Maria_Aya

Because of the massiveness of history of contaimporaine Egyptian dance, that even if we all agree that have a life of just 100 or even less years cant even compaire with the KNOWN history of the other styles.

I'l explain:

Lebanese dance: what we know about this style?
The today dancer knows mostly the Lebanese dancers from the last 10 years of LBC shows. From the people that KNOW lebanese these forms of dance are not considered authentic lebanese but a mish-mash of sexual/tv promotion for mostly Saudi clients.
Kind of earlier dancers as Samara (who is Iraqi) and Amani (Lebanese) are the ones to study for. (Samara is in jail actualy now as accused "kidnaping" her son and getting out of Lebanon (bad divorce case)).
Nadia Gamal was actualy greek-egyptian even if in the mind of most of us (and yes indeed) she is the epitomy of older Lebanese style.
Before her what we have to study as footage?
Styles? Beduine Lebanese and Dabke (personal dont know more, i would love to explore it).

Turkish style:
Beside the today turkish dancers that actual all turks complain that they dont dance turkish style but a mix of turkish/arabic/jazz we have the unbeatable Nesrin Top Kapi to study for Oryental Tanzu, and Selma Yildiz for more oldish styles and a type of Romani Havasi.
As styles there are Oryental Tanzu, Ottoman (who really knows how it was as we dont have footage?) and types of Romani Havasi. Karsilama and Zeybek are more folk dances.

American Cabaret style:
Pls correct me and inform me more if I have it wrong.
Started evolving after the Rain Fare back 100 years ago.
Have a big history in States with many different formats but the Am Cab routine for dancing is one, even if each dancer had her/his different.
Sword, Veil / Double veil, great Cymbal Playing and more, and its evolving.

Egypt:
Where to start from???????????
For me mastering means this:
Learn the bellydance styles that we can learn today from the thousends of footage that exist, and from teachers that still live and can pass bits of their knowledge.
At least the way I feel it and think of it, for someone to know and dance Egyptian dance have to know various styles of Egyptian that are connected with egyptian bellydance style:
Awalim style (Mohamed Ali's street 30's style)
Ghawazee
Saidi with and without assaya, from the raw style of the Saidi's, to the refined reda style
Golden era style studying the dancers of that Era
60's style
80's style
the last 15 years Cairo modern style.
Each style have 70 % different movement vocabulary than the others and way to approach the music and the dance.
We are speaking about more than 60 dancers that each one of them needs years to study them.
To have the knowledge in ear, in mind, in culture to respond to the music as a native (if possible) to the taqasims of the ney, accordeon, kanoon, saxophone. To react to the drum's in a physical/mental and not teqnical way.
To be able to understand full the egyptian rythms (basic rythms more than 10, not getting into more up to 80 for egypt only)
To know and recognize the styles at least:
Simsimaya, Melaya Leyf, Sha'aby, and more.
Reda style is a whole different story but someone even if dont practice it have to know about it.
To have studied egyptian music not to play it but know what is what and who is who, songs, composers what they meant for their era and the egyptians.
To be able to sense the uniqness of Oum Kolthoum and what this woman meant for all the arab world and more for the egyptians.
To know how the egyptian audience react to specific dance gestures and what make them wrong or correct to use them.
To know even the last sylabus of our lyrics and what they mean (dont even getting into the subject we have to know at least basic arabic).
A style of dance that is sooooooooo connected with the culture that we have to know it.
Its not about studying with a teacher egyptian style, you got to feel/sense like an egyptian to do it correct. There is no imitation here, no teqnick needed, the most beautiful egyptian dancers are in the people and have no teqnick but you see them and cry.
Thats why for me its not even comparable in difficulty of mastering with other styles.
And many times I wish i had never met this style cause now i just dont have life out of it. And feel that one life is not enough to capture the beauty of this dance form. I feel that I just have done the first step in this huge Avenue and I dont even see the end of it. Dont know still what this road have to give. Everyday speaking with natives, at forums, at my trips at Egypt I discover more and more mysteries...
Just my opinion

Maria Aya

p.s. funny greek saying:
You cant fit 2 watermelons under one armpit lol (and not even one manytimes lol)

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