Thread: Songs that are "taken"

Do you know that thing, when you start hearing a song at a hafla and one interpretation you love springs to your mind?

I heard "raks Bedeya" (yes it's definitely overused) "Ana fi Intizarak" and "New Baladi" (M.Kirlis) there last saturday and in my head I saw Jenna, Maria Shashkova and Saida dancing...I thought god I ought to give the dancers here a chance but somehow I'm so into those interpretations, these songs right now are just taken for me...

A couple of years ago, our class did a group choreography to the full version of the song "Raks Bedeya" (eight minutes) and it was such a terrific production that I can't imagine it any other way. Recently, however, I did see another dancer dance to it and it was completely different, yet I liked it. It was the shorter version.

Last year, it seemed like everybody was dancing to "Pharonic Odyssey" by Paul Dinletir. I loved the song so much that I wanted to do it too, so when I would see others doing it, I almost had to block out what I was seeing so I wouldn't be affected by what they were doing. Even when Jillina performs to it on one of her videos, I would have to skip over it just so I could come up with my own act. Now that I've used it a few times, I can watch others perform it.

It is amazing to see how others interpret a song though. I bet you could come up with something of your own style.

Yes maybe one day I will be so professional that I can make any piece of music I like my own. But I'm in my fourth year of bellydancing and I'm still very much seeking to learn from my "idols"...

"Fakerny" in my head is totally owned by Orit Maftsir!

If you go to a lot of haflas, many times a lot of the dancers use the same songs (mostly because they are so irresistible). So then you will see different interpretations and I think you will then make your own dance.

And one day I will be so professional that I will just get up and improv to anything I want to!

Muahahahaha, that's just like movements too though.

I dont know about others - but one of the ways I "call up" movements in my mind and body is by an inner visualization of a dancer doing the movement.... so, over the years there are certain dancers that embody the qualities I want to call up that zip through my head when dancing, choreographing or just putting combinations together.

I sometimes find myself going "but but but, that's not right" or "what were you going for?" when dancers - including myself - execute a movement and it lacks what I habitually now do/call up when I do the same movement (read: when the "video" of the dancer I call up in my head comes up).

To be honest, I do sometimes hijack other movements from dancers I see using a song I want as well. But that's not enough to bust me, is it? .p::

Originally Posted by Fotia

To be honest, I do sometimes hijack other movements from dancers I see using a song I want as well. But that's not enough to bust me, is it? .p::

Noooo, you only get bused for plagiarism of choreography and teaching materials - not for application of technique and usage of dance vocabulary by using mental visuals of people you consider good rolemodels for execution.

If that was the case people would be be sued for copying Dina, Randa, Fifi, Samia, Suhaila Salimpour, FCBD...etc etc etc etc. all over the place.

In the instance of using a movement seen on a dancer to a song - to the same song...well, you could say "this combination is inspired by" or similar things.

I dont typically transfer mental visualisation and audiological memory as one package. A phrase/piece/sequence/sound of music calls up a, not necessarily related to the same music piece, mental visualization of a movement for me.

Originally Posted by david

Noooo, you only get bused for plagiarism of choreography and teaching materials - not for application of technique and usage of dance vocabulary by using mental visuals of people you consider good rolemodels for execution.

If that was the case people would be be sued for copying Dina, Randa, Fifi, Samia, Suhaila Salimpour, FCBD...etc etc etc etc. all over the place.

In the instance of using a movement seen on a dancer to a song - to the same song...well, you could say "this combination is inspired by" or similar things.

I dont typically transfer mental visualisation and audiological memory as one package. A phrase/piece/sequence/sound of music calls up a, not necessarily related to the same music piece, mental visualization of a movement for me.

That's a real good point. Because many of us base our styles as well on particular dancers. So many times you hear about this dancer dances in the style of that dancer, and so on.

Originally Posted by Fotia

That's a real good point. Because many of us base our styles as well on particular dancers. So many times you hear about this dancer dances in the style of that dancer, and so on.

Thank you :) I've thought alot about this through the years.

I also started a spin off on this subject.

Back to topic!

Originally Posted by david

Thank you :) I've thought alot about this through the years.

I also started a spin off on this subject.

Back to topic!

I already commented on that one - it's a good one too!

