Styles of Middle Eastern Dance

There are many different styles of dances from the Middle and Near East. The following is some information about some of the styles performed by the Rising Phoenix Dancers:

Raqs Sharqi Literally, "Dance of the East," an Arabic term for what we in the USA commonly call "belly dance." Also sometimes called "Oriental Dance" or "Danse Orientale" or spelled as "Raks Sharki". More info: Shira's writeup on Styles of Belly Dance in the United States Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers performing this style
Fusion We do various sorts of fusion, including bits of Balkan and Greek folk dance, Romani and Domari dance, dance from India, Flamenco, Latin dance, Hip Hop, and more, according to how the music inspires us. Sometimes the result might be a lively Hollywood fantasy "Esmerelda" style, with big swirling skirts and tamborines. Or it might be a theatrical piece that tells a story, perhaps dramatic, or perhaps humorous. More info: Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers in "Mediterranean Fusion" costumes here, here, and here Flamenco History Gypsy, Flamenco, and Middle Eastern Dance (saved discussions from old email list)
Andalusian The word "Andalusian" refers to the historical crossover between Spain and Arabic North Africa during Ottoman times. Each of the affected countries has its own style of Andalusian dances, most of which reflect court dances performed by professional entertainers. More info: Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers performing Andalusian (Reda-style)
Ghawazee The Ghawazee are dancers and musicians from upper Egypt. We've attempted to recreate their more "funky" style costume from the 70s-80s, with small changes to make it a bit less tedious to bead :-) More info: Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers doing Ghawazee style Dancers from the East scanned photo Excerpt from a book on the Chicago 1893 World's Fair
Guedra This is a blessing ritual performed by the "Blue People" of Morocco. More info: Meira's "Guedra FAQ"
Khaleegy At women's parties in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Gulf region, the women dance to show off their beautiful long hair and their beautiful dresses called thobe nashal. More info: A photo of the Rising Phoenix Dancers doing a Khaleegy dance at a recital Kay Hardy Campbell's Arabian Gulf Folklore page
Nubian This dance is in the style of the people of Upper Egypt, from the area of the Aswan Dam. More info: A photo of the Rising Phoenix Dancers doing a Nubian dance (Reda-style) Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers doing a Nubian dance with baskets
Persian Persia is the old name for the area now known as Iran. There are many different Persian dance styles, from classical to the contemporary, from folkloric to urban. More info: A photo of the Rising Phoenix Dancers performing a Persian Rice dance Robyn Friend's web site on Persian song and dance
Pharaonic This style is intended to represent ancient Egypt, based on images from tomb paintings and hieroglyphics. Because we have no videos of dances from that time, this style is necessarily interpretive. More info: Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers performing at the King Tut exhibit The Ancient Egypt web site (from the British Museum)
Raks Assaya This is the "cane dance" associated with the Saidi part of Egypt. The men do a dance called tahtib, much like a martial art, with large sticks. The women dance with smaller sticks or canes, just for fun. More info: A photo of the Rising Phoenix Dancers performing a cane dance at a recital A photo of the Rising Phoenix Dancers in costume for Raks Assaya
Schikhatt The Schikhatt are the professional dancers of Morocco. Literally translated, the word means "wise women". More info: Photos of the Rising Phoenix Dancers in Schikhatt style

Other places to look for information on different dance styles are Morocco's Casbah Dance Experience site, as well as Shira's site.

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