Thread: More zar performances?

I enjoyed Serpentine's zar documentary on you tube! Thanks! Then I was wondering, where can I see more good zar performances, "traditional" or stage interpretations? I found a few more performances on youtube but I want more!

Baseena

Not a performance, but footage of an actual Zar ceremony on Aisha Ali's 'Dances of Egypt' It's rather brief, but very 'real.' No stylized head twirling like we see onstage! There's not enough of it to buy the video just for that, but the video is brilliant anyway.

Check out this one by Sa'diyya. Its a fantastic fusion piece with zar. It won the 2005 Bellydancer of the Universe fusion category...

http://www.sadiyyadance.com/gallery.htm#Seminars
The videos are towards the bottom of the page...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5un_HclhXg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2ObYVibWD8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuVObuRn7Wc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxgnAga3r8g

and then here, at the min 5, after the turkish drop starts the zar, see the min 4.20 when she sees men at the back r talking she goes and join them and tell em off or sth haha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toeEe_SNR5k

and Sarat, Maiada's sister, this woman was the one that made Saida wanted to be a belly dancer, she saw her when she was 18, at a cousin's wedding, and started studying belly dance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alJXT29hUYc is not zar but you can see the head shaking alike

I'm doing one in August for a benefit for Jane Doe Inc., a non-profit that helps battered women rebuild their lives--I'll let you know if there's any footage

The weirdest zar Ive seen is from one of those Lebanese Festivals. The dancers name was "millions". She started by pretending to stab herself in the stomach over and over and then did the head twirling. Her eyes looked like she was possesed. It went on for ages.

Originally Posted by perizaad

Check out this one by Sa'diyya. Its a fantastic fusion piece with zar. It won the 2005 Bellydancer of the Universe fusion category...

http://www.sadiyyadance.com/gallery.htm#Seminars
The videos are towards the bottom of the page...

OMG That is so awesome! Does anyone know that music?
R

Originally Posted by vron

OMG That is so awesome! Does anyone know that music?
R

At the beginning of the clip, it says "Music by Raja and Sheila Chandra", don't know if that helps. She's on Bhuz though, if you wanna ask her.

Thanks for posting my video Perizad! ,r:;
Vron, the first slow song is called Ocean by Cheila Chandra and the faster song is called Zaghareet by Raja.
Glad you liked it!

Originally Posted by SadiyyaBintSaid

Thanks for posting my video Perizad! ,r:;

Cheers! I remembered seeing it that year at Yaa Halla, thought about it immediately when I saw this thread...

Zar is one of my specialties but I don't do it on stage or mix it with Orientale dance. Stage representations of Zar are dancers going through the motions of trance but keeping it light and not pursuing it to the level its designed to go to and so there are a lot of things you won't see in a staged Zar that happen at a real one. If you want to see some nice light Zar style trance work in a stage setting, the best I've seen is Delilah's "Live and Wild" video. Are you looking for staged Zar or real Zar? I recently did an video interview that should be going up online within the month that has some excellent trance footage. If thats what your after then I can keep you posted.

Yours,
Genisis

Genisis,

Please keep us posted on your zar video! I would love to see some serious zar.

Baseena

Quick plug for a friend's event:

In October, Simone's Seventh Veil will be bringing Amel Tafsout and Nourhan Sharif for a weekend workshop. Nourhanne will be teaching Orientale technique, Amel (who is Algerian, IIRC, a dance anthropologist, and a bit of an expert on spirituality in dance) will lead a Zar ceremony for us.

So if you want to experience the Real Thing, come to St. Louis in October!
http://www.simonesveil.com/fall07workshop.html

As a quick note/plug I also have a book on trance that should be released some time this year. Its a series of three, the second one focuses more on Zar structure but you won't be able to follow it unless you've gone through the first one. It's just such an in depth subject. If you happen to have any questions about it I would be happy to answer them.

Yours,
Genisis

Originally Posted by Genisis

As a quick note/plug I also have a book on trance that should be released some time this year. Its a series of three, the second one focuses more on Zar structure but you won't be able to follow it unless you've gone through the first one. It's just such an in depth subject. If you happen to have any questions about it I would be happy to answer them.

Yours,
Genisis

Please let us know when it's released! ..g.:

Genisis...I've got a question...l'll preface it by saying I know that what I was seeing wasn't the 'real deal' but...I remember at one of the first Ahlan wa Sahlan festivals I went to Raqia organised a 'Zar' evening. I got there a little late after it had all swung into action.

The musicians were all dressed in white and there was a strange configuration in the middle of the dance floor of chairs atop a table (can't remember exactly...have to dig out the photo and video) and the table/chair configuration was covered with white cloth - what was the significance of that structure do you think? I assume the men were dressed in white to signify 'purity'? the music has a distinctive beat but are the lyrics ritual/prescribed prayers?

The white is the color of the "bride" or arusa. The chair on the table was probably meant to be the alter where they leave offerings for the zar spirits. The lyrics of each song are addressed to an individual zar spirit. I explain the ritual fully in the 36 page booklet that comes with my zar CD.

Bul,
Serpentine got to it first so... what she said. ;-)
I will add a little bit to the music and white clothing questions though. The chants used in an exorcism ritual are refered to as "threads" and each one belongs to a different spirit. When a person "has a spirit" (a possessing spirit) they begin dancing when their spirit's thread is sung.

The white coloring for the dancers is to signify their marital relationship to their spirits. In the musicians its designed to render them neutral and spiritually uninteresting. Certain colors and objects are attractive to spirits so the idea is to not attract them.

Zar is an Ecstatic ritual. In a stage setting a dancer goes through an artistic rendition using similar movements but holding back from actually trancing. Some people trance using Zar music but this does not make a "Zar Ritual." The thing you need to remember is that an ecstatic dance involves "spirits" and not just altered states.

Hope that Helps,
~*Genisis*~

Absolutely. And a blood sacrifice. You musn't forget the zar spirits' attraction to blood. Which is why most westerners shy away from participating in a real zar ceremony. There is a sacrifice of an animal and the blood is "painted" on the arusa. That is why the spirits are drawn to women - for the blood.

I bet you really didn't want to know that...

Well put Genisis.

*chuckles* You know I don't see that going over well at a workshop... but you never know with how the tribal stuff is going these days. ;-)

Is Zar your only love Serpentine or do you have others? Nice to "meet you."

~*Genisis*~

Originally Posted by Genisis

*chuckles* You know I don't see that going over well at a workshop... but you never know with how the tribal stuff is going these days. ;-)

Amel Tafsout is coming to St Louis to do a Zar workshop this fall, and honestly, I can't see the people here being to shocked at least at the description of blood and animal sacrifice. Obviously, actually killing an animal on the spot wouldn't be ok, but talking about it wouldn't really shock anyone.

Originally Posted by antimony

Amel Tafsout is coming to St Louis to do a Zar workshop this fall, and honestly, I can't see the people here being to shocked at least at the description of blood and animal sacrifice. Obviously, actually killing an animal on the spot wouldn't be ok, but talking about it wouldn't really shock anyone.

Blood is spilt (during a real ceremony) to seal a contract between the unwitting human and her possessing intruder - a blood pact. But Zar spirits love blood for many reasons. They are red and are attracted to the odor and the iron. That's one of the many reasons humans use incense and perfume during the ceremony - to throw the spirits off. Once a spirit gets a human to supply all the crazy things it wants (like forbidden cigarettes and alcohol) it returns the favor by not hurting the host any more. A real zar ceremony first discovers who is doing the possessing and then what are the terms and conditions to cease and desist. Can't do a workshop about the zar unless you talk about the blood. I'd warn your fellow participants before you invite any spirits out to party. They may walk away from the experience with more than they bargained for

"Can't do a workshop about the zar unless you talk about the blood. I'd warn your fellow participants before you invite any spirits out to party. They may walk away from the experience with more than they bargained for."

What we're talking about here is taking a spiritul dance ritual and turning it into a performance art because it comes from the same area. Or utilizing a good trance rhythm like the Ayub to release some tension through altered states. Is there a real interest in performing possession rituals in the States? Or are we just curious about them from an objective stand point? Maybe those who have an interest in Zar should ask themselves why they find it so fascinating and what do they want with it? I think that there is a real nobility in at least being interested in the subject enough to see how it is actually done. And there is also a beautiful evocative quality in the brushed up stage version. I applaud those who give it a shot. Those countries who don't have any kind of trance culture may benefit from importing one to deal with important spiritual issues that may arise that they would otherwise have no way of dealing with. And we are dancers... it is just the nature of dance itself that most people will eventually become curious about the altered state aspect of dance. We move so much that it's just an inevitable conclusion. So bless you for your curiosities, my applause for those who make it look beautiful on stage, Huzah to everybody who seeks to educate themselves further on the ritual of Zar, and my respect to those who perform those rituals themselves.

