Thread: Can't find a good Arabesque on youtube

Maybe it's just me today, but I was looking for some really good examples of Arabesques on youtube to show my students (we are working on them in class). And I couldn't find any.

I found several variations on an arabesque and a few very cursory ones, but since I'm trying to encourage my students to extend their hang time and increase their extension, I'm trying to find dancers who do this in a very lovely way. I know these examples exist out there. I have several in my home video collection. Why am I having such a struggle finding any on youtube?

You guys know where the Arabesques are hiding?

I know Zahra does a few in her Zeina clip (like 3 minutes in) and some quickie ones in her "Ohio Workshop Choreography" on YouTube. Jenna does some stylized ones when she does ZZ's choreography (the Hafla one that was posted on the Bhuz home page). Don't know if that's what you're looking for, but it's a start. :)

Lulu's got some neat ones at 3:00, but they're quick.

[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=bE_Dz9KZWX4&feature=related]YouTube - Belly Danse - Randa رندا[/ame]

Keti sharif teaches a combo called Arabesque. It has an arabesque in the beginning.
[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=bRFBb4e70Xc]YouTube - Sample from Keti Sharif's A-Z Advanced Bellydance Routines[/ame]

Look for Haidia's "Tales of the Sahara" choreography! She does some great ones as an entrance. I think she also explains them in her "Ultimate System".
Dina is good at them too but hers she collapses at the end. Which is a fun alternate!
xoxo,
-NJ

I think Tito seems to do a lot of them.

Orit usually does fabulous arabesques.

A bit of a hijack, but oh how I adore Lulu! She is pure fire!

Saida would have some fabulous arabesques. In this vid she does a couple starting from about 1:45

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5LTim5ChzY&feature=related]YouTube - Saida en el espectáculo Raqsaida[/ame]

Originally Posted by damariz

Keti sharif teaches a combo called Arabesque. It has an arabesque in the beginning.
YouTube - Sample from Keti Sharif's A-Z Advanced Bellydance Routines

I don't see anything that remotely resembles an arabesque in that clip!! She's just pivoting to the other side! Am I missing something? Does arabesque mean something different in bellydance as it does in ballet?

Hi Daniela,

your absolutely right! I don't know what she called arabesque - maybe the floor pattern?

My favourite one is definitly Saida!!!

Huh - those are not arabesque arms either - in ballet that's called 5th position...I'm confused...?!

Originally Posted by ukcaasi

Huh - those are not arabesque arms either - in ballet that's called 5th position...I'm confused...?!

Yeah, she does 5th position arms when she does the second side, and the some other arms when she does the first side - not sure what they are called, but they aren't arms that accompany an arabesque. And if she was talking about the arms, she should at least do the same arms on both sides!

Re Keti's "Arabesque" routine, she's not using the term in the ballet sense, just as a descriptor within her own A-Z terminology. She often refers to Arabesque style artwork to describe the flowing and continuous feel of the dance.

Excuse my lack of ballet lingo but as I understand it an Arabesque in ballet is where you stand on one leg and lift and extend the other backward with the upper body continuing in, like, a crescent sort of shape (n'that).

A lovely, graceful, elegant and appropriate for ballet movement, IMveryHO not a bellydance movement at all, ref. our dear Aunty Rocky's story in which the punch line is "feets on the floor, feets togezzer ... we no wanna see your pussy catta" ..l;,

Yes, but arabesques are used in Reda style and by dancers with Reda backgrounds all the time.

They're lower than in ballet though and they often involve a pivot as well.

I have never seen Saida before, nor even heard of her...thank you for that! Wow. A small fierce bird. Did you see the length of her arms??? They are as long as her legs!

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Yes, but arabesques are used in Reda style and by dancers with Reda backgrounds all the time.

They're lower than in ballet though and they often involve a pivot as well.

yes the lower legged thing with the pivot is where Keti is coming from also, though hers often get so low legged and more pivotty that the resemblence may be slight.

the ballet move I am thinking of is more of a pose. Disclaimer : mostly everything I know about Ballet Arabesque is from reading one article in Dance Australia magazine ,r:;at self

Yeah, we're not really talking about

And especially not

You need the Tito in White Jeans clip.

Well, we all need Tito, but in this case, we only need him for the Arabesques.

OMG I want that version of Amal Hayati...does Mario have it on a CD?