The following musings appeared in my monthly e-mail newsletter a couple of months ago. I thought I would re-post here, since all of this relates to a discussion I was having with students this evening, and I was FAR more eloquent and coherent two months ago than I was tonight...I swear I could barely bang two brain cells together this evening...sigh. ----------------------------------- There are certain core aesthetic and technical elements that, taken together, set Egyptian raqs sharqi apart from other dance forms. The dances internal focus and internalized energy, the intrinsic connection between the dance and Arabic music, the origin of most of the dances movements in the dancers core, and the seamless, organic integration of movements - these are some of the characteristics that make the dance what it is and unite all performers of the art. Yet, beyond these core elements, a broad range of personal expression and creativity is possible. In fact, one of the defining aspects of Egyptian raqs sharqi is the importance it places on individual style and expression. This is a feature that raqs sharqi shares with many other Arabic art forms - particularly Arabic music. Here are some examples showcasing the individualism of Egyptian raqs sharqi. In each set of clips, compare how very differently the song is expressed - not only by the dancer, but by the musicians as well! Dancing to Tahtil Shubbak Dina - youtube/watch?v=Dcmj4lusvnE Fifi Abdo - youtube/watch?v=ZqwglOxDpH0 Dancing to Alf Leyla Wa Leyla Aziza of Cairo - youtube/watch?v=xs0aelIkAIU Lucy - youtube/watch?v=NT1ftnyxKMQ Dancing to Lissa Fakir Lucy - youtube/watch?v=L91GJqgtnAk Suhair Zaki - youtube/watch?v=P74RIHkv7y8
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 03:34:28 +0000
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