All the content on this page is for you - scroll through and familiarize yourself with it.

Resources for you:

Places to buy practice wear for class & hip scarves

Belly dance movement vocabulary guide

Picking a belly dance name

Becoming a well rounded dancer - Belly Dance Checklist

 

Homework for week one:

• Practice the steps covered in class.
  
  
• Read "A little background on Oriental Dance (aka belly dance)" including "The Origins of our Modern Style Costuming" and "A Brief History of Oriental Dance" by Salome
  
  
• Memorize your Arabic words of the week (posted below): Raqs Sharqi, Habibi, Iowa, Yalla, Hallas
  
  
• Fill out the Student Questionaire, if you haven't already, and bring it to class.
  
  
• Optional:
  - for Intro to Belly Dance - Reread the lyrics for Shatti Ya Duniya (posted below) sung by Fairouz of Lebanon and the documentary I suggested was all in Arabic (oops!) so if you are interested in learning more about Fairouz here is an article about her life and here is a youtube link to a few of my favorite Fairouz songs.
  - for Technique & Musicality - Reread the lyrics for Khalek Faker, think about their meaning and how that could be related through movement and expression.

 

Homework for week two:

• Practice the steps covered in class.
  
  
• Read "Different Styles of Oriental Dance" and watch some of the associated YouTube clips. Choose at least one dancer you liked and tell me his or her name next week and the style of dance he or she performed.
  
  
• Memorize the basic Masmoudi Saghir (Beledi) rhythm, so you can speak it and play it with your hip - Dum is down, Tek is up.
  
  
• Memorize your Arabic words of the week: Ahlan, 'Albi, Beledi, Tabla, Imshee
• Optional:
  Read a little more about the Tabla on wikipedia and watch you tube clips of master Tabla players Seido Salifoski and Souhail Kaspar. Consider attending upcoming workshops and performances for belly dancers in the DC area featuring these two amazing Tabla players: Souhail & Rachid & Herdeljezi Festival with Seido & more.)

 

Homework for week three:

• Practice the steps covered in class.
  
  
• Read "Learning the Language of Belly Dance" by yours truly. Think about where you are personally in your learning. Find a favorite peice of poetry or prose, not necessarily dance related, and think about it as a dance.
  
  
• Revisit the basic Masmoudi Saghir (Beledi) rhythm, speak it and play it with your hip - Dum is down, Tek is up.
  
  
• Memorize your Arabic words of the week: Zagareet, Hafla, Wahid, Ethnin, Thalatha, Arba

 

Homework for week five

• Practice the steps covered in class.
  
  
• Because all styles of belly dance are very connected to the music, now is a good time to learn a little about Arabic music. Take some time to familiarize yourself with some common Arabic instruments, many of these same instruments are used in Turkish, Persian and other Middle Eastern music
  - here is a good place to start: http://www.zawaya.org/aswatmusic.html
  - For a more extensive list of instruments I recommend looking here: http://www.al-bab.com/arab/music/instruments.htm
  - Take some time to look at these youtube videos of some of these instruments:
  kanoun
  oud - performance by the very famous Egyptian singer, actor and musician Farid El Atrache
  ney
  tabla, darbuka or dumbek - by the incredible Seido Salifoski
  tabl baladi
  riq
  rebab
  mizmar
  buzuq
  kaman aka violin
  bendir, duff or tar - by the talented Karim Nagi
  sagat or zills - by the talented Karim Nagi
  mihbaj or coffe grinder, 2nd mihbaj clip
  
  

 

Rhythms to be introduced this session:

Masmoudi Saghir (Beledi), Saidi, Maqsum, Malfuf, Chiftitelli
The 'D' represents the heavy Dum sound made on the tabla (drum) with the hand more towards the center of the drum. The 'T' represents a strongly accented Tek sound made by striking the tabla near the edge. The small 't' and 'k' represent the quieter tek and ka sounds made by striking the tabla near the edge.

Masmoudi Saghir (Beledi) is a 4 beat rhythm. You will often hear it as part of the Egyptian Beledi Taksim musical construct. "Saghir" means "little" in Arabic. So this is the little masmoudi.

