BALADI - What is it?
Baladi is an Egyptian term which translated means 'of the country'.
And Baladi dance, in Egypt, would mean a style based on Saidi or folkloric technique - grounded and earthy with the focus on the hips. Also, in my view it is also important to reflect the values of the Baladi culture - as it is when using any term from another person's culture - and again in this instance that ranges from costuming to rapport with audience and musicians.
And again - understanding the music enough to improvise and be spontaneous in the dance.
Many western dancers don't realise in Egypt there us, more often than not, a distinction drawn between cabaret/bellydance and folkloric dance.
But the meaning has been distorted by western dancers, and become a hashtag publicity distortion. So google Baladi now and you'll find all sorts of dance clips which are bellydance, and many of which would not be considered Baladi in the Arabic world.
And as with many dances which have their roots in folkloric tradition, the question is how you present it and still remain true to the essence of the dance. Once you go into perfromance territory, it's the intention behind the dance that relates to the question - what is it?
In both my teaching and performing I combine an understanding of the "Egyptian"-ness, developed over many years of travel and work in the country, plus an understanding of the music. I first worked with a live band in Finand i 200? and was I think the first dancer to programme a project for students to learn with live music. Called The Baladi Performance Project, it started in 200 ? and culminated in a show with the students and the Baladi Blues Band in York.
In my Baladi series of workshops we'll be exploring ...
* technique
* the musical structure of baladi
* interpreting the music
* development of the dance in Egypt
* the legacy of past dancers
baladi - real or fake
baladi - making the music visible
baladi spirit, baladi soul
Baladi is an Egyptian term which translated means 'of the country'.
And Baladi dance, in Egypt, would mean a style based on Saidi or folkloric technique - grounded and earthy with the focus on the hips. Also, in my view it is also important to reflect the values of the Baladi culture - as it is when using any term from another person's culture - and again in this instance that ranges from costuming to rapport with audience and musicians.
And again - understanding the music enough to improvise and be spontaneous in the dance.
Many western dancers don't realise in Egypt there us, more often than not, a distinction drawn between cabaret/bellydance and folkloric dance.
But the meaning has been distorted by western dancers, and become a hashtag publicity distortion. So google Baladi now and you'll find all sorts of dance clips which are bellydance, and many of which would not be considered Baladi in the Arabic world.
And as with many dances which have their roots in folkloric tradition, the question is how you present it and still remain true to the essence of the dance. Once you go into perfromance territory, it's the intention behind the dance that relates to the question - what is it?
In both my teaching and performing I combine an understanding of the "Egyptian"-ness, developed over many years of travel and work in the country, plus an understanding of the music. I first worked with a live band in Finand i 200? and was I think the first dancer to programme a project for students to learn with live music. Called The Baladi Performance Project, it started in 200 ? and culminated in a show with the students and the Baladi Blues Band in York.
In my Baladi series of workshops we'll be exploring ...
* technique
* the musical structure of baladi
* interpreting the music
* development of the dance in Egypt
* the legacy of past dancers
baladi - real or fake
baladi - making the music visible
baladi spirit, baladi soul
With Guy Schalom's Baladi Blues Band...
Footage of Jane performing with Guy Schalom's Baladi Blues Band, St Ethelburga's, London March 2010
altana - Baladi Music from Egypt - Ibraham el Minyawi. Mostafa Sax, Mohamed Hassan (Tanzraum)Spirit of the Heart - Suraya Hilal and her Cairo Balad Ensemble (Hilal Art)
Egyptian Street Music - Baladi Blues Ensemble 1 (Ethnographic)
Dinga Dinga - Ruh Al Fuad (Tanzraum)
hmed Adawia (especially the track Bint Al Sultan)
Ahmed Fouad Hassan
Farook Salama
Hassan Abou El Seoud (especially album Magic of the Orient)
Cairo Plus - Samir Surour & Souher Zaki (Hollywood Music Center)
Hayati - Mostafa Sax (Arc Music)
Old Bellydance compilations which feature good Baladi music:
Doky Ya Mazika (EMI Music Arabic)
Belly Dances from the Middle East Vol 2 (Sonodisc
Egyptian Street Music - Baladi Blues Ensemble 1 (Ethnographic)
Dinga Dinga - Ruh Al Fuad (Tanzraum)
hmed Adawia (especially the track Bint Al Sultan)
Ahmed Fouad Hassan
Farook Salama
Hassan Abou El Seoud (especially album Magic of the Orient)
Cairo Plus - Samir Surour & Souher Zaki (Hollywood Music Center)
Hayati - Mostafa Sax (Arc Music)
Old Bellydance compilations which feature good Baladi music:
Doky Ya Mazika (EMI Music Arabic)
Belly Dances from the Middle East Vol 2 (Sonodisc