Urban Beledi

Folk Roots:

Regional & usually rural. Dances of ordinary people - celebrations, social interaction etc

Urban Beledi Roots:

Lower Middle class urban - influenced by folk but relevant to people in cities

Nightclub/cabaret/Orientale Roots:

Developed in venues such as the Casino Opera and Egyptian film industry. Involves trained dancers; cross-fertilization with West (Russian ballet) and other ME countries

Folk - Music:

Regional - "country" instruments - drums, pipes etc. Often traditional pieces

Rhythms tend to "local" and repetitious.

Urban Beledi – Music:

Varies. ‘Modern Egyptian’ with new instruments eg quarter tone sax, accordion, organ. Influenced by western blues & jazz.

Pop may be based on traditional pieces. Often with vocals.

Rap Double entendres – sound at expense of meaning (kalaam fadi)

Rhythms simple but can include a variety of different rhythms

Orientale - Music:

Often use orchestras - and orchestration. Often western influenced. Traditional pieces tend to become "fuller" in sound.

Much layering.

No Turkish music used by dancers since 1952

Rhythms most diverse - bringing together rhythms from difference countries - dancer show her education by "correctly" interpreting the rhythm eg head tosses and skirt circling in Khaleegy

Folk – Costuming:

Fully covered - often a version of a tunic. Sometimes more specific. Cabaret versions may be flashier and less covered. Bare feet. Often heads are covered by traditional headpieces.

‘Ethnic’ jewelry often chunky

Regional; don’t mix and match eg no Tunisian wool belts with Saidi costumes

Urban Beledi – Costuming:

Tend to be covered ie dresses or gallibiya (but bare midriffs do occur). Dresses often quite tight fitting or figure shown with melaya laff. No belts or plain fabric tied around hips.

Often with shoes. Head pieces simple eg none, beledi bands or bur’a. Sophisticated but not overly cabaret jewelry

Orientale – Costuming:

Often bedleh (bra/belt/skirt) - can be traced to "fantasy" of what a dancer should look like influenced by western painters last century and movies. These days also evening dresses.

Flesh exposed controlled by musannafât (Arts Police)

Flashy jewelry

Folk – Feel:

immediate but not deeply personal emotions (except maybe trance if that fits here); eg joy of celebration

group solidarity

Urban Beledi – Feel:

expression of self - can be sassy, sexual, charming, chirpy, soulful, even painful. Never a victim.

With attitude; earthy

Orientale – Feel:

although can express pleasure there is a certain distance - this is professional entertainment

poised; elegant

Folk – Moves:

Varies depending on region but often repetitive. Some are footwork intensive; some hip work; repetitive shimmies etc

No veil work or full body undulations! (in Egyptian)

Outside Egypt often group performances

Traditional choreography or improvised within a traditional framework

Urban Beledi – Moves:

Often centered not elaborate; emphasis on hip work; hands & arms plain. Sometimes gestures follow or expand words of song.

Hip work between folk and oriental

Solo performances.

often improvised

Orientale – Moves:

Often on balls of feet; larger variety of moves; elaborate arms and use of space. Borrows from other countries – both in ME (eg Khaleegy), India (head slides, snake arms), and the West (arabesques, pirouettes).

soloist; group sometimes or chorus supporting star soloist

Entrances & Exits usually choreographed (sometimes down to jokes and adjusting costume!); but also improvisation