Thread: The Longa and the Short of it - What do you know? Any native footage?

So I'm working with a musician to introduce a Longa to my class in the near future and though together we'll be able to break down the musical structure and I can recommend ways to dance to the rhythms, I'd really love to see an example of what a traditional interpretation of dancing to a Longa might look like.

I've been hunting around on youtube, but mostly finding fusionistas embracing the Longa.

Anybody know where we can find footage of maybe an Arab, Turk or Rroman person dancing to a Longa?

It is my understanding Longas are for dance, but are they for folk dance? Or Oriental?

Here's what I've got on Longas so far:

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longa_(..._Eastern_music)

Maqam World: http://www.maqamworld.com/forms.html

Anything you've got that might expand my knowledge in this area would be so appreciated. Feel free to point me to potential experts or anything you can think of...

longa is a turkish 2/4 i teach it on the 3rd week of classes. the only youtube clips i have found it, are of koceks. i do not quit follow why it would need so many cooks in the kitchen to teach. i think all my youtube is balady, but my teaching DVD's break it down with all steps taught.
rlr
rlr
rlr
rlr
broken down,
and ah 1
and ah 2
and ah 3
and ah 4
the beat is on the second right
when i start, i half time....to put with steps, speak the step in the same rythem:
weight change would go ...lift and sway, r l r
or step push :
step and sit , up and down..r l r r l r

are you useing a drummer ?...that is a cool way to show why we use our hands the way we do. i have a drum in the studio and start all zill classes with my right hand showing the dum in the center of the skin..the tek with my left on the rim.my teacher, janaeni rathor was a drummer too...it really helped.

Serendipity - I just had Eliot Bates' book within arm's length ;-) There is very brief mention of Longa in it, very similar to the Maqamworld entry (longa are fast dance-style pieces in 2/4 and 6/8, tanbur is a common instrument, those pieces are part of the urban music style). Maybe checking Garland and Signell's book may be useful?

On a tangent - two thumbs up for Bates' book.