My 5 Tips On Baladi Dance

In these times of isolation, one thing we can do is to dance. If you would like to know more about Baladi and how to dance it, here goes my 5 tips for you:

1. The word Baladi means “from the country”, meaning that the Baladi Dance is a traditional / rural way of dancing, it’s the pure way Egyptian people dance to enjoy themselves. Therefore, this is also the FEELING of the Dance: joyful, earthy and relaxed.

Baladi Improvisation in the show ‘The Feminine Soulf of the Orient’ in March 2019, in Sociedade Musical Capricho Setubalense in Setúbal.

2. In the Structured Baladi, also know as Ashra Baladi or Progression Baladi, the music generally starts with a Taqsim piece (an improvised solo of a melodic instrument – typically Accordion or Ney) which has an elastic and compelling sound. (Sometimes the music has an entrance piece called Tamelah before the Taqsim). In the Taqsim, the dance should be more introvert, feminine, and somewhat mysterious. The typical movements are arms/hands and hip undulations, and shimmies. The dancer should explore different speeds, perspectives and levels to make it interesting and in accordance with the music.

3. After the Taqsim, generally the darbuka enters in action in a sakat (also called “question and answer”) which sounds like a conversation between the melodic and the percussive instrument. Here the energy of the music starts growing, and the dancer performs hip and chest accents, so to be more assertive and provocative.

4. The Sakat is then proceeded by the awadi piece. This is when the rhythm Masmoudi Saghir starts sounding. Here the music becomes more relaxed and joyful, and the dancer starts moving a little bit on stage with heavy, undulating and relaxed movements, enjoying herself as well.

5. The Baladi music has a growing energy, ending in a “frenetic” drum solo piece. Typically, after the Awadi there is again the Sakat (this time faster) or Tet Sari, serving as transition for the Fellahi or the Maksoum rhythm, which prepare us for the ending. Here the dancer generally moves a lot on stage doing hip accents and shimmies (never with classical movements like chassez and turns) until the typical ending of a Baladi – Aflah.

What do you think about my tips? Would you like to learn some typical movements?