I was thrilled to wake up this morning to a post from one of my dear students, linking to a spineuniverse.com article named Belly Dance Your Back Pain Away.

Call me a pessimist, but I don't usually expect much from articles written about belly dance in the mainstream. They tend to be, at best, just fluff pieces that totally minimize what belly dance really is, or at worst they could be full of stereotypes and misinformation.

This time around, I was pleasantly surprised. For once, an accurate and informative take on the dance form we love so much - and from a medical source, at that!

So let's break down the many benefits of belly dance as listed on the article, and why I love them so much: 

• The article mentions that belly dance is "being recognized as an important cultural form of expression."
  
  This is very true and I love that it is briefly mentioned, despite the fact that this is an article focused on the physical benefits of the dance.
  
  We are really just beginning to recognize the full importance of this dance, in every aspect: physically, mentally, communally, culturally, and spiritually. For far too long belly dance has been dismissed at face value due to stereotypes and misconceptions about what it even is, but this is beginning to change and will continue to change in the coming years. With this shift in perception, more studies will be conducted and new discoveries will be made.
  
  
• It talks about the way that belly dance posture helps to correct spinal alignment and ease pressure on joints. 
  
  I spend a lot of time in my classes, especially at beginner levels, reminding students of this posture. As Dawn Ferchak, the author, beautifully defines, posture is "the way you hold the body to perform particular movements so that those movements are fluid, graceful, and painless." In belly dance, we keep our pelvis in a neutral position (tailbone pointing down), soften our knees and engage our abdominals to assist in this posture. This is crucial to alleviate stress on the lower back and the knees. 
  
  
• It cites a scientific study about the benefits of belly dance for chronic back pain. 
  
  The article mentions a 2017 study that found that a standardized belly dance program can positively influence pain and function in women with chronic back pain.
  
  I did not know about this study, but I am not surprised! My student Ellen (the one who shared the article) reports that she is healing well and quickly since her back surgery less than 1 year ago. She has, of course, the go-ahead from her doctors to perform this type of movement, and I always encourage my students (especially those with injuries and other limitations) to constantly check in and listen to their bodies, and help them modify movements as needed. 
  
  And I, myself, am prone to lower back issues due to my natural bone structure.  I wonder if the reason I have remained mostly injury-free throughout my life is because of belly dance. I do other forms of exercise and movement as well (and I highly recommend doing more than just belly dance, which is why we'll be adding powerful activities for cross-training in the SharqiDance curriculum soon), but the only one I have been doing consistently for the past 14 years is belly dance.
  
  
• It talks about the psychological benefits of the dance: improving depression, anxiety, and self-esteem issues. 
  
  I can 100% say this dance has helped me improve my own body image, my relationships with other women, and helps me manage my depression and anxiety when I am having episodes. Nearly all of my students have reported the same benefits as well. This is not to say that one should not seek a therapist when dealing with mental health issues, but this type of movement, in conjunction with talk therapy, can be a very beneficial path to healing. 
  
  
• It mentions a scientific study about the positive effects of belly dance on body image.
  
  “While research on various forms of dance has emphasized unhealthy body image influences, belly dance offers a counter-example, indicating broad and inclusive body image norms, lack of pressure for body image conformity, and high levels of body satisfaction among dancers.”
  
  I was also not aware of this study before, but I am not surprised. Most mainstream dance forms in our culture emphasize thinness and youth, whereas belly dance generally does not. Now, a caveat: this could be dependent on the belly dance instructor and their own philosophies and personal issues, and professional belly dance performers are unfortunately subject to the general public's preferences of how they should look.
  
  The belly dance world is not a perfect world, and body image issues certainly could arise or be aggravated in those scenarios. However, generally speaking, the belly dance community itself is much more open to a variety of body types than other dance forms and our society and popular culture. 
  
  And though I cannot speak for every belly dance teacher, in my classes every body type is welcome, accepted and appreciated, and I try to convey to my students a sense of appreciation for their own bodies as best as I can, as well as for diversity in body types in general.
  
  
• It talks about belly dance being accessible to people of all ages. It also mentions that it is not exclusive to women. Men can belly dance, too! 
  
