Social Dance in
Elizabeth Hopkins
May 27th-
Firstly, I wish to thank
The Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund for giving me this opportunity. I
felt that the trip was highly successful, and I was able to come to some
conclusions about social dance in
I am also grateful for
the psychological boost and encouragement. Egyptian dance is so often
considered little more than a joke. So many people think it takes no skill or
technique. The interest and support of The Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship
Fund helps to raise the profile of this beautiful, graceful and ancient dance.
Thank-you!
The purpose of this visit
was to consolidate my research into a coherent work/s. I wanted to witness
social dance and customs and to find out what Egyptians think about dance and
it's place in Egyptian culture. As a dancer/choreographer/teacher in the
The project focused on
the wedding I attended and conversations with Egyptians. This was an amazing
opportunity to observe and dance with ordinary women who rarely dance outside
of the home. Dance was a central part of the celebrations, and the discussions
I had answered many of my questions.
I intend to submit this
project to MOSAIC. I have two further articles in progress as a result of my
travels and discussions. I danced for a women's group the day after my return
to the
Social Dance in
1. The Wedding Party
The Wedding Party in
I make my way towards the
famous
We are sitting in a huge
room, the size of a gymnasium. The walls are hung with many metres of the
cheerful red, yellow and blue abstract "applique" prints from the
Tentmakers bazaar at Babzuweila. The room gradually fills with guests who sit
at large round tables. The musicians and disco arrive, and set up at the end of
the hall, beside the little raised platform where the bride and groom will sit
on gilded thrones.
By the time three or four
hundred people have arrived, the party has really got going and I hear excited
cries of "aroussa-aroussa...!". The bride and groom arrive with
zagareet and blessings. The bride and groom walk slowly, the focus of the zaffa
or wedding procession, surrounded by family. Young women carry the slender,
long wedding candles. Men play up-beat rhythms on drums and the distinctive
sound of the mizmar welcomes the special couple. The groom's uncle, a senior
relative in this family, walks in front of the bride and groom, at the head of
the zaffa. He holds his arms above his head and makes finger snaps - that
snapping of the fingers, depicted in Pharonic wall-paintings. A senior female
relative dances in front of him, her arms lifted in the Middle-Eastern way. The
musicians play lively sa'idi and boys dance with walking sticks. The writer
Salwa Bakr describes a wedding in her book "The Wiles of Men and Other
Stories";
"The wedding
ceremony was jam-packed - perhaps this city had never seen the like before. It
is enough to say that the celebrations continued uninterrupted for forty
days.....her father....being well-off, he sold a lot of his possessions for the
sake of this marriage. Thus he spent, for the occasion, on the dancers,
drummers and pipers and the providers of flowers and aromatic plants
approximately the price of a house. Bells were rung.... while fire-eaters and
jugglers, and men performing shadow plays, and clowns, preceded them, as was
the custom with the people of old times, until she entered her husband's
house...."
I was delighted to see
that the zaffa of modern day
The bride and groom dance
together briefly, holding each other's lifted hands. The family circle around
them, clapping and happy. The musicians play on, and people dance. The dancing
is informal. Men dance with men, women with women or in small family groups
near to where their family are seated. Young girls dance standing on the
tables, turning their hands and twitching their hips in time with the music.
The entire room is a pulsating, lively, joyous throng.
2. Dancing at The Wedding
Party
At the Wedding party,
after admiring the newly weds, music and dance are the main focus. There was
plenty of time and opportunity to watch the dancing among the women guests, and
of course I was invited to join in! As I was the only Westerner among the 400
or so guests at the wedding party, I decided to follow closely the lead of the
women I was seated with. If they danced, I danced too, if they sat, I sat! I
noticed how Hoda kept respectful watch towards the wishes of her husband.
In the crowd of people,
there was very little space for dancing. There was no room for big movements,
expansive arms or travelling steps. We danced on the spot with small movements
and held our arms close to our bodies. It was easy to see how the contained urban
style of dance called Balady was developed in the city where there was less
space to dance. The movements are repetitive, small and internalised. The style
is supple, and is centred around the spine which seems to be constantly moving,
the movements beginning from the spine and returning, ebbing and flowing.
