Thread: Egyptian floorwork???

Hi Everyone,

I know floorwork was banned in Egypt at some point in the past, but was it very prevalent beforehand? Did it have the same characteristics as turkish floorwork? Will it ever make a come back? Any thoughts?

Oh, and happy holidays!!!!

A small amount of floor work is actually still allowed in Egyptian dance - when the dancer is using a shamadan (candelabrum). That's because shamadan is a traditional dance, and the dancer is allowed to perform the traditional dance moves when doing the traditional dance. If you'd like an inkling of what Egyptian floor work was like before the ban, I would suggest getting a video that has a shamadan performance by Nadia Hamdi. I know of two - one of Morocco's videos has Nadia performing shamadan on it (see Welcome to Morocco's Meanderings), and the video Nadia In America sold by the Aswan Dancers has Nadia performing shamadan.

There are videos of Egyptian dancers doing floorwor, too. Although it's banned in public , it's done occasionally at private venues and videos filmed in other countries.

Fifi does splits and a little seated floorwork in her Concert at Esmalia video. And Mona does a little seated floorwork in the Balady video.

I haven't seen any Egyptian do Turkish-style floorwork, though, even in private venues.

I have seen dancers in Egypt perform floorwork in their shows. (Lucy and Soraya). Just because it is illegal doesn't mean it doesn't happen!

Thanks so much for these leads! I am going to check them out over the holidays!

AFAIK and have seen (Nagwa Fuad, Nadia Hamdi, Sahar Hamdi, Dandash with shamadan), when it's performed in Egypt (whether legal or not, with or without shamadan) it's usually brief and may include partial or full splits, some sitting cross-legged, or moves such as back bends with the body upright with one or both knees on the ground. I don't think you'd find any Egyptian dancer doing a lot of full body in contact with the floor stuff.

Aida Nour does floor-work, she teaches it in choreographies too so you may want to check out some of her vids from Little Egypt shop in case there is some in there.

I vaguely remember reading (perhaps on MED-list?) that Nagua got away with floor-work because she said it was for theatrical purposes?

Aida Nour definitely performs floorwork. Her seated moving shimmies have to be seen to be believed.

There's footage out there of Dina doing floorwork in a "Pharonic" number. It's pretty hilarious.

My impression is that Egyptian floorwork is nothing like the kind of floorwork that you get in American belly dance (which I can't do because my arms aren't strong enough). It's kind of mad.

Originally Posted by gloworm25

Aida Nour definitely performs floorwork. Her seated moving shimmies have to be seen to be believed.

seated moving shimmies?!?!? whoa...i cant even imagine what that looks like! I will definitely check it out!

[QUOTE=zumarrad;316007]There's footage out there of Dina doing floorwork in a "Pharonic" number. It's pretty hilarious.[QUOTE]

hilarious as in funny ha ha or funny strange??? i cant imagine dina doing floorwork for some reason...or her costumes allowing for it either...

Hilarious as in funny ha ha. She is being Cleopatra and wearing a sort of leggings outfit. It was linked here a while ago, I'm trying to find it. I think it's from a theatrical show of some kind.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odvPUihLTjE]YouTube - Egyptian - Dina - Cleopatra[/ame]

That's it, I think. Anyone who wants to say Egyptian dancers don't have abs of PUREST STEEL can just watch Madame and her lolarious, but impressive, jackknives.

Actually, Dr Mo had some floorwork in a Pharonic piece as well (not by him, by the female dancers in his company). More dancing done kneeling than lying down undulating - kneeling and bouncing the butt from side to side. It looked good actually as he had the dancers doing pairwork facing each other and they looked very much like some of the images you see on friezes in the pyramids.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

YouTube - Egyptian - Dina - Cleopatra

That's it, I think. Anyone who wants to say Egyptian dancers don't have abs of PUREST STEEL can just watch Madame and her lolarious, but impressive, jackknives.

Actually, Dr Mo had some floorwork in a Pharonic piece as well (not by him, by the female dancers in his company). More dancing done kneeling than lying down undulating - kneeling and bouncing the butt from side to side. It looked good actually as he had the dancers doing pairwork facing each other and they looked very much like some of the images you see on friezes in the pyramids.

Thanks Zumarrad! I nearly spilled my coffee everywhere when she started jack-knifing...you know, i cant say i love Dina's dancing, but i think i do love her gumption to go with whatever she feels like doing!

When you say bouncing the butt from side to side...is it anything like the second dancer in this clip? Sorry, don't know her name...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzsMNFR_3js]YouTube - Belly Dance Floorwork Compilation I[/ame]

The seated pose Dina takes when she sits up is *exactly* the same one I usually see Fifi in (except when she's doing the splits). I've seen Mona kneel and bounce on the floor -- not side to side, just... bouncing.

That particular Dina video is so strange, and so not Dina. Whenever it comes up I wonder whether it was from a movie, or someone else's choreography and staging or something.

Is Dina really singing in that performance, or is she just lip synching? If she's singing, she's actually pretty good.

I think she's lip synching.

What I like about this is that it's a glimpse into Cleopatra's fitness routine, obviously. I also think it's obviously part of some "not usual" Dina show. For all we know it could be deliberately bad.

Originally Posted by jengal55

Thanks Zumarrad! I nearly spilled my coffee everywhere when she started jack-knifing...you know, i cant say i love Dina's dancing, but i think i do love her gumption to go with whatever she feels like doing!

When you say bouncing the butt from side to side...is it anything like the second dancer in this clip? Sorry, don't know her name...

YouTube - Belly Dance Floorwork Compilation I

These are clips of Turkish dancers, no?

According to the YouTube notes, the second dancer is Yousra Hanem. The last dancer was really amazing, I thought her head was going to come off!..g.:

Originally Posted by dunyah

These are clips of Turkish dancers, no?

According to the YouTube notes, the second dancer is Yousra Hanem. The last dancer was really amazing, I thought her head was going to come off!..g.:

turkish and lebanese, i think...

and yes, totally waiting for the head to go flying off at some point!