Thread: dance styles/music for a western wedding

I'm not sure if this belongs here (it does seem like a "style" or maybe "traditions".)

My non-middle-eastern friend (most of the family is American or Swiss) asked me to dance at her wedding reception. I state her nationality to make it clear this isn't a middle eastern wedding so I'm not as bound by tradition as I might be if they were expecting a shamadan procession or whatnot. Or by lyrics, though I'd like to make sure the lyrics are pro-love and marriage. We've been friends a long time (over 10 years) and she has dabbled in bellydancing herself. This is the first time I've ever done a wedding. I need some ideas or confirmation on the ideas I already have from the resident experts here at Bhuz.

I have already thought of -
getting the bride & groom up to dance together, and then getting the wedding party to dance around them - maybe getting people into some kind of line dance (maybe a simple grapevine).

I'm not sure if maybe I should bring a souvenir hipscarf for the bride, or whether there's particular music that's good to use, or how weddings differ from a restaurant performance.

For a set, I was thinking of doing a somewhat typical american routine, entering wrapped in a veil with zills, then a veil song, pop music, chifte, drum and finale - or maybe no chifte (might be too sexy for a wedding??). Then having a poppy song come on that I could get the guests up for. I am guessing with a western audience, it's important to do zills/veil to establish that I am indeed a bellydancer and not any other kind of dancer (or maybe just a crazy guest).

Since I love middle eastern music and listen to it nonstop, it's hard for me to judge what kind of music is suitable for a western audience for dancing - what would they be able to hear and understand musically - would I have to go with a techno version to get people up & dancing?

I think you're on the right song. For a wedding, keep the music fun and lively and upbeat and also short. I wouldn't go any longer than 15 minutes max. I'd also ditch the veil (except maybe to come out with) and and chiftitelli. Stick with pop music and drum solo, that kind of thing. Getting the guests and/or bride and groom to dance is fine.

I always liked Gahawer from Midnight Magic by Dr. Sami Farag for American weddings. It's under 15 minutes and has a lively dramatic opening, a middle section for audience interaction and a kickass drum solo at the end. I've had great success with it and it's got an "American" sound but still has traditional ME rhythms.

I think the DJ's like it too as it has twice disappeared on me!

Oops, I meant "track" not "song". I just listened to Gahawer and it is actually 15 1/2 minutes. There is also a short accordian taxim after the opening if you really really still wanted to a bit of veil work.

I work mostly for Swiss people and I have done dozens of weddings.
One thing I can say is that they hire an Oriental dancer because they want an exotic touch. So this is what I give them - not Westernized music or whatever, they WANT the "Oriental experience". So no techno stuff, I mostly use the "Jalilah's Raks Sharki" style of music - real orchestrated Arabic music.

And people are mostly there to watch YOU dance - many feel embarassed to get up and shake anyway. So I limit audience participation unless I am particularly asked to do it.
Be sure to dance around the wedding couple long enough so that everybody can take pictures though.

MEISSOUN

what meissoun said. also dont make it too long. even if they ask for a 30 min set i talk them down to 20 and do ca 15. for a western audience who want short entertainment that's it. some times where i did not do that my set was cuyt short.

i start with something 'classical', with a short veil intro (this is the "ooohhh looook" moment, folowed by something still classical but short "fun" "fast", then a drum solo, and then a finale or pop song

artemisia