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|  
D-D-__T-D-__T-__| basic form  
D-D-tkT-D-tkT-tk| filled  

Saidi is a 4 beat rhythm. Common in the Said region of Egypt also known as Upper Egypt which is in the South. You will also hear the Saidi rhythm as the base rhythm for most Arabic pop songs.

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|  
D-T-__D-D-__T-__| basic form
D-T-tkD-D-tkT-tk| filled

Maqsum is a 4 beat rhythm. This is heavily used in classical Arabic music and classic Oriental Dance routines.

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-|  
D-T-__T-D-__T-__| basic form  
D-T-kkT-D-kkT-kk| filled

Malfuf is a 2 beat rhythm. It is often used in entrance and exit music for Egyptian Oriental dance routines.

1-+-2-+-|  
D--T--T-| basic 
D-kT-kT-| filled 

Chiftitelli is an 8 beat rhythm. It is a Turkish or Greek rhythm used for slow portions of the dance. A very similar rhythm to this is the Arabic rhythm Wahda Kebir.

1-+-2-+-3-+-4-+-5-+-6-+-7-+-8-+-|  
D---__T---__T---D---D---T---____| basic
D-tkt-T-tkD-T-tkD---D---Tktkt---| filled

 

For further help with understanding rhythms online I recommend:

Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythms FAQ

Basic Rhythms for Cabaret Belly Dance Routine By Mary Ellen Donald

I also highly recommend you invest in a rhythm CD to practice with and to help you learn your rhtyms. The greats of Arabic dance are all rhythm driven and play all these intricate rhythms with their bodies. So they are vital to know, if not by name, then at least by hip. There are several good CDs available:

• The Dancing Drum by Issam - 14 Arabic rhythms & 3 nice drum solos by the drummer for the Belly Dance Super Stars
• Jalilah's Raks Sharki 4 - 23 Arabic rhythms & examples of them in classic songs.
• Uncle Mafufo's 25 Essential Rhythms - 25 common belly dance rhythms including Arabic, Turkish, Greek, Armenian and Pakistani rhythms. He speaks the rhythm, then plays it.
• Nourhan Sharif Presents Arabic Rhythms Volumes 1(Wahid),2(Eitneen),3(Talata) and Rhythms from Around the Arab World - a series of CDs full of a variety of Arabic Rhythms. There is introductory information about each rhythm. Each CD has 8-10 rhythms and 2 drum solos.
• Souhail Kaspar's Awzan: Arab Rhythmic Modes - good variety of Arabic Rhythms some with other instruments as accompaniment.
  

 

Arabic:

week 1 vocabulary:

Raqs Sharqi - Raqs means dance, Sharqi means Eastern or Oriental, together Oriental Dance

Habibi - Sweetheart

Iowa - yes

Yalla - go with God or let's go

Hallas - it is finished or stop

 

week 2 vocabulary:

Ahlan - Hello

'Albi (or qalbi) - my heart

Beledi - of the people, in dance it also refers to the dance of the common people, in American belly dance it also sometimes used to refer to the rhythm masmoudi saghir.

Tabla - a goblet shaped drum commonly used in middle eastern music, also called dumbek, darabukka , derbocka, and dumbelek. See a photo and more detailed description on the wikipedia and see it being played masterfully by Seido Salifoski and Souhail Kaspar. (They both come fairly regularly to this area to teach workshops which I can't recommend highly enough. See details on upcoming events that if you can attend you really must! They will be awesome: Souhail & Rachid & Herdeljezi Festival with Seido & more.)

Imshee - get going, get lost, move along, take a walk (In general a good way to tell a guy to bug off! I'll get you a more exact translation, but this gives you the idea.)

