Mira Betz

Ole! Wonderful!

Juliana Drum solo

Spanish Dancer - tahtil shibbak

Reyhan - Frankfurt

Randa Kamal - Egypt

Randa Kamal - Egypt

Gaby - Germany -with Ali Baba

Kawakib - Lifting the Veil of time -Finger cymbals

Autumn Ward

Rose of Damascus



At the Palace of Variety "Turkish Victorian"



Hanady - Contemporary Egyptian folkloric



Aziza - Contemporary improv

Sahira on Zills

Jrisi - Sydney Australia

Jrisi & Jamal Zraika

Michelle Joyce- Veil Poi Performance

Soheir Zaki - Shic Shac Shoc

Soheir Zaki and Ahmed Adaweya - Bint El Sultan

Souhair Zaki of Egypt - Al Rajol.

Naima -Germany - Drum Solo

Naima -Germany - Raks Shamadan

Naima - Oriental Dancer
http://www.naima-1001.de

Inara

Which Serenity character are you? created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Inara Serra The Courtesan. You have a job that brings comfort to people and eases their burdens. It took years of training and dedication to perfect. So why do people keep calling you a whore? You tried to get away from those people, but something keeps bringing you back. Inara Serra 81% Kaylee (Kaywinnet Lee) Frye 81% The Operative 75% Simon Tam 75% Zoe Alleyne Washburne 69% Hoban 'Wash' Washburne 69% River Tam 63% Capt. Mal Reynolds 56% Shepherd Derrial Book 56% Jayne Cobb 19%

Which way do you see the dancer spin?

Supposedly, if you see the dancer turning clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice versa. According to the makers, most people see the dancer turning counter-clockwise.

Yasmina Ramzy - Ontario

New drum solo video...

Hmmm... temptation...

Lebanese Belly Dance - Dina Jamal

Kitty alarm clock

Fatima Serin - Habibi Ya Ainy

Fat Chance Bellydance

Cairo Nights

Lynette of Gilded Serpent

Gilded Serpent online middle eastern dance magazine

Souhair Zaki of Egypt

Hale Sultan - Turkey

Shabnam - Drum solo

Shabnam -floorwork workshop

Frederique / Tribal Remixed

Tahia Karioka

Yasmina of Russia

Moscow Oriental dance Festival

Sahara - Lebanese Dancer - Taxim

Amazing back bend!

Recommended DVDs for beginners

Recommended beginner DVDs

Middle Eastern Dance Basics - Zahra Zuhair
Hadia's Complete Oriental Bellydance System - Hadia
Art of Bellydance for Beginners - Arabian Sands - Paulina
Precision Motion Workout - Suzanna del Vecchio
Fat Chance Bellydance - Tribal Basics Dance Fundamentals Vol 1
Delilah's Bellydance Workshop - Vol 1-3
Eygyptian Bellydance Vol 1 - Hilary Thacker

Enjoy!
Souhair

Shabnam

For more info see: Shabnam

Sahira teaches at Expert Village

New - Sahira has mini teaching videos on Expert Village:
Egyptian dance at expert village Check them out!!!

Hakim and James Brown

Nelly Makdessi - Halo Halee

Tanyeli of Turkey

Amr Diab - Nour El Ein

Asena of Turkey

Senhaji maroc shaabi

Arabia Adorned's Libyan Hagallah

Arabia Adorned performs a theatrical Libyan Hagallah, movements were researched by Dafne who grew up in Libya and also through attending a workshop with Morocco of New York. Authentic choreography by Dafne Canales Lees
http://www.bellydance.ca

Rare footage - Ibrahim Akef

Ibrahim Akef with Nabila Abeid in film



Cairo 1996.

Ibrahim Akef, famous choreographer died on 9th March 2006. He was best known for choreograping for his relative Naima Akef.

Dahlena - American Bellydancer -1980s.