  Nearly anyone, from school age to seniors, can participate in belly dance. It enhances health, assists with posture, can alleviate back pain, and strengthen both body and mind.
  
  This statement is spot on, and a breath of fresh air to see in a publication. My students range for their 20s to their 60s, but there are belly dancers who continue dancing well into their 80s and 90s, and others who start at much younger ages. Belly dance has roots in Middle Eastern social dances, which are danced by average people of all ages. 
  ​
  
• It mentions belly dance being a fun, creative outlet that also serves as a health and fitness activity.
  
  I believe that every human being needs some way to develop and express their natural creativity. And it is well known that we all need regular physical exercise, as well. Why not get both from the same activity?

That just about covers the benefits mentioned in the article (if you haven't checked it out by now, you can read it here.)

Belly dance offers countless other benefits as well, ​which you may have noticed if you already practice it. What positive impact has belly dance had in your life, health, or well-being? What are the benefits you've personally experienced from it? 

Recently there has been quite a bit of discussion in the belly dance world regarding mahraganat- the music, the dance associated with the music, its incorporation into belly dance performances, and costuming. 

Even though the music genre is incredibly popular, both in Egypt and abroad, there is still a good deal of confusion and misunderstanding of what is mahraganat.

First, a vocabulary lesson: mahraganat (مهرجانات) translates to ‘festivals’, plural. Mahragan (مهرجان) translates to ‘festival’, singular. The style of music is named as such because of its origins. The music itself can be labeled as either mahraganat or mahragan; the words are used interchangeably.

So, what are the origins of this music genre?  I wrote and published an article in 2018 breaking down the history of mahraganat. Briefly, mahraganat is a type of music that originated from the lower socio-economic classes of Cairo.

The genre began as an underground music movement when pioneering producers DJ Figo and Ala Fifty created loud, exciting music using predominantly synthesizers and autotune in the underground clubs of the Egyptian ghettos.

Popular Mahraganat Artists

Like any other genre of music, the music within mahraganat varies. Artists like Hassan Shakoosh and Omar Kamal (Bint el Giran and Lghbatita) perform a style of mahraganat that is lighter in feeling and content.

Saidi is one of the most popular 4/4 rhythms in belly dance music. The "skeleton" of the Saidi rhythm normally has a down beat ("doum" sound) on the 1, and two down beats in the middle (one falling between 2 and 3, and one on the 3):

The word Saidi (صعيدى, sometimes spelled Sa'idi) means from Upper Egypt. The Said, (Upper Egypt) is a region in the south of Egypt. It's called Upper Egypt because it has a higher elevation than the north of Egypt (Lower Egypt), which is closer to sea level. Fun fact: the Nile river flows to the north for that reason! 

​Basically, anything that comes from Upper Egypt could be referred to as Saidi: clothing, food, music, dances, people... anything! In the context of belly dance or Middle Eastern music, when we talk about Saidi we are usually either referring to the music or dances from the Saidi region, or to the Saidi rhythm. 


Saidi Rhythm =/= Saidi Music?

The name of this rhythm seems to indicate it's a rhythm from Upper Egypt, and it is an extremely common rhythm in Saidi music, but it's important to know that this rhythm is not exclusive to the Saidi region!

Saidi rhythm is actually super common in Middle Eastern music across genres, including classical, baladi, shaabi, pop, drum solos, and folkloric. And you will find it across the borders of the Arab world, even in music from Lebanon and Syria for example.

So while it might be tempting to assume that you are listening to Saidi music when you hear the Saidi rhythm, that isn't always the case. 

We also can't assume Saidi music will only feature this rhythm we call Saidi, although it primarily does. When you hear Saidi music you might also encounter other rhythms such as baladi, maqsum, malfuf, or fellahi.

​Here's an example of a famous Saidi song which does feature Saidi rhythm:

​There is so much left to be said about Saidi music and dance, so for now I will leave you with these examples.

Pay attention to the rhythm in these examples, try to count it out, sing out the "doums" and the "teks" to help you identify the down beats and the up beats in this rhythm.

In our next post we will discuss Saidi music and dance, and how you can learn to dance to Saidi rhythm in the specific context of Saidi music.

