Thread: What makes it Shaabi? Discuss!!

Heey Lena, there you are! Welcome to Bhuz :-) Looking forward to seeing you again in September! Are you guys planning on coming over to Duisburg this November?

hi.. ye It´s real fun when you get to know how it works... *I really sucks on computers tecnique..oops We thinking about going to Leilas festival if its possible.. ins allah. First we are going to the festival in Berlin this summer :)

going back to the shabie discussion.. It´s really important that you know what the song its about because it can be really hot if you for example go to a party taking something like this with saaban.. a politikal song but still shabie
gulp :( [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu1wYAGeSOY&feature=related]YouTube - Ana Bakrah Israel (I Hate Israel) Sha3ban[/ame]

Originally Posted by lenahelt

hi.. ye It´s real fun when you get to know how it works... *I really sucks on computers tecnique..oops We thinking about going to Leilas festival if its possible.. ins allah. First we are going to the festival in Berlin this summer :)

Hi Lena I sent you a message already about where in Berlin, which festival, for you're not announced on the Beata and Horacio summer school schedule. Myself I'm new on bhuz and I didn't see that I had several messages. I'm in Hamburg and would be delighted to study with you in a workshop, well that is if you will be teaching in Berlin.

Nouria: Lena won't teach at Cifuentes festival in Berlin, but hopefully she'll be there anyway. =)

Since David was so helpful in encouraging me to go forward with the grapes idea, I thought I'd post these pictures from my debut shabbi performance last week

Too cute!!

Originally Posted by laura 2

Since David was so helpful in encouraging me to go forward with the grapes idea, I thought I'd post these pictures from my debut shabbi performance last week

Love the pictures and the "binty fresh" dress! You must have done El Enab. I do it with grapes too. Fun song!

Souzan

Originally Posted by Souzan

You must have done El Enab. I do it with grapes too. Fun song!
Souzan

Yep! I didn't want 95% of the audience confused about WTF I was doing up there with fruit, so part of my intro was, "Galatea will now perform to "El Enab", a song about grapes...or is it?" ..l;,

I've been watching this thread for awhile as my views on shaabi have been evolving from being totally against it to now being reluctantly won over. I have been taking shaabi classes and what we are doing is a lot of fun. I can't say all of the shaabi clips and performances by other dancers have appealed to me but some of them surprisingly I have really liked a lot.

What bothers me is when I see raqs oriental looking more and more like Western hip hop. I know that dance is evolving all the time as it has a life force of its own but when I see it resembling more and more what I see here in the U.S., well some of the mystery and allure is lost IMHO.

One of the main reasons why I was originally attracted to raqs oriental was the drastic difference between eastern and western dancing and what still holds the allure for me. I've seen shaabi done on many different levels and as long as the "fusion" between shaabi and beledy remains eastern, that is what I am hoping, that raqs oriental will retain its "easternness" and individuality. I have to say the major attitude though of shaabi is really charming and adorable and does make that dance a whole lotta fun, not just to dance to but to watch as well.

Just my two cents. . ..w.:

Originally Posted by Fotia

I've been watching this thread for awhile as my views on shaabi have been evolving from being totally against it to now being reluctantly won over. I have been taking shaabi classes and what we are doing is a lot of fun. I can't say all of the shaabi clips and performances by other dancers have appealed to me but some of them surprisingly I have really liked a lot.

What bothers me is when I see raqs oriental looking more and more like Western hip hop. I know that dance is evolving all the time as it has a life force of its own but when I see it resembling more and more what I see here in the U.S., well some of the mystery and allure is lost IMHO.

One of the main reasons [snip]

You couldnt be more right. It is disturbing to see how what passes for for example Egyptian Orientale these days is almost replacing and taking priority in people's training over the actual essence, concepts and identity of the dance.

I am by no means saying that the developments are invalid or not worthy, however, these developments do not uphold the integrity of the essential concepts that have to be in place for it to be Egyptian dance. These developments may incorporate some of the base concepts of Egyptian dance - but that is not enough to pass the material in totality as Egyptian dance.

My professional belief is that these developments are necessary to some extent to adapt the product sold to its clients.

Don't worry, Fotia, there are more than enough resources out there for those willing to study and immerse themselves into this aspect of the dance - and willing to sacrifice some serious dollars and time in the name of the dance...and in search of these resources.

I believe that there is a point where art is not just art for arts sake, it becomes a necessity to choose between two evils for the arts: stay true to the art and compromise the potential financial gain OR commercialize and compromise the art for potential financial gain.

It is a very philosophical point, and it does not include everyone that dances. First, you have to reach a point where you possess the ability of executing true art - THEN come these choices. I would honestly say, that this point - in its true pure form - is reached by few...so its not really a worry.

Most dancers think from ability to marketability, not from ability to representative responsiblity, first.

Many well established dance forms have had the art VS business discussion for hundreds of years without finding an answer that is widely accepted.

Sah el kalem.... thats right...

Originally Posted by lenahelt

Sah el kalem.... thats right...

Ya Liiiinaa :)
Keyfa Halak ya hayati?

Dont hold back, please share more of your thoughts with us.

DaVid

This is a great thread!! a wealth of knowledge here, thanks.

I did a workshop shaabi workshop with Yasmina. The main point I got from it was it was like a street dance with fun sharp moves. I love it, its great.

Would Saha Hamdis dance style be considered Shaabi? She was very naughty!!

This was the only clip I could find of her on youtube, its not so shaabi. I have her on VHS dancing at a wedding and that seems shaabi to me, I could be wrong though.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC7sUaIonEM]YouTube - Sahar Hamdi - funny clip[/ame]

Originally Posted by habibiyaeini

The main point I got from it was it was like a street dance with fun sharp moves. I love it, its great.

