Thread: sword dancing

Who does it? Any good youtube videos?
exercises for floor work? Videos?

I need to build strength and flexibility...I realize this. But just curious if there's anything special you do.

Any advice is welcome?

I do some sword work. Here's a great U-tube video of another dancer. I don't know her, but the video is good:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pcxPo4xo9g]YouTube - Sabine in Shasta[/ame]

Here is my own version to the same song:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-3szxC8LQQ]YouTube - Shahla Solo: Mirage 2007[/ame]

There are some instructional DVDs on sword out there, if you're in the market for that kind of thing. Although I'm not much of a sword dancer, I wouldn't mind developing better skill (read: not be embarassed to do when someone can see me) at it some day, so for now I practise occasionally with Princess Farhana's "Belly Dance and Balance," which covers the basics of sword and also shamadan.

Hey look, I got my second star!

we do a lot of sword, and from what some have told me, we use more body parts, not just the head.
we are known for our "head pop",on the floor. that gets the sword to our tummy's, then role the sword.
z

sabine is one of the best i have seen. there is another youtube of her with her troupe tribalation (not sure if it's spelled right) at tribal fest that is great. (not sure how to put a youtube here, but it pops up on youtube if you put in sabine's name. oh yeah, and there is already one on the bhuz home page under videos!)

cool thanks! zamora- do you have any videos on youtube?

I prefer to wear a scarf or cap or something on my head. I have a pointy head and super thin, ultra fine hair that doesn't provide much padding! I can balance with a bare head, I just prefer not to.
Some people like to scuff up the "sweet spot" on the blade, or paint it with rubber cement or nail polish.
Choose a sword that is already balanced. An unbalanced sword sitting at a garage sale make be cheap and look wicked, but it may also be impossible to adjust it to balance for dancing. An inexpensive balanced sword is fine, for years my favorite sword was a simple $20 saber from a flea market.

Regarding sword dances and Arab audiences, I just had a sword epiphany last night! I just saw "A Glass and a Cigarette" (Sigarah wa Kas) last night, with Samia Gamal, Dalida, and the singer Kouka.

Kouka is known for singing old Bedouin-themed songs (about star-crossed lovers, etc.). In one of such songs, she starts doing a little dance with a sword (emphasis on little). I thought it was interesting as, though the sword is not a traditional part of Egyptian belly dance per say, the clip does show that the sword can be used effectively with traditional Arabic music.

I think you could get some ideas from watching Bedouin and Bedouin-inspired dances with swords (like in Saudi Arabia and the like). A DC dancer does sword dances to khaliji music that works very well with Arab audiences: she mixes some the same floorwork you would do in a shamadan routine with Bedouin-inspired things as well as standard American sword moves. The possibilities are endless!

Has anyone heard of a womens' sword dance in Algeria? Someone told me about this being traditional, and I just wanted to know if anyone else had heard this or knows anything else about it?

If you ever get a chance to see Sabine do her double sword dance, do it! Her performance is absolutely breath-taking ~ seriously, my pulse was about 180 by the time she was done. I'd love to take a workshop with her. Her troupe. Tribalation, is based in Eugene, Oregon.

Originally Posted by kamilia

Has anyone heard of a womens' sword dance in Algeria? Someone told me about this being traditional, and I just wanted to know if anyone else had heard this or knows anything else about it?

My understanding is that one of the origins of sword dance are the Tuareg, a Saharan tribe that lived in Mauritania/Mali and possibly southern Algeria.

One of my favorite sword dances is by Shabnam. I have never seen her perform live but this video on youtube is great. It's a bit more cabaret than tribal.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBeMvBy-v-I]YouTube - shabnam sword dance[/ame]

I *so* love said head pop. I am also so terrified of bruising myself with my sword, that I will not try it. Maybe someday. I am such a wuss.

Originally Posted by zamora

we do a lot of sword, and from what some have told me, we use more body parts, not just the head.
we are known for our "head pop",on the floor. that gets the sword to our tummy's, then role the sword.
z

Back on topic: Thumbs up for the Zamora DVD!! Don't know much is there on youtube.

For training: before my last sword dance I did more swats with light weights, to build up the leg muscles for sword with floorwork.

For keeping sword on head: candle wax on the balance point helped me a bit, but now I am going "naked sword" with no extras. Several people have recommended using surfboard wax on the balance point.

......

There is a page of sword tips and tricks on my web site at Belly Dance Advice, Tips, How-To's . There is also a copy (for inspiration) of the Gerome painting at Belly Dancing In Poetry and Art

a "head pop"???
I have never seen that one done before...
is it in any of the U-tube videos you know of?

thanks everyone! I hope to start playing around tomorrow...I can't get on myspace from work, so I'll check it out then!

by the way... my man bought me a sword for christmas and it seems to have pretty good balance. Thanks for the advice on choosing one...tho I already have one!

oops

I have tried the head pop a few times - dropping the sword on my belly from my head. OOUUCCH!! I mean really, really ouch. It hurt! Cory Z, how do you guys do it? I was practicing witha local dancer, and she can do it really good - but when I did it, it hurt, and although I believe I have really strong abs I had a hard time moving the sword up and down or rolling it. I wanted to believe that it was just too heavy, but she did it with the same one with no problems.

I'd love to do this move, but maybe it's just not for me. Do you have any advice?

Great topic.

These are my fav videos. Sword dancing is one of my favorites, although I haven't learned yet.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cUBOCTUUiI]YouTube - Isidora Bushkovski - Sword Dance[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJWdPAGWOf8]YouTube - Sword Bellydance[/ame]

Originally Posted by Marianna

I have tried the head pop a few times - dropping the sword on my belly from my head. OOUUCCH!! I mean really, really ouch. It hurt! Cory Z, how do you guys do it? I was practicing witha local dancer, and she can do it really good - but when I did it, it hurt, and although I believe I have really strong abs I had a hard time moving the sword up and down or rolling it. I wanted to believe that it was just too heavy, but she did it with the same one with no problems.

I'd love to do this move, but maybe it's just not for me. Do you have any advice?

From what you said, I'm guessing that you've developed really strong abs from doing crunches and other gym exercises. Your problem may be that you need to learn how to RELAX those abs, rather than holding them tight all the time. Have you tried relaxing them before doing the pop, so that the sword lands on softness rather than on a rigid surface?

Can you do stomach rolls standing up, WITHOUT a sword on your stomach?

This one's not belly dance, but GORGEOUS

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUdkQQQnOXA&feature=related]YouTube - Yoonjakyung's two-swords dance, korean martial art[/ame]

A friend of mine recently did a lovely sword dance, and she put her clip on YouTube. I think she did a great job with it, and maybe it'll give you some ideas. Enjoy!

(For some reason, you have to click the title to get it to work)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw_cNT24CbY]YouTube - Ameera - Sword Dance[/ame]

hi, sorry it took me awhile to get back here.
i have no sword on youtube, .i have veil, floor, drum, and i forgot, lol...my producer put them up.
my sword has a blade, was made in india, have used it since early 70's, .make sure you lift your torso to catch the sword below the ribs, then roll it down.
z

Shira, I think most of my ab-exercises came from belly dancing, crunches.... and a lot of sucking it in for over 20 years! (I guess when you're chubby growing up it becomes an automatic thing) :)
I can relax the muscles, but I think I'm afraid - my sword is very very heavy, and I feel like I have to brace myself and tighten my belly. But I will try to do it relaxed.
I can do belly rolls real well standing up (both directions), as well as laying down, but it's a little harder.