The Samai rhythm is a 10/8 rhythm that is fairly common in certain types of Middle Eastern music. The 10/8 variation of this rhythm is referred to in Arabic as Samai Thaqil (also spelled Sama'i Thaqil), and that's the variation we are discussing today. 

The rhythm Samai is not featured in most Middle Eastern songs we normally use for belly dance, but it is encountered often enough to be considered an essential rhythm for belly dancers to know. 

The "skeleton" of the 10/8 Samai sounds like this:
D--T-DDT--
​
This is spread over a count of 10, meaning there are 10 beats to each measure. Here's where the main "doums" and "teks" will fall within the Samai rhythm:

Samai: Not Just for Muwashahat

You will sometimes hear the Samai rhythm as a section within a Middle Eastern musical composition, usually in the following genres:

• Megeance 
• Classical Middle Eastern music
• Drum solos
  
  

​Here's a wonderful example of Samai in a drum solo:

When we're feeling carried away by the winds and the rain and the thunder, when we are overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, sadness or stress, we can use breath and movement to ground ourselves and shift our emotions naturally from within.
 
Sometimes it takes no more than a quick and simple regular movement practice to divert our negative feelings and trick our bodies into feeling better.
 
When we are rooted and grounded from within, we feel calm and become much better able to withstand any storm.

-Yamê

The song Alf Layla wa Layla is ubiquitous both in the belly dance community and in the Arab world. Originally sung by Um Kulthum, this immortal classic has crossed language  barriers and won the hearts of people all over the world. It is considered by some to be one of the best recordings ever made in music history. 

Since you've clicked on this article I assume you're already familiar with this song, so let's dig a little deeper into its background and meaning.

Composer, Lyricist & Singer

Alf Layla wa Layla (also spelled Alf Leilah wa Leilah, Alf Leila wa Leila, Alf Leyla wa Leyla, Alf Lela Wlela, among other variations) was composed in 1969 by Baligh Hamdi, a prominent Egyptian composer in the 1960's and 70's, written by Egyptian poet Morsi Jamil Aziz and sung by the legendary singer Um Kultum.

Um Kulthum (1904? - 1975)
​Born "Fatima Ibrahim as-Sayed El-Beltagi" in Egypt, Um Kulthum was a poor girl from a rural town who grew up to become the most well-known Arab singer of her time, which she remains so to this date, even 45 years after her death.

Due to her incredible vocal ability, style and fame she was given the title of "Star of the East." Her funeral in 1975 was attended by over 4 million Egyptians, and her music is still heard and recognized by Arabs all over the Middle East and around the world. Many of the most popular belly dance songs we hear today were originally sung by her.

A Thousand and One Nights
​ 
Alf Layla wa Layla means 1001 Nights, and it is one of Um Kulthum's most enduring songs. Here is a small piece of it translated, so you can understand its meaning: 

Oh beloved
The night and the sky, and its stars and its moon
Its moon and its night-time liveliness, and you and I
Oh beloved, oh my life
All of us, all of us experience love equally
And love, how heart-aching it can be
Love, how heart-aching it can be
Love stays up with us to shower us with bliss
And it says serenely to us
Oh beloved, come let us dwell in the eyes of the night
Come let us dwell in the eyes of the night
And we'd say to the sun: come out, come out
But only after a year from now
And not before a year has passed
For this is a beautiful night of love
Worth a thousand and one nights more
For what is a lifetime but a sole night just like tonight, just like tonight
Tonight, just like tonight

If you'd like a more complete translation, I highly recommend the 100 Songs Initiative video translation below, which includes the original words in Arabic as they are spoken, along with the transliteration and translation in English.

Favorite Recordings
​
The original recordings of Um Kulthum's music are typically 30-80 minutes long and are not meant to be danced to. However, they are still wonderful for us as belly dancers to listen to so that we can gain more appreciation and understanding for the music. 

For dance performances, we typically use much shorter and more modern renditions of the original classic compositions, and they can be purely instrumental or feature a vocalist. You can listen to a few of my favorite recordings of Alf Layla wa Layla below.

​Instrumental Version, Alf Layla va Laylah by Samir

Diversity, