Thread: Drum Solo dance

I am wondering what the elements of a good drum solo are, I've scoured You Tube already, plus since I like to do Egyptian style I've looked at more drummy parts of Randas performances to see what's going on.

While I understand that many Egyptian Artists don't do a 'drum solo' per se, they do have more drummy excerpts in some of their dances, which is what I'm trying to go for. Anyhow, please throw all your fave you tube clips in here, any genre, and if it's Egyptian it will make me extra happy.

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

While I understand that many Egyptian Artists don't do a 'drum solo' per se, they do have more drummy excerpts in some of their dances, .

What?!! since when?


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMuICMFhBI]YouTube - Dina egyptian dancer dancing a drum solo[/ame]

The famous (infamous?) gold bikini drum solo by Mona. My favorite part is just seeing that flesh move over her hips during the opening shimmy. Makes me happy to have some extra juicy goodness!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kJ2u0QoRmU]YouTube - Mona al Said **Zara's Favourite! 1 Drum dance[/ame]


Soraya Zayed:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCtvTjOjTGQ]YouTube - Soraia Zaied Bellydancer PART ONE[/ame]

Lucy (second half of the clip is a drum solo)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTDHRcFkZZw]YouTube - LUCY NUBIAN & DRUM SOLO 2008[/ame]

Nour (I believe there's a dress like this on the swap meet, in my size *sob*)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKGcRdSF-IM]YouTube - Nour Drum Solo[/ame]

My favorite (but I think there's a better quality clip somewhere?)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a5Gaoib3Wg]YouTube - Dina- the Egyptian Bellydance Star[/ame]


and for our grand finale:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhN3bWlhQKc]YouTube - Tito and little Mimo drum solo[/ame]

I'll admit, I detest drum solos BUT somehow this weasled its way into my favorites. ..g.:..l;,

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLiQ_nkaDh8&feature=channel_page]YouTube - Derbake solista[/ame]

Wow, Michelle, thanks for that clip. At first I thought her style was very Lebanese (butt pops, backbends) but later I wasn't sure.

I'm curious, why do you usually detest drum solos?

I love drum solos. I can't wait until I am good enough to be able to pull one off.

How long did it take you to learn drum solos? How long had you been dancing before you decided you were ready for drum solos?

I actually was comfortable with drum solos long before I was comfortable with anything else! To me, they always felt very simple and obvious. There were drumbeats to listen to....and nothing else. No melody line, changing instruments, emotions, lyrics. Just some drums that told my body what to do, usually.

I performed my first drum solo after only about 18 months as a student. That would have been OK if it had been a student venue, but it wasn't, I was dancing for 400 people and most of them were general public. I did OK, but really I should have danced in more student venues first.

Anyway, for years, I was happier doing drum solos than anything else. Finally, after 9 years, melodies and instruments no longer confuse me, I can listen to them AND the underlying rhythm at the same time. Whew!!

That's very cool. I am Pagan and love the sound of drums (drum circles, just dancing around them got me started) so for me, drum solos seem to flow naturally from that. I haven't tried one yet, but want to start learning as soon as I can.

Gosh, wow these are great.

Originally Posted by smuse33

That's very cool. I am Pagan and love the sound of drums (drum circles, just dancing around them got me started) so for me, drum solos seem to flow naturally from that. I haven't tried one yet, but want to start learning as soon as I can.

I'm right there with ya hon. Drum circles are fab. That's where I got up the gumption to start dancing in public in the first place...pagan gatherings dancing around bonfires in the middle of the mountains. People always said they really enjoyed my dancing and my presence was missed when I was not there. Isn't it interesting transitioning from the sort of free flow of around-the-fire dancing to the technique of bellydance, which can be quite sharp? Over the holidays I was dancing with a few women and I could really see how much my movements have changed in just year's time. Amazing!

*sorry for thread hijack*

Originally Posted by Lauren_

I actually was comfortable with drum solos long before I was comfortable with anything else! To me, they always felt very simple and obvious. There were drumbeats to listen to....and nothing else. No melody line, changing instruments, emotions, lyrics. Just some drums that told my body what to do, usually.

Me too! The first choreo I ever put together myself was a drum solo. I've always had a tendency to dance more to the rhythm than the melody, so I gravitated towards them immediately. And I find my students can pick up drum solos quicker than any other choroegraphy I teach.

One of the milestones I'm most proud of came less than a year ago - improv-ing to a drum solo. I was in disbelief for years that a dancer could hit all the accents in a droum solo without planning everything out. But one day I hit the right combination of experience and song choice, and I was able to push past the plateau for the first time. It was so exciting!

Originally Posted by Michelle75

I'll admit, I detest drum solos BUT somehow this weasled its way into my favorites. ..g.:..l;,

YouTube - Derbake solista

Completely off-topic, but I want that skirt she's wearing ..l;,

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Wow, Michelle, thanks for that clip. At first I thought her style was very Lebanese (butt pops, backbends) but later I wasn't sure.

I'm curious, why do you usually detest drum solos?

I'm not real sure why I dislike them. I mean, I won't go out of my way not to watch a dancer who is doing a drum solo but they DON'T appeal to me on the same level as a baladi dance. I suppose detest was a strong word. I just am not impressed with drum solos as much as a full routine. TO ME, they are kinda empty. Does that make since?
I can watch a drum solo and feel like, WOW, she's super, but still want to see more than a drum solo. It's like almost reaching an orgasm and than stopping.

