By Columbia Strawberry Cunha
The shamadan is a mystery of a tradition. No one knows who started it or when it came
about. Mahmoud Reda felt the Turkish acrobats could have been the first ones to bring it to
Egypt. Morocco of New York ascertains that Shafiqa al-Koptiyya (Shafiqa the Copt, 1851-1926) was possibly the first one to perform with a shamadan. Other scholars have ascertained that Zouba al-Kloubatiyya (Zouba the Lantern Lady) could have been the first dancer to perform it publicly. It is a possibility that Zouba can be noted for floorwork since she was trained by Awalim dancers as a child. Before Zouba used a shamadan, she was noted to have used a large oil lamp. In some lore, people have ascertained that Shafiqa tried to “one up” Zouba by using a candelabra. This is a myth, as far as we know. We do know that many artists such as Nazla el- Adel and Nagwa Fouad learned from many of the traditional dancers of Egypt. In this article, I will share some tips and tricks for you all to try.
The first time I saw this dance performed was at a belly dance event at which Fatima Al-
Wahid was teaching one of her amazing workshops. To see the candles, they had her dance on a dark stage. You could see both her and the lit shamadan. It was a cool dance and I had never seen it in person before. I told my friend that, for my next birthday, I needed to buy myself a shamadan to use for performances. On my next birthday, my mother bought me one from Turquoise International. I picked out the floral cups because they looked unique.
First, let’s look at the tradition of the dance. Shamadan dancing is used for weddings,
baptisms, and special events. This was usually a plain candelabra with large candles that would light the path of the bride and groom. It symbolizes bringing light and joy into the family’s lives.
In later years, Raks Al-Shamadan became a dance of theatre. Reda’s troupe commercialized this for their folklore shows to share the tradition with the ones who may not ever see it performed. Some people have ascertained that the Ghawazi may have been the first artists to perform shamadan. If the Ghawazi were the first, it could have been the Al Bahlawan (who came from the Ottoman Empire) who first presented this in their acrobatic displays for public consumption.
According to lore, Shafiqa the Copt popularized it in her Cairo nightclub as an act she would do as a sort of “cool down” at the end of her shows. The Golden Era of Egyptian cinema often displayed it as a nightclub, bar, or wedding tradition. Zouba did perform shamadan in a film called Al Khamsa Guini in 1946. If she indeed was the first, then Shafiqa never did it. Shafiqa would have died before Zouba would have reached fame if Zouba was in her early 40’s in 1946.
The only film I know showing it being done at a baptism is the film Ibnati from 1944 with
Nabaweya Mustafa as the dancer. This shows us that bringing the light is not just for weddings in Egyptian culture, but also is done for baptisms. It would have symbolized bringing in the light to the infant. Also, it could have been for dramatic effect. There’s not much evidence that they did do it during baptisms. This makes a dancer think about when to dance on stage.
There is not much solid history behind the path of the candelabras used. We can only assume the majority of what we can learn and find out from scholars. When rich people started to travel into Egypt they would often leave or sell goods to pay for other items. Some of these pieces could have been candelabras. In 1882, Napoleon conquered Egypt and then fled after being finally defeated. One could speculate that this could have been where dancers got the French ornate candelabras from. We do know that many danced with ornate French designs much of the time. The French ones were decorated with leaves and vine-like stems with cups; these were well sought after.
Another belief that could be true, is that Shafiqa the Copt made French candelabras popular. She was known to have a lot of European furnishings in her possession. According to lore, a French merchant fell in love with Shafiqa and took her to Paris after refusing his proposal (Ghalib). She performed there and most likely did Raqs Al-Shamadan. Additionally, we know that many nobles would have gifted some items such as candelabras to friends and respected people they met in Egypt. I would imagine Ghawazi probably got the early ones from junk souks and bazaars; many scenarios may have occurred. As of now, no solid documentation survives about the early shamadan dancers. We can only imagine how it happened.
What the writers Ghada Ghalib and Huda Mohamed ascertain is very interesting to read.