Traditional Greek Tsifteteli by Chryssanthi Sahar

Tsifteteli - Garfield

Tribal dream Danzart

Taletha, Louisville, Kentucky

Rachel Brice Interview

Tribal Fusion Silver Gauze

Drum Solo - Aziza, Nuriel and Polimnia

Randa Kamal

Love in Karnak

Song: Luxor Baladna Said
Performed by the Reda Troupe - staring a young Farida Fahmy and Raqia Hassan!

Farida Fahmy - Reina

Souhair Zaki of Egypt

A very young Souhair Zaki!!

Fifi Abdo - Habibi Ya Eini

Fifi performs to Habibi Ya Eini. (In this 1992 show Al Sittat or El Setat she spoofs the whole sedcuction thing. Ignore the pink spandex - the dancing is worth it...) Fantastic clip for studying her technique particularly her signature jewels and alternating shimmy.

Fif Abdo

Samia Gamal - Afrita Hanem - Kahramana

Samia Gamal, Farid El Atrache, Ismail Yasin

Zeinat Olwi in Days and Nights 1955

Abdel Halim Hafez also appears in the end...
Ayyam Wa Layali

Hayet - Saidi Dance - Music by Hakim

Maya Szekely and Magdy El-Leisy performing baladi.

Maya Szekely and Magdy El-Leisy performing baladi. As it is 15 minutes long you can see extracts of the "story" :)



Maya Dance
Magdy El-Leisy

Cassandra Shore of Minneapolis

Cassandra performs to Eshta Ya Amar

Dances with cats

Cassandra of Minneapolis performs to an adoring fan.

Unknown Russian Dancer - Saidi with two canes

Let me know who this is!!

Mohamed Shahin - Saidi Tahtib

Nour of Cairo

Nour teaching Saiidi in Moscow

Howeada of Lebanon

Issmahan

Posted purely for the dress!! (And the shoes! And the tabla tricks?!?!) This tops Nagua's seafood dress!
Warda? Warda! Put away that credit card!

Do not try this at home!!!!!!!!!!!

Nancy Ajram Alf Leyla Wa Leyla

Nacy Ajram sings Oum Kouthoum. A must know song! ( I love her top!!!!)

Sou'aad Hosni/Soad Hosny

Rare Footage!!!

Sou'aad Hosni - Balan Min Zou Zou

Sou'aad Hosni in Balan Min Zou Zou? (Anyone know the correct title - this is just a guess!)

Amani of Lebanon

Dina of Egypt

Yasmina of Cairo - From the movie Journey of Desire

One of my favourite dancers and teachers to sudy with!

Yasmina of Cairo

Oum kalthoum - Enta Omri

Orit performs in Star of the East

Orit Maftsir dancing to Fakaruni

Orit Maftsir of Israel performs to the song "fakaruni" composed by Muhammad Abdel Wahab for the Egyptian singer Um Kulthum.


Orit's website

Latcho Drom

Rajasthan - Banjara -Clip of 'Gypsies of the Thar' from the movie Latcho Drom. The best barrel turns I've ever seen!

Tarik Sultan - on men dancing

Tarik and Morocco are fantastic dancers and educators. Listen and learn!!!





Fantastic to see such an articulate dancer speaking out against stereotypes.

Eskandarany - Mellaya Leff - Daniella

Daniella performing at the Ahlan Wa Sahalan Festival in Cairo in 2004

Androgenie

Candice /Androgenie performs a version of Sahira's Arabian spices choreography.

Review: Arabian Spices – A tribal fusion choreography by Sahira

Review: Arabian Spices – A tribal fusion choreography by Sahira

A fantastic tribal fusion instructional DVD - highly recommended. Overall rating: 5 stars. Format NTSC DVD.

The music is Arabian Spices by DJ Kambo. This choreography DVD is suitable for intermediate to advanced dancers - base moves are not broken down which might be challenging for newer dancers. The piece is 4 1/2 minutes long. The running time of the DVD is 80 minutes.