For me the elements of a good drum solo are being relaxed, not shimming through and exhausting yourself the entire time and most importantly being creative in your accents. The best example of this I have ever seen was Nath Keo at the Belly dance conference in Canada last year. Both Aida Nour and Tito were sitting in the front row and completely mesmerized by his dance, and complimented him on it later. He did some interesting accents with his hands that I have never seen before. He is an amazing dancer. Too bad Yasmina is not selling a video of the event, there was some amazing dancing there.
I liked the clip of Mona al Said, and for me this is a classic example of a what I consider to be a good drum solo. She uses a variety of moves to hit accents, and again has some cool arm work and dramatic accents, yet isn't exhausting herself. So thanks for posting that Lauren.

I will try to post a clip of Nath, this is not a drum solo, but it will give you a chance to see how he dances and uses accents. (Hope it works...not sure how to do this)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHmop-GUDIY]YouTube - Nath Keo Vancouver 2004[/ame]

Originally Posted by Michelle75

I'm not real sure why I dislike them. I mean, I won't go out of my way not to watch a dancer who is doing a drum solo but they DON'T appeal to me on the same level as a baladi dance. I suppose detest was a strong word. I just am not impressed with drum solos as much as a full routine. TO ME, they are kinda empty. Does that make since?
I can watch a drum solo and feel like, WOW, she's super, but still want to see more than a drum solo. It's like almost reaching an orgasm and than stopping.

..l;, OK, that makes sense. I was just curious.

Was that a tom jones moment at the end of the nath clip? Where someone throws something on to the stage ? I do hope not.

It was a rose

Just dropping in to ask a question:

How did you learn drum-solo? Were you self-taught or did you get intensive training from an instructor?

I was self taught in the sense that my teacher at the time did not teach any drum solo choreographies (or any choreography, for that matter). But she would play them in class and we would try to improv to them as best as possible.

I would say I learned by watching a *lot* of drum solo performances, both live and on video, and I also picked up Jillina's drum solo instructional. I took some workshops on the topic early on too (I remember Jim Boz's made a particular impact). But all of my drum solos have been self-choreographed since the beginning.

I started out a lot like Laura, self taught in the beginning.

Then with some training with Rachel and Suhaila I've come into a form of visualizing which movements go with certain drum patterns. Especially use this technique of visualization if it is a taped drum solo that I can choreograph.

Live drum solo is a lot different for me. I have some success with some drummers than with others. A lot depends on if I can feel their flow and correctly guess where they are going, but if they are all over the board going in every direction then it becomes difficult and I just have to slow down and decide if i'm going to follow their lead or do my own thing.

I've seen a lot of experienced dancers not follow the drummers lead when they get in that situation. On occasion just stop dancing and look at the drummer with I'm not doing that attitude in a joking way to make humor out of it. everyone gets a big laugh. The drummer then comes back to earth and they start again and end up with a great show.....

Really it all come down to practicing. I have Cds with nothing but drum solos on it and I play them and just do the best I can.

Also something Suhaila taught me in a workshop is to talk to your drummer before the show. Let them know what kind of drum solo you would like. You can request a drum solo be based off a certain rhythm. I've done this a few times and asked for one to be based off a slowly played Masmoudi saghir (beledi). I also have asked just for a dumbek solo with no back-up drummers playing.

Drummers respect dancers who know what they want and are willing to accommodate them.

It's also amazing when you get a very highly skilled drummer who is able to follow you.

Originally Posted by smuse33

I love drum solos. I can't wait until I am good enough to be able to pull one off.

How long did it take you to learn drum solos? How long had you been dancing before you decided you were ready for drum solos?

Actually it's the first thing I solo'ed to. I just felt like I understood the drum more than I understood some of the other Arabic music, in the beginning. As Lauren said, it was just one instrument to pay attention to. I felt like the drum made the dance interesting as long as you followed it.

It took me much longer to be brave enough to dance to a non-drum solo!

Originally Posted by AngelaDiCaprio

Also something Suhaila taught me in a workshop is to talk to your drummer before the show. Let them know what kind of drum solo you would like. You can request a drum solo be based off a certain rhythm. I've done this a few times and asked for one to be based off a slowly played Masmoudi saghir (beledi). I also have asked just for a dumbek solo with no back-up drummers playing.

not to be too technical, but wouldn't a slow masmoudi saghir be a masmoudi kabir?

Originally Posted by bellydancewear

The best example of this I have ever seen was Nath Keo at the Belly dance conference in Canada last year. Both Aida Nour and Tito were sitting in the front row and completely mesmerized by his dance, and complimented him on it later. He did some interesting accents with his hands that I have never seen before. He is an amazing dancer. Too bad Yasmina is not selling a video of the event, there was some amazing dancing there.

I'm a HUGE Nath Keo fan. His dancing is so beautiful.

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

It's also amazing when you get a very highly skilled drummer who is able to follow you.

I view it the other way around: being able to follow what the drummer is playing takes some skizzle.

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

not to be too technical, but wouldn't a slow masmoudi saghir be a masmoudi kabir?

That is a good question. I guess it would depend on how you looked at it.

Masmoudi saghir is 4/4
Masmoudi Kabir is 8/4

When I ask them to play slow, I'm asking them to slow down the tempo of the music not the structure.

Dums fall differently between the 4/4 8/4. If I were to ask them to slow down on the tempo Masmoudi Kabir what then does it become? I do not think it changes.

You can change tempo with out changing structure of the ryhthm...