1. From Baladi to Belly Dance in Egypt and Beyond
Chapter 12

2. Women’s dance domains Raqs baladi Raqs sharqi Belly dance “Folk dance”
Rural origins, associations
Women’s social gatherings, rituals
“preeminently Egyptian” (Saleh)
Raqs sharqi
“Oriental dance”
Professional entertainment, cabaret, films
Raqs baladi + foreign elements (Hollywood)
Urban, Cairo
Belly dance
Western/international (“Orientalism”-Said)
Offshoots: American tribal, cabaret, etc.
Draws upon many traditional styles (Egyptian, Turkish, Lebanese, etc.), plus ballet, hip-hop, modern, etc.)

3. Zaar Ritual Healing ritual
Exorcism of jinn from afflicted woman’s soul
“Old mistress” plays duff (large frame drum)
Ritual dancing may be “violent and unrestrained”
CD 4-12 – Traditional zaar rhythms (Hossam Ramzy)
||: Dum - - tek Dum - tek - :||
Tabla, mazhar (large tamb.), duff (no jingles), riqq, doholla (“bass” tabla), sagat – photos, p. 292, CD 4-14 and 4-15
Zaar ritual video

4. Zaar – Traditional to Stylized
Ritual
Modern/interpretive (Dancer: Gal Shimron)

5. Dance in Egyptian Film Samia Gamal
Great star dancer of mid-twentieth century
Cairo “media star,” like Umm Kulthum, Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab, Farid al-Atrash
Reportedly first to dance with a veil, and in heels
Countless Egyptian films, plus two 1954 Hollywood films (Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Valley of the Kings)
Professional and romantic partnership with Farid al-Atrash

6. Egyptian Media Stars of the “Golden Age”

7. “Zeina” CD 4-16 – Hossam Ramzy and ensemble
Originally composed by Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhab for 1950 film Zannouba
Ramzy version: Qanun, nay, quarter-tone accordion, tabla and other percussion, plus orchestral strings = firqa
Qanun and nay, along with ‘ud (lead inst.), violin, and riqq = takht (ensemble) (photos p. 282)
CD 1-15 “Iraqi Café,” Ahmed Mukhtar
Taqsim, heterophonic textures, rhythmic taqsim, modulations through various maqamat (sing., maqam)
Ramzy arrangement:
A B A form: Masmoudi-Zaar-Masmoudi

8. Samia Gamal dances “Zeina”
From the film Zannouba
be.com/watch?v=o uCtyxwhPRk

9. Tabla Solo (Drum Solo Dance)
CD 4-20 – Hossam Ramzy, “Belhadawa Walla Belshaawa?” (Rough or Cool?)
Rhythms (see p. 308)
Masmoudi, malfuf, fallahi, fast zaar, Saaidi
Trio of Japanese belly dancers performs “Belhadawa Walla Belshaawa?”
Dancer Sonia with tabla player Issam Houshan