Sahira breaks the choreography into eleven combinations. Combinations include: Modified prayer; Soho combo; Modified bolero walk; urban tribal combo; Onda combo and Propeller turn. The instruction is very well organized. Each combination is demonstrated and broken down slowly into its component parts. The combinations are then repeated at tempo. The structure makes it very easy to learn the choreography. At the end of each grouping, she leads a review of the combination, to ensure you won't forget what you have already learned. After teaching the combinations, the video offers two practice sessions to review and drill them. The first practice session is an instructional review where Sahira talks you through the full choreography, the second drills the choreography to music.

The difficulty of the combinations varies. Some are reasonably simple and should be comfortable for an advanced beginner who has already learned the elementary moves such as hip lifts and circles. Others are at a somewhat more challenging intermediate level. So a buyer won't outgrow this video right away.

Sahira teaches in a choli, leggings and a tassel belt making it easy to see every movement. Her teaching is relaxed, clear and approachable. She explains each combination very well and gives some background on where it came from.

The production quality is excellent. The sound quality is clear, and it's always easy to hear Sahira’s explanations. The image is well lit and sharply in focus. The DVD is filmed with Sahira facing into a mirror so that you learn the movements from behind as you would in class. The menus, chaptering and navigation are excellent.

The DVD ends with a performance by the Urban Gypsy troupe – Sahira, Zymirrah and Julie. The DVD is worth every penny for this performance alone. Stunning! A really mesmerising performance! It really encapsulates the spirit of the tribal movement for me.

This choreography has been extremely well received by the dance community and there are a numbr of clips on Youtube showing dancers performing it.

Shimmy - don't walk - to purchase this one for your collection!

You can find out more or find links to purchase this DVD through Sahira’s website: Sahira

(I've never met Sahira and I receive nothing for this review.)

Urban Tribal performance:
Urban Tribal Performance of Arabian Spices

Sahira and Kiki in Taiwan - Impromptu ATS BD show

Isidora Bushkovski - Habibbi Ya Eini

Isidora Bushkovski - Sword Dance

Nawal al Zoghbi - Meen Hbibi Ana

Amr Diab and Warda singing Haramt Ahebak

Memory

I'm posting this on behalf of Sue of the Yahoo Bellydance Video group. She is setting up a memorial fund:

"Reema Samaha was a lovely young Lebanese-American student at Virginia Tech. She was also a middle eastern dancer. The last time her family saw her was the day before her death, dancing with her troupe at multi-cultural event.

After seeing interviews with both her father and brother and hearing them both say how much she loved to dance, I felt that there was something that the middle eastern dance community could do in Reema’s memory. So I contacted the Virginia Tech Foundation to find out how to set up a memorial fund.

THE REEMA JOSEPH SAMAHA MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE MEMORIAL FUND will be used to assist the student-members of the Middle Eastern Dance Association of Virginia Tech. Depending on the amount donated, the fund may be used for a one time gift in Reema’s name or for an annual award, perhaps a small scholarship.

Here is how to make a donation by check:

Make check payable (in any amount) to Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc. Mail to:

University Development
902 Prices Fork Road
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Be sure to either write on the check or in a cover note that the donation is for the REEMA JOSEPH SAMAHA MIDDLE EASTERN DANCE MEMORIAL FUND.

An online donation option for this fund is being set up and I will report on that as soon as I have a URL to go to."

Once Sue sends me the online donation details I will post them.

Souhair

Sister

Joint debke performance by Palestinian Awareness at Virginia Tech [PAVT] & the Cedars of Lebanon at the International Street Fair on April 15, 2007. The lovely girl in green is Reema Samaha. We have lost a sister in dance. Our hearts go out to all those touched by the shootings at Virgina Tech.

Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival

The Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival is on from 4-7 May

Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival

A not to be missed event for Australian dancers.

Ending Hunger, Caring for the Earth

Want to make a real difference? Help hungry families feed themselves.

