SA’IDI صعيدى
EGYPTIAN SAIDI DANCE (SA’IDI)
Known as the birthplace of belly dance as we know it today, Upper Egypt has
always maintained its political autonomy from the central government of Egypt;
these regional differences lie in the conservative side of Upper Egypt and the Nile
valley region, versus the Delta region, always more exposed to foreign colonialism.
The Sa’idi people from Upper Egypt are therefore known as culturally conservative.
This means that their ethnic identity and language are more prominent and intact
than in any other Egyptian region.
Nowadays though, they all speak Egyptian Arabic.
The Egyptian Saidi dance dates back to Ancient Egypt.
In its origins it was a martial art dance alternatively performed by men and women.
On one side the male dance Tahteeb, performed with a stick wearing a galabeya and
a turban, on the other side the female dance Raqs El Assaya , performed with a cane,
wearing a galabeya and a headscarf.
The rhythm of Saidi dance is a 4/4 and could be performed by a soloist or by a
group of dancers.
In ancient times this dance represented a tribute to the Pharaoh in order to prepare
him to the battlefield and could be found inscripted on the Pyramids.
The traditional instruments characterizing Saidi dance are:
Nay ( flute )
Tabla ( percussions )
Mizmar ( oboe-like wind instrument )
Rebaba ( a stringed instrument )
Choreography master Mahmoud Reda is the one who represents a turning point in the
history of Egyptian folklore, as he standardized this dance, naming it as Raqs El Assaya.
Saidi dance is now performed worldwide for all types of celebrations ranging from
weddings , to festivals & birthdays.
The distinctive sound of Saidi for most contemporary belly dancers is recognizable
through the mizmar.
An interesting fact about this instrument is certainly being made of a whole piece of
wood from beech or apricot tree or sometimes metal.
The mizmar represents the quintessential snake charmer’s ally in most middle eastern
imagery and could be found all across the MENA region.
In our contemporary belly dance world , the mizmar solo all along the Raqs El Assaya
instrumental performance is the one clearly defining the Saidi feature in this unique
Egyptian folkloric dance.
The Saidi folkdance is danced with a cane and differs from Baladi and Shaabi due to
cane-twirling, cane-framing and lots of hipwork.
Originally meant as an exchange of sticks twirling between two male adversaries, Saidi
dance has evolved into a solo dance by belly dancers of any gender.
Other variations of Saidi dance are the Baladi cane dance and the Lebanese cane dance.
From Gizeh and Edfu to the world stage , one cane at a time!
For further research:
- Reda troupe
- Farida Fahmy
Sultanette Dance: a quick bio
UK based belly dance ethnologist, Arabic music DJ and oriental dancer
Sultanette is an established writer & researcher in the London community.
Her stage name Sultanette is a tribute to strong women in the
Turkish imperial history.
The one she particularly looks up to is Hürrem Sultan, also known as Roxelane, the
consort of the Ottoman dynasty’s Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.
An active participant of the international Al Raqs online conference by Sheyla Raqs
in the US, Sultanette is a fan of belly dance history explored in its native cultural
background across the Middle East.
She speaks several western languages as well as Mandarin and is a lifelong
musician.
Sultanette recently expanded her linguistic studies to Turkish, Arabic and Persian, in
order to deepen her unremitting studies in middle eastern history, music and dance.
IG: sultanette.dance
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