Thread: I'm looking for some inspiration, please share your favorite Saidi and Assaya video clips!

Hi,
I'm just looking for a variety of inspiration for a saidi number. I'd love it if ya'll share your favorite clips, old or new with canes or without canes, groups or solos, one or two sticks, male or female. Whatever makes you the happiest. <3 And thank you in advance.

Beautiful dancing. Unfortunately, the video quality makes it feel like it's missing a voiceover from Sgt. Joe Friday explaining the dangers of taking LSD.



Classic film scene with Souheir:



This is a little more stick juggling than you'd normally see in the women's style, but if you're into that sort of thing...



NEVER BALANCE THE CANE ON YOUR HEAD. CANE IS NOT A BALANCING PROP. Okay, who forgot to cc: this dude on the memo?

I'm partial to Tamra Henna, so smooth and I like the song, too (I mean the song in this video, I like the Tamra Henna song, too, but that's another story):

This one of Orits has been in my favorites for a long time.

An oldie but a goodie.


Assaya specifically from 2:50 to 4:10:

These are all great! Thank you.

I'm not usually a big fan of Saida's style, but I adore her saidi piece from the BDSS solos at monte carlo video!

I LOVE this guy!

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

NEVER BALANCE THE CANE ON YOUR HEAD. CANE IS NOT A BALANCING PROP.

Whoops! I guess I am out of the club. Balance a cane everytime I perform with one. Balance any prop I can: Cane, sword, candle, cake, yardstick . . .


It's my one talent. (shrugs)

Here are my biggest inspirations
Aziza of Cairo-love this

Camellia

I also love Randa

And Luna

I love this clip of Vanessa!

I like this one...

and love the costumes on this one:

Can't believe I didn't post this one yet. My local favorite, Angela Prato. I love the men's gallabeya look. Where can I get one??

Couple of my favorites (in addition to many that have already been posted!)

Hala:


Orit:

Originally Posted by AnalaVA

Whoops! I guess I am out of the club. Balance a cane everytime I perform with one. Balance any prop I can: Cane, sword, candle, cake, yardstick . . .


It's my one talent. (shrugs)

Not the only one who missed the memo- someone should inform Aunt Rocky (but it sure as h*** ain't gonna be me!)

Originally Posted by Lara L

Not the only one who missed the memo- someone should inform Aunt Rocky (but it sure as h*** ain't gonna be me!)

Well, guess Rocky and I will start our own club! ;)

Originally Posted by AnalaVA

Well, guess Rocky and I will start our own club! ;)

Count me in! I also balance it on my shoulder when i spin and Rocky can get it to spin on her head too. I've only pulled that off a couple times. Who comes up with these taboos? I'd never heard this particular ban.

This is one of those things--dancers are either adamant that the cane should never be balanced or they don't think it's a problem. I try to limit my information to teachers who are regarded as accurate sources or natives, and I've heard both groups promoting both possibilities. Reasons for not balancing have ranged from "It looks silly. If you think of cane as referencing tahtib, you wouldn't park your weapon on your head in the middle of a duel." to "It looks low class, especially balancing your cane on your bust." to "Those are nightclubby, show-off moves that belong with sword, not folkloric assaya." I think that clip of the guy upthread is the first example I have seen of a native of either gender in a traditional setting balancing on the head or the shoulder. I don't recall ever seeing a native balance on the hip. (Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, I just haven't come across it.) I think some Egyptian guys do balance on the top of the foot, especially if they are doing long single-leg turning or traveling sequences. Personally, I figure everybody agrees it's appropriate to do moves that don't involve balancing, so that's always safe, but YMMV on whether you're going to run into an audience member who finds it inappropriate to balance.

Originally Posted by Lara L

Who comes up with these taboos? I'd never heard this particular ban.

They start the same way they always do. Sometimes it's difficult as foreigners to tell the difference between an expert's personal preference and a cultural norm, and sometimes our own preferences skew our data.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

. . . and sometimes our own preferences skew our data.

I will agree with you on that.

I have seen plenty of Cairo dancers balancing the stick. Fifi does the trick where she hooks the stick crook end into her bra. Aziza in the clip I posted balances it on her bust. I've seen it balenced on the the dancers bottom. I've seen it played like a violin. In the Cairo nightclub show the dancer isn't doing strict folklore tahtib she is doing entertainment - her style.

Originally Posted by Candi

I have seen plenty of Cairo dancers balancing the stick. Fifi does the trick where she hooks the stick crook end into her bra. Aziza in the clip I posted balances it on her bust. I've seen it balenced on the the dancers bottom.

No doubt, we can assume these are examples of when it is possible to have equally authentic but contradicting opinions from natives. The people who think Sahar Hamdi was the greatest dancer to "get" the importance of entertaining a crowd probably think putting a cane across your butt or down your bra is amusing, and the people who think Soheir Zaki was the only dancer who wasn't skanky probably find it appalling. Which one gets to claim the honor of being the "real" Egyptian opinion?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Unfortunately, the video quality makes it feel like it's missing a voiceover from Sgt. Joe Friday explaining the dangers of taking LSD.

A couple more!


I love this one of Fifi. Does anyone know the name of the song and where I can get it?

Azziza Salem does a double cane routine around 11:40.