 

week 3 vocabulary:

zaghareet - a high pitched ulation used as both a cry for celebration and a battle cry (about 20 seconds into this clip with Souhair Zaki dancing at a wedding you'll hear one also at about 2 minutes in. I let you know if I find a better clip.)

hafla - party

wahid - one

ethnin - two

thalatha - three

arba - four

 

When you learn the dance of a culture it is good to understand the language of the songs you'll be dancing to. Most belly dancers aren't fluent, but many have a good working knowlege of what I'd call "belly dancer Arabic" that consists of many common words and phrases in song lyrics as well as rhythms, instruments and basic tourist talk. If you are interested in expanding your Arabic for dance learning, I recommend focusing on Egyptian Colloquial Arabic. Here are some resources for you:

Arabic Lyric Translations - the best Lyric translation site on the web and I have additional links to lyric translation sites here.

Egyptian Arabic Dialect Course - online lessons in Egyptian Arabic.

Pimsleur Egyptian Arabic CDs - I have the level one and I find them very helpful.

week 1 songs:

I will post lyrics here each week for the songs we work on in class.

For Intro to Belly Dance - This week's is Shatti Ya Duniya off of Pangia's Vol. 3 CD. Also found on Fairouz's CD "To Assy"

Shatti Ya Duniya
composed by the Rahbani Brothers & recorded by Fairuz

"This is a Lebanese debke and I've had it in my file for fifteen years," writes Linda. "I have no idea where I got it."

Shatta ya duniye ta zeed
Mawzimna yehla
Tedfug my wa zari jdeed
Mhaglinta ya 'ala

Rain in abundance
So that cour crop will get sweet
Let the water rise for more crops
And so that our field will grow,

Khilly 'a inek 'a dar
'a syaj illi killu zirar
Bukra shat wiye but ruh
Wa mniltaga bi anwar
Yahla 'id wa dhawy 'id wa nizra
Wa nlim 'anaquid

Keep watch over our house
And on the roses covered with buds
Tomorrow winter will be gone
And we'll meet in spring
Holidays come and go and we
Plant and pick grapes

Wa nturny wa la tibya tfie
Tisrikny wahdi 'a mtul
Jam'a tilek hurz i zhoor,
Yazmin, u mantur u fill
Zihr byed u galb i byed
Ya khawfi laqeek ab'id
Ruh unzur arth mwa'id

Wait for me and don't leave
Me alone looking for you
I picked you a bouquet of flowers
Jazmine, snapdragons and gardenias
With flowers in one hand
My heart in the other
I fear of finding you far away

<the last arabic paragraph is missing from the translation I found>

Wait for me in the windy plain
Where the grapes are nearly ripe
Hide me in the shade of your eyes
My love for you torments me
Tell me again and again
Where we will meat at our special place

 

For Technique and Musicality - Khalek Faker by Egyptian Artist Baha Sulton on his Kan Zaman album available from Maqam.com. Here is the site I got the translation from Arabic Song Lyrics and Transaltions.

Khalek Faker - Baha Sultan
May You Remember - Baha Sultan  - written out so you can follow along

 

Khaleek faker ina maak ana doo' tee elmor

May you remember that with you I tasted bitterness

Khaleek faker ina alhozn sa3at  witmor

May you remember that sadness is hours and they pass

Khaleek faker inta ikhtarti tib'u braahtek,   aaaah!

May you remember you chose to be at your convenience,  aaaah!

 

Khaleek faker ina maak ana doo' tee elmor

May you remember that with you I tasted bitterness

Khaleek faker ina alhozn sa3at  witmor

May you remember that sadness is hours and they pass

Khaleek faker inta ikhtarti tib'u braahtek,   aaaah!

May you remember you chose to be at your convenience,  aaaah!

 

 

Adeebee n'seet wa reehatek, ba3dee kamaan wa farhatek

I forgot and put you at ease, I moved away as well and made you happy

Adeebee n'seet wa reehatek, ba3dee kamaan wa farhatek

I forgot and put you at ease, I moved away as well and made you happy

 

Ana 3ashi'tek insaani, Ana a-hob khalaaani

I adored you, my person, I the love made me

Ana 3ashi'tek insaani, Ana a-hob khalaaani

I adored you, my person, I the love made me

 

A'ool

I say

 

Khaleek faker ina maak ana doo' tee elmor

May you remember that with you I tasted bitterness

Khaleek faker ina alhozn sa3at  witmor

May you remember that sadness is hours and they pass

Khaleek faker inta ikhtarti tib'u braahtek,   aaaah!