Heifer International's Mission to End Hunger
Heifer works to end hunger and poverty, and care for the earth by providing appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide. They care for the earth's natural resources through training in livestock management, pasture improvement, soil conservation, forestation and recast. Their cornerstone of "passing on the gift," assures that each participant in the program becomes a donor and gives the animal's offspring to another family in need. This concept helps build community and enhances dignity and participation in each project. The families continually give to others ensuring self-sufficiency, one family at a time. They have field offices in major program areas around the world. They work at the grassroots level, sometimes with large networks of local nongovernmental and grassroots organizations. The field staff is equipped with a variety of skills that help project participants prepare for the challenges and problems they encounter by providing training prior to receiving any animal gift.


This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for over 60 years. Today, millions of families in 128 countries have been given the gifts of self-reliance and hope.

Visit their site to find out more: Heifer International

Modern Reda Choreography - Halima and Zayane

Halima and Zayane perform a modern Reda choreography. These girls live 160 Km apart and learned the choreogaphy in isolation! Wow!

Halima and Zayane

Mahmoud Reda & Farida Fahmi - More from Mid Year Holiday

Mahmoud Reda & Farida Fahmy with Magda

More rare footage! Great drum solo by Mahmoud Reda.
Film: Mid Year Holiday

Rare Footage - Mahmoud Reda & Raqia Hassan and Unknown Dancer

Raqia Hassan as Jacqueline. Does anyone know the dancer with the Melaya?

Folklore show with Farida Fahmi & Hamoud Reda

Learn more about costuming for Middle Eastern Dance

Two fantastic resources for Middle Eastern Dance Costuming:

Dawn Divine Brown

Dina Lydia

Highly recommended!

Arabic Violin Player Sami Abu Shumays

It is really important for Middle Eastern Dancers to understand the music that they dance to.

Arabic Violin Player Sami Abu Shumays runs two stunning podcasts which talk about the intricacies of Middle Eastern music:

Personal Performances

Maqam Lessons

You can also visit:
Sami Abu Shumays' website

Fantastic resources!

Jasmine - Dance Orientale

Jasmin Dance Orientale

Yasmin of DC - Christmas Baladi

Yasmin of DC performs a stunning baladi number. Not to be missed! To view go to Youtube:

Christmas Baladi
Serpentine Communications

Dancers Without Borders

Take the Danseurs Sans Frontières / Dancers Without Borders Challenge.
For one week...

1. Each and every time you think about buying something... ask yourself if it is a need (food, water, shelter, medicine or safety) or a want. Be honest. Café lattes are not necessary. Costumes are not necessary. A new CD? A hipscarf? Fabulous pair of new jeans? Eating out? A haircut? Earings? A book?

Search yourself and ask, do I need this, or would the money be better spent on someone whose life hangs in the balance?

2. At the end of the week (or sooner...if you don't need that much time to think about it) donate the amount of money that you didn't need to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

MSF is a medical relief organization dedicated to bringing help to people in the worst circumstances in the world. MSF goes where other relief organizations will not. Where circumstances are the most dangerous, the most desperate and the most hopeless... you will find Médecins Sans Frontières. MSF is transparent and neutral without any political or religious affiliations, and does not accept donations from Pharmaceutical companies or companies that make Tobacco or Alcohol. Part of their job is to witness and report violations of human rights and dignity. MSF helps all persons who need them, regardless of their race, religion, politics or gender. MSF won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

To learn more and to donate - visit their website:
Australia: MSF Australia
International: MSF International

Middle Eastern Dance Podcasts

Great dance podcasts include:

Shimmycast Great interviews and reviews - excellent for people new to the dance.

Radio Bastet Plays old hard to get music. Even better she presents the album covers on her website. (Yes, Warda - this one is for you!)

More later!!!

These ladies Rak!

Finding Salihah

An interesting blog by a Muslim woman in the US who is also a tribal dancer.
Finding Salihah

I found her blog through the wonderful Quirky Nomads podcast:
Quirky Nomads

Enjoy!

