Struggling with Egyptian - Page 2

Aisha Azar · 02-25-2008, 03:05 PM

Dear Sedonia,
I do the same thing, except that I make it a class where we sit down and together choose a piece of music to listen to and then I have the students identify large segments of the music such as :
Entrance
Beledi Section
Drum solo
Fast section
Violin taxim
Etc
During each segment, we listen for and identify things like the tempos of the music, instruments that create rhythm or melody, "lown"- color of feeling of the music, what instruments predominate within the larger segments, etc.
I also use this musical identification theme with a choreographed dance that I let them create themselves, in order to better show them how music is totally related to the dance. I am there mostly to guide toward good choices if they are way off the mark, and they create the dance themselves. I also explain that I do not usually write anything down and do not formally choreograph myself, but that this is a good excersize ( how DO you spell that word?)for learning to interpret music.
Regards,
A'isha

Aziyade · 02-25-2008, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeylaLanty

Lots of good advice here from everybody. I recommend A'isha's Fundamentals DVD too - it's a GREAT way to learn the whole basis of Egyptian dancing. I'm not familiar with Yasmina Ramzy's video/dvd series, but I have seen a performance from one of them and think she's great. I recommend reading her husband's (Hossam's) articles on his web site and especially recommend Raqia Hassan's and Shareen el Safy's instructionals when you've mastered the fundamentals.

Hey Leyla,
Just FYI, Yasmina Ramzy isn't related to Hossam (at least that she's announced to anyone- LOL). Yasmina is in Canada. Hossam's wife is Serena Ramzy, and she peforms on Visual Melodies and the new Bedouin Tribal dvd.

Albertina · 02-27-2008, 08:03 PM

Thanks again, lovely ladies!

And a particular thank you to sedoniaraqs. I printed out your suggestions and I'm taking them home with me and working on them tonight.

Caroline_afifi · 03-07-2008, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeylaLanty

I'm not familiar with Yasmina Ramzy's video/dvd series, but I have seen a performance from one of them and think she's great. I recommend reading her husband's (Hossam's) articles on his web site

Yes, definately not related.
My name is caroline Afifi but i am not married to Hassan Afifi! ha ha

LeylaLanty · 03-07-2008, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aziyade

Hey Leyla,
Just FYI, Yasmina Ramzy isn't related to Hossam (at least that she's announced to anyone- LOL). Yasmina is in Canada. Hossam's wife is Serena Ramzy, and she peforms on Visual Melodies and the new Bedouin Tribal dvd.

Ooops!! Sorry for my confusion. Thanks for clearing that up!

sausanacademy · 03-09-2008, 12:07 AM

Everyone here has given great points and good advice. Maybe I can help further.

Egyptian classic/instrumental music follows a certain format. If you listen to enough of it you'll come to anticipate what comes next because of that format. You'll notice that there is "phrasing" and "sequencing" within the phrasing. You'll notice that with these elements the melodies will often repeat but ofen times with different intensities and with different instruments. You'll also notice that the phrasings will most likely be joined to other phrasings with bridges. See if you can detect these phrasings, sequences, and bridges the next time you listen to classic Egyptian dance music.

A performance piece, such as a classic piece, will often have a leader followed by a bridge of sorts and then followed by a usually fast-paced intro where the entrance is performed. At the end of the piece, often times, the entrance is usually repeated as the ending...only faster.

I teach a 7-Day Intensive Seminar that includes learning how to listen and dance to music, when to shimmy, when to undulate, when to travel, when to stay put. You'll learn where accents are, where the nuances are, where the intensity of the phrasing and sequencing is and where the traveling of the phrasing and sequencing is. You'll also learn about arm movement within the steps and standing movement. Plus, you'll learn all about the Egyptian Dance Code that is so inherent in Lucy's performance and what makes her look Egyptian in her dance.

If you visit my web site at Sausan Academy of Egyptian Dance, you will be able to see when the next Intensive is. Good luck in your endeavors.

-Sausan

Shamsa · 04-19-2008, 08:29 PM

what's the difference between classic and modern egyptian style anyways?

Amarise · 04-21-2008, 04:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albertina

I've just recently (a year ago) started studying Egyptian after a few years of dancing with a company who did something vaguely tribal and fusion-y and I'm really struggling.

I realized one day in class that I don't know how to dance to the melody. At all. We had live drummers with my old dance company so we only ever danced to the rhythm, although a lot of times we didn't even do that. We would just count out the choreography without the music and then rehearse it to whatever 4/4 rhythm the drummers played. I always had the feeling that something was missing or this was not the coolest way to do things - but I was a baby belly and didn't know any better.

So, needless to say, this whole musical interpretation/musicality thing is totally new to me. I watched the clip someone posted on the Egyptian dancers thread of Lucy from DC and I had a moment of "Yes! That's the quality that I'm searching for!"

Are there guidelines for interpreting the music? You know, do you normally do a hip drop on the dom? Do you only shimmy when there's a drum making a shimmy-like sound? Or can you shimmy whenever something is happening that seems vaguely shimmy-esque? Some parts of a song seem to almost demand a particular movement and some others leave me standing there looking lost.

Argh. It's so challenging. I'm having a blast.

I would suggest watching DVD's of dancers you admire and watching what they do at different points in the music. Without having an individual in person, it is hard to illustrate. Once you begin to get the feel of the melody, put on a classical Egyptian piece and practice dancing JUST to the melody.

Amarise

adiemus · 04-24-2008, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamsa

what's the difference between classic and modern egyptian style anyways?

I wanted to ask that too - going to put it up in another thread...

Aisha Azar · 04-28-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shamsa

what's the difference between classic and modern egyptian style anyways?

Dear Shamsa,
I would say the main difference is choice of music and costuming. The dancers are still using the same movement base and they are still coming across with the same essence. Good orchestras are still providing the dancer with a full range of musical emotive material and good dancers are still responding the same way to that stimulus. We like to pretend that the dancing has gotten more sophisticated, more based in the western "Pop-Lock" theory of dance, but I do not find this to be true among the best dancers. Dina and Randa, are in their own ways, just as lyrical and musically adept physically and emotionally as any of the dancers who came before them.
Regards,
A'isha

02-25-2008, 03:05 PM	#11 (permalink)
Aisha Azar V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 4,518	Music, etc. Dear Sedonia, I do the same thing, except that I make it a class where we sit down and together choose a piece of music to listen to and then I have the students identify large segments of the music such as : Entrance Beledi Section Drum solo Fast section Violin taxim Etc During each segment, we listen for and identify things like the tempos of the music, instruments that create rhythm or melody, "lown"- color of feeling of the music, what instruments predominate within the larger segments, etc. I also use this musical identification theme with a choreographed dance that I let them create themselves, in order to better show them how music is totally related to the dance. I am there mostly to guide toward good choices if they are way off the mark, and they create the dance themselves. I also explain that I do not usually write anything down and do not formally choreograph myself, but that this is a good excersize ( how DO you spell that word?)for learning to interpret music. Regards, A'isha

03-09-2008, 12:07 AM	#16 (permalink)
sausanacademy Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California Posts: 74	Everyone here has given great points and good advice. Maybe I can help further. Egyptian classic/instrumental music follows a certain format. If you listen to enough of it you'll come to anticipate what comes next because of that format. You'll notice that there is "phrasing" and "sequencing" within the phrasing. You'll notice that with these elements the melodies will often repeat but ofen times with different intensities and with different instruments. You'll also notice that the phrasings will most likely be joined to other phrasings with bridges. See if you can detect these phrasings, sequences, and bridges the next time you listen to classic Egyptian dance music. A performance piece, such as a classic piece, will often have a leader followed by a bridge of sorts and then followed by a usually fast-paced intro where the entrance is performed. At the end of the piece, often times, the entrance is usually repeated as the ending...only faster. I teach a 7-Day Intensive Seminar that includes learning how to listen and dance to music, when to shimmy, when to undulate, when to travel, when to stay put. You'll learn where accents are, where the nuances are, where the intensity of the phrasing and sequencing is and where the traveling of the phrasing and sequencing is. You'll also learn about arm movement within the steps and standing movement. Plus, you'll learn all about the Egyptian Dance Code that is so inherent in Lucy's performance and what makes her look Egyptian in her dance. If you visit my web site at Sausan Academy of Egyptian Dance, you will be able to see when the next Intensive is. Good luck in your endeavors. -Sausan __________________ The Pain, the Passion, the Joy; Dancing with "Nephis"

04-19-2008, 08:29 PM	#17 (permalink)
Shamsa Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: France Posts: 54	what's the difference between classic and modern egyptian style anyways? __________________ a belly dancer is a queen, and queens never go on the floor.

02-27-2008, 08:03 PM	#13 (permalink)
Albertina Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 5	Thanks again, lovely ladies! And a particular thank you to sedoniaraqs. I printed out your suggestions and I'm taking them home with me and working on them tonight.