Your Egypt

[Monica]

Another special request Researched for you............A belly dancer can dance wearing any kind of clothing in a casual setting, and may simply tie a beaded hip scarf about her. However, on stage, in a restaurant, or at a party, a dancer will wear a flashy cabaret costume.

These colorful, beaded costumes are as important and necessary to the dancer as the music she chooses for her dance. The costume in itself is like a musical instrument. A costume is an extension of the dancer's personality and her abilities. A well made and well fitting costume is what makes the difference between a professional performer and an amateur dancer. For example, an ill fitting costume on the most technically correct dancer can make her look like a beginner, while some belly dancers will wear blatantly sexy costume to redirect the audience's attention to their body and away from their poor dancing. However, some dancers do prefer to wear a plain galabya, a much more plain costume, to prove their dancing ability without relying on the costume decorations to enhance their movements.

The foundation of the belly dance costume is the bra and the belt. Belly dance costume designs are divided into styles depending upon the number of pieces in the bra and belt. An "oriental" costume contains several pieces, including a bra and one-piece belt, a skirt, which may or may not be attached to the belt, and a veil. The "Turkish" design contains three or four pieces which include a bra and a two or three piece belt with a skirt and veil. Again the skirt may or may not be attached to the belt. The third kind, called "top", is a one piece costume consisting of a bra connected to the skirt with a lycra mesh which may be the color of the bra and skirt or may be flesh colored, and a veil (there is no belt). The forth design consists of a bra and skirt without a structured belt. In other words the belt is a part of the skirt. This style will also include a veil.

Other matching accessories available are gauntlets, anklets, wrist cuffs, upper arm bands, head and hair bands, necklaces, earrings, etc. However, some dancers just buy a bra and the belt separately to match other skirts and veils they may already own. Acquiring a dance wardrobe is an on-going project, particularly for professional dancers.
There are also "ethnic" style costumes.

The Se'edy (Upper Egyptian) balady dress or galabya falls to the ankles. It is made of one piece of fabric with long wide sleeves and is open at the sides. The second, called [b] Eskandarany (Alexandrian) has a body made of one piece of solid colored fabric. Attached to this, beginning at the knee, are three pieces of gathered fabric of three different colors sewn horizontally and creating a frilly, mid-knee length dress. From the gulf area there is the "thobe' , which is a long, wide, flowing, highly decorated, somewhat shapeless dress. Nevertheless, if used properly and creatively it is the feature of a stunning dance routine. Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria have their own styles though Lebanon and Syria are more like Egyptian styles (oriental). Turkey aggressively competes with Egypt in producing costuming supplies.

In Egypt a costume designer has many people working for him. More than one person can be working on one costume, and generally they are women. Working side by side, some of them make the base of the bras and the belts, others add the decorations, and others do the finishing work.

To make the belt, the designer draws the shape of the belt on a piece of vazlin or pellon, a heavy weight backing much like the material used in shirt collars and cuffs, but heavier. The layout is then usually cut three times to make the same shape to create three layers.

The designer then irons the three layers together to create one strong flexible sheet. Adding the chosen fabric and covering to the sheet of the belt, he then irons the fabric with the vazlin/pellon and sews them together. It is now ready for the decoration process.[/b]

[Ausar]

Did you know that majority of the belly dancers in Egypt are usually foreginers? Most tend to have foregin roots instead of indigenous origins. Just through I would point this out.

[Monica]

Here are some pictures ....
Egyptian Belly dancers .........

Ausar wrote: Did you know that majority of the belly dancers in Egypt are usually foreginers? Most tend to have foregin roots instead of indigenous origins. Just through I would point this out.

[Monica]

More Egyptian belly dancers... and other nationalities..

Ausar wrote: Did you know that majority of the belly dancers in Egypt are usually foreginers? Most tend to have foregin roots instead of indigenous origins. Just through I would point this out.

[El Kadafi]

Belly dancing is Turkish, not Egyptian. Due to the Turk's hate for their own culture however it thrives in Egypt instead. In Turkey it lives on in pop star music videos.

[Ausar]

Egyptians have their own variation of belly dancing called ''Baladi'' Some traditional Egyptian dances are mostly found in Upper Egypt and one is known as Tahtib. Tahtib is an ancient martial art system ancient Egyptians used to train their troops with. It still thrives but is slowly dying in the rural Upper Egyptian villages.

[Monica]

Egyptian balady dancing is the one I prefer..but i enjoy watching belly dancing from other countries in the region/ Middle East..
I know that LORI is learning how to belly dance and thought she would find an interest in this thread..
:roll:


Ausar wrote: Egyptians have their own variation of belly dancing called ''Baladi'' Some traditional Egyptian dances are mostly found in Upper Egypt and one is known as Tahtib. Tahtib is an ancient martial art system ancient Egyptians used to train their troops with. It still thrives but is slowly dying in the rural Upper Egyptian villages.

[Marky]

so who's the best Masreya belly-dancer, and who's the best agnabeya belly-dancer?

(best as in technical merit)..... 8)

[Monica]

Popularity wise..
FIFI ABDO was the one that attracted the most as she was also very entertaining ...getting older though...
BUT..
beauty and dancing wise DINA..(regardless of the scandal)
In the old old days the most elegant ones were samia gamal and tahya Carioca..
and then came along Nagwa Fouad..but can't be compared to those two she was more on the wild side..with new steps that were a bit like a horse dance at one point and she innovated a lot. and had a great popularity too ..
Agnabeyate..I have no idea...
Marky wrote: so who's the best Masreya belly-dancer, and who's the best agnabeya belly-dancer?

(best as in technical merit)..... 8)

[Sandra]

what do u think about Nour?.. i like her most of all...i think Nour & Dina r the best..have just seen them on the record...woooow)) i can only dream of dancin' like them one day...maybe all my life wont b enough 2 learn)))))) still hopin' & prayin')))

[Monica]

Did not see Nour yet..but here is a Belly Dancer THAT IS VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE US ..
She is fron the Middle East.

She dances the SEEDY/country side dance
Saaidi, The Country Style(Folkloric Dance)
This dance is an earthy, heavy, and highly exciting style, in which the dancer, male or female, uses a stick or a cane. It is from the farm areas, the country side, and when men perform this routine, it is done as to simulate a battle. It is a form of martial art. When the men dance, a big, large stick is used and it ends with a "mock fight". The Mizmar instrument is synonymous with saaidi style. It is a long, small, horn with an extremely high pitched sound. The attire is a long white, cotton robe or "Gala Baya". The women do this routine either in their oriental belly dance costume or they change into a dress, called a "Beledi Dress". This can range from a beautifully beaded gown with a long fringed belt and a head scarf to a cotton galabaya a robe like the men. Fifi Abdul wears only a robe with no belt. She is a very earthy, performer, who comes actually from the Saaid (farm). I saw her dance in a play "Hazimni Ya", which means, the act of dancing around, playfully in a dress, and tying a hip scarf around the hips while in movement. Wow! That was a long sentence!

The ladies dance with a cane, not a stick. They twirl the cane in one hand while dancing. It takes a highly skilled dancer to do this correctly. It is too rare in the U.S. To capture the essence of a folk dance is imperative, not just go through the motions.

[The Egyptian]

Amout ana fi el belly dancing well setat el betokous el belly dancing.

I like the belly dancing very much. :wink:

[Lori]

Raqia Hassan is organizing this Ahlan wa Sahlan dancing festival every year. She has her own school and very good connections worldwide.

However, my teacher told me she's really not considered that great a dancer in Egypt. Or rather, WAS not - she's quite old now.

Can anyone comment? I don't know what to think about her.