Nath Keo of Canada

Soraia Zaied Part two

Soraia Zaied - Baladi Part one

Tamra Henna - Assaya

Unknown Male Dancer

Orit Maftsir of Israel

Tamra Henna

Eddie Kochak - Rakkasah East 2006 - Part 2

Eddie Kochack - Rakkasah East 2006 Part 1

Karen Barbee Adkisson - Drum Demonstration

Karen Barbee Adkisson - Baladi Demonstration

Karen Barbee Adkisson - Layali Zaman

Annalya -Colorado - Who's the Fairest?

Didem of Turkey

Didem of Turkey

Athena Najat - Performms a karsillama in NY

Male Turkish Dancer in Stage Show

Souhail Kaspar - Doumbek Solo

"Adventures in Belly Dance #2 - Video Podcast

Check out the lovely energy of these dancers!
Sandra and Michelle Joyce perform in Bangalore, India Dec 31, 2005

Dumbek vs Zill

Michelle Joyce at Rakkasah 2007

Michelle Joyce on By Dancers For Dancers belly dance DVD

Belly Dance-Ella Lola-1898 Turkish Song-1900

Farhana Masri

Baladi - Unknown dancer

Anyone know who this lovely dancer is??

Horus Arab Music and Amir Thaleb

Amir Thaleb and Ahlan Wa Sahlan

Bozenka at Ahlan Wa Shalan

Morgana - Imortal Serpent

Morgana

Nour and Yassar

3 min performance from Moscow solo concert with her husband Yasser Al Souvery singing for her dance!



Al Alein sung by Yasser Al Souvery

Nour of Cairo

A lovely performance to Ana Fi Intazarik - the singer is Yasser Al Souvery.

Sashi Gothic Tribal Fusion Bellydance

Celebrate the diverisity of our dance sisters!
Sashi

Fifi Abdo

Devorah of Spain

Hiba of Canada

Magnificent!

Eshta Dance Company

Sohaila

Raqs Baladna Saidi

Jillina and Issam - Drum and Oud Solo

Rahana

Rahana in her solo performance of the 2005 production, Yalla Habibi. passion in the dance.
Rahana is dancing to a beautiful song named Hak el Layali (Those Nights) from Najwa Karam's 2003 album Saharni.

See her website: Rahana

Nagwa Fouad - Princess of Cairo

Dina of Egypt

Souhair Zaki of Egypt

From the film "The Beauty and the Scoundrel" - 1976

Aziza - Tamra Henna

Aziza - So you Want to Be a Belly Dancer?

Aziza Sawah

Dancing to Abdel Halim Zafez "Ya salam (tayer ya hamam)".

Iranian dancer Mohammad Khordadian... Modern Persian dance

Rachel Brice

Check out Rachel's website: Rachel Brice

Underbelly - Melbourne, Australia

Queenscliff Music Festival

Check out their website:

Underbelly Dance

Ghawazi Caravan Tribal Style Belly Dance

Promo clips of Ghawazi Caravan, Australian tribal-style belly dancers. The song is 'Mystery' by Gypsy Caravan.




Check out their website: Ghawazi Caravan

Fantastic!!

Promo clip for Australian dancers - Desert Jewels

Tarik Sultan - Raks Shisha

See Tarik's website at: www.tariksultan.com

Tarik Sultan of NY, in Egypt

Amani of Lebanon

Lebanese Bellydance - Houwaida Hachem

Lucy of Washington US

Lucy of Egypt

Lucy of Egypt

Dina of Egypt

Amar Gamal

American based dancer Amar Gamal

Khariya Maazin of Egypt

Khariya Maazin, of the Maazin sisters - a famous Ghawazee family of performers, zeffa at the Mena House, Cairo, Egypt, June 2006.



Notice the man performing "Tannoura" or whirling.