The most senior female
relative, Sakina, the mother of the groom, wore loose flowing black garments
with her hair wrapped in lengths of black cotton. Her only adornment, her gold
jewellery of necklace and large hoop earrings, were striking against the black.
Sakina is a large woman. Her size and the striking simplicity of her clothing
gave her a majestic strength as she danced, proud and joyful. This was the
wedding of her fourth son, and her youngest child. Sakina was the matriach of a
large and strong family. There was no doubting her status as she danced.
Most of the married women
are big, rounded by pregnancy and a good life. Dieting does not usually feature
in Egyptian lifestyle! The women dance with grounded movements which look
totally at ease with their bodies. The movements flow into each other, myas and
little hip-lifts and pushes. The dancing is relaxed, repetitive and fun. Nadia
dances with more of an edge to her movements. Her percussive movements are
sharp and clearly defined. She dances very well. I watch her balancing a small
glass bottle on her head as she dances. When she is thirsty, and to amuse the
crowd around her, she takes a swig from the bottle, then replaces it on her
head to continue dancing. I am so impressed! I am able to dance balancing a
stick on my head, but a bottle is a much more difficult shape to keep stable!
There is a fuss at the
back of the hall as two women arrive. They are wearing bright satin dresses
with chiffon sleeves. One of the women is in yellow and the other in blue. They
make a striking pair and stand out like spotlights in the crowd. Their make-up
is heavy and their dark glossy hair tumbles in loose curls onto their
shoulders. They make a slow procession, towards the front, stopping to greet
people. They are guided towards the bride and groom, and led onto the platform
to dance in front of the couple. I wonder if they are paid dancers as they are
dressed so differently to everyone else in their bright eye-catching satin
dresses and uncovered hair, but I am told that they are relatives.
I notice another striking
dancer among the guests. She is a young woman, perhaps still in her teens, and
she is wearing western jeans and a close-fitting white tee-shirt. Her hair is
covered with a long, white headscarf, which prettily frames her lovely face.
This creates an unusual contrast of tight western clothing and headscarf! She
is very slender and her dancing movements are small. Her shimmies are
delightful and delicate, and she is pulled onto the platform to dance. Little
girls in frilly party frocks dance standing on the tables, turning their hands
and shaking their shoulders. Women wanted to show me their moves, and
encouraged me to share mine. There was always a sense of fun and togetherness,
the party creating, encouraging and emphasising a strong social bonding.
3. Tea with Ali
The next day, I took a
favourite walk across
Ali was very happy to
talk to me about the wedding, life and the universe, while trying to persuade
me that what I “’really“’ needed, was to have an affair with him! If not an
affair then maybe a small kiss? He will settle for a tee-shirt!
Ali: "Everyone likes
dance."
Me: "But dancing is not always allowed. Why
is this?"
Ali: "In front of
the family it's ok, but not in front of anyone."
Me: "What makes a good dancer?"
Ali: "A good figure
- boobs and stomach!"
Predictable Ali! He is
laughing at his answer. It was obvious, and I walked straight into that! It is
true that to become a top professional in
Ali thought further about
my question - "What makes a good dancer?", and continued
"But seriously, a
dancer who does not show everything and who does not dress in very little so
that you can see everything. In her way of dancing, she must not look
"easy"." “’
“’
Ali then referred to the
reputation which seems to follow most professional dancers in The Middle East,
and which reflects general attitudes and their lowly status in society. Dancing
as a profession is open to very few Egyptian women, and a woman who takes up dancing
is either from a family of dancers, or is viewed as a "fallen woman".
It is true that some dancers are also prostitutes and dancing can be their way
of advertising their other attributes, but this is not true of all dancers,
most of whom are appalled by this connection. “’
Ali: "Some dancers
have become very wealthy, and they wear expensive clothes, but they are cheap.
