[david]

Lebanon has a rich heritage of her own. Lebanese people are VERY proud of their heritage and dances. The movements we watch and describe as "Saiidi" are infact often Lebanese movements that depict Lebanese movements taken from Lebanese culture and dance heritage. Just because you do a step to the side, and touch the floor with the opposite foot doesnt make it a certain dance style -it's the context of rhythm, music interpretation and cultural representation that adds to it and finishes off what we dancers "backtrack" in order to identify movements etc. for example: lebanese music, lebanese dialect, debkeh rhythm, movement emphasis synchornized with rhythm, intent of movement expressed as in Lebanese dances.THUS, Lebanese.

Dont let the cane confuse you. I mean, look - the cane is a walking aid, weapon of protection and is used when sheparding. As far as I know people walk, need protection and shepard animals all over the world. Dance movements will reflect this part of their cultural heritage and often incorporate twirling - relevant to each their own culture :) there is only so many ways you can work a cane.

The Egyptian troupes didnt to Lebanese debkeh in their reportoires (?) - they did Sinai bedouin dances. I bet there are a bunch of debkeh line dances elsewhere in Egypt too and Momo Kadous would be a person to ask about that. I think Lebanese dancers have enough on their plate with representing THEIR cultural heritage (Caracella?) with the "each village has it's own take on Debkeh"-philosophy to deal with.

Dancers, myself included, tend to approach most of the "Arab" dances from an ethnocentric Egyptian technique, culture and expression stand point. We're BAD at that, really. We have a hard time embracing Khaleegi dances as anything else with "Egyptian hip roll with chest glides and shoulder shimmies with hair flips", or even realizing that Khaleegi is kind of a condecending term in regard to the cultural and dance heritage of the countries around the Persian Gulf. (read: I am Egyptian, I only dance that stuff from over there because it's finanicially viable when so many tourists are Khaleeg - type attitude). I think we do the same with Lebanese dances too. Lebanon is still within what's considered "Arab" territory - so we just lump it all together and say 'it's based on "Arab" movement philosophy".

There is no such thing as "Arab" movement philosophy and no disrespect, to the fantastic work of hardworking movement analysts such as Mr Reda himself, but the Egyptian approach to movement is not the worldwide answer to any dances from the Arab world. Lebanese have had their own analysis process, tradition and heritage. They reflect this in their dances.

I had to watch the clip over and over again to see what it was that could be "read" as Saiidi... My Lebanese roommate back in Sweden would be proud of his hard work to beat the Egypto-phile approach to Arab movement/dances out of me back in the day if he read this! lol :)