Mohmed does not mention anything about the shamadan at all. Ghalib only mentions a dance where she laid on her back with glasses on her stomach and a fnyara or a candelabra on her forehead and danced with her sagat. This does not reflect what Zouba or even Nazla el-Adel did. I do take into consideration that it could be a mistranslation on my computer’s end, but if this is translated correctly, then Shafiqa has never been documented doing Raks Al-Shamadan. Westerners have tried to promote her claim her fame to shamadan, but no Egyptian accounts detail her dancing around the room with a candelabra as we see in depictions. I have ascertained, at this time, using all the data available that the Turkish Al-Bahlawan were the ones to bring this to Egypt. There is no way that Zouba the Lantern Lady would have been old enough to dance when Shafiqa was at her highest. Perhaps there’s more documentation about Zouba’s birth and career. We do know, according to the Egyptian YouTuber, the Sheik of the Neighborhood, that is it suspected she died in the late 1960’s or 1970’s and possibly was murdered by a gay man. This could be made up since we cannot find much evidence. At this point, I must side with the late Mahmoud Reda on this topic until more evidence is provided. No scholars have brought any evidence to disprove this since no evidence has been brought forward yet. We do know that there’s a Ghawazi or Awalim/Almeh who posed with one on her head which I feel could be a younger Shafiqa or an Al-Bahlawan dancer of Turkish origin.
The Shamadan is a very special item that takes much skill to balance without crashing it.
Ali's design, owner of Turquoise International, is the best I have worn because it is heavy and
solid. It looks great and he makes a few unique designs that companies can't reproduce. I was considering going further with this art form after watching Nazla el-Adel perform it on a
Facebook video. As a dancer, I feel you can go very far into innovating and changing up the
game a bit each time. You don't have to do acrobatics if you can't, but you need to develop the technique and skills to balance it.
There’s always a debate on what to use first. Many dancers start with a cap-styled
shamadan which is a good beginner design. The capped shamadan is an invention for dancers who could never balance one the old-fashioned way; capped shamadans are perfect for floor work. In the past, floorwork would most likely not be done with one that had no cap. The early dancers such as Shafiqa would have done an Awalim or Ghawazi style of dancing. It would be upright and grounded for the most part. Shafiqa, for example, learned from a dancer named Shooq who was most likely an Awalim or Almeh. Most floorwork choreography came from nightclubs or casinos, not any tradition. The only thing that may have existed in the tradition is the splits and tucking your foot into the crook of your arm. Other movements possibly came in later years as nightclubs embraced shamadan dancing for their acts. As with all folk dances appropriated by nightclub artists, they tend to change the meaning and style of the original tradition.
The invention of the helmeted shamadan was a dancer invention for the nightclubs. In the
film entitled Cairo by Night from 1963, you can see dancer Nagwa Fouad with a small
shamadan. In later years, Nagwa was the first dancer to wear a small helmeted one in a huge
nightclub act in Cairo. Her teacher, Nazla el-Adel, scolded her and told her a small cheap one wasn't accurate to use. At the time, Nagwa was said to have danced with it on Mohammed Ali Street in Cairo as confirmed by Nazla in an interview. The shamadan looked to be made from wire. It was not a proper shamadan that Nazla taught her to seek out.
In the film Die Königin der Mohammed-Ali-Strasse (Queen of Mohmmad Ali Street),
Nazla was known to use an 18-kilogram one before her son destroyed it. Her last one weighed 7 to 8 kilograms.
I hate to say it, but I see Nazla's point as I have been rediscovering and experiencing the history firsthand. A heavy shamadan is much sturdier to balance, and the audience appreciates the challenges you face while dancing. Ali's are about 7 pounds of metal, so you can imagine a dancer must keep their balance and wits about them. Even with Ali's extraordinary design, you can feel its weight, unlike the mass-manufactured ones. After you tire of the helmet, you may want to take things a bit farther.
Looking for your first one can be a challenge. Turquoise International is always my best
recommendation to get your starter one that is fully constructed. The mass-produced ones are usually harder to use due to the lightweight alloy used. Remember, the lighter one is the more difficult it is to control, but you do not want to go too heavy at first. A shamadan that is too heavy can easily result in a mishap. It takes a bit of time to get accustomed to the balancing of one. As with everything, the more you practice, the better you become.
Dancing with a shamadan is like a pot, tray, or sword. You must always keep your head
level. With capped designs, you can cheat a little bit by a slight tilt if the cap is super snug. I
have seen dancers try using one that is too big for them and all it does is wobble. Not only is it unattractive, but it can cause a fire if you have lit candles on it. This is where practice is
needed. Maintaining the dancing within the axis of the shamadan is key with or without the use of a cap. A lot of dancers will wrap a piece of cloth around the cap if it is too big. This can be easily avoided if you wear a full wig. Wigs often make your head measurements a bit larger. You can still cover your head, which I do recommend. Covering it can avoid wax drips on the hair and skin, In addition, you may want to add tiny pieces of elastic to the head covering if you choose to use a veil instead of a scarf tied around the head.
