Thread: Best beledi footage?

Hi, all. What video footage is out there that really says "beledi" to you?

I'm always interested in good examples of dancing to a beledi progression in the defined musical sense, but what I'm especially looking for at the moment is video of dancers who capture the feeling, the texture that we think of when we say raqs baladi in contrast to raqs sharqi. Who does "relaxed and grounded" especially well? "Simple" -- or better "deceptively simple"? Bonus points for noting what particularly grabs you/moves you/impresses you about a particular performance.

Online clips are great, of course, since they're quick and easy for everyone to access. But if you've got a particular performance or instructional video to recommend, please share that reference, too. Thanks in advance!

Suzana

I know this one has been posted here before, but it's one of my favorites so here it is again in case anyone's missed it.
Beautiful Reyhan of Frankfurt and Bhuz:
YouTube - Reyhan oriental Dancer Frankfurt - Baladi Taht eshubak

Zana,

I love Yasmin's interpretation. There is a clip on her website www.serpentine.org. I also think that Miasia has a link to a beledi progression clip on her website.

This weekend I had the great pleasure of taking a beledi progression workshop with Amani Jabril. I believe she taught basically the same workshop at the recent international conference in Toronto. Fabulous stuff.

Personally, I adore the beledi progression. Cannot listen to the music without moving and feeling joy just bubbling up from deep inside.

Souzan

Hi Suzana,
I highly recommend Debbie Lamman's balady performance in Bahaia's "Cairo Heatwave" DVD. I also seen Debbie perform her balady style dance at a Little Egypt performance (I think it was at the Lucy seminar???) Just amazing! I think it is one of the best I have seen. Her style is very subtle and lovely. There is also Fifi Abdo. Of course, you probably already have 1 or 2 videos of hers? But, I just love Fifi's shisha routine. Plus Yasmina Ramzy has an choreography video with balady on it: Belly Dance Choreography vol. two with Yasmina Ramzy. Really cute and sassy! Unfortunately just not a lot out there on balady progression (which I would love to know more about also)?
Tammy
PS: The Chronicles Magazine...A Belly Dancer's Oasis has an article by Hadia about Balady (the Oct./Nov./Dec. 2007 issue), that I really enjoyed. The article is called~ Baladi: The Mother of Oriental Dance

Hi there,
I don't know how to attach a YouTube video, but if you go on there and check out "Authentic Kitchen Baladi - Maria Ava -Greece", you will see an awesome performance. I love her! Also, not sure about the 'Ava' bit, but I Am sure about the performance; check it out!

For real beledi - it has to be Fifi. Not just her stage shows but her movies. Beledi should be grunty ..g.:

Originally Posted by kashmir

Beledi should be grunty ..g.:

Ha ha! I love that description! It will be my new baladi mantra.

[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=expjL32dg2M]YouTube - Fifi Abdo[/ame]

I really enjoyed this clip from youtube


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzg4a-PQG10]YouTube - ilil baladi dance[/ame]

Hmm doesn't seem to work if you click on play but it does work if you click directly on the image.

Originally Posted by etoile

I really enjoyed this clip from youtube


YouTube - ilil baladi dance

truly a lovely performance!

Wow! That performance of Ilil is awesome! Her hip work is great.

Originally Posted by KHari3

Hi there,
I don't know how to attach a YouTube video, but if you go on there and check out "Authentic Kitchen Baladi - Maria Ava -Greece", you will see an awesome performance. I love her! Also, not sure about the 'Ava' bit, but I Am sure about the performance; check it out!

Hey thanks
Its just me in my kitchen having a bet over a conversation with Tarik Sultan lol (and yes still have to wash the dishes lol)

For me Fifi Abdo screams baladi, but also all the ladies that i've met at Egypt in their kitchens and houses, listening to radio and starting to dance, this is how i inspired also this video.

Maria Aya

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY6hBS5YNRo]YouTube - Authentic Kitchen Baladi - Maria Aya - Greece[/ame]

wonderful clips, thanks for sharing. they are both great examples of baladi.

Maria, that was lovely. Love it!

Souzan

I like this one:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vt2L_gYvd4]YouTube - belly dance nava aharoni baladi × ×�וה ×�×”×¨×•× ×™[/ame]

There's almost no dancing in this one, except for a little meleya leff at the end, but here's a clip about city baladi women in the movies:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2uXg5czyO4]YouTube - Banat El Balad - El Baladi Yokal Ya Ged3aaaan! LOL[/ame]

Here's a fun movie scene, no idea who the dancer is but you have to love the lycra capris with fringe and she looks like she's having a blast:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJMtQciW-x8"]YouTube - El Baladi Yokal - البلدي يوكل i.e. "MADE IN EGYPT"[/ame]

More seriously, I *love* this performance by Miasia, posted recently in another thread:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at__wyGmI2c]YouTube - Miasia - Miasia's Beladi[/ame]

(might have to watch it at YouTube, embedding is disabled)

Wow, thank you so much for these! New dancers and interpretations to enjoy, lots more to think about. If you have other favorites, please keep them coming.

Does anyone here know anything about Ilil? I'd never heard of her, and wow! I loved her feeling for the music and precise, perfectly-timed hipwork. Bonus fun for me because we look rather similar from the back -- sometimes it's nice to see how movements look on someone else who has "your" body, isn't it?

Hands down, its Mona el Said
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr2t1xdeCh4]YouTube - mona saeed منى سعيد[/ame]

First time I have seen her dance..thanks, BTW...how much do you think all that glass fringe weighs? Wow.....

I think of that as the "fringe chaps" costume. Love her dancing, though!

Originally Posted by MariaAya

Hey thanks
Its just me in my kitchen having a bet over a conversation with Tarik Sultan lol (and yes still have to wash the dishes lol)

For me Fifi Abdo screams baladi, but also all the ladies that i've met at Egypt in their kitchens and houses, listening to radio and starting to dance, this is how i inspired also this video.

Maria Aya

YouTube - Authentic Kitchen Baladi - Maria Aya - Greece

Love that glove chuck....perfectly timed. Go girl!!!!!

Originally Posted by anala

First time I have seen her dance..thanks, BTW...how much do you think all that glass fringe weighs? Wow.....

Are you talking about Mona's fringe? (ooh er, missus)

Originally Posted by Souzan

I love Yasmin's interpretation. There is a clip on her website www.serpentine.org.
Souzan

Hi there. I haven't been able to find this on her website. Does anyone happen to have the direct link? Thanks!

Originally Posted by Zana

Hi there. I haven't been able to find this on her website. Does anyone happen to have the direct link? Thanks!

Zana, go to this page: About Yasmin You'll see a link to a youtube clip. Thats it!

Souzan

Thanks, Souzan!

I'm going to be dumb here and ask for some education. I thought a beledi was just a specific type of beat. Doum Doum te-ka tek Doum tek-ka tek...kinda thing but I am off the mark, aren't I... Could you ladies please explain to me what the whole meaning of a beledi is?

Thank you! :D

Originally Posted by Souzan

Zana, go to this page: About Yasmin You'll see a link to a youtube clip. Thats it!

Souzan

Wow! That was beautiful!

I thought the same thing for a long time and wondered what the heck people were talking about when talking about baladi style. I've just recently started really being able to recognize it when I see it, and I'm going to start trying to dance it as well. Any pointers?

Originally Posted by TheDancerLuma

I'm going to be dumb here and ask for some education. I thought a beledi was just a specific type of beat. Doum Doum te-ka tek Doum tek-ka tek...kinda thing but I am off the mark, aren't I... Could you ladies please explain to me what the whole meaning of a beledi is?

Thank you! :D

Well, what you mentioned is a rhythm wich is also known as Baladi, however, we prefer to call it masmoudi saghir (small masmoudi). This is more precise since Baladi is a type of Music, Dance, even feeling, livestyle. The music contains several rhythms (mainly 4/4 and 2/4) a very commonly used one is masmoudi saghir.
Baladi may be best described by urbanised folklore. It is also known as the first "solo dance" thats why Middle Easterners sometimes speak of Raqs Baladi but mean oriental Dance.
One should be a bit careful by calling something or a person Baladi - it could also have negative meaning of not having chic, style.