Dance Styles

A little more information about ‘dance styles’.

This is not set in concrete, merely a general overview of each style, and is designed to help students in the UK to assess whether a particular teacher can offer the sort of Middle Eastern Dance she/he is looking to study.

Turkish Style – an energetic dance, the night-club/restaurant style is quite fast and vibrant. The movements are less contained and reserved than Egyptian style. On the whole, costumes tend to be slightly more revealing (although this depends on the designer), and more dancers wear shoes. Turkish folk dancing covers everything from Roma (Gypsy) dances with big swishing skirts, dances using wooden spoons, tea tray dances (both with a large tray or a smaller one with candles or tea lights) and the rhythms used are quite different from Egyptian ones. Turkish dancers are more likely to include floorwork in their performances. Confusingly, many top Turkish dancers also dance using Egyptian music and in an adapted Egyptian style. Current names to look out for are Asena, Didem, and Zinnur Karaca. Names from the past include Tulay Karaca (Zinnur’s aunt) & Ozel Turkbas and more recently, Prences Banu Sema Yildiz, & Burçin Orhon

Egyptian Style – much more reserved and contained than Turkish style; with the emphasis on lots of intricate layering and subtle, smaller moves. Most Egyptian dancers tend to wear a more conservative style of costuming, but Dina (a top Egyptian star) is an exception to this, as her costumes are often very skimpy and daring. She is at the cutting edge however, and should not be used as a general guide. Egyptian dancers performing to the general public (as opposed to private events) have to keep their midriffs covered (usually with a net or mesh fabric) and costuming these days is more about lavish embroidery using rhinestones, appliqué and crystals, with little fringe used. Egyptian dance has a large ballroom dancing influence that has come down from the 1940’s. Dancers are less likely to wear shoes (although some do) and most do not play sagat (finger cymbals) except possibly for a folkloric number like a Saidi dance. Floorwork is rarely seen, as officially it’s illegal in Egypt. However you may see it used as part of a Shammodan dance at a private event. Popular props include the cane (stick), Melaya Lef and Shammodan (candelabra dance). Current names to look out for are Dina, Randa Kamel, Soheir, Nour & Dandash. Names from the recent past include Soheir Zaki, Nagua Fouad and Fifi Abdu. Stars from the ‘Golden Age’ of the 40’s & 50’s are Taheyya Carioca, Samia Gamal and Na’ima Akif.

Lebanese Style – More similar to Egyptian than Turkish. Lebanese dancers use larger movements than their Egyptian counterparts and are even more ballet influenced. They use the stage more, traveling movements and more ‘dramatic’ elements are popular. Folkloric dances include Debke, Khaleegi (Gulf Style) and Saidi, and props used are sagat, cane and very occasionally a sword or knife. Lebanese dancers also tend to use the veil for longer on their entrances and many of them wear shoes. Names to look out for are Amani and Samara, and from the past -– Nadia Gamal.

Tribal Style – beginning to get very popular in the UK, it is an American invention that fuses many different dance styles together. Tribal dancers may draw on a number of influences including Indian dance styles, Flamenco, Tunisian, Moroccan, Turkish, & Egyptian Folk dances. There are several different types of tribal including ATS (American Tribal Style) popularised by FatChanceBellyDance, in itself born out of the ethnically influenced dancing of the 1950’s & 1960s in America. There are ‘Tribal’ dance troupes which are based on this but with the troupes' individual innovations, and ‘tribal-style’ dance troupes that have developed their own unique style that may or may not have been inspired by FatChance or Tribal, like the 'urban' tribal style popularized by dancers like Rachel Brice of Bellydance Superstars fame. Whether based on group improvisation or group choreography, this is primarily a dance performed by groups of dancers and this aspect, along with the colourful costuming that has developed, attracts many dancers who perhaps may not feel comfortable dancing solo.

Raqs Sharqi Society – originally based on the teachings of dancer Suraya Hilal, now the Raqs Sharqi Society. This dance is taught primarily as a woman’s dance and stresses the importance of learning a repertoire of movements used for interpreting primarily folkloric Egyptian music, although a ‘classical’ form is also taught which is based on Suraya Hilal’s interpretation and vision of ‘courtly dances’. Can be beautiful and expressive to watch and has a high standard of ‘discipline’ in its teaching methods. Some students may be put off by the fact that the Raqs Sharqi Society teachers appear to frown upon dancers who perform Egyptian dance wearing ‘bedlah’ or two-piece dance outfits.

Note: Raqs Sharqi translates as Dance of the East which is really the correct name for the dance performed in Arabic speaking countries, which is commonly misnamed ‘belly dancing’ here in the West.