Performing with a capped shamadan can be a challenge. A capless one is hard to
navigate. I do not recommend dancers use LED candles on one unless there’s a cap. The reason is that you will be risking it crashing. The last thing you want is to crash the shamadan while performing. It is better to use unlit wax candles. Capped shamadans can use wax or LED. Since there is a cap to help with the counterbalance of the candelabra, it is going to be much easier for dancers to use LEDs which are safer than lit ones. Many wedding venues require you to use LEDs due to fire concerns. Wax drips can hurt the skin, so if you do not want to cover up, I suggest you get soy wax candles carried by adult stores (or order them online) which can drip on the skin with less discomfort.
Ali, from Turquoise International, made one for me, a free-standing shamadan per my
request. He, as an engineer, has experienced with many challenges and this was a great project for him to explore with me. This prototype was a good first knack at making something future dancers could use. The first base was too large, and it had brackets in it to accommodate the head size to build up the inner portion. He also padded it which was a lovely thing he always does for dancers. The balance was great, but I wanted to produce something everyone could buy universally. I requested a smaller one and he provided a great base. I just had to add a tad bit of padding for balance. I don't think I could have done better myself for an invention. To compare models, I prefer the free-standing one at times, because the helmet can give me a pressure headache. Also, I enjoy the challenge of balancing. Safely, I would say, it is best to use your judgment to see what you like to try out first. As a dancer always knows, once you find a maker of the goods you use you keep them, or you can create your own.
The performance can be varied. For wedding processions or zaffas, I suggest you
coordinate a practice run with the couple. Many zaffas require a skill that many do not develop until they become more culturally aware. It comes mostly with experience. All Arab families have different traditions. You want to have a deep conversation with the bride and groom to see what their needs are. If you are doing it for a folklore show, please ask the director how they imagine it done. With the power of YouTube, one can easily find out what they envision. You are their vessel of presentation for their artistic expression.
The costume is your choice, to be honest with you. There are many ways you can style
yourself to remain respectful of the venue and event. For weddings, you may want to cover up a bit more if the family is conservative. Traditionally, abayas and throbes are usually worn to prevent burns and to add an element of modesty. You can always wear your bedlah underneath your robe for later performances. Make sure the robe or abaya is not sheer so you can add a surprise element to your performance.
If you want to do an actual historical recreation, I suggest you get a vintage candelabra.
Shafiqa used a common one, but the issue is no one knows what it looked like. There are no
existing photos of her using the shamadan that have been found yet. You can find a five- or nine- armed candelabra on somewhere like Etsy or Ebay. I suggest you get a candelabra that is domed on the bottom. For dancers (like me) who want something like Nazla’s original one, you will have to find a maker to specially construct one for you. Ali is a maker I highly recommend to make you one. He will make it to your specifications, but it will take a fair amount of his time. Ali believes that anything is possible if you give him space to think about the construction of the piece you want. Remember, that historically these candelabras were not meant to be used for stage dances like they are used for in today’s dance climate. These were meant only for special occasions.
The future of this dance is unknown. I feel that shamadan dancing is becoming a lost
artform and becoming a sort of tableau despite the long-lasting tradition’s history. Everyone
needs to explore this unique dance and innovate as you go along. Remember to remain respectful of the origins and purpose of this dance. I encourage teachers to inspire students to look beyond the easy way and challenge themselves.
Works Cited:
-Mohmmad, H. (2017, January 29). Coptic Shafiqa. A dancer who reached the top and was
dropped by love and politics. Youm7. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from
والسياسة
-Ghalib, G. (2015, September 7). The story of the most famous «dancer» known to Egypt: The
men of the world flocked to her and scattered gold under her feet and competed with the Khedive
in wealth. Al-Masry Al-Youm. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from
-(2024, March 4). زوبة الكلوباتية راقصة الفشخة جدة نجمة شهيرة قتلها شاذ وسرق شمعدان ذهب ولحظة دفنها حدثت
معجزةon YouTube. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from
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©Columbia Strawberry Cunha. Please contact me for permission to use the text if you want to
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