Thread: Dance Code spinoff: the YouTubes

Okay, I went through and made footnotes all through this video and then my friggin video software crashed without saving grrrrr and my hip hurts from sitting too much so I'm posting a few little tidbits here and will come back with more details later.

I'm well aware it was not my finest night - nor was it the band's - and yes, my upper back was in a lot of pain (pre-chiropractor!) and this vid will most likely only stay up long enough to get the point across. But look at my "default" moves versus Lucy's. (If you already default up and are striving for nice Egyptian style, good for you!)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjiJ7uURJ6Q]YouTube - Nasila's Alf[/ame]

1:24, 2:09, 2:20 I instinctively start down and then correct it

4:10 rhythm changes, big dums, downs okay but then watch my chest and count...this is good, until about 4:35 and oh no!! everything's going down, chest starts dropping

5:35 there's that damn move again


NOW, watch Lucy, born to generation after generation of Egyptian Awalem women.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWHhnW4hppM]YouTube - Lucy - Belly dance[/ame]

Yes, she has accents down on big dums in the beginning, when the music calls for it and at major rhythm changes. But when there are no heavy accents, check out her default...

Particularly at 1:28, 2:20, 3:17, 3:50 there it is again.

Anything?

And while you're at it, watch Diana again. She's not Egyptian but been living there for many years and is promoted by Egyptians as a fine Egyptian choreographer. Why?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrQ6NAEvREU]YouTube - Diana Tarkhan[/ame]

oh and here (and I think she's wearing Melodias!! awww, how cute!)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj3P5pa_amw]YouTube - Diana Tarkhan workshop in Amana Studio Paris - March 2008[/ame]

Oh and I've decided I look like a big gray seal in that costume so I think it's gonna be put up for grabs if Tahira doesn't want it. I put a lot of $$ into it, had a headband made and added crystals. Someone else may have dibs...gotta check the original thread.

Man, that camerawork on the Lucy clip is irritating! You hardly get to see the dancer!

Anyway. I somehow missed the point. It's something about that walk. And then?
Please explain.

MEISSOUN

Nasila--I like your interpretation of Alf Leyla better than Lucy's. I don't care if her default is "up" moves or down moves. It doesn't matter.

And you do NOT look like a seal. Silly.

Originally Posted by meissoun

Man, that camerawork on the Lucy clip is irritating! You hardly get to see the dancer!

Anyway. I somehow missed the point. It's something about that walk. And then?
Please explain.

did you read Sausan's article? and you are counting (to 4, full time) to see what's being done on the first beat? it's still not obvious? good grief! did I embarrass myself for nothing??

btw, that's a cameo of Zahra turning off the fan right at the beginning.

Originally Posted by nasila

oh and here (and I think she's wearing Melodias!! awww, how cute!)

No, shes not wearing Melodias, just a scarf top of pants. I love Diana's choreographies. I think it's simplicity that makes it work. We all too often run around on stage like frantic bees and the likes of Lucy are at ease with the music. IMO.

Originally Posted by Meredith

....the up hips (yours) vs the down hips (Lucy's) on the dooms that were not heavily accented?

uh, I was trying to show the opposite.

jasani you're right, it's just a hipscarf. for some reason it tickled me to think Diana was wearing them. I've seen ZZ wear them!

Okay, I'm not crazy...I read Meredith's post and went, "I thought Americans go down and Egyptians go up..."

I saw what you were saying and I just think this "up" "down" thing is much ado about nothing. I like your dancing Nasila--if it's good up/down is irrelevant.

I hope these videos will still be up later, can't watch them all right now (too many interuptions).
I loved National Geographics story on belly dance, it featured Lucy (first time I ever saw or heard of her).

PS,
I like your dancing also Nasila, and you looked great in the grey dress!
(Not sure I liked the veil color with it, hard to see on this laptop)
:-)

Nasila, your 'default' is a backstep (the hips naturally go down on the first step), Lucy's is an Egyptian walk with the hip accent on the first beat (westerners tend to step first, arabs/egyptians tend to hip first). They're both fine interpretations of the music, from what I can see, just different.

can you find me a clip with an Egyptian doing a backstep?

And there really is a lot of gold in that costume! I "lost" the sliver and gold veil that I'd bought to go with it (and a OOAK Moroccan caftan!) at RaqsLA, and Old Betsy was the only option left at the time.

It IS much ado about nothing. The only person that I know who dances golden era style, and who honestly DOES look like a golden era dancer...does nothing of the sort.
There's much more to "egytptian-ness" than counting beats, I'm afraid.