Many dancers are very rich. How? Just from dancing?"
Because of these
attitudes towards dance, I was surprised to see so many ordinary women, women
who are not dancers, dancing at the wedding celebration, publicly, in such a
large mixed gathering. “’
Me: "Last night, at the wedding party, many
people were dancing - men and women together. I was surprised as I did not
expect everyone to dance together."
Ali: "We are a big
family! Men dance with men and women dance with women or with family. It's ok.
Everyone there is the same family!"
So, the entire roomful of
people were all "family", a whole village of one extended family. And
although women could dance among their relatives, there were still unspoken
"rules" to keep. For example, Hoda was watchful towards her husband,
and only danced briefly, and with his permission. The younger women and girls
had more freedom - and the occasion would be a good opportunity for young men
and their relatives to be keeping an eye out for a suitable bride!
4. Dancing with Esme
I decided that I should
speak with Esme to ask her about attitudes to dance. Esme helps Helal and Ali
in the papyrus gallery. Esme and I have danced together. We hid at the back of
the papyrus gallery, out of view. Esme is a very good dancer, fluid and mobile
and she dances with fun and humour. She uses some of the movements made famous
by the top professionals.
Me: "You are a very good dancer. Did you
learn at home from your mother?"
Esme laughing: "No! My mother dances like
this...." She holds up her arms in the Middle Eastern manner and twitches
her shoulders. She is still laughing.
"I learnt by
watching films" she goes on to explain.
Me: "Who is your favourite dancer?"
Esme: "Suhair
Zaki."
Me: "Who else have you learnt from?"
Esme: "Samia Gamal, Dina, Fifi. I like Fifi - she is strong......Now I also look on the computer."
Me: "What makes a good dancer?"
Helal: "The Tabla
(drum). The dancer must hear the rhythm."
Esme: "But someone
who hears the music may not be able to dance. She must like the music and her
body will be able to respond. This is called ‘tawayzun’. Her ear needs to be
sensitive to the music and her body will help to translate the music. Her body needs to be flexible, not fat or
thin and she needs to make actions with simple movement.
Her face should be nice
and open. She needs to make eye contact and see the reaction in the faces of
those who watch her dance. This will encourage her to dance well and give her
confidence. She also needs to be clever,
and change with the fashion, keep up-to-date, and look to the future."
Me: "Professional dancers are not always
respected. Why is this?"
Esme: "In Egyptian
culture, our religion asks us to dress modestly. Professional dancers wear
clothing which attracts attention and is not modest. Some people see
professional dancing as an art form and that this is up to the individual. But
others see dancing as disrespectful."
Me: "I notice that at weddings, women often
dance and this is ok?"
Esme: "Women dance
to show happiness. This is for fun and not for money. They are wearing their
usual clothes. The bride's mother, aunts, sisters and friends may dance. This
is to show joy, an expression of happiness."
Me: "I have been to weddings when the women
did not dance. And some weddings are totally segregated."
Esme: "This depends
on the wishes of the family."
Me: "It must be difficult to become a dancer.
Who becomes a professional dancer?"
Esme: "Some dancers
learn as children and come from families of dancers and musicians. Some are
from very poor families. Fifi Abdou came
from a very poor family. As a child, she danced at wedding parties and eventually
became the best and richest dancer in
Samia Gamal came from
Esme could never become a
professional dancer as dancing would not be considered acceptable for her. Esme
is hoping to be married soon, and would like to work part-time as a teacher.
I'm sure that even this would be considered very progressive and may cause some
problems. Men in the family are expected to provide and roles are clearly
defined. A man's status is connected to his ability to provide. For some
people, a woman who works reflects badly on her husband. Codes of expected
behaviour apply as rigorously to men as to women. How you and your relatives
are viewed in the community is crucial to your acceptance and status. Respect
and status in the community is everything - hence the importance of being aware
of and respecting the traditions and taboos regarding women dancing in public,
both socially and professionally.