Souhair Zaki of Egypt

Famous for becoming the music made visible - the most musical of all dancers, and perhaps the most highly regarded by Egyptians. Souhair is famous for her classy performances and her deeply felt emotional inerpretations of the music. She is a dancer's dancer - very sutble - you don't realise the difficulty of her steps until you have danced for a while. She was the first dancer to ever use Um Kalthoum's music. She is famous for being able to reduce her audience to tears of joy and ecstasy or "tarab".

An interesting article by Meissoun

More on Sohair Zaki

Another wonderrful Souhair clip Don't miss this one!

In this clip Souhair performs her signature step - single down drops alternating left and right. Sublime.

More signature steps in this one:

Fifi Abdo - Baladi

Info about Fifi Abdo

Nanna Candelaria with Uncle Mafufo

Raquy and the Cavemen

Jamal Zraika of Sydney

Websites I like

Glided Serpent
Shira's Website
Amera's Palace
Maqam Music
Egyptian Bazaar
Seventh Veil
Sydney Middle Eastern Dance Festival
Dahlal (USA)
Bhuz Bellydance Community

Serena and Hossam Ramzy

Hadia of Canada

Sadie from Colerado

Famous for her drum solos!

http://www.bedouinprincess.com/

Souhair Zaki

Samia Gamal

Samia Gamal & Farid Al Atrache - Al Rabia (The Spring)

Samia Gamal (Arabic: سامية جمال‎), birth name: Zaynab Ibrahim Mahfuz), (1924-December 1, 1994) was a famous Egyptian belly dancer and film actress. Born in the Egyptian town of Wana in 1924, Samia's family moved just months later to Cairo and settled near the Khan El-Khalili bazaar.

Samia Gamal met Badia Masabni, the founder of modern Oriental Dance who invited her to join her dance company. Badia Masabni gave her the stage name Samia Gamal.

At first, she studied under Badia and Badia's star dancer at the time, Tahiya Karioka. However she soon became a respected soloist developing her own style, incorporating techniques from ballet and Latin dance into her solo performances.

She was also one of the first to perform with high-heeled shoes on stage. She starred in many Egyptian films next to the famous Farid Al Attrach with whom she was romatically linked. It is claimed that because of Farid's social position, he refused to marry Samia. Being a Druze prince it would bring too much shame to his family for him to marry a belly dancer. In 1949, Egypt's King Farouk proclaimed Samia Gamal "The National Dancer of Egypt", which brought US attention to the dancer.

Samia Gamal stopped dancing in 1972 when she was nearly in her 50s but began again after given advice by Samir Sabri. She then danced until the early 1980s. Samia Gamal died on December 1, 1994, at 70 years of age in Cairo, Egypt.

Faris Al Atrache & Shadia - Zeina - 1957

Farid Al Atrache - Noura

Farid Al Atrache with Layla Aljazayriya (?) singing Noura.

Farid El Atrache (October 19, 1915 - December 26, 1974) (Arabic: فريد الأطرش) was a Syrian composer, singer, virtuoso oud player, and actor. He is one of the most important names of twentieth century Arab music. He starred in 31 Egyptian musical films from 1941 - 1974.

Over his lifetime, Farid he recorded approximately 350 songs. He composed music for such famous singers as Wadih El-Safi, Shadia, Warda, and Sabah. Some of the most famous songs include "Rabeeh", "Awal Hamsa", "Hekayat Gharami", "Albi Wa Moftaho", "Gamil Gamal", "Wayak", "Ya Zahratan Fi Khayali", "Busat Ir Rih", "Ya Gamil Ya Gamil", "Ya Habaybi Ya Ghaybeen", "Eish Inta". He is considered by many Arab musicians as the best oud player of all time. His songs are still used in many belly dance routines today. His voice and emotional singing style was unique. Farid is still one of the most imitated singers in Arabic music.
Throughout his singing career, he was admired for his vocal range and singing ability. Many of his songs, and nearly all of his concerts, Farid would sing a mawal, or voice improvisation of a few poetic lines. These improvisations sometimes lasted up to 35 minutes. The mawal was a favorite of his fans, as his musical creativity and vocal ability were on highest display. His music is famous for it's quality of "Tarab" or ecstasy, and isloved by dancers for that reason.