~*Genisis*~

Originally Posted by Genisis

" ... utilizing a good trance rhythm like the Ayub to release some tension through altered states. ... Those countries who don't have any kind of trance culture may benefit from importing one to deal with important spiritual issues that may arise that they would otherwise have no way of dealing with. And we are dancers... it is just the nature of dance itself that most people will eventually become curious about the altered state aspect of dance.

There was great interest in the 1980s in TTT, which took the therapeutic aspects of traditional trance dancing and codified it for cultures that did not have, as you so well put, trance cultures. Unfortunately the movement died out but there are still some references to it in the literature of how helpful it was for some to relieve stress induced illnesses. When I teach workshops on the zar (which is why I made the 30 min version of the clip on youtube) I actually walk (or dance) the participants through the techniques for going into trance. It's amazing how fast time flies when you are visiting a different plane of existence.

I totally agree with you Genisis - those curious enough to learn about other cultures and the way they deal with stress and mental illness through dance are wonderful open-minded people and are to be commended. It is amazing the things you can learn from unlikely sources. Rewards come to those who seek.

Originally Posted by Genisis

So bless you for your curiosities, my applause for those who make it look beautiful on stage, Huzah to everybody who seeks to educate themselves further on the ritual of Zar, and my respect to those who perform those rituals themselves.

~*Genisis*~

Thanks for saying that--as a former anthropologist myself, I took learning about zar very seriously when I first considered dancing a staged version of one. And I'm picky about where I perform it, I wouldn't just throw down a zar at any old nightclub performance. I'll only perform it where there is some opportunity to talk about it before or afterwards. I'm not a religious person myself but I still don't think spirits or people's beliefs about them are anything to take lightly. So sometimes I do question whether it's appropriate for me to be performing this at all, but I do so for two reasons. One is that it provides an opportunity to do some educating of an audience who probably have never heard of it before, or if they have, think it's an exorcism. The other--well, I have to admit that I do get some benefit from it. Don't know exactly what or why, but I feel it. When I first started dancing zar movements, I was losing a pet to lymphoma and there was no doubt that the dance was cathartic for me. The anthropologist in me has all kinds of explanations of how the physical movements lead to mental euphoria. The dreamer in me wonders if I'm making peace with my own spirits in my own way.

Badriya

"The other--well, I have to admit that I do get some benefit from it. Don't know exactly what or why, but I feel it. When I first started dancing zar movements, I was losing a pet to lymphoma and there was no doubt that the dance was cathartic for me. The anthropologist in me has all kinds of explanations of how the physical movements lead to mental euphoria. The dreamer in me wonders if I'm making peace with my own spirits in my own way."

There is nothing wrong with understanding the mechanics of trance, it actually helps you perform your staged "Zar" dances. For instance... one of the ways trance effects are achieved is by distorting the bodies equilibrium. Wild hair tossing dances as well as simply rocking back and forth will produce those effects nearly every time. Anyone can benefit from transcendental dance, it's designed to be communal and theraputic. Zar itself is not merely a trance dancing ritual, it is an ecstatic ritual and there is a very distinct difference. Those differences are divided into the purpose of the ritual. Basic trance can be done to any type of altered state producing music including the Ayub, the Malfoof and the Zeffa. It is not the rhythm that distinguishes a trance dance from an estatic dance therefore it is acceptable and safe (within stage protocol) for a dancer to perform the movements that lead to an altered state along side a traditional rhythm. It is even possible to do it in such a way that you do not "trance" while doing it.

It breaks down like this... Transcendental dance is an umbrella term for three different types of altered state ritual dances. Those are: Ecstatic, Magia and Social. Ecstatic dance is any type of dance that involves some kind of external spiritual contact. At most a staged "Zar" performance, if the dancer actually descended into a trance, would not actually be an ecstatic dance. It would simply be a basic trance dance because the other elements of the ritual would not be present.

We performers of Orientale dance forms who adopt some of the folk dances and rituals from the same regions indulge in a little fantasy that bring a tiny piece of a much bigger picture to our audiences. Treating it with respect actually increases its potential effectiveness not just for your audiences but for the dancers who perform it as well. The only thing that I would absolutely not advise is performing a stage "Zar" utilizing the actual chants. Not because it would have a mystical power over the dancer but rather because you never know who is in the audience. (A possessed woman who may start head bobbing because a silly performer wanted to be as "authentic" as possible.)

Keep it light, have a good time with it. Be respectful and you can't go wrong.

Yours in the Dance,
~*Genisis*~

I'm loving this discussion, ladies, i can't wait for the book to come out, please continue!

Originally Posted by kina

I'm loving this discussion, ladies, i can't wait for the book to come out, please continue!

Hahaha and here I was thinking that it had run it's course. Everybody else was so quiet! I'm pretty much done unless somebody has another question or a nifty workshop link...something along those lines.

Yours,
~*Genisis*~

I think that this subject is indeed so mysterious that most of us are a little intimidated in the dialogue.

I've been fascinated with zaar since I first heard about it, but haven't had much contact with anyone who has really made a study of it.

Do you have any idea how the practitioners are trained? Is it, indeed, a religious act?

I understand that the purpose of the ritual is to make an accomodation between the possessor and possessee, but is it then expected that as long as the possessee remains possessed, s/he must periodically perform/have the ritual performed to come back into accordance with this?

Aren't the roots of this pre-islamic? If so, is it sanctioned by Islam? Are the practitioners?

Originally Posted by kina

I think that this subject is indeed so mysterious that most of us are a little intimidated in the dialogue.

I've been fascinated with zaar since I first heard about it, but haven't had much contact with anyone who has really made a study of it.

Do you have any idea how the practitioners are trained? Is it, indeed, a religious act?

I understand that the purpose of the ritual is to make an accomodation between the possessor and possessee, but is it then expected that as long as the possessee remains possessed, s/he must periodically perform/have the ritual performed to come back into accordance with this?

Aren't the roots of this pre-islamic? If so, is it sanctioned by Islam? Are the practitioners?

Ooooh now you're getting into the really good questions. ;-)
Zar is predominantly a women's practice. This is because of that relationship between women and blood. Women are more primal, more connected to life, more terrestrial, they bleed regularly and so are prone to "illnesses of the blood." Men may play music at a Zar but it is rare and considered effeminate for a man to lead one or dance in one. The ritual is led by a woman who herself must be possessed by the King/Queen of the Red Winds (Zayran). That is not her only qualification however. She must also have a female relative who is also possessed by the King/Queen of the Red Winds (It varies depending on location). Before a woman can lead Zar rituals she must first become proficient in all the Zar chants (threads) and establish herself as a dominant force in the spirit world.

Zar is not a religious ritual. It is a spiritual endeavor, certainly, but it is not a sanctioned practice in Islam and is not looked very highly upon. It does not conflict with Islamic doctrine however and so it is fairly tollerated. (In some regions more than others.)

Once a woman becomes possessed it is a life long affliction except on very very rare and unfortunate occasions. There are only certain types of possession that can be cured with exorcism, those are Manic possessions (spirits of the dead) and possessions by the Black Winds. You will not hear much about Black Winds if all you study is Zar because they are not dealt with at all in Zar ceremony. Clerics deal with them and that becomes a religious matter. Once a woman's possession is confirmed a cerremony is held to appease the union of the Zar Spirit and the "Bride." This is a life long partnership and is very taxing on the woman and her family. The possessed woman will suffer "possession illness," which is more than just depression, periodically for the rest of her life whenever her Spirit is displeased with her.

Zar does indeed predate Islam but it is not the remnants of an Isian Cult like I have seen some dancers hypothesize. Zar is a part of a much wider family of possession cults that spans the Mediterranean. Many of these practices still exist today but are dying out in a major way since the 1970's. Even before Islam the predicessor of the Zar had nothing to do with Gods. It involved the same spirits that it does today however the desires of the Spirits change with the times. At one time the ritual was likely considerably more bloody than it is today. Today Zar spirits desire some of the strangest things you could imagine, things you would likely take for granted. The possessed women do drink blood, consume volumes of candy and liquor and dance in the latest Nike Shoes depending on the seemingly absurd requests of their Zar.

The process of determining if a woman is possessed is quite lengthy and at some point involves speaking to an Islamic Cleric. If he can't rid her of the problem he will likely send her onto a reputable woman who does Zar (Shayka/Kodia/etc) work. This is as close to Islamic sanction as it gets. There's nothing official on it.

How lucky that I joined this group in time for this discussion!

Yours in the Dance,
~*Genisis*~