a vest and a hat called “yanke” to protect themselves from the sun. Sometimes the suit uses a knife, which is necessary in everyday life for cleaning fish and working with nets.
Costume for a woman: A short dress with short sleeves usually in a light color, a small scarf on the head to cover the hair, and a large black scarf called ‘Melaya’ for wrapping – body wraps and wooden clogs. Traditionally, women wear melaya when they go out of the house.
It was Mahmoud Reda who created this dance - and he calls this dance Melaya Leff dance, that is, Dance with Melaya. This is, as Mr. Reda put it, made-up dance.
Melaya - as you all know - is an element of clothing that Egyptians stopped wearing in everyday life about 15 years ago, and before that it was everyday.
The idea of creating this theatrical-dance-folklore number came from Mr. Red from a beautiful photograph where there was a girl wrapped in melaya. And he decided to dance this mysterious part of a woman’s wardrobe: either the woman is wrapped in melaya, or she coquettishly slid onto her shoulder, etc.
What one wears under the melaya is not important. It doesn’t matter what city you represent in the dance either - Cairo, Alexandria, or other cities of Egypt.
Melaya dance has a complex style. On the one hand, this is folklore - that is, it reproduces certain characteristic cultural moments of the life of Egyptian women, but this is folklore not in the sense that this dance has been danced somewhere for a long time in some region.
This is a theatrical dance - a dance performance of a female character. The type of woman can also be different - and not necessarily cheeky, as is often customary with us.
As for the music, Mr. Reda said that there is no special music or rhythm for this dance. And that he prefers to use balyadi music for his Melaya productions.
Mr. Reda specifically emphasized that one should not try to dance with melaya exactly as he did in his production. You just need to study the time that you are trying to reproduce (for example, from films) and introduce into the dance some characteristic features of clothing, makeup, hairstyles, manners, etc. look for your finds. In general, it also turns out to be incorrect to call this dance Skandarani, although this is generally accepted. The correct name is Dance with Melaya. And it can already be performed either in Skandarani or in the Cairo style.
If in your “Melaya Leff” dance you will play the image of a “cool” young girl, then you can choose a small fru fru as a costume.
Another alternative is to play the image of "Mablema". The girl wears a galabaya, either smooth or embroidered with sequins or something else, and a melaya on top.
"Mablema" is a strong independent woman who may have taken over the family business for a reason. She is honest, hard-working and very respected in society. If you choose this look, then alternatively, you can throw the melaya over each shoulder to create a cross on the chest, then roll up the sleeves of the galabaya and show them a real dance.
Many people believe that there is only one single Melaya dance in a particular costume. Most often they mean the immortal creation of the Reda Company. But this is only one of the possible dance options.
"Melaya" is actually just a cape that Egyptian women began to wear during a certain period in history. So think of the melaya as a shawl, a cape - what you wear under it doesn't really matter. For example, from our life, it cannot be said that a shawl is worn only with jeans and a T-shirt; a shawl is worn with different outfits. The only thing you really shouldn’t do is go out in a bellydance costume and throw a melaya on top. It is unlikely that an Egyptian woman would walk down the street looking like this!!!
"Melaya" means "piece of cloth". Melayet Sereer means "sheet". Melaya Laff means "wrapped piece of cloth". This is the traditional national costume of women in Egypt. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, every woman wore a melaya, regardless of the social class to which she belonged. It was a sign of respect and dignity. Today, many Baladi women still wear them, but gradually the tradition is dying out.
Now for a bit of a complication: there is no traditional Melaya Laff dance. Recently, some dancers have made the incorrect conclusion that this dance is traditional for Egypt. This is wrong. It began to be danced by some cabaret dancers as recently as the second half of the 20th century. The most famous is Fifi Abdou, but then many people picked up this fashion. In addition, in many of the performances of the Reda troupe, of course, there were dances of women with melyaya.
Fallahi.
Fallahi - dance of Egyptian peasants. The Fellahi dance depicts the daily work of farmers, collecting crops in a basket or carrying water in jugs.
Fellah is a farmer or peasant in the Middle East. In Arabic, the word means plowman or tiller. During the spread of Islam, the term was used to distinguish Arab settlers, usually nomads (Bedouins) from local villagers (Fellahi) in occupied territories.
This dance is usually performed by a group of women and men and depicts the daily life of peasants: fetching water, cultivating the land, harvesting, resting, etc. In the stage version, the dance is more reminiscent of a skit on the theme of rural life.
Accessories usually used:
stick (straight and massive)
A woman's costume consists of a loose, long dress, very wide at the bottom and with a flounce, and a scarf on the head. Sometimes a long scarf is wrapped around the neck, which the dancer can tie around her hips while dancing to make the movement of her hips more visible.
The main clothing of a fellah man is the galabeya - a tunic made of blue or white cotton fabric. This is a long shirt with wide, loose-fitting sleeves, without a collar or belt. While working, the fellah picks up the galabaya above his knees and tucks it into his belt. The headdress of the fellah is “abulebda” - a felt skullcap, which is sometimes wrapped in white foulard.
The chain of movements in this dance is smooth and changing. Shimmy shoulders, a lot of repetitions, because, as in all folk styles, the variety of steps is very small. The arms are relaxed along the body, raised above the head, or used as a frame for the torso. Sometimes a clay jug is held on the shoulder and used in movements.
Instruments used include the tabla, douf or def (tambourine), lute, rebab or rebaba (a type of village fiddle that dates back to the Pharaonic era) and argul (the oldest instrument in Egypt). It consists of two separate pipes and must be blown in a circle, making it extremely difficult to play.
The Fellahi dance uses the Fellahi rhythm, which is fast, easy and very similar to the malfoof rhythm. The music always includes vocal accompaniment, and the dance movements follow the words of the song.
