Thread: Khaleeji sword dance by Yasmina

Although most belly dancers are more familiar with the typical sword dance done by American dancers, there are actual sword dances done in the Arab World. One sword dance done in the Gulf is called "Al Ardha". Here is Yasmina, a dancer from the DC area doing her version of this dance for stage. I love it!!!

Let me know what you think :) It's way more exciting than the made up stuff in my opinion :)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M6ojzbkjoI]YouTube - Yasmina sword dance[/ame]

Thanks for posting this, Mark! I've heard good things about Yasmina, but have never had a chance to see her perform.

Oh, cool! Thanks very much, Mark. Yasmina did sword in a show here recently and I was really disappointed to have to miss it because of a costume change.

(Hope you're well and happy and dancing up a storm wherever you are. ..g.:)

This is great! Thanks for sharing!!

cool!

Great clip!:-D One of those youtube clips that really make you wish you had been in the audience that day!

Nice! I've never heard of Al Ardha before. Thanks, for posting this Mark!

Very entertaining! She's certainly taking liberties with the Ardha; I would call this khaleegy fusion. But wow, she sure can handle a sword!

Originally Posted by bintbeled

Very entertaining! She's certainly taking liberties with the Ardha; I would call this khaleegy fusion. But wow, she sure can handle a sword!

Well, the music is Khaleeji at least. I didn't notice a lot of what I would consider Khaleeji footwork.

Disclaimer: I also thought the routine was very enjoyable and that the dancer was obviously well trained and talented.

But, I don't know -- I guess other than the music, the forward to back rather than side to side balancing and not balancing the sword on her hip or chest, I just didn't see too much difference in this clip from other "made-up" sword dances I've seen. I also noticed that she closed her free hand over the supposedly sharp edge of the blade several times -- guess my "fantasy" instructors just ingrained too deeply in me that this ruins the illusion of the sword being a real weapon. And I've watched some clips of this traditionally male dance and don't remember seeing any floorwork . . . maybe I need to watch again.

Mark, can you give some insight as to why this routine is more authentic to you than others? Is it the costuming? The music? The swinging around of the sword?

(Kat runs away for another cup of coffee to improve her mood?).w.:

i liked the way she played with the sword, besides touching the "sharp" edge. I takes away from the illusion. i like the variety in balancing the sword on the head. all together it was really nice and flow well, not as dramarica as other sword dances, but it's not always about drama (even if the GP prefers drama)

Just for reference, here's a Qatari performance from 2006. It shows the men's version of the Ardha, which can be performed with swords, sticks, or rifles. You'll see some fancy handling of short swords, which are in their scabbards since the blades are very sharp.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxx9rQcBXn4&feature=related]YouTube - Arabic Music (Khaleeji from United Arab Emirates)[/ame]

I think from this you can see the original inspiration fpr Yasmina's performance, which appears to be fused with some nightclub sword moves like floorwork.

I don't want to take anything away from Yasmina's performance, which is really lovely and very entertaining. The Ardha is a folk dance that has to be adapted to be presented on stage.

Latifa

ETA: The video title says the performance is from the United Arab Emirates but the credits in Arabic say it's Qatar.

Originally Posted by kat

Well, the music is Khaleeji at least. I didn't notice a lot of what I would consider Khaleeji footwork.

Disclaimer: I also thought the routine was very enjoyable and that the dancer was obviously well trained and talented.

But, I don't know -- I guess other than the music, the forward to back rather than side to side balancing and not balancing the sword on her hip or chest, I just didn't see too much difference in this clip from other "made-up" sword dances I've seen. I also noticed that she closed her free hand over the supposedly sharp edge of the blade several times -- guess my "fantasy" instructors just ingrained too deeply in me that this ruins the illusion of the sword being a real weapon. And I've watched some clips of this traditionally male dance and don't remember seeing any floorwork . . . maybe I need to watch again.

Mark, can you give some insight as to why this routine is more authentic to you than others? Is it the costuming? The music? The swinging around of the sword?