Regards
Priscilla

Originally Posted by mish_mish

Okay, I'm not crazy...I read Meredith's post and went, "I thought Americans go down and Egyptians go up..."

I saw what you were saying and I just think this "up" "down" thing is much ado about nothing. I like your dancing Nasila--if it's good up/down is irrelevant.

Originally Posted by jessedan

There's much more to "egytptian-ness" than counting beats, I'm afraid.

Agreed...this just skims the surface!

Originally Posted by nasila

can you find me a clip with an Egyptian doing a backstep?

Soheir Zeki here, does a variation on it - in the ultra-subtle Egyptian style - at 1:11. We tend to do it bigger, but I've seen Amani, I think, do backsteps in a way we are more familiar with. (Looking for video documentation)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH4q8gYlYEI&feature=related]YouTube - Soheir Zaki[/ame]

and how much more down on the one downbeat can you get than in the same video at 2:44?

I think that there's something else going on in the code than what has been described so far.

Call me crazy..but I thought you were stunning in the costume...but then..I loved the costume!!

(westerners tend to step first, arabs/egyptians tend to hip first)

A clue!!! Clean and sweet!!! Thanks!

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

... I've seen Amani, I think, do backsteps in a way we are more familiar with. (Looking for video documentation)

Correct me if I'm wrong because I'm not a big fan of Amani... isn't she a Lebanese style dancer?

yes Tex! A perfect example....watch Soheir do her backstep at 1:11. Her chest is lifting!! Watch me...it's sinking.

The hagalla step 2:44 falls at a rhythm change and she's accenting the big doum.

There you are Anala!

Originally Posted by anala

(westerners tend to step first, arabs/egyptians tend to hip first)

Yes, but much more to it than this... when westerners step first our weight is often low in preparation for whatever's next. Egyptians really don't do this!

Here's Yousra Hanem (who I don't really care for much) but she does a backstep right off the bat in this vid.

Again, it's smaller than we do it:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LPcm4S_GKk&feature=related]YouTube - Yousra Hanem Belly Dance Lebanese[/ame]

Originally Posted by anala

(westerners tend to step first, arabs/egyptians tend to hip first)

A clue!!! Clean and sweet!!! Thanks!

BUT not a hard and fast rule. Here's Naima Akef, stepping first in an egyptian walk sequence at 3:09

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwQjiSdaYJY]YouTube - Naima Akef Egyptian BellyDancer[/ame]

Originally Posted by nasila

yes Tex! A perfect example....watch Soheir do her backstep at 1:11. Her chest is lifting!! Watch me...it's sinking.

She's doing slight lifts of the chest as she steps, or as her hip drops? I can't seem to follow that quite yet.

Originally Posted by jasani

She's doing slight lifts of the chest as she steps, or as her hip drops? I can't seem to follow that quite yet.

On the one. I don't have time to watch these now - gotta run - but I will later on. Is Yousra Egyptian?

Nasila,

Lucy's up hips on the DUM are an exception, not the rule. The Egyptian dancers usually drop on the downbeat when doing unweighted hip drops.

Sedonia

Originally Posted by nasila

On the one. I don't have time to watch these now - gotta run - but I will later on. Is Yousra Egyptian?

No, both Yousra and Amani are Lebanese. However, I was trying to illustrate that the backstep isn't wrong, or non-native, but that we Americans may have picked up a more pan-Arab way of dancing, incorporating Lebanese and other interpretations in our style. I'm going to have to do some research to find out if any Egyptians have incorporated the backstep.

Originally Posted by mish_mish

Nasila--I like your interpretation of Alf Leyla better than Lucy's. I don't care if her default is "up" moves or down moves. It doesn't matter.

And you do NOT look like a seal. Silly.

Ditto to both sentiments. Nasila, up beat, down beat, feh! You look like you are passionate about your dance in that clip.

Well, if it's dancing we're talking about, then why the comment about Diana and her Melodias/not-Melodias? A lot of people wear 'em. I get a bit frustrated when I hear others getting frustrated (um...huh?) about our lack of 'Egyptian-ness'. I went to a chinese restaurant the other day and got the best chinese food in my life. I had a peek in the kitchen as I went out, and the chef was none other than...someone named Gonzales. He wasn't Chinese but made something so fantastic I didn't care if it was authentico or not. Inspiration is great, but there are so many differences that we can never look like anything but American dancers... and that my dears is just Fine. Really.