Thread: American Greek Style Cabaret/Vintage Oriental video

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywqSRPv4MCg]YouTube - Aida best belly dancer ever[/ame]

This is about the best example I could ever find. On previous posts I've tried to describe the music and style of dancing that prevailed in the Greek nightclubs in Detroit.

This dancer is Aida Al-Awadi a protegee of Jamila Salimpour and a member of Bal Anat. Aida and I worked at this Greek Supper Club -Mykonos- together in the mid to late 80's.

She is simply fabulous. She did wear the more "Tribal' look. The rest of us were into the glitz and sequins.

Her backbend and zilling are exquisit. I have to admit that.

Hey, isn't she in the Vintage Jamila vid Ravena just posted?

Originally Posted by mieldance

Hey, isn't she in the Vintage Jamila vid Ravena just posted?

Yup. She's the soloist at the end of the clip.

Thank you for posting this!

Originally Posted by emma-bessa

Thank you for posting this!

I'll give credit where credit is due. Tammrahennatx found it on youtube. I've been telling Aida forever to post it on youtube. Finally someone did!

Unfortunately I have no video from that era.

Yes! Thank you so much!

This style was very popular in Vancouver in the late 70's to mid eighties. Now I know why my mom practiced so much!! Holy cow! I remember practicing the the sword spin then switching directions to make it go the other way, I wish I could do it now :) (Is it just me, or are the swords WAY heavier now?)

Really inspiring, Norma. I'm going to watch this every time I catch myself being a lazy ziller! *tehe*

Wow, nice Turkish drop. And backbends.

Wow! Now that's a real Turkish Drop!

Norma,
Do you know whether she did things like presentations for girl scout troops in the 80s? I grew up in Dearborn and she looks a lot like the dancer who gave a presentation to us at a Girl Scout day at ACCESS. Of course, I could just be superimposing her face on my memory of the dancer, but as soon as I saw her I thought that might be her.

Edited: Just found her web site and it says she works closely with ACCESS. I bet she was the one I saw so many years ago! Funny how seeing a face 20 years later will jog a memory.

Aida is so amazing! Shes really knowledgeable too.

Wow - love her!! Such amazing Zils, drops and smile!!! Thank you for sharing this. Very inspiring!!

This style was very popular in Vancouver in the late 70's to mid eighties
****** still popular, still taught, still performed in fresno ca.*****

Originally Posted by rachelw

Wow! Now that's a real Turkish Drop!

Norma,
Do you know whether she did things like presentations for girl scout troops in the 80s? I grew up in Dearborn and she looks a lot like the dancer who gave a presentation to us at a Girl Scout day at ACCESS. Of course, I could just be superimposing her face on my memory of the dancer, but as soon as I saw her I thought that might be her.

Edited: Just found her web site and it says she works closely with ACCESS. I bet she was the one I saw so many years ago! Funny how seeing a face 20 years later will jog a memory.

I was going to say, I know she did a lot with ACCESS.

I personally think we worked a lot harder in those days then dancers do now. We did shows like that 2-3 times a night, several days a week. No wonder I was thin back then!

I really enjoyed her dancing, and I especially admire her tight little barrel turns. Yummy!

Originally Posted by rachelw

Wow! Now that's a real Turkish Drop!

Norma,
Do you know whether she did things like presentations for girl scout troops in the 80s? I grew up in Dearborn and she looks a lot like the dancer who gave a presentation to us at a Girl Scout day at ACCESS. Of course, I could just be superimposing her face on my memory of the dancer, but as soon as I saw her I thought that might be her.

Edited: Just found her web site and it says she works closely with ACCESS. I bet she was the one I saw so many years ago! Funny how seeing a face 20 years later will jog a memory.

Hi! Hope you don't mind the hijack... Aida was in the Girl Scouts as a child/teenager and her parents were troupe leaders. I'll bet you my finest tassels that it was her you saw! GS is still very close to her heart and she does still do demos for them. Earlier this year a few girls and I performed at a demo she held for 100 or so girls scouts at the international institute downtown. It was sooooo wonderful! I screwed up like never before - still getting teased about that one - but the girls seemed to really love it. We were like rock stars after - they all wanted to touch our costumes and have their photos taken with us. Just too cool....

Originally Posted by dunyah

Yup. She's the soloist at the end of the clip.

She is also the one doing the drop/teaching it about 1/3 in...

She is soooooooooooo amazing. And we do need to see more Greek bellydancing! :cr:

Originally Posted by bonnywhiteford

She is soooooooooooo amazing. And we do need to see more Greek bellydancing! :cr:

Check out Melina of the Daughters of Rhea. This clip reminded me of her, which isn't surprising: she grew up (at least partially) in Greece, and her mom studied with Jamila.

I love Rhea

This rambunctious, always-moving, lots-of-turning, floor-working, zill-playing stuff is what I grew up with! Part of what makes this style what it is, is the costuming: volumnous skirts and big veils.

It is sooooo rare to see this style these days! I don't dance this way anymore, either, although I try to give a nod to it once in awhile. Hmmmm . . . I'll have to consult with this recording over the next month or two; I've got a gig coming up where this might be just perfect!

Thank you-thank you-thank you for posting! :Abiggrin:

Deborah

Ah yea, thanks for posting this! Before she moved out of the San Francisco area, Aida taught the class I went to every week for four and a half years. She gave us a wonderful foundation in the dance along with a *LOT* of cultural information about the middle east and middle easterners.

Originally Posted by casbahdance

This rambunctious, always-moving, lots-of-turning, floor-working, zill-playing stuff is what I grew up with! Part of what makes this style what it is, is the costuming: volumnous skirts and big veils.

It is sooooo rare to see this style these days! I don't dance this way anymore, either, although I try to give a nod to it once in awhile. Hmmmm . . . I'll have to consult with this recording over the next month or two; I've got a gig coming up where this might be just perfect!

Thank you-thank you-thank you for posting! :Abiggrin:

Deborah

We don't see this style of dancing in Detroit anymore either. The last Greek nightclub closed in 1997. I retired in 2001 and I was the last dancer of that era. The dancers out now have never seen this type of show. No one wears full skirts anymore and veil work is token if at all. Only a couple play zills and do floorwork. Even in the Arabic clubs it's rare nowadays to do a full show with a full band. Sigh. So sad.

Originally Posted by jmdruadh

Check out Melina of the Daughters of Rhea. This clip reminded me of her, which isn't surprising: she grew up (at least partially) in Greece, and her mom studied with Jamila.

Thanks - I forgot about her. They are wonderful.

I love this clip. I was having problems with the sound on my computer but finally got to watch and listen to it. I must say that I don't think her style of dancing is Greek belly dancing as much as it is classic vintage Jamila-style, with Aida's masterful interpretation, of course. The veil on the head and wrapped around the body in a particular way, the headpiece, the fabulous zill-playing, floor-work, spins and turns were all signatures of Jamila's style. Aida was one of her star protegees.

The music is being played by a Greek-style band, at least an American version of a Greek band. The song is one that I always thought of as Turkish, which I guess happens a lot with Greek and Turkish music, as the countries are so close geographically and culturally, in spite of their mutual hostility. I know that song as "Shish Kabob."

I love the way she has the band finish the tune and she keeps going with just her zills for accompaniment. I'm going to use that!

Awesome clip, thanks for posting.

Here's Rhea dancing in Greece - I really loved this clip.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe3RT_vKTD8"]YouTube - Melina of Daughters of Rhea Belly Dances in Greece[/ame]

This is my favorite style as well, being Turkish and familiar with and in love with old Turkish style, another reason take me to Suhaila and Jamila workshops. I am now Level I certified (after 20+ years break) with Jamila Salimpour Format, going to Level II in March hopefully to complete the last step before I move on to my teaching certification.
I work in two/three Greek Restaurants regularly, I have the best times there, be able to my Turkish drops, floor work, veil work, finger cymbal playing to live music is awesome...I have few videos online and my site, but I need to upload my newest videos to be able to show the improvement on my dance technique.

Greek restaurants are fun even if you are not dancing! But I would rather be dancing

Originally Posted by bonnywhiteford

Greek restaurants are fun even if you are not dancing! But I would rather be dancing

<sigh>

I wish I were Greek.

<sigh>

Deborah
a American Swede who longs to be otherwise (well, in some ways)

Originally Posted by dunyah

I love this clip. I was having problems with the sound on my computer but finally got to watch and listen to it. I must say that I don't think her style of dancing is Greek belly dancing as much as it is classic vintage Jamila-style, with Aida's masterful interpretation, of course. The veil on the head and wrapped around the body in a particular way, the headpiece, the fabulous zill-playing, floor-work, spins and turns were all signatures of Jamila's style. Aida was one of her star protegees.

The music is being played by a Greek-style band, at least an American version of a Greek band. The song is one that I always thought of as Turkish, which I guess happens a lot with Greek and Turkish music, as the countries are so close geographically and culturally, in spite of their mutual hostility. I know that song as "Shish Kabob."

I love the way she has the band finish the tune and she keeps going with just her zills for accompaniment. I'm going to use that!

Awesome clip, thanks for posting.

No her style is not representative of "Greek Belly Dancing". But it is representative of the type of dancing that was done in the Greek night clubs which was a combination of Turkish/Arabic/American Caberet styles but to music played by Greek musicians. The music had a unique sound. Often they would use Turkish or Arabic songs, sometimes even Armenian, etc.

Dancers always did veil and floor work and always always played finger cymbals. Aida personal style was like Jamila's. But the rest of us that worked there typically wore the glizty bra and belt sets and full chiffon skirts with tons of sequins or shiny lame etc.

But the dancing was fast, involved a lot of spinning and cymbal playing, or in the alternative we danced very slow to a nice juicy chifitelli.

In Arabic clubs on the other hand, the music and the moves were more earthy and grounded and you didn't spin around so much, you barely did veil work and floor work was forbidden.

I always explained it that when I danced with the Greek bands I felt like I was flying whereas when I danced to the Arabic bands I felt more rooted.

But EVERYBODY in a Greek restaurant is Greek! That's part of what is so much fun!! Of course, the wine and ouzo and (don't forget) the saganaki help too ..l;,