The group that brought the genre to prominence around the world was the widely respected Musicians of the Nile. There are a dozen informal groups in Egypt with very individual characteristics.
Hagallah.
A folkloric celebratory dance known as the haggala is performed by the Bedouins of Mersa Matruh, located in Western Egypt. Often performed during the harvest, which is the wedding season in that region. The haggala is also known in areas adjacent to Libya and is associated with kaf ("clapping") dances in other midwestern regions.
The word “haggala” probably comes from the Arabic word hag"l, meaning “leap, jump.” There is also a version of the origin of the name from the word Haggal - a bird that flies through the Sahara Desert, when the bird lands, it steps over, bouncing on the hot sand .
Haggala is an energetic dance. The emphasis is on hip movements. Bedouins live in the desert, walk on sand, so they have strong legs, which they raise quite high while walking. Characteristic elements: squats and jumps, as well as the Haggala step. In the original dance, the performer moves in small steps.
The haggala is an example of folk ritual dance and is found at specific important social events (such as weddings, betrothals).
There are two halves in a Bedouin house - one for men, which can be accessed by entering from the front entrance, the other for women, the entrance to which is located on the back side of the house. And the Bedouins celebrate the wedding - men separately in their half, women separately in theirs. At the height of the holiday, men go out into the courtyard and gather in groups of several people. The men of the tribe/family clap and sing together, showing cohesion, unity. However, the main element of the performance is the dancer, the woman. She may be fully or partially veiled and moves in front of a line of men called kefafeen, who do nothing but stand, clap and sing together.
The dancer is often a member of the bride's family and women take on central roles. The dancer may also be a professional performer, in which case she occupies a leading role among the kefafeen, who in this case are her employers. They take a stick or cane in their hands. After she dances around them, she stops in front of one of the young men, kneels down and pretends to remove the bracelets from her arm from time to time (or actually takes them off). The man pretends to give her another bracelet or two (or actually does so), and she pretends to put all the bracelets back on.
Haggala is not about competition between men and girls. It's about how girls/women together show their strength and the richness of their world, and show the beauty and grace of them as individuals. They are full of fun and playfulness, but do not flirt in a vulgar way. Girls do not pursue young people; the social processes that lead to engagement/wedding are extremely complex. Any emerging connections between people are invisible and do not occur in a short time.
In Libya, the haggala is a celebratory dance, signifying that a young girl has reached the age when she can dance solo. Her head and face are completely covered with a scarf. Kefafeen sing about how she is growing up and will soon be a beautiful woman. One singer says: "Look, soon she will be ready to get married, have children and make someone very happy." She may stop in front of one of the young men and give him one end of her scarf as she dances around him. He may give her one or two bracelets, this will be a kind of "marriage proposal", however, no matter what, these gifts have no real force, since the young man may be her brother.
Antique postcards survive that show Haggala dancers wearing simple long dresses with long sleeves and wide, heavy fabric wrapped around the hips. Sometimes a scarf is simply tied around the hips. The Libyan (most often used in performances of this dance) version of the costume for the Haggala has a skirt a la the ancient Greek peplum (in imitation of the Greeks who lived in these territories for a long period) - with a buffer-like top that emphasizes the dancer's steps. Until the 19th century, it was fashionable for Haggala performers to place a large pillow under the back of their skirts. It was called "el azzama" or "the magnifying glass."
Men wore a white robe tied over one shoulder over their casual "street" clothing. A modern mesh haggala dress with two rows of ruffles and meters of long, beaded fringe was created specifically for nightclub scenes and theatrical performances.
Accessories.
The dancer may hold a handkerchief or a small stick in her hand. She doesn’t rotate the stick, doesn’t manipulate it in any way, just holds it.
Music has three parts:
1. Shettaywa - the main part, sung by all men. The dance is performed in this part.
2. Ghennaywa - sung by a soloist or poet, men respond.
3. Magruda - sung by the soloist and all the men together.
Muwashahhad.
Muwashahat is a dance artificially created on the basis of Moorish frescoes, paintings and legends. The name mouwashah comes from wishah, an exquisitely embroidered shawl worn on the head of Andalusian Arab women. Plural mouwashahat (at the end of the "t").
Muashahat (Muwashahat), also known as Arab-Andalusian dance, is a dance style that dates back to the court dances of the Andalusian Moors. Since no more or less reliable sources about the style of that time have been found, there is a large share of free interpretation in modern Arab-Andalusian dances.
However, as a starting point we can take the dances with scarves that existed in the Maghreb (and especially in Algeria), since after the Reconquista a significant part of the Muslim population emigrated from Al-Andalus (modern Andalusia) to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and, accordingly, interpenetration of cultures. Thus, Arab-Andalusian music received its further development. It should be noted that this musical style was not limited only to North Africa, but became widespread in other Arab countries. For example, in Aleppo (Aleppo), Syria, you can still find musicians devoted to this style. Arab-Andalusian dances with scarves arose in the urban bourgeois environment, since the inhabitants of Andalusia belonged mainly to the upper strata of society, the richest and most educated. That is why they (the dances) were fundamentally different from the rougher village dances, such as, for example, Quled Nail.
The basis of “urban” dances is, first of all, graceful, almost imperceptible movements of the hips, such as, for example, the “indicated” figure eight, because these dances were danced, as a rule, in rather small rooms, and amplitude movements of the hips would look vulgar. Great importance was also attached to beautiful hands, the movement of which was emphasized by scarves (one in each hand). The heyday of Arab-Andalusian art in the Maghreb dates back to approximately the 16th and 17th centuries.
The next popular form of the Muashahat style is the interpretation of the Mahmoud Reda troupe that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. The dance they perform is emotional, extroverted, covering the entire space of the stage/room, distinguished primarily by graceful arabesques and rotations that make the similarity of this style with ballet obvious. Today this is perhaps the most popular form of Muashahat dance, and this is how most dancers imagine this style when it comes to Andalusia.