May you remember you chose to be at your convenience,  aaaah!

 

...musical interlude...

 

Aaah, min alhobi lamaa tarherool alaaeaam

Aaah, love, when the days change 

Aaah, wal3ashra lamaa tduee3 bassor3a  aawaam

Aaah, and when the intimacy is lost so fast, immediately

 

Aaah, min alhobi lamaa tarherool alaaeaam

Aaah, love, when the days change 

Aaah, wal3ashra lamaa tdue3 bassor3a  aawaam

Aaah, and when the intimacy is lost so fast, immediately

 

Aaah,  min alleeaaly  minek ya rhally

Ah the nights and from you my precious

Aah, min habaeebee wa min sohabee

Ah my beloved and my friends

 

Aaah,  min alleeaaly  minek ya rhally

Ah the nights and from you my precious

Aah, min habaeebee wa min sohabee

Ah my beloved and my friends

 

Line missing? la a quool a cana?

 

Ana 3ashi'tek insaani, Ana a-hob khalaaani

I adored you, my person, I the love made me

Ana 3ashi'tek insaani, Ana a-hob khalaaani

I adored you, my person, I the love made me

 

A'ool

I say

 

violin...

flute..

Aaaah!

Adeebee n'seet wa reehatek, ba3dee kamaan wa farhatek

I forgot and put you at ease, I moved away as well and made you happy

Adeebee n'seet wa reehatek, ba3dee kamaan wa farhatek

I forgot and put you at ease, I moved away as well and made you happy

 

Ana 3ashi'tek insaani, Ana a-hob khalaaani

I adored you, my person, I the love made me

Ana 3ashi'tek insaani, Ana a-hob khalaaani

I adored you, my person, I the love made me

 

A'ool

I say

 

Khaleek faker ina maak ana doo' tee elmor

May you remember that with you I tasted bitterness

Khaleek faker ina alhozn sa3at  witmor

May you remember that sadness is hours and they pass

Khaleek faker inta ikhtarti tib'u braahtek,   aaaah!

May you remember you chose to be at your convenience,  aaaah!

 

Ya Helw Sabah - Heya di Yasmina
CD available from Dahlal and Farida. (I'll see if I can get the Arabic written out too.)

Oh sweet you’re the morning sweet
Oh sweet say good morning
Now our day is full and great
How long have I waited for you
My eye on the door and window (I watching the door all the time)
So, I can talk to you and plead with you
How long have I waited for you
My eye on the door and window (I watching the door all the time)
So, I can talk to you and plead with you
So, I can talk to you and plead with you
Oh sweet oh sweet oh sweet say good morning
Oh sweet you’re the morning sweet
Oh sweet say good morning
Now our day is full and great
Oh my eye, why the beautiful is occupied and perplexed?
Tell him it is still too soon for him to be perplexed, oh young one.
Oh my eye, why the beautiful is occupied and perplexed?
Tell him it is still too soon for him to be perplexed, oh young one.
Something something something
One look from him it makes the mind go crazy
Oh sweet you’re the morning sweet
Oh sweet say good morning
Now our day is full and great
It has been written that I have to look up and keep my heart occupied with love
It has been written that I have to look up and keep my heart occupied with love
This beautiful one is lightness and class
Oh this Jasmine is lightness and class
Oh sweet oh sweet oh sweet say good morning

• Now Dance Arabia 2006 - http://www.maqam.com
• Now That's What I Call Arabia 9 - http://www.maqam.com
• Turbo Tabla - http://www.turbotabla.com/
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Mystical Garden - http://www.maqam.com
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Beyond the Sky - http://www.maqam.com
• Aziza Raks - https://www.hollywoodmusiccenter.com/ (slow songs)
• The Exotic Drums of Kismet - no longer available, that I know of. (drum songs)