Would Saha Hamdis dance style be considered Shaabi? She was very naughty!!

I would also say that character play is a significant part of Shaabi as well. It really isn't Shaabi without a character and some acting involved.

Sahar Hamdi - well, she's a hoot, first of all. I would say that some of her work is Shaabi - some is not. What is significant to remember about Sahar Hamdi is that she at the height of her stardom decided to challenge people's perceptions and pretty much went for a "lets see how good I can be at being the worst dancer around"-type of thing. She earned great publicity from that. So, whereas a lot of her presentation is in fact character play - it is an important factor to remember that she is deliberately trying to be sloppy, raunchy, challenging and "less graceful" in her execution. I find that different than Shaabi where the movements have a more naive effort behind them - eventhough they may look the same if we look at size, speed, range and direction only.

I would say that Sahar's character definitely has strong Shaabi effort to it - but with a more comedic direction.

:)

DaVid

When it comes to the high versus low center of gravity, and the high/low educated thing, is it sort of a head vs. gut thing, cerebral/somatic?

I learn the concept of getting lower in the body in Tai Chi. When you are very low in the body, the movements cost minimal energy and are more natural relaxed and in a certain way also graceful the way animals are. Is this comparable?

Originally Posted by Bellissima

When it comes to the high versus low center of gravity, and the high/low educated thing, is it sort of a head vs. gut thing, cerebral/somatic?

I learn the concept of getting lower in the body in Tai Chi. When you are very low in the body, the movements cost minimal energy and are more natural relaxed and in a certain way also graceful the way animals are. Is this comparable?

I would say it is comparable. I actually first really connected, grasped and felt the concept of low center in a Tai Chi demonstration class. It is a similar feeling of grounding and getting lower in the body in dance as it is in Tai Chi, I would say.

Thanks David,

In that case I can also add that while it is possible to have low center on releve, it is possible but it is easier to do so with your weight in your heels. It is a mental effort really, but certain physical postures facilitate it.

I have noticed that when I find myself extremely low while dancing, what in Tai Chi would result in "automatic" movement, Arab people go crazy for it, even if the movement is simple.

I feel Tito has a low center but with a certain levity in his movements too.

Originally Posted by Bellissima

I have noticed that when I find myself extremely low while dancing, what in Tai Chi would result in "automatic" movement, Arab people go crazy for it, even if the movement is simple.

This is fascinating! It makes sense AND makes me want to know more about Tai Chi and "automatic" movement!

Originally Posted by Bellissima

Thanks David,

In that case I can also add that while it is possible to have low center on releve, it is possible but it is easier to do so with your weight in your heels. It is a mental effort really, but certain physical postures facilitate it.

I have noticed that when I find myself extremely low while dancing, what in Tai Chi would result in "automatic" movement, Arab people go crazy for it, even if the movement is simple.

I feel Tito has a low center but with a certain levity in his movements too.

:) Most dancers make an effort towards utilizing both high and low center to create more depth in their movements :)

Originally Posted by ouroboros

This is fascinating! It makes sense AND makes me want to know more about Tai Chi and "automatic" movement!

Go try a class - it's REALLY cool.... and it is of great assistance with finding that "calmness in movement" we also use in Egyptian style.

This is true. Plus Chi Gong is really great for removing any bad habits in posture and the use of your body. This helps you be more supple, more relaxes, and much more pleasant to look at.
A lot of stress is stored physically, expressed as physical tensions that cloud up the emotion and personality you are looking to express.

I was happy to be in Mercedes Nieto workshop for shaabi dance style, I liked how she explained it - like it is a dance of street, not so elegant, more vulgar may be....something like that:)

Originally Posted by Livucis

I was happy to be in Mercedes Nieto workshop for shaabi dance style, I liked how she explained it - like it is a dance of street, not so elegant, more vulgar may be....something like that:)

oooooh nooo, vulgar is such a dirty word and people will run away screaming if you use it. Lets say it is more relaxed and common in the expression with some movements that challenge social perception at times.

It's nothing different than when we go out with our friends and we're goofing around and do silly movements and then laugh it off with each other. :)

Originally Posted by Bellissima

A lot of stress is stored physically, expressed as physical tensions that cloud up the emotion and personality you are looking to express.

Absolutely true! We want to be pure vessels! ..g.:

no,no,sorry,I didnt mean that,sorry, its just difficult to expxlain in English about something I dont know very well....I am really sorry, I meant exactly like David said correcting me:)

Originally Posted by Livucis

no,no,sorry,I didnt mean that,sorry, its just difficult to expxlain in English about something I dont know very well....I am really sorry, I meant exactly like David said correcting me:)

Actually, I didn't mean to correct you - I wanted to elaborate what you meant. Vulgar is a word that at times has a much stronger connotation in English than other languages sometimes, I think :) The range, correct me if I'm wrong, would be something like:

innocent, sassy, flirty, sexy, not decent, raunchy, vulgar.

Languages and mental translation between them can be such a pain, cant it? :)

Latvia? How big is the dance scene there? :) How exciting that we have dancers from the Baltics on here as well :)

I dont know if there are some other dancer from Baltics,but i m so happy I found this site accidently looking for a new costume:)

Stellar Advantage :: 2010 Bellydance Events (scroll down for info on the 2010 B-day Bash)

Originally Posted by david

Oh Aziza - please book Lena to your Birthday Bash some year. I know people would LOVE her... :) Cant wait for you to pull out all the stops on a Shaabi *all blushing and giggly by the mere thought of it*

Originally Posted by kiyaana

Stellar Advantage :: 2010 Bellydance Events (scroll down for info on the 2010 B-day Bash)

Thats fabulous!