Mahmud Reda said that he created his muwashahat (choreography and costumes) based on three components:
1) Frescoes, paintings, fiction.
2) Music, personal perception and attitude towards that culture.
3) Censorship required closed suits and an academic style. Otherwise it would be impossible to bring the dance to the big stage.
The main merit of Mahmud Reda is that he attempted to restore this dance, which aroused interest in this culture. Thus, the musical heritage of the Moors of the Middle Ages was preserved (songs of that period were specially collected and re-arranged) and the Arab dance culture was enriched with new and old dance. The most famous performer of Andalusian songs of modern times is Feyrouz.
Features of Andalusian dance are elegance, many arabesques, turns, complex steps and transitions. Typical accessories are a tambourine or two handkerchiefs. The dance should fascinate with its smoothness, despite the duration. It is, of course, difficult, but good for any age and complexion.
Khaliji.
Khaleegy, translated as “Gulf,” is a folk dance style from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. Khaleeji is danced by women, usually in groups. Rarely performed publicly for religious reasons.
Music. The rhythm of music for Khaleegy dance is Saudi (Khaleegy) rhythm.
Costume. The traditional women's outfit for this dance is Thobe. This is a very wide, colorful dress, intricately decorated, especially on the front center part. The dancer can manipulate the costume - putting the sleeve over her head like a hood, covering her face from below like a veil, raising the hem in front, holding the Thobe with both hands at approximately hip level, etc.
Characteristic dance movements. Most of the movement is concentrated in the upper body and steps. The dance includes beautiful tossing of long hair from one shoulder to the other, hair spinning, rapid shoulder shakes (the technique of performing such shakes is based more on the rotation of the upper body than on the movement of the shoulders themselves), soft sliding steps P-L-P and L -P-L. Lots of chest rotations and chest down accents. The characteristic position of the hands is at shoulder level, with palms facing outward. The dancer can clap in a variety of rhythms. The viewers' attention is focused on the fabric and embroidery of Thobe Nashal, on luxurious long hair and heavy gold jewelry.
Bandari.
Bandari is an Iranian style of belly dance. Bandari is a very fiery dance, with temperamental movements of the arms, head, shoulders, chest, and less hips. Even the phlegmatic will not leave you indifferent.
The rhythm of the bandari style is somewhere between 6/8 and 4/4. This is a rhythmic pattern that is used in the music of many peoples of the Persian Gulf and Central Asia.
The movements of the Bandari style are similar to the movements of the Khaliji style, but they are more energetic, even a little rough - fingers spread out, hands should be relaxed, no oriental rotations of the arms and bends, active shaking of the shoulders and chest, long steps. In the style of oriental belly dancing (belly dance), Bandari, as well as in the Khaliji style, there is hair work. The dance is performed in large groups in a circle: you can do 1 circle, 2, 3, you can change the movement from a large circle to 2 and back. You can have 2 circles separately, or 1 inside another. When one circle is inside another, the movements are made in opposite directions (i.e. 1 circle goes to the right, 2nd to the left, etc.). Also, a solo is danced alternately in the center of the circle.
The most important thing is to maintain the character of the dance in performance: a perky, cheerful dance of ordinary people with primitive movements.
Bandari pants, a toba robe below the knees with slits, long sleeves, a stand-up collar or a small cutout at the throat. The head is covered with a scarf, the shoes are buried.
Morocco.
Morocco is a country with diverse folklore, customs and traditions. The ancient dance known as Guedra is one of the most unusual tribal and folk expressions. This is a ritual performed to music that induces a trance. Experts disagree about its origin.
Guedra is associated with the village of Goulimine, located in the southwestern desert region of Morocco. The name of the dance was given by the drum that was played to maintain the rhythm. In Arabic, the word guedra means "pot". The drum is made from an ordinary kitchen pot, which is covered with goatskin on top. This drum is a hybrid of drums used in Africa and the Middle East. Only it is used as an accompaniment. The dance is performed to the accompaniment of drums, singing and clapping of the hands of the audience. A simple, constant, hypnotic rhythm.
The purpose of the ritual is to bless friends, married people, society and dedicate oneself to God. This is very different from the appeasement of spirits or exorcism - the meaning of the Zar dance. Some say that the Guedra dance, with its mystical rhythm, can attract a man who is far from the place where the dance is performed. This is a very mysterious dance, at the beginning of which the woman looks like a shapeless black mass, symbolizing night, chaos, all-knowing cosmic energy. The “mass” moves in rhythm, becoming stormy, personifying the greatness of universal harmony. Hand movements speak of passion, drama, beauty, joy and sorrow - a full range of emotions. The sudden silence returns the energy to its original form.
Usually a woman dances alone in a circle of people. The dancer is kneeling, completely covered with a black veil called haik. The woman's hands appear from under this black "night". The reflections of the fire, the movements of the hands, the vibration of the fingers - everything speaks of the esoteric meaning of the dance. The dance movements symbolize the four elements (heaven, earth, wind and water) and depict time (past, present and future). The index finger plays an important role as it is believed to symbolize the essence of a person's soul.
The tension grows, forcing the dancer to move frantically from side to side. There is no hint of tenderness in this. The dancer's clothes echo all her movements. She undulates, rotates, leans forward, straightens and arches her back so that her head touches the ground. There comes a moment when the veil falls and the audience can see the woman, but her eyes are closed. The rhythm speeds up. The euphoric audience cheers. And the dancer puts all her energy into the exciting movement. And at the very climax, the rhythm breaks off, and the woman falls to the ground unconscious. There is complete silence. But in a moment another dancer will be dancing here.
