Snake Arms?

Sita

Sita

New member
Hi all
I have been wondering where does this move (snake arms) originate from?
For many people (mainly I think non-belly dancers) this move is recognised and greatly assosiated with belly dance - almost to the point that one could claim that to some it is part of a sterotype movement/image of the dance (at least this has been my experience). However I have hardly ever seen this move used by professional belly dancers and never (I think) by an Egyptian dancer in fact it seems to go against the idea of framing the body with the arms, or expressing the emotion of the music....
Anyway just curious as to where it comes from...

Sita
 
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Sita

Sita

New member
Salome said:
I've seen many a Lebanese dancer use undulating arms or 'snake arms'.
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Thanks that helps - it also shows that Lebanese is still a big gap in my knowledge. :)

BTW I don't by any means want to sugest that it's never used just that I can't say I've seen it much in my experience (which granted is limited) compared to how much people have related the move to bellydance in my prescence. So I wondered if it was a theatrical invention, Amcab or a universal move, etc. So anyone please re-educate or correct me if I'm way off mark or wrong here :)

Sita
 
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Sita

Sita

New member
I've just found a clip of the move I mean if that helps:


Prehaps I'm used to or have been introduced to an exaggerated form that would leave me to miss it performed subtley :think::confused: I know I've seen Didem use it

Sita
 
Salome

Salome

Administrator
I've not really seen the large sweeping arm undulation that you see in American Oriental done by Lebanese dancers. The execution seems to sit more level.
 
Moon

Moon

New member
I've seen some Egyptian dancers do a movement that looks a bit like it, but they do it for a much shorter time and keep it very small. If I find the specific video again I'll post it here.
 
Aisha Azar

Aisha Azar

New member
Arm undulations

Dear Sita,
I hate that sometimes the movement is called "snake arms". I think it is far more accurate to refer to the movement as an undulation. Egyptians do a very small, very subtle variations of this movement quite often. Dancers to look for are Lucy, Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioca, I believe Randa and Dina as well, Mouna occasionally. There may be others, but right now my mind is a blank.I tell my Egyptian style students to think about seaweed floating on a very subtle wave as opposed to the big, wavy undulations you see in American Oriental style. I agree with Moon about that.
Now, this does not mean that no Egyptian EVER did a huge arm undulation,but that it is not typical of the style.
(I do use it as a warm-up exercise.)
Regards,
A'isha
 
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Moon

Moon

New member
I think here, this could be seen as some kind of tiny snake arms (or undulation) at 3.05 for example.

 
Sita

Sita

New member
Thank you all for clearing this up for me. I agree A'isha that an undulation is a better description. I think I've been expecting to see it as these big wavy American Oriental style movements rather than as a subtle and more refined form. Arms have always been my weakness in dance - I'm not as at ease, fluid or as open with them as I need to be particularly (which can create a guard and a barrier in my dance emotionally) when compared to the rest of my body -perhaps using the undulations as a warm-up would help me :think:
Thanks Moon for the clip it helped clear it up for me also it's always interesting to see the shapes dancers like Samia Gamal make with their body and arms.
Jane - :lol::dance::clap:

Sita
 
Aisha Azar

Aisha Azar

New member
Arms

Sita said:
Thank you all for clearing this up for me. I agree A'isha that an undulation is a better description. I think I've been expecting to see it as these big wavy American Oriental style movements rather than as a subtle and more refined form. Arms have always been my weakness in dance - I'm not as at ease, fluid or as open with them as I need to be particularly (which can create a guard and a barrier in my dance emotionally) when compared to the rest of my body -perhaps using the undulations as a warm-up would help me :think:
Thanks Moon for the clip it helped clear it up for me also it's always interesting to see the shapes dancers like Samia Gamal make with their body and arms.
Jane - :lol::dance::clap:

Sita
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Dear Sita,
If you are interested specifically in learning how to use your arms in an Egyptian manner, try thinking in terms of using your arms as frames for movement more than as the focus of the dance. The arms and hands are often used to enhance and magnify movement as opposed to doing really pretty, complicated stuff. However, the dancer will occasionally want the arms or hands to be the focus of her/his dance and then she/he usually does less with the body in order to showcase arm/hand movements.
Regards,
A'isha
 
Shanazel

Shanazel

Moderator
Yeah. The older I get the more I want my hands to attract more attention than my body. Forty versions of snake arms, here I come.;)
 
Sita

Sita

New member
Aisha Azar said:
Dear Sita,
If you are interested specifically in learning how to use your arms in an Egyptian manner, try thinking in terms of using your arms as frames for movement more than as the focus of the dance. The arms and hands are often used to enhance and magnify movement as opposed to doing really pretty, complicated stuff. However, the dancer will occasionally want the arms or hands to be the focus of her/his dance and then she/he usually does less with the body in order to showcase arm/hand movements.
Regards,
A'isha
Click to expand...

Thanks A'isha I will remember this and try it out. My main issue with my arms is that when dancing I use them a little like my final defence from truly 'letting go' and expressing the emotion of the music. They can at times feel a little heavy and stilted rather than expansive and open which of course creates a barrier between me,
the music, and any audience or watcher. I can be a very guarded person and hate feeling vunerable or revealing to much of myself which is where I'm sure this steams from. As when I'm dancing alone or with family not a really a problem but in class or with strangers my arms do,I think seem a little out of place when compared to how the rest of me moves. I think it's just something I have to get over and will come slowly hopefully arms positions and warm ups that encourage my arms to be expansive and away from my chest will hopefully help me feel from comfortable and less guarded and slowly transmit fluidly into my dance.

Sita
 
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Lotus Dancer

Lotus Dancer

New member
Hee hee.

Jane said:
Snakes don't have arms :dance::lol::tongue:

-sorry couldn't resist!
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Wow that was funny!!!! Jane. I like your quick wit. You and my hubby would get along famously.

Aisha, I loved your description of 'seaweed floating over a very subtle wave', what a perfect way to describe this movement.
Thank you.
Lotus Dancer
 
karena

karena

New member
Sita said:
Thanks A'isha I will remember this and try it out. My main issue with my arms is that when dancing I use them a little like my final defence from truly 'letting go' and expressing the emotion of the music. They can at times feel a little heavy and stilted rather than expansive and open which of course creates a barrier between me,
the music, and any audience or watcher. I can be a very guarded person and hate feeling vunerable or revealing to much of myself which is where I'm sure this steams from. As when I'm dancing alone or with family not a really a problem but in class or with strangers my arms do,I think seem a little out of place when compared to how the rest of me moves. I think it's just something I have to get over and will come slowly hopefully arms positions and warm ups that encourage my arms to be expansive and away from my chest will hopefully help me feel from comfortable and less guarded and slowly transmit fluidly into my dance.

Sita
Click to expand...

Wow, that is so insightful. I will be mulling than one over for at least a week now. (In application to myself, I'm not some weird stalker :lol:). I love it when people say something that changes the way I am thinking about something.:D
 
Aniseteph

Aniseteph

New member
Wow, THE Shira....!

Back to topic I love the ripply version from the shoulders, but the other one where the arms wave up and down can look a bit cheesy. IMO. (Actually on me I ASPIRE to cheesy, rather than full of too many elbows :lol:)
 
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