Thread: Tunisian resources?

Soon I'm going to bring in a guest instructor to teach some Tunisian in my studio. She wants me to come up with a short piece of music that I'd like to use, she'll teach steps and a loose framework, and it'll be up to me to put together a choreography for my repertory group.

As preparation, I'm looking for online resources to help my students (and me!) understand the dance style, create costuming, etc.

Anyone know of any really good websites? Have favorite music for Tunisian? Any tips on putting together a group number? Favorite staging tricks?

(If anyone wants to part with a video -- even VHS -- for cheap, let me know!)

Most of the information online about Tunisia is in french. But check this out:

FEMME TUNISIENNE

It's more cultural, but anyway...

There are a bunch of articles on Habiba's website: The Habiba Studio- Articles by Habiba.

Sidi Mansour is what Zahra danced to...I think she said it was from Aisha Ali's Tunisian Dances CD (or was it from an Adam Basma CD?). Her clip is on YouTube.

It would help for everyone to have a 4-yard piece of cotton fabric for the costuming (a little bit wider than a veil I think), along with pins (big diaper pins are simple but for stage you'd want decorated "tribal" style brooches). The yarn belts can be made fairly easily...I have notes somehwere if you can't find the info online.

Are you balancing pots? If so, you can use large plastic bottles for class/practice (look for big Gatorade-style ones with a cupped bottom, and ad a little sand at the bottom to weight them).

I like Leila Haddad's Traditional Tunisian Rhythms - 12 tracks, each 5 to 5 1/2 minutes long. It has really helped me develop my ear, especially the 6/8s. I use it for drilling - haven't really listened to them w/choreo in mind.

Also check Aisha Ali's resources for Tunisian dance at:

http://www.aisha-ali.com/

Aisha Ali has recently released on DVD:

Dances of North Africa: Tunisia and Morocco Folkloric music and dance collections filmed in Tunisia and Morocco between 1973 and 1982.

I have been obsessed with Tunisian dance lately, so I will be watching this thread

Lauren,
Just out of curiosity, who's going to be teaching this class? I think it would be great to have a workshop like this!

Diana.

Khadejah and Mustafa would likely be a good resource. Heck, you can go to Tunisia with them to study this summer. :) They are very cool, I have taken workshops with them, she is American (and on bhuz), he is Tunisian, and I think they live in Germany.

Edited to add: Middle Eastern and North African Dance from Ahlam Dance Theater

Originally Posted by Monica

Khadejah and Mustafa would likely be a good resource. Heck, you can go to Tunisia with them to study this summer. :) They are very cool, I have taken workshops with them, she is American (and on bhuz), he is Tunisian, and I think they live in Germany.

Edited to add: Middle Eastern and North African Dance from Ahlam Dance Theater

Shukrun Habibti!,r:;

I love it when people ask for Tunisian!!!

Hadia has a gread DVD (Tunisian dance)for putting on the melia. It's AT LEAST 4 (I like 6) yards and wrapped like a sari. The melia is usually worn with pantaloons and a shirt with bell sleeves. I like the more modern skirts where there's 2 ruffles on the back waist. Really cute--- PLEASE CHECK OUT KHADEJAH'S (DUJAH'S) VIDEO ON Tunisian dance on YOUTUBE. You also want to try going to the Khamsa Tunisian holiday for an intensive.

Bounawara is performed with scarves. Folkloric medleys without scarves. My favorite folkloric singer is Hedi Dunia. If you can't find him, then you can get Lotfi Jourmana's CD on Amazon. He has some nice mawwals and medleys. It's the sound of the mizwid (bagpipe) that gives it the folkloric feel. The folkloric piece starts slow (ie. hala rhythm), then will speed up to fast fazzani (I love it when I hear the drummer plays "tak, tak tak, tak, tak" then transitions to fazzani). My husbnd has a rhythm CD with long tracks of ea rhythms for people to practice (not really for performing). I can get into detail about stage dynamics later. If you want, just message me & we can chat further)

Good luck!!!

Lauren, I would recommend A'isha Ali's Tunesian instructional video, her Tunesian music CD (can get it on emusic), and her Dances of North Africa documentary video. I have all these though I don't want to sell them.

Is this going to be part of a weekly class or workshops or what?

Sedonia

Also check out Malia's page for great Tunisian picts. I'm in one of them. She's a wonderful Tunisian dancer (I like her as much or better than Aisha or Leila Haddad). Aisha's video and CDs are good.
Malia Defelice
Tunsian Pictures