Performing a dance can induce a hypnotic state, but that is not the goal.
An essential element of the dance is the traditional costume. The bellydance costume, bodice and belt, is under no circumstances used in Guedra. The veil is made of a very large piece of material, which is fastened at the front by two pins with a long chain hanging from them. The headdress is decorated with shells and handmade fringe. The dancer weaves ribbons into her hair to hold the headdress, which is made of decorative wire. This allows you to leave your head open, which is very practical in the hot desert, and also demonstrates the beauty of the ribbons woven into the hair and emphasizes the movement of the head. Hiding all parts of the body except the hands, the suit focuses attention on them.
It is easy to appreciate the visible side of Moroccan folk dance, but it is difficult to comprehend its deep meaning.
Dabka.
This style of belly dancing is performed in many countries of the Middle East: Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, etc. It has folklore roots. It is very popular in all countries of the Middle East, but in each country it is presented differently.
This style of oriental belly dancing is full of boundless energy of dance, which will not leave any spectator indifferent to this dance.
Dabka is performed by both men and women.
Some elements of the Dabka style can be found in other styles of oriental belly dancing, such as saidi and raks sharqi.
The Dabka style of belly dancing is often performed in groups.
Usually festivals begin with performances of this style of oriental dance. Features of the Dabka style are fast and varied jumps.
Tunisia.
The dance has meaning. The girl goes with a jug for water, comes to the stream (slow part) there, washes herself and plays, then hears the approach of men’s voices, quickly gets ready and runs away so that no one sees her like this!
This dance was recorded (documented) in 1974 by Mardi Rollow (Artistic Director of AMAN, based in Los Angeles). In the small towns of Tunisia, song and dance play an important role not only in celebrations, but also at home with family and friends. The dance is believed to have been brought to North Africa over 2,000 years ago by Alexander the Great and his Macedonian warriors. Tunisia, the easternmost country of North Africa, has a richly mixed cultural background that includes Phoenician, Berber, Roman, early Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions.
Tunisian dance tends towards folklore, it is heavy, “earthly”, the movements are larger, the steps are completely different from Raks Sharqi. Dancers depict working in the fields, cooking and other daily activities. The hips rotate and twist back and forth in the horizontal plane, there are outward movements of the dancer's arms to show the palms, beautifully decorated with henna designs, there is an interesting step: they lift one leg wide to the side and twist, as if they are walking up the stairs, then twist then hip back, lowering the leg. The rhythms are often challenging for the dancers, who typically use Egyptian and Turkish music in their performances.
There are two subtypes of Tunisian dance:
Pot/Jug Dance (Raks al Juzur) This dance comes from the south of Tunisia, the islands of Djerba and Kerkennah. Djerba is known in the Odyssey as the island - "Land of the Lotus Eaters". The dance glorifies the main production of the region - pottery. Men and women balance a jug on their heads and perform this dance at weddings. A dancer performs a hip twist to increasingly faster music while balancing a water jug on her head. It is also one of the opening dances of national troupes.
Baladi.
The dance is a sensual, earthy, gentle and feminine style of urban dance folklore, popular throughout Egypt, but most stylized in Cairo and popularized by films. Baledi is the dance of a real woman, emphasizing her beauty and grace, the sophistication and elegance of her forms!
Baladi means "homeland" or "hometown" in Arabic. In Egyptian slang it sounds like Oriental Shaabi. A dance that shows the skill of the artist, since it does not consist of chopped drum rolls, but of a huge combination of rhythms and musical instruments, each of which is desirable to convey, without depicting a mess! “Eastern things are subtle” - this saying suits this dance style to the fullest...
Often Beledi and Saidi rhythms are played alternately. The Beledi dance from the Cairo area is accompanied by vocal performance and may involve a question-and-answer game between two instruments or between vocalists and instruments.
Beledi was danced in many villages throughout Egypt. It was danced in the house of women and for women. The Beledi dance is a female solo performance, which is what distinguishes it from folklore dances, usually group ones. The dance is cheerful, flirty, but somewhat “heavy”; it is mainly danced on a full foot. The movements are mainly hips, without layers; it is very important to keep the manner of execution simple, without being academic.
He dances barefoot. Traditional dance clothing is a white galabea with a scarf on the hips and a scarf on the head.
Shaabi.
A style that is very popular in Egypt, especially in the central part of old Cairo on Muhammad Ali Street, where many famous artists were born and now live. This is the style of such famous dancers as Nagwa Foad, Fifi Abdu, Zinat Olwy.
Shaabi is a cheerful dance, a modern type of urban "street dance" or "people's dance", similar to Beladi, but performed to faster music. The word “shaabi” has several meanings: “people, popular” (in the sense of folklore), “people” (common people, the working class and peasants, in the sense of not the cream of society), “popular” (loved by the people).
Shaabi music was born on the outskirts of cities and is the voice of their inhabitants, the common people. Shaabi songs reveal the fullness of people's feelings and comment on social reality. Do you want to know how the working class in Egypt lives, thinks and feels? - listen to Shaabi's songs.
Shaabi dances are the natural self-expression of ordinary people, their sense of music and songs, their humor and wit - everything that makes these dances unique, something that professional dancers around the world strive to repeat.
Shaabi music is considered urban folk songs. However, the musical style itself is quite young. It arose in the mid-20th century due to certain circumstances.
Shaabi Firstly, in 1967, Egypt was defeated in the war with Israel. This fact demoralized its inhabitants. Mohamed Nouh, one of the popular pop singers, commented: “Pop singing has always existed in Egypt, but Egypt's defeat in the 1967 war gave rise to two genres of singing: one that aims to lift the spirit of the people and restore their confidence, and one that brought people's minds back to defeat."
