Thread: Doing a Folkloric Set

I'm not sure if this would fit better here or in the "Traditions and Styles" forum... Anyway, I am starting to dance at a new restaurant that really wants a unique show format with distinct costuming. Their idea is to have me begin with a folkloric set in a galabeya, and then come back out for a second set (standard Oriental in belly dance costume).

It is the first time that I am dealing with a request like this. I normally incorporate any pseudo-folkloric pieces (cane and baladi progression) into my regular set, and I have no idea how to begin a folkloric set - especially if it comes before the Oriental one. I was thinking of starting with zills, going into a saidi cane dance, then a beladi progression, and finishing with a drum solo. Then of course I will have to eliminate the cane section from my second set, so I might attempt to make that one more Cabaret-style with a sword piece and more audience participation.

Does anyone have experience with this format, or have any ideas about it?

Thanks for any help!

I think that sounds good. Ive seen Randa start her folklore set with saidi and I liked that. You could try and incorporate a Falahi price with maybe a pot. I would look up Bal Anat (Suhaila and Jamila Samilpour) and Hahbi Ru, John Compton's group http://www.hahbiru.com/. They both have full set folklore group performances. You might look into that.

Good Luck!

Thank you, Amanda Rose! Great suggestions! I wish I could do Saidi like Randa. Her skill (and costume) totally blew me away - I thought it was the best part of the show when I saw her.

I would probably start with Saidi, look for a nice cheeky piece of music so you can enter coy and then go into the cane part of the song. Baladi progression should be kept for the middle, perhaps end with a cute fallahi. The other option is to start with a malaya, but the costuming for malaya is so specific genre,

Originally Posted by _Tanya_

I would probably start with Saidi, look for a nice cheeky piece of music so you can enter coy and then go into the cane part of the song. Baladi progression should be kept for the middle, perhaps end with a cute fallahi. The other option is to start with a malaya, but the costuming for malaya is so specific genre,

You do see professional dancers in Egypt (on youtube videos) performing melaya with the melaya and a baladi dress that you might wear for cane and baladi progression, so I think melaya would be inspired choice to kick off the folkloric set ... almost analogous to the veil that started out the Oriental set.

My question is - what will you put into your "Oriental" set if you saved cane and baladi for the folkloric set?

I'd take care with using milaya for a naive audience. They probably won't get it - or worse think they do.

What about khaleegi, beledi then sa`iidi? You get a costume change as you whip your thobe off and finish on a high note. Incidentally cane is not required for sa`iidi.

You've gotten great suggestions so far. I just wanted to add my $0.02 on melaya. I'd stay away from it for a restaurant show with a naive audience. I've been in audiences enough overhearing their comments while watching dancers to know that the typical costume of a shorter flouncy dress is unexpected, in a negative way, and really not understood. It also limits you for the rest of your set.

That said, I do kind of like the idea of wearing a galabeya/beledi dress and doing a melaya-inspired piece, then going into other dances.

I think really the restaurant wants something different, maybe something that feels more authentic, and for the owner that might largely be based on costume. No matter what style you do, I'd try to keep it as close to authentic as possible while making it work for the stage -- e.g., keep away from expansive sweeping movements and focus on upper body; instead remember to keep movements grounded and earthy.

Side note: Have you thought about covering your hair? My current favorite Mona video has her with a lovely headscarf There are lots of really pretty options for ways to tie a scarf or scarves, and I think it's an underused costume accessory...

Why is the folkloric set before the Oriental? It's more usual, in Egyptian show running orders, to have the Oriental set first, and then go into the baladi/folklore set.

beafarhana

Re: Doing a Folkloric Set
Why is the folkloric set before the Oriental? It's more usual, in Egyptian show running orders, to have the Oriental set first, and then go into the baladi/folklore set.

I don't know how this would fit in with a restaurant exactly, but my teacher used to get requests for dress-clad performance in the first set, bedleh or other two piece in the second, *for weddings*. They *wanted* bedleh. But the dress was for the video being sent home...

Maybe the first dinner sitting is more families, ME ones especially, and the later sitting is more of a clubbing or couples-singles crowd that might prefer a more traditional look?

On videos from Cairo I have seen Nubian music used just before or after a saidi piece with the same costume. (usually a tight baladi dress or a pants and a glitzy top) Usually there is a guy singing or musicians in these sets though, to give added interest. The Nubian singer who I have seen on several videos is really great and entertaining.


Marya

Originally Posted by Teophania

That said, I do kind of like the idea of wearing a galabeya/beledi dress and doing a melaya-inspired piece, then going into other dances.
...
I think really the restaurant wants something different, maybe something that feels more authentic, and for the owner that might largely be based on costume.
...
Side note: Have you thought about covering your hair? There are lots of really pretty options for ways to tie a scarf or scarves, and I think it's an underused costume accessory...

I like the idea of the melaya-inspired dance too! I've never done one, though, so I'm going to keep it on the back burner for right now.

Honestly, this whole idea is based mostly on the costume... I know a couple of other people brought this up, too. They want me to wear something I don't wear anywhere else. I don't know that they care too much what I do (besides dance well generally), as long as I am in a galabeya for the first set.

I would like to cover my hair! As long as I won't get "hat hair" before my later gigs. :)

Thanks to everyone for all the great suggestions! Unfortunately, I don't feel super comfortable with too many folkloric dances... I guess because I never get requests for them, so no matter how many workshops I take, my lack of professional practice with them makes me feel under prepared. So I probably will start by doing a shorter first set and making it longer when I start feeling more up to the challenge.

As for doing the folklore set first, yes, it is so that I will wear the more covered costume first (not for a conservative early crowd, just for the visual).

And for the second set (I don't know how to use multiple quotes in a post, so I apologize for the poor thread maintenance - someone asked about this), I'll do zills, veil, sword or candles, and a pop song or two.

Originally Posted by bellyfina

I would like to cover my hair! As long as I won't get "hat hair" before my later gigs. :)

Shouldn't be a problem depending on how you have your hair under your scarf, and what material your scarf is. If you get hot and are wearing a non-absorbent scarf, you could end up steaming out whatever treatment you did to your hair (e.g. if you curled it).

On the other hand, if you pin your hair into pincurls or rolls under your scarf, your scarf will actually help you keep the curl for later!

I'd try gently tying a small cotton (or other non-slippery) underscarf over your hair. To serve the function of a wig cap but without as much pressure on your hair. Then your decorative scarf on top can be pinned into that to keep it secure, and you can get a little crazier with the tying without having to worry about your hair falling out of the scarf or getting stuck in fringe, etc.

Thanks for posting the Mona clip I hadn't seen that one before. - and what nice filming for a change too. Didn't you expect the audience to start the over-acting dramatics at some point like usually happens in the movies?
I've always been astounded at her amazing pelvic rotations! wow - and imagine taking off your headscarf like that & knowing your hairs gonna go crazy! lovely, so "Mona"!