Repertoire
Dances
of the Casbah Dance Experience
as well as Solos by Morocco
Guedra:
Benediction & Betrothal
Trance ritual
of the "Blue People" of the Sahara Desert, which stretches from Mauritania
through Morocco all the way to Egypt. Hands trace mystical symbols, spreading
love & peace, thanking Earth, Water, Wind & Fire, blessing all present in
spirit & fact. It is combined with the Betrothal Dance of Tissint. See
More Pictures
Originally
performed at pre-wedding parties by a "Sheikha" & her group of "Schikhatt",
first for the women´s feasts & then the men´s, this lusty dance is now an
at-home diversion for Moroccan city women.
To
show the dancer´s dexterity, balance, charm, highlight her hipwork & twit
the men´s combatative "Tahtiyb"
A traditional
dance, performed mostly at Egyptian weddings, the artist leads the bridal
processional with a flaming candelabrum on her head to light the way of the
happy couple, as they embark on their new lives together.
Traditional.
Done by either sex, to show balance & dexterity.
"Boss
Ba'ah, as performed by Casbah in Cairo, July 2004
Over
5,000 years old, the faster parts of this truly classical folk dance demonstrate
the joy of life & two of the slower movements have been traced to religious
dances imitating the movements of labor & childbirth as an expression of thanks
to the female as perpetrator of the species. It is, indeed, done by both sexes,
was originally religious & is now secular.
In
Saidi or Upper Egyptian style, to a song by Metkal Kenawi. A young man looking
for love, woos a young girl, but his heart is fickle. Shocked at first by
his behavior, the women give him his just desserts & he is left alone.
Tunisian women
have a solidarity stronger than most others. In this dance, they mime putting
on makeup, show their ankles - to demonstrate that they are not wearing khul-khaal
& are therefore, not married & show off their hipwork & agility.
Originally from
Libya, in Egypt this dance was found most often in Mersa Matruh. When done
there "authentically", it is performed by one heavily-veiled woman dancing
before a line of clapping, chanting men (called "Keffafeen"), who do not dance
at all, except for one man that the Haggala chooses from among them. Casbah´s
version shows a group of women dancing just for themselves.
The
purpose of this dance is for the women to show off: their glorious hair, graceful
gliding steps & richly embroidered dresses ("thobe al nasha'al"), used solely
for this dance, which is usually done at weddings.
Jallaleddin al
Rumi, known as Mevlaneh (teacher), was the founder of the Mevlevi sect of
whirling dervish. Today, their main mosque is in Konya, Turkey. The sect was
much repressed under Attaturk's policy of secularization, but their fascinating
Sema has brought them world-wide attention & respect. Since this is a religious
ritual, we would not presume to profane it & therefore only strive to show
the steps a young dervish goes through in learning to whirl.
A combination
of folkloric and "Oryantal" to the joyous 9/8 Karsilama rhythm. Three older,
married sisters are surprised by the youngest: she has just become engaged.
Sule
Kule (Istanbul
Inner City Gypsy Karsilama)
Urban Karsilama
(9/8) of the poor, much-harrassed inner-city Istanbul Roma. Not your tambourine-shaking,
skirt-flinging Hollywood fantasy, this Romany woman is "fed up" with dancing
for tourists, but the joy in the music finally takes her with it - until she
remembers where she is...