(Kat runs away for another cup of coffee to improve her mood?).w.:

Hey Kat,

I spoke to Yasmina before about her Khaleeji sword routine and she told me about the routine. Hopefully, I'm not misquoting her! I'm certainly not an expert but I've seen it done before...

Yasmina said she took Al Ardha and made it a solo stage performance. This dance is a group dance involving men shoulder to shoulder holding swords (or canes and guns as it's done in UAE and Oman...not sure if it's called the same thing though) and the men sing verses along with a drum beat. There's a guy in front of the line showing off by twirling his sword...(or gun or cane). There is a lot of variation between regions, so each rendition will be different.

This dance is very repetitive so it can get quite boring, like real ra's khaleeji! Both dances were not designed for stage but more for family gatherings and parties.

Yasmina speaks fluent Khaleeji Arabic so she combined some of the traditional movements including Bedouin influences (Bedouin women do dance with swords) as well as other influences and making sure the movements made sense with the lyrics of the song. She isn't just planting movements on top of the song with no rhyme or reason. I believe she originally choreographed this dance at the request of the Kuwaiti embassy and collaborated with them to get it just right. So she didn't just "create" this dance in a vacuum.

The costuming is authentic embroidery from Saudi Arabia (not made in India)...if you look carefully there's the Saudi crest on the thobe.

I have seen her perform it several times and everyone loves it especially the Khaleejis. It "feels" authentic because she's achieved the right "accent" to perform it. More often than not, I've seen poorly done Khaleeji dance done by westerners because they didn't have the right feeling for it.

Hope that helps!

I LOVE it when knowledgeable Bhuzzers hash out these issues online. I learn SO much from these threads! Thank you Mark for starting this thread, and Kat and Latifa for opening up discussion. (and Yasmina for crafting the dance)

Please continue.

*sits at feet of Great and Knowledgeable Bhuzzers*

Thanks, Mark -- that answers my questions nicely!

For a piece of theatre it's essential at times to move along from what is totally authentic as many folkloric dances in particular are more about participation than spectacle. Groups of dances can get away with stayer closer to the authentic but a solo dancer presenting a piece like this is going to embellish it for entertainment value. Nothing wrong with that BUT it is important to not misrepresent the piece.
A newcomer to Arabic dance might have gone away thinking this was "pure" and authentic now we find out that the dancer quite rightly put a theatrical take on a traditional dance. Glad that was cleared up and yes it was enjoyable so I'm glad it was shown to us.

A newcomer to Arabic dance might have gone away thinking this was "pure" and authentic now we find out that the dancer quite rightly put a theatrical take on a traditional dance.

In my meanderings it would seem that the "classic" Golden Era style was started in just such a way - theatricalized folk dance - and now the trend seems to be an attempt to codify it as though it were an anthropological study of a pure folk dance.

Yasmina's dance is wonderful and well informed. I wish all fusion efforts could be so well grounded. All of it taken from the same aquifer whose water seeps into the local springs. The effect is natural and pleasing to the eye, ear and the soul. Thank you Mark, and keep 'em coming!

Like Mark has said, too, Yasmina has never claimed her sword dancing to be authentic khaliji dance. She definitely draws on khaliji influences from her fantabulous dance and cultural education, and her Gulf fans love her performances. I love how she gives the sword dance a real context; an example of successful fusion, in my opinion!

It's really funny, though: an ambassador's wife advertised the dance to her party guests as an "authentic Kuwaiti women's sword dance" on multiple occasions. Yasmina never claimed it to be authentic anything! When will the world understand her?

What I love about this clip, aside from the obvious (clear, beautiful technique from a very good dancer), is the way she handles the sword. I'm a former Aikido student and the daughter of an Aikido instructor, and I like to see a sword handled seriously, as a martial object. A sword is not a toy, even a blunt theatrical sword. In the dojo we never picked one up without bowing to it (even the wooden ones), honoring its power, and, I'm guessing, its destructive potential. So I appreciate the way she treats it. I hope to see her live someday.

- Leela

Originally Posted by flimflamgirl

I hope to see her live someday.
- Leela

Yasmina is always a treat to watch. ..g.: