SharqiDance Belly Dance Classes
  • Home
    • Sign Up!
  • Online Classes
    • Unstoppable Shimmies
    • Beginner Belly Dance
    • Intermediate Belly Dance
  • In-Person Classes
    • Intro to Belly Dance
    • Belly Dance Basics
    • Belly Dance Drills & Performance Skills
    • Private Belly Dance Classes
  • About Us
    • About the Teacher
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
    • Blog Map

What's Khaleeji Dance?

5/12/2020

1 Comment

 
Our guest writer and Saudi-born Middle Eastern dancer  Khadijah tells us about the beautiful dance of her region
​Khaleeji (خليجي‎, also spelled khaleegy or khaliji) is a mix of folk dances containing traditional and modern styles from the surrounding Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. ​
Picture
The name Khaleeji literally means "from the Gulf" in Arabic and it is often performed in groups at special events by women. Men also have their  styles but is also performed in groups, with or without props such as rifles, canes, drums, swords, scarfs etc. The word Khaleeji is used to describe more than just the dance aspect of the culture. For anything that relates to Gulf culture this word is appropriate to use.

Khaleeji culture is often misunderstood and appears to be mysterious in various parts of the world. Many of the Khaleeji cultural and religious traditions to outsiders can seem a bit intimidating. But as you get to know Khaleeji people, the culture is very warm, welcoming, family-oriented and inviting to all.


Watch Khadijah Dance Khaleeji
The Khaleeji dance itself incorporates very distinctive footwork, shimmies only involving the hands and the shoulders, head slides and circles, chest drops, specialized finger snapping and distinctive hair flips.

Depending on the region, styles of Khaleeji dance accompany the heavy percussive stylization on the music. There are various rhythm patterns throughout the Gulf region, so it's very important to know what style you are performing to.
​
An Illustration of Various Styles of Thobe Nasha'al
Image source: AramcoWorld "The Gown That Steals Your Heart"
Picture
Costuming varies from region to region even city to city but the traditional Khaleeji costume style is called thobe Nasha'al. There are various styles available other than the thobe Nasha'al. They come in all colors, styles and embroidery patterns. The thobe Nasha'al is a costume to be worn all on its own. It is not meant to be worn as a belly dance costume cover up. It is encouraged to wear jewelry such as lots of bracelets and anklets. Necklaces and jewelry in the hair can be worn, however if you are wanting to perform lots of hair work it is not suggested to wear jewelry in the hair or heavy necklaces.
​

Khaleeji dance can have so many meanings. When the dance is fully executed it looks incredibly beautiful especially when the dance is performed in a group. The essence of this dance is very feminine, strong while honoring noble Khaleeji traditions.

About Today's Author

Picture
Email: 
khadijahdancer.net@gmail.com 

Website: 
www.khadijahdancer.net 
​​
Khadijah is an international artist, choreographer and instructor of Middle Eastern dance with special emphasis in folkloric dances and ethnology. She resides in Denver, Colorado.

Khadijah's Afro-Gulf culture and traditional upbringing led her to promote and educate the public about the khaleej region and its cultural aspects.

​Khadijah is known for her upbeat, energetic styles of various modern and folk styles of Arabic dances and beyond.

Want to Learn More About Khaleeji? 

We're hosting Khadijah for an online Khaleeji workshop on Sunday May 24, 2020. Learn more here! 

​Was This Post Helpful?

Did you learn something from this post? Hit "like" below and leave a comment with your feedback!

If you liked this article, you can visit our blog map to find other posts about Arabic music, belly dance and other related topics. Or subscribe to our newsletter, YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram pages to be the first to see more content from us!

​Happy learning, and happy dancing!
1 Comment
Gymnastics Jackets link
1/6/2023 02:51:58 am

We will see many different dance style across the globe, but every dance form is better than other one. Thanks for khadija for share your dance form information with us.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Yamê is a Brazilian-American
    raqs sharqi dancer based out of New Jersey, USA.
    As the owner of SharqiDance, her mission is two-fold:
    empowering students to find inner joy, confidence and self-love in a positive and supportive dance community, and educating students and audiences around the world on the beauty and intricacies of Middle Eastern dance and music. 

    RSS Feed

    View Posts By Category

    If you'd like to read more articles by Yamê or SharqiDance's guest authors, please view our blog map here. 
    blog map

    Archives

    October 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016

What Our STUDENTS Are Saying

"You have to give this dance a try, it's so much fun! Yame is so helpful in teaching and telling you all you need to learn! You won't be disappointed!"

Lila, SharqiDance student

FOLLOW US 

  • Home
    • Sign Up!
  • Online Classes
    • Unstoppable Shimmies
    • Beginner Belly Dance
    • Intermediate Belly Dance
  • In-Person Classes
    • Intro to Belly Dance
    • Belly Dance Basics
    • Belly Dance Drills & Performance Skills
    • Private Belly Dance Classes
  • About Us
    • About the Teacher
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
    • Blog Map