Secondly, President Gamal Abdel Nasser died in 1970. He adhered to nationalist ideas and returned Egypt to its national roots in his time. However, after his death, many of his ideas fell into oblivion. The new government “opened the door” to the West.
The people of Egypt experienced some economic relief. The country began to make money from tourism. In addition, Egyptians went to work in the oil-producing countries of the Persian Gulf. So with a little more money than before, people could afford things they couldn't before.
Thirdly, in the 1970s. Three great singers of classical Arabic song died: Farid al Atrash, Um Kalthum and Abdel Halim Hafez. They sang about pure, unattainable love and repressed sexuality, marking an entire era of Egypt's “golden age.” With their death, musical creativity changed priorities - fantasies and dreams gave way to reality.
The Shaabi, that is, the common people, declared war on the rich with their conservative rules, government, politics, corruption and just the general state of affairs of their miserable lives. Of course, they had a little more money, but just enough to understand how poor they were.
And finally, fourthly, technological progress reached the invention of the tape recorder, and with it a new milestone arose in the music industry. Musicians and singers all over the world have the opportunity to independently produce and promote their creations, bypassing record companies. The so-called “cassette culture”, the basis of which was samizdat. This includes punk music in the UK and US, reggae in Jamaica, rai music in Algeria and shaabi in Egypt.
In Egypt, there was censorship that applied to television and radio broadcasting, cinema, etc., including music production. Government authorities decided what was in good taste and what songs were worthy of a mass audience. They determined who would go on air, whose records would be recorded, and even ranked the performers according to how much they complied with the censorship policy. Therefore, Shaabi music had every chance of dying out at the initial stage, if not for tape recorders.
In the 70s tape recorders became available to all residents of Egypt. Anyone could record their songs on cassettes, make pirated or home copies. The cheapness and simplicity of this method of self-promotion made it possible to support the so-called “voice of the people,” and the first stars of shaabi performers appeared in the country.
So, shaabi is the music and voice of the common working people. Most of these people come from rural areas in the first and second generations. Therefore, Shaabi music was greatly influenced by village folk music (baladi) on traditional instruments. The urban environment changed it by combining it with urban classical music on modern Western instruments. Shaabi music better reflects the Egyptian people and culture than modernized Westernized music and the music of the elite of society (the latter, according to some researchers, was influenced by Russian and European authors).
A Shaabi song can be recognized by the characteristic sound of its voice - caustic, creaky, rough. The voice production is unprofessional, which is natural, since shaabi singers are not trained to be singers, they are born. The performance is very emotional, almost to the point of tears.
Many songs begin with maual - vocal improvisation without rhythm, although it can be picked up by traditional nay (Arab-Iranian longitudinal flute) or accordion, saxophone, synthesizer. It can be about love, but often expresses contempt for government, corruption, or may be about various social issues. The maual talks about the singer's beliefs and feelings and sets the emotional ground for the song. The recognized stars of Maual are Ahmed Adaveya, Hassan al Asmar and Shaaban. Many of their improvisations became songs in their own right.
After the maual, the tabla (drum) begins to play a fast, upbeat rhythm, such as maksum or saidi. This is followed by the song itself, which can be very short (even shorter than the maual) and can contain many themes. The lyrics are generally simple, containing slang or street talk, humor, irreverence, and a lot of complaining about various things. For example, it could be about alcohol and drugs, poverty, work and money, love and marriage, food (which is usually used as a metaphor for sex), the hopelessness of life, and life in general. Songs often use metaphors to disguise the true meaning of the message. Economic instability in the country causes even greater depression, and in many songs the people turn to a higher power.
Shaabi songs are something of a resistance movement and are often censored in state media. Songs are produced handicraftally, passed on from person to person, to taxi and minibus drivers, and so on to the public. Some shaabi stars don't mind pirated copying because that's how they gain popularity and make money in crowded concert halls.
Many authors and performers of shaabi vegetate in obscurity, consoling themselves only by the fact that they carry a high moral mission. But there are also those who have achieved cult status. People listen to their CDs, play cassettes in taxis and buses, at street weddings, and know the lyrics by heart.
Some singers consider themselves followers of earlier pop singers such as Syed Darwish (a great singer and composer of the early 20th century). Darwish sang for all walks of life - rich and poor. He had songs about drugs, which he satirized, although in general he did not condemn their use.
The first shaabi singer to receive recognition and love from the people was Ahmed Adawaya. He is called the "godfather" of Shaabi music, and his work has become a standard for many others.
He was born in the mid-1940s into a decent working-class (shaabi) family on the outskirts of the Maadi district, in southern Cairo. Over time, he moved to Mohamed Ali Street (also known as Shariaa Al Fann - Artists' Street). At first he worked as a waiter in a cafe, but then decided that this work was not for him. So he began to sing folk songs and mauali.
From the age of 14 he sang at religious festivals, and by the late 1960s he was performing at high-profile, expensive weddings and hotels. In the early 1970s he regularly worked in clubs on Sharia Al Haram ("path to the pyramids").
Ahmed Adaveya quickly gained popularity. Having folk roots, he wrote and sang songs that were close and understandable to the common people. Bright mauali, satirical lyrics, smoky voice and a combination of modern and traditional instruments - all this sounded new and became the key to success.
In general, he was distinguished by his lifestyle and general harshness. Singing, and even such dubious songs, and besides, surrounded by girl dancers was too indecent in the middle of the 20th century. And although even his family abandoned him (according to T.P. Dorosh), he believed that this was his fate and that was the only way he felt happy.
Iraqis.
Iraqi, or raqs al Iraqiyya, is a fairly old dance common among rural residents of the southern region of Iraq. The villagers themselves call themselves Kauliya, or Kavliya. There were entire families who were involved in music and dancing. There are two main types of iraqi, or raqs al iraqiyya - hazha and chobi. Khazha (khacha) is what everyone is used to seeing at festivals - a dance to catchy music with a variety of jumps and an emphasis on hair swinging. Chobi is a much less common style than hazha. Let's just say that chobi al iraqiya is something like a round dance to national music; it does not involve such jumps and hair swings as in hazha. Other Iraqi styles - Hewa, Khashaba and others - have been little studied in our country and for some reason are of no interest to dancers.
A modern women's Iraqi suit resembles an evening dress - long, tight, in a godet style (from the knees the dress expands, forming a circle skirt). There are a wide variety of types of this suit - with long tight sleeves, with wide sleeves, with bare shoulders - whatever your imagination. This type of costume came from Syria. The national Iraqi costume for raqs al iraqiya is called hashmiya. This is a richly embroidered dress, slightly fitted, with long flared sleeves. Girls usually dance barefoot.
The men's costume for an Iraqi is exactly the same as for a Khaliji - a white toba (a long shirt with wide sleeves). Men wear ihram on their heads - a large scarf, which is held on the head by a hoop called igal. Often, instead of igal, ihram is worn so that its ends are tied around the head and hold the entire scarf. Trousers and boots (or shoes) are also required for men. This type of costume is called dishdashi in Iraq.
Each Iraqi style has its own music with its own rhythm. Thus, khacha is characterized by a rather fast rhythm of daem or ayub with its own special content. Among the percussion in Iraqi dances, the zambur stands out - he usually leads the solo part. The melodic component of the music is traditionally conducted by the rababa, and recently the rababa has been replaced by the violin and/or electronic musical instruments. Chobi, unlike hazha, has a more measured style; it uses hazha rhythms of 8/8 and 12/8.
Khazha is a very agile and energetic dance, with many jumps and hair swings, and also includes parterre - movements on the floor. While dancing iraqi, a woman does the most incredible things with her hair - she makes it fly around her shoulders or flow like water. The Iraqi differs from the Khaliji in sharper head movements and accents not towards the floor, but upward. Shaking is also actively used in Iraq.
Chobi represents a dance in which the main elements are steps, jumping and stamping, and the men have a variety of tricks with weapons - a cane or a saber. Some dance with guns or machine guns. The dance has a leader; he usually holds a scarf or rosary in his hands, which he rotates above his head.
SUKHER ZAKE
She has danced at the weddings of the daughters of two Egyptian presidents, she has perfect pitch and was the first to dare to dance to the songs of Um Kolthum.
Sukher was born in the city of Mansoura, but moved to Alexandria with her parents as a child. Her own father died quite early and her stepfather, the second husband of Sukher’s mother, became her first impresario.
Sukher owes her enormous fame largely to television. Egyptian television broadcast weekly dance programs, where Suher was a regular guest. She performed on television, danced at events and restaurants, and acted in films. It is noteworthy that she was not particularly interested in cinema and in it she preferred to play small roles and mainly as dancers.
Her dancing style was quite feminine and natural. Many contemporaries noted that she did not put on a show; her specialty was simplicity and elegance. This was also expressed in her appearance: she wore little makeup and did not wear wigs.
Sukher was the first to risk dancing to the songs of Um Kolsum. I like how she remembers this: “When I came out with a number to the music of Um Kalthum, I suddenly saw the singer herself in the audience - right in front of me. At that moment, both I and my musicians wanted only one thing - for the earth to open up and swallow us at that very moment. But when we finished, Um Kalthum came over to thank us. She said we were great, and that she was shocked that the orchestra could perform this composition so well, when she herself had only begun to sing this song in public a few weeks ago, after many, many rehearsals with the orchestra.”
Sukher Zake shared popularity and stage with Nagwa Fouad. Again from the memoirs of Sukher Zake: “My main rival was Najwa Fuad - we fought seriously. If we worked at the same event, we would race to put on costumes and push our orchestras onto the stage: everyone wanted to appear first.”
Sukher met her future husband on the set of one of the films and already at a fairly mature age gave birth to a son.
In the 80s, she decided to leave the stage and after a fairly long period of time returned to the stage, but as a teacher at master classes. And it took Rakiya Hassan a long time to persuade her to start teaching master classes. Suher had a very negative attitude towards the appearance of foreigners on the Egyptian stage and did not want to teach oriental dance to non-Egyptians, but Rakiya managed to persuade her and the full houses at her MK confirm that Suher Zake is still in demand.
LUCY
A magnificent dancer and Dina's main rival for the Egyptian stage.
As a child, Lucy studied ballet, but she really did not like the rigor and academic nature of ballet, so after seeing the performances of Naima Akef and Tahia Carioca, she forever gave her heart to oriental dance.
She says that the main thing she values in dance is freedom. And almost everyone notes her ease and musicality in dance.
Lucy performs a lot in clubs, acts in films and TV series, and also sings superbly, adding vocal performances to her shows.
Lucy is married. It is noteworthy that she shares work with her husband - her husband is the owner of the Parisiana club, where she performs.
AZZA SHERIFF
Umm Kalthum called Azza Sharif's body ideal for oriental dance.
Azza was born in 1954 and at the age of 18 she first appeared on stage as a dancer. She cannot be called self-taught, like many dancers of that time. Dance training took place from Ibrahim Akef himself.
The beginning of her dancing career was in Egyptian clubs, where she performed a lot, including the famous “Sahara City”. Later, Azza moved to Lebanon and continued his dancing activities there, but by 1979 he settled in London and performed at Omar Khayyam.
After London, Azza's return to Egypt was quite triumphant. She performed in the best clubs, including the Hilton and Mena House.
Throughout her life, she not only danced in clubs, but also starred in films and toured. In recent years, Azza has become quite religious.
AIDA NUR 
Aida was born on May 4, 1956 in Alexandria and began her dance career in the Alexandria State Troupe. After moving to Cairo, Aida Nour became a soloist with Mahmoud Reda's troupe, where she spent 15 years. She later left, starting a solo career. Aida performed a lot in five-star hotels and nightclubs. She also became a professor at the Egyptian Artists' Union.
In 1974, she came to Russia as part of Mahmud Red's troupe and performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater together with Soviet artists. In the first part of the concert, Russian folk dances were shown by the Bolshoi Theater troupe, in the second part, Egyptian artists demonstrated oriental dance. After which, according to Aida’s recollections, the corpse of Mahmud Reda and the Bolshoi Theater troupe came to Egypt, where they gave the same concert as in Moscow.
One of the distinctive features is her virtuoso playing of the sagat and a subtle sense of rhythm. During her dancing career, she traveled to almost all countries, I usually comment on questions about countries that it is easier for her to name where she has not been than to list all the countries she has visited.
At the age of 24, Aida gave birth to a son, who, as an adult, chose a profession not related to the artistic world.
Currently she teaches a lot, is the organizer of Nile groups and produces dance costumes for oriental dance.
RANDA KAMMAL
She was born in Mansur, graduated from college, but always worked only in the dance field.
Randa began dancing at age 12 while attending ballet school. Later she switched to oriental dance and became one of the members of the Reda group, where she spent 7 years. After leaving the Reda group, she began a solo career. First it was Alexandria, where she spent 2 years, then Cairo. She danced in nightclubs, restaurants and hotels.
She prefers not to prepare choreography for performances but to dance improvisation. He believes that you should dance only the way you feel.
Randa has a son.
ZIZY MUSTAFA
Zizi Mustafa, also known as Zeinab, was born in 1943. She was a fairly popular Egyptian dancer and actress in the 70s and 80s. In the period from the 60s to the end of the 90s, she acted in many films.
She ran away from home at age 13, on her wedding day, because... did not agree with her parents’ desire to marry her off, and settled temporarily with her friend. Once, while visiting the Sahara City tent cafe, she was asked to stand up and dance. A manager was present at this event and really liked Zizi’s style of performance. He offered her a position as a dancer and a small salary. The problem with the lack of a costume was also resolved - the manager provided the costume, slightly reducing the salary of the future dancer. however, not everything turned out so rosy: the fact that she became a dancer did not like the mother of her friend, with whom she lived, and Zizi had to look for another place to live.
Zizi's dance was quite flexible and gentle.
In 1982, Zizi gave birth to a daughter, Mena Shalabi, who followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming an actress and achieving quite a bit of success in this field.
Folklore dance is a dance born from the traditions of a country or region. Usually consists of movements that can be learned by a large number of people. According to tradition, folk dance is passed down from generation to generation in the environment in which it is danced. Folklore is the cultural heritage of all people, reflecting their customs, habits, music, costumes and history.
Folklore dance, in turn, is divided into:
1. Performed by all people, expressing their feelings. It is not associated with theatre, but is very popular at national celebrations and weddings.
2.Performed by professionals of theatrical dance art.
Saidi
There are many nationalities living in Egypt, but the most ardent and dangerous people in Egypt are the Saidi People. They live along the Nile from the city of ASYUN to the city of ASWAN, in the southern part of Egypt. Men in this area of Egypt are very fond of beautiful mustaches. They specially grow and groom them, because a large and long mustache is a sign of prosperity and wealth, especially if the mustache is accompanied by weapons, gold and 4 wives.………… There is a saying that goes like this: The most handsome (cool) man in his own right Eagle can plant a mustache.
Saidi - this word refers to everything related to the Said region in Egypt. Saidi style can be danced with or without a cane.
Asaya: Asaya is the Arabic term for cane. This dance came from Southern Egypt from a region called Said or Upper Egypt. Traditionally, men in this area carried long bamboo sticks with them, which they used as weapons. Gradually, a special male dance took shape - Takhtib, in which stick fighting was imitated. Women adopted the style of dancing with a cane, but made the dance lighter and more playful, and created a separate style - raks el asaya (dance with a cane).
Hawaii
The Gawaizi are a gypsy tribe that settled in Egypt. The first significant mention of Gawazi dates back to the 18th century. When the Gawaizi were expelled from Cairo in 1834, they settled in southern Egypt. Their music, dance and cultural attributes are markedly different from what the Saidi people who historically inhabited this area are known for. Cymbals are used in the dance. (Style Naima Akef.)
Baladi
Baladi means “homeland” or “hometown” in Arabic. In Egyptian slang it sounds like Oriental Shaabi. The Belladi dance was performed in many villages throughout Egypt. It was usually danced in the house of a woman and for women. It was mostly hip movements. The hand movements were quite simple and unsystematic. We danced barefoot. Traditional dance clothing is a white golobeya with a scarf on the hips and a scarf on the head. Shaabi is a style that is very popular in Egypt, especially in the central part of old Cairo on Muhammad Ali Street, where many famous artists were born and now live. This is the style of such famous dancers as Nagwa Foad, Fifi Abdu, Zinat Olwy.
Nubia
Nubia, known in ancient times as the Kingdom of Kush, stretches south from Aswan to the capital of Sudan, Khartoum. The Nubians, darker-skinned than the Egyptians themselves, have their own language, culture and traditions. Aswan is the sunniest place in Egypt. It is located in the south of the country and was a border town in ancient times. Life here moves slowly. It's nice to take a walk along the embankment or by boat along the Nile, sit in a restaurant right by the water, and listen to ancient Nubian music. Nubian dance is a group dance. Colorful costumes, special unusual rhythm. Nubia people are very cheerful and always love to dance together. At weddings, hundreds of people gather and everyone dances together.
Nubia is the name of a city and region in southern Egypt. Nubia is located on the border with Sudan. Nubian dance is a group dance. It's mostly hip movement. Nice hand system. A special unusual rhythm, mostly fast (similar to the Khaliji rhythm). Dof (tambourine) and Khus (reed plate) are used as dance accessories.
Haggala
Haggala is the style of the Bedouins who live in the oases of the Sahara. Haggala translates as “to jump.” This is a very energetic dance that places emphasis on hip movements. Movements include hand clapping and jumping (jumping is primarily used by men). The male haggala dance is reminiscent of the Dabka (Lebanese group wedding dance). Traditional clothing for this style is a dress + skirt with lots of flounces.
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt. Alexandria has more Mediterranean than oriental features. The spirit and culture of the city is different from the rest of the country, although it is only 225 km from Cairo. Translated into Arabic, Alexandria sounds like “Eskandarani”. Eskandarani's dance style is very fun, fiery and playful. The traditional clothing for this style is a dress and cape (Melaya). Melaya is part of the national clothing of the women of Alexandria.
Shamadam
In Egyptian slang, the name of this style sounds like “Avalem”. The full name is “Raqs el Shamadam” - dance with a candelabra. It has been danced in Egypt for a long time. A large patterned candelabra with lit candles is carried on the head of a dancer at a wedding, illuminating the path to a happy family life for the newlyweds. The art of isolated movements of the hips, chest and the softness of the step is amazing when a girl dances with a candelabra - after all, it should be motionless! You just need to think through the costume very carefully so as not to set it on fire or ruin it with dripping wax. The traditional costume for this style is harem pants + top or long dress with a tight top and wide bottom.
Raks el sharqi
Or else they call it “Oriental Belly Dance”. The literal translation from Arabic is “belly dance” i.e. that part of the body that is located from the navel to the hips. In some countries, including Russia, this dance is called Belly Dance, although this is incorrect. There are many versions of why this dance is called that way. There may not be an exact translation for the word “belly” in other languages. Why Belly Dance? The name of this type of dance also comes from the name “Baladi”, which in Arabic means “homeland” or “hometown”. The Baladi dance was performed in many villages throughout Egypt. Usually it was danced in the house of women for themselves or for their friends. It was mostly hip movements. The hand movements were quite simple and unsystematic. We danced barefoot. Since 1921, the “Beladi” style acquired another name: “Oriental Shaabi”. This style was very popular in Egypt, especially in the central part of old Cairo on Muhammad Ali Street, where many famous artists were born and now live. This is the style of such famous dancers as Nagwa Foad, Fifi Abdu, Zinat Olwy. Of course, over these 80 years, the dance style has been modernized, mixed with other oriental styles, but we should not forget that “Raks el Sharqi” or “Oriental Belly Dance” is part of Egyptian Folklore. And Egyptian folklore has more than 25 types of dance, and all dances are danced mainly by that part of the body called “belly”.
Tabla
It is impossible to imagine the East without the Arabic drum called Tabla. The sound of this instrument can be heard wherever you are in the East: On the street, in the bazaar, in a cafe, on a ship, at any Arab wedding.....
Tabla is the most popular and famous Arabic instrument. This instrument is the heart of oriental music and dance. Extremely loved and adored in Russia. Maybe because the sound of this instrument resembles a heartbeat….
There are 9 different tabla rhythms, which, unfortunately, no one knows about in Russia. For now, this remains the privilege of the Arab-Egyptians. I hope that in the near future a true school for learning to play this “magic” instrument will open in Moscow.
Dance with a scarf
This is one of the most theatrical dances and requires acting skills. The scarf is also a background to highlight the beauty of the body and movement. This is also what hides in order to be revealed later.
It is very important for the dancer to feel the scarf not as part of the costume, but as part of her body.
There are many types and forms of scarves: Malaya, Gulf and others.
The scarf is so clearly associated with oriental dance that it seems as if it has always been there. However, historians cannot find ancient roots for this type of dance. The Egyptians say that the scarf may have even come from Russia. In the 1940s, Egypt's ruler Farukh invited Russian ballerina Ivanova to teach his daughters the art of ballet. Ivanova taught a famous Egyptian dancer named Samia Gamal a beautiful entrance with a scarf and some movements with it, and the scarf took root in Egypt.
Western dancers work with the scarf in great detail, wrapping themselves in it and revealing themselves seductively. The fairy tale is alive in the European consciousness: the East, the harem, the bodies of beautiful women are hidden by expensive fabrics... The Egyptians themselves use a scarf only to go on stage, and after 30-60 seconds they throw it aside. Western style seems tasteless to Eastern audiences and is too reminiscent of striptease. Russian girls work in a kind of intermediate manner.
Dance with cymbals (Sagat)
Cymbals are one of the most ancient musical instruments in the form of two pairs of wooden or metal plates. The dancer uses their sound as musical accompaniment to her dance.
Sagat (or dulcimer) require a good knowledge of traditional music and rhythmic patterns. Sagat are distant relatives of Spanish castanets, only made of metal. The performer manages not only to dance, but also to accompany herself with the ringing of sagatas. You can also add your own rhythm to the music by playing the tambourine or tambourine.
Dance with fire
Continuation of the cult of fire. Candles or scented oil lamps can be used. As a rule, they dance with thick, bright candles. A lamp with a candle, reminiscent of Aladdin's lamp, also looks great in a dance.
Dance with the snake
A less common dance is the snake dance. It’s quite difficult to dance with such an “attribute”. It takes a lot of skill, courage and experience to handle a snake.
A snake can keep a girl company in a dance. To see what this looks like, look no further than the movie From Dusk Till Dawn, where Salma Hayek dances with an albino python. Of course, this was again invented by the West, greedy for small effects. Perhaps when we too have so many dancers that they will have to compete for jobs even by such means, snakes will also become somewhat widespread.