I am working on a "taken" song right now - actually one that I learned a choreography to many years ago from DaVid! (Gore Gore Gaal)
I haven't danced it for ages, but when I had my iTunes on "random", it suddenly came up and I thought what a great song it was and that I should really use it again - but this time with my own interpretation. Which is kind of hard because certain passages in that song really call for specific movements.
So I see it as a challenge to my creativity.

It's not the first time I have to completely forget somebody else's choreo to create my own.

And I also know the feeling of "I can't watch anybody dancing to this song before I have my own dance to it!" It happened to me with Fakerni by Haifa.
I heard it in another dancer's car. ..l;, Then I went on YouTube to check it out but soon decided that I had to stop and just to my own thing.

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by Fotia

If you go to a lot of haflas, many times a lot of the dancers use the same songs (mostly because they are so irresistible). So then you will see different interpretations and I think you will then make your own dance.

Where I live, the dancers tend to use a very narrow selection of music. The same songs keep showing up because we simply don't have much new music turnover. We don't have a large ethnic community or Middle Eastern nightclubs or brick-and-mortar stores selling imported music, so our shows and haflas have a tendency to feel like there must be some secret rule that you aren't allowed to perform to anything that isn't put out by Miles/BDSS or Hollywood Music Center.

Originally Posted by david

If that was the case people would be be sued for copying Dina, Randa, Fifi, Samia, Suhaila Salimpour, FCBD...etc etc etc etc. all over the place.

I think this sort of thing happens for a couple of different reasons, including:

1. Some lower-level teachers teach a very rigid style, based on common observations of higher-level dancers: Big, single musical accents (dum...dum...DUM) require big hip accents (big left...big right...POSE). Qanun solos require shimmies. Mizmar solos call for some kind of hopping Saidi kick step. Part of the reason these people teach this way is that it turns out that's how a lot of dancers dance. If you're doing a particular move, it might be because that's what Fifi or Randa does, or it might be because that's what a lot of dancers do.

2. If you study a particular dancer in depth, you naturally absorb some of their stylizations. That's part of why you might be studying her or him in the first place. It's not always a conscious process, though. Think of how (language) accents change as people move outside of their native area.

3. Arabic music uses common maqams in similar ways in multiple songs. If you learned a certain combination to a certain phrase, and the same phrase shows up in another piece, it feels natural to reuse the same moves.

I did a drum solo choreography to Tony Bahu's "Captivation" last year. I didn't know it at the time but it seems like a lot of people across the country and even in some other countries were using that song. Luckily for me, I never saw anybody else's interpretation until after I created my own. I was amazed at how different everybody interpreted it. There were a few moves, however, that a couple of us did the same but I think that can happen with any song.

Originally Posted by meissoun

I am working on a "taken" song right now - actually one that I learned a choreography to many years ago from DaVid! (Gore Gore Gaal)

And I bet you that if I was to choreograph that song today - it would be VERY different than back then ;) Cant wait to see your choreo now. :)

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

I think this sort of thing happens for a couple of different reasons, including:

1. Some lower-level teachers teach a very rigid style, based on common observations of higher-level dancers: Big, single musical accents (dum...dum...DUM) require big hip accents (big left...big right...POSE). Qanun solos require shimmies. Mizmar solos call for some kind of hopping Saidi kick step. Part of the reason these people teach this way is that it turns out that's how a lot of dancers dance. If you're doing a particular move, it might be because that's what Fifi or Randa does, or it might be because that's what a lot of dancers do.

2. If you study a particular dancer in depth, you naturally absorb some of their stylizations. That's part of why you might be studying her or him in the first place. It's not always a conscious process, though. Think of how (language) accents change as people move outside of their native area.

3. Arabic music uses common maqams in similar ways in multiple songs. If you learned a certain combination to a certain phrase, and the same phrase shows up in another piece, it feels natural to reuse the same moves.

Great observations, Tourbeau :)

Laylet Hob - Suheir Zaki

particularly this video: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbWs8F2nVjQ"]YouTube - Ra'asa Suheir Zaki - Laylet Hob[/ame]

awww Lissa Faker is "owned" by Lucy of Cairo in such a wonderfull way !!
Habibi ya Omri by Maria Shaskova !
Leilat Hob, by Suheir Zaki
but trust me... Fakerni is mine lol

..g.:

I saw someone do Lissa Faker and I feel I'd be either taking too much from hers interpretation, cause its so beautiful.

and anytime you watch the Arabesque DVD's its hard to resist when dancing to the CD's.. especially that adorable melaya