Thread: advice on dancing at a middle eastern wedding

Wanted some advice on dancing at a middle eastern Weddings!
can be from different part of the middle east. just sugestions

and after your show how do you go about getting people up to dance and going from table to table.

want to feel more comfortable !

need some help with edicate

Best advice I can offer is to talk to your bride about what she wants and go from there.

I am dancing at an Egyptian wedding next weekend and here is what I've decided upon after speaking to the band and considering both mine and the brides wishes.

Oriental Entrance Piece to "Talisman" (CD)
Alf Leyla Wi Leyla (live band)
Zeina (live band)
Very short Finale from "Talisman" (CD)

15 min break for me to change costumes, grab some water and the wedding party to do their speeches.

Raks Assaya Piece to "Wahad Bas" (CD)
Beledi to "Tahkt Il Shibak" (live band)
Drum Solo (live band)
Lawn Ouyounak by Nancy Ajram (CD)

The drum solo is my "finale". The last song is the bride's favorite and is for getting everyone up to dance and I'll just fade away (as per the bride's request). I'll start with the bride and work my way down the head table getting them up to dance, then will just go around to the tables and pull up those who express interest or are easily coerced. I don't like to pressure the disinterested ones and leave them alone.

I would have loved to do a Zeffa complete with Shamadan, but they have musicians leading the Zeffa prior to the meal (no dancers as per request) and I don't come until desert.

This is the second Arabic wedding in the last month or so that wanted me to wear a modest dress but I've danced at other Arabic weddings where it didn't matter. It may be a good idea to bring up costuming just incase.

It's also nice to have info on hand for musicians you like to work with... they may like that, as the musicians can also be hired for them to boogie themselves after your performance.

great advice thank you so much!!

I have danced at a Middle eastern wedding and a Indian wedding.

Middle eastern wedding I went to the Rehearsal dinner with the other guest that was in the wedding. The bride wanted me to walk in to the reception hall in front of the wedding party with the candelabra. I would slowly walk around the room leading the party to there sit, finally I would seat the bride and groom, at the head tale which was in front of the room. Then pose for applause and make my way to the dance floor, which was in the middle of the room. I then did a 5min dance with my candelabra. Then exited. I was to wait in the hospitality suite (this was at a hotel). The weeding planner even brought me a plate of food! I was to wait till after dinner, and the cake cutting. To come back out (Planner would come get me). This was about a 1.5hr wait. So I just ate my food and watched T.V. I then came back out and did a cane dance, drum solo and then with the dj on the mic telling people to come to the dance floor, I went around to the tables on the edge of the dance floor and coaxed people up. The dance floor easily filled up and I just dance with people moving thought the crowd. After the 2 songs end, the dance floor cleared I took my bow and left. The day of the wedding I never spoke to the bride and groom, and they did not get up to dance. This wedding went smooth because they had a wedding planner and I was at the rehearsal dinner.

Indian wedding (I think), This reception was one of the many wedding receptions that was going on that week. The bride was the sister of my Kathak teacher, she gave me a CD with 2 songs on it that she wanted me to belly dance to, they were Indian songs. Only instruction I was given was to cover my self with my veil the whole time. I showed up at the reception location which was a house, to my horror I show up early enough to see the kathak dancers who I was to follow! ( they were awesome). Any way I did my two songs with my veil wrapped around me and left after some pictures were taken.

Advice would to fully explain what your costume looks like and what songs you will be dancing to. Better yet ask the family if they want to pick you songs. Make sure you go over a timeline and every little detail