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| Egyptian Dance
 Egyptian Dance, known as Raqs Sharqi is a beautiful, earthy and expressive dance form. The Raqs Sharqi style which Habiba Dance conveys is a blend of folk tradition and contemporary interpretation.
Navigate directly to the hire page to read more about performance packages or to classes if you would like to find out more about learning this beautiful dance.
Habiba Dance specializes in performing and teaching the three main forms of the Raqs Sharqi style, Baladi, Shaabi, and Classical.
Shaabi
Shaabi,
meaning "of the people" is one of the oldest forms of dance from rural
Egypt. The music and dance tradition that flow from this ancient dance
include energies ranging from the male Tahtib, or warrior dance, to the female Ghawazee that has captivated Western travellers for centuries.
Baladi
Baladi, meaning "of the country" is traditional Egyptian music, largely improvised, that has developed over the last Century by rural musicians who moved into Egypt's cities. The Baladi style of dance performed to this music is improvised, unique and expressive.
Classical
Classical
is a new contemporary art form with ancient roots. It draws on the
imagery and music of the Ottoman courts, the storytelling of Egypt's
Golden Age of cinema, and the music of the classical Egyptian orchestras
and famous singers whose radio broadcasts captivated the arab world. Outside of the Raqs Sharqi Society style of dance, classical dance also
followed a separate path, and developed into the oriental style which
captured the imagination of the West and evolved into some of the staged
and cabaret forms of belly dance you can see today. Further information
You can discover more about the different styles of Egyptian Dance and its history from the Raqs Sharqi Society. We also recommend this beautifully written piece on the roots of the dance from Layali el Sharq music.
You can read more about Egyptian Dance, the different styles and its many facets on Susanna's Blog Secrets from Habiba's Diary.
You can also explore the links
section for a list of recommended teachers offering the Raqs Sharqi
style, to learn more about the dance, and to explore other Habiba Dance
favourite links. Photos - top to bottom:
- Shaabi-Ghawazee style by Violet Shears
- Baladi with veil by James Campbell
- Sufi spinning (related to Shaabi) by James Campbell
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