{"id":7927,"date":"2022-02-13T09:40:06","date_gmt":"2022-02-13T09:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.kaleelah.com\/blog\/arabian-dances-how-the-arabs-dance-their-nights-away\/"},"modified":"2022-02-13T09:40:06","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T09:40:06","slug":"arabian-dances-how-the-arabs-dance-their-nights-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.kaleelah.com\/en\/blog\/arabian-dances-how-the-arabs-dance-their-nights-away\/","title":{"rendered":"Arabian Dances: How the Arabs Dance Their Nights Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

When most of us think of Arab dance, \u201cbelly\u201d dancing is likely what first comes to mind. However, it may surprise you that there are many styles of traditional Arab dances, each with their own past. From dabkah<\/em> to raqs beladi<\/em>, today we\u2019re looking into the most popular and traditional Arabian dances of the Middle East<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Were you sent here by the Arab dances font generator after looking for the font called \u201cArab Dances Medium\u201d? No problem. Simply read on! There you\u2019ll only find a boring font. And though you won\u2019t exactly find belly dance music here, you\u2019ll find all you need to know about Arab dancing.)<\/p>\n

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Let\u2019s Dance Through History<\/h2>\n

Throughout the years, dance has always been a vibrant part of the Arabic culture. Some examples of the diverse types of Arab dances found in the Arab world are the dabkah<\/em> and raqs baladi<\/em>. What\u2019s more, there\u2019s also spiritual dancing like the zar <\/em>\u2013 a dance used to drive away evil spirits in Egypt.<\/p>\n

Arab dance was in the Middle East even before Jesus\u2019 time when Salome danced for his cousin John\u2019s head. However, it really wouldn\u2019t become popular in Europe until after the French campaigns in Egypt and Syria in 1798. The returning French brought back stories of women dancing a dance of temptation, conducted solely for the pleasure of men.  However, the French were likely adding a little artistic license to their tales. Much like most parts of the Arab world today, there was traditional gender segregation even back then. In fact, you\u2019ll find that women in the Middle East usually dance only in the company of other women.<\/p>\n

Still, word spread throughout the continent, and the Middle East would attract painters and writers from Europe now called \u201cOrientalists\u201d. These included the likes of French writer Gustave Flaubert and the French artist and sculptor, Jean-L\u00e9on G\u00e9r\u00f4me.<\/p>\n

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Little Egypt Comes to America<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Arab dance came to America in 1893 by way of the Syrian born dancer, Fatima Djemille. Fatima was one the famous \u201cLittle Egypt\u201d dancers at the World’s Columbian Exposition\u2019s exhibit titled “The Streets of Cairo”. Interestingly, Fatima would go on to be the first Arab dancer to appear on film, dancing in Thomas Edison’s Coochee Coochee Dance<\/em> (1896) and Fatima <\/em>(1897).<\/p>\n

It was also at World’s Columbian Exposition where entertainment director Sol Bloom came up with the term \u201cbelly dancing\u201d.  (He actually took it from the name used by the French in Algeria who called it danse du ventre<\/em>, which literally translated does mean belly dance.) When the public found about this belly dancing, they could only conclude the dance was surely salacious and depraved. As a result, the \u201cStreets of Cairo\u201d made a lot of money.<\/p>\n

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Everybody Dance Now<\/h2>\n

Just as Arabs have their rich and diverse music that makes up their culture, they also have their own dances. And since the Arab world covers such a wide area, you can imagine there are a wide variety of dances. Here are a few:<\/p>\n

Belly Dances<\/h3>\n

Raqs Sharqi (<\/strong>\u0631\u0642\u0635 \u0634\u0631\u0642\u064a)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

This is a lively dance that involves moving many parts of the body in a circular motion, especially the torso. It is this classical Egyptian style of belly dance that became famous in the early 20th century. However, belly dancing is also an oral tradition dating back to pre-Islamic times, though that\u2019s changed over the centuries.  Some say that it was first used to worship fertility goddesses. In fact, some North African cultures still believe it helps in childbirth. Contrary to popular belief, in many Arab cultures, both girls and boys learn how to belly dance when they\u2019re young. This means you\u2019ll find both men and women belly dancing in some parts of the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Shamadan (<\/strong>\u0634\u0645\u0639\u062f\u0627\u0646)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Shamadan means \u201ccandlestick\u201d, so it\u2019s no wonder this dance involves a large candelabrum balanced on top of a dancer’s head. Lovers of dance will only find this dance in Egypt where dancers often perform it in Egyptian wedding processions, or zeffah<\/em>. Usually happening at night, the procession includes musicians, singers and dancers, followed by the wedding party. They all wind their way through the neighboring streets, taking the bride from her parent\u2019s house to her new home.<\/p>\n

Baladi (<\/strong>\u0628\u0644\u062f\u064a)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meaning “of the country”, baladi <\/em>is a type of Egyptian folk dance from the early 1900s, yet remains very popular. It started when farmers first moved to the city and didn\u2019t have a lot of space to dance in. As a result, it is involves the dancer moving more slowly than they do in raqs sharqi<\/em>. This creates a heavy feeling to the dance. In fact, the dancer seems to be more relaxed and at one with the ground they dance upon. This feeling is shared by the baladi<\/em> folk music played during the dance.<\/p>\n

Ouled Nail (<\/strong>\u0623\u0648\u0644\u0627\u062f \u0646\u0627\u064a\u0644)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The dance \u201cNile boys\u201d originated from bou saada,<\/em> a style of music from the Egyptian town with the same name. The locals started calling it oulid nail<\/em> after the boys who first  performed this unique dance. The dance itself involves small, rapid foot movements paired with vigorous torso and hip movements.<\/p>\n

Ghawazi (<\/strong>\u063a\u0648\u0627\u0632\u064a)<\/strong><\/p>\n

These dancers from Egypt are a group of female traveling dancers. The ghawazi<\/em> (or \u201cconquerors\u201d)  perform either alone or in small groups, unveiled for mixed audiences. The girls often dance in public streets, in cafe houses, and during festivals like the local Islamic ceremony mawalid<\/em>. There is little elegant or graceful about their dancing which involves quickly oscillating their hips side-to-side.<\/p>\n

Almeh ( <\/strong>\u0639\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0629)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Almeh was a group of learned Egyptian females who were taught to sing, recite poetry, and be fun conversationalist. (Thus, they called themselves almeh<\/em> meaning \u201cscientist\u201d.) Unlike the above mentioned ghawazi<\/em>, the awalim<\/em> performed only for high class women and only in their homes.<\/p>\n

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Folk Dances<\/h3>\n

 <\/strong><\/h5>\n

Arab folk dances are usually performed at civil events or Arab celebrations like marriages, births, and even deaths. In some parts of the Arab world, they\u2019re also performed during the times of eid<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dabke (<\/strong>\u062f\u0628\u0643\u0629)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The dabke<\/em> is an Arab folk dance of the Levant region. It combines circle dance and line dancing and is widely performed at weddings and other joyous events. With the line forming to his right, the dabke<\/em> leader  heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers. There\u2019s plenty of feet stamping as the word dabke comes from the Arabic dabaka <\/em> or “stamping of the feet\u201d.<\/p>\n

Deheyeh (<\/strong>\u0627\u0644\u062f\u062d\u064a\u0629)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Deheyeh<\/em> is a Bedouin dance mostly done in the Levant and Gulf regions of the Middle East. Back in the day it was danced before wars to fire up a tribe\u2019s soldiers.  When the battle was done, it was danced again to describe the battle and how it was won. However, these days, like the dabke<\/em>, the deheyah<\/em> is most often danced at happy events.<\/p>\n