His last movie, Nagham Fi Hayati, was released after his death. All his films except the last two were black and white. They ranged from comedies to dramas. Farid composed all the songs in his movies, including the songs sung by other singers, and instrumentals. Some of Farid's famous movies include Intisar al-Shabab, Yom Bila Ghad, Ahd el-Hawa, and Lahn al-Kholoud.

His sister Asmahan, also a famous singer, died at a very young age. He was romantically linked with the famous dancer Samia Gamal with whom he starred in at least five films.

Suraya Hillal

Tahia Karioka

Tahiya Karioka (aka Carioca) - 1915 to 1999 - was one of the most famous early dance stars, performing in movies with Mohammad Abd el Wahab and Farid Al Atrache. Tahiya became famous for performing a style of Brazillian Samba (Carioca) in the 1930s at Badia Massabni's Casino. It is claimed that Tahiya had 14 husbands.

Classic Fifi Abdo Performance

Naima Akef in Tamra Henna

One of the most famous dancers of all time. Stunning.
Naima Akef (Arabic:نعيمة عاكف) born on 7 October 1929 was a famous Egyptian dancer during the Egyptian cinemas golden age and starred in many films of the time. Naima Akef was born in Tanta on the Nile Delta. Her parents were acrobats in the Akef Circus (run by Naima’s grandfather), which was one of the most well-known circuses at the time. She started performing in the circus at the age of four, and quickly became one of the most popular acts with her acrobatic skills. Her family was based in the Bab el Khalq district of Cairo, but they traveled far and wide in order to perform.

Tamra Henna (1957 - also spelt Tamr Henna) is an enduring Egyptian classic that features many prominent names from that era. Rushdy Abaaza was one of the most popular and accomplished actors of his time. It is the story of a young Ghaziya (an Egyptian Sintii Gypsy) who want's the finer things in life. She dances at the mawlids( a saint's day celebration in Egypt which is part of the Shi'ite tradition) near her betrothed's fair booth which is a strength testing booth. There is one man who seems to threaten his relationship with Tamra Henna - he is the rich son of a wealthy family and is engaged to his rich cousin because his father wishes to gain more wealth and land. However the son does not wish to marry his cousin for he has fallen in love with Tamr Henna.

His wealth attracts Tamra Henna's attention and eventually she pretends to be a wealthy niece of a friend of the son's family. She charms the father so much that he decides to seek her hand in marriage so that his son and him will both marry wealthy women and greatly increase their wealth and status. However things go wrong and in the end Tamra Henna realizes she does not need the wealth and was better of as a poor Ghaziya. A must see!

Sahra Saeeda's performance series has a truely wonderful interpretation of Tamra Henna and lot's of explaination about the move. http://www.sahrasaeeda.com/layaliyasmine/index.html

See Shira's site for lyrics: http://www.shira.net/lyrics/ya-tamrahenna.htm.

I highly recommend watching the original movie! In some ways is is similar to Romeo and Juliette.

Dana Amar performing a Raqia Hassan Choreography

Follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8jYVLDTVKI
to see a truely lovely performance by Dana Amar. Raqia Hassan is one of my favourite choreographers.

The incomparable Dina

Another Great Youtube link

Mahmoud Reda's troupe performing Saidi

Morocco in Bahlam Beek

Stunning!

Morocco's website

Tamra Henna

Another gorgeous Tamra Henna clip! Stunning!

Favourite Videos

Some more favourites

Dynamic Combinations - Travelling in Style with Ava Fleming - IAMED.

Excellent intermediate entrances and travelling combinations. Show with IAMED's usual quality. Enjoy!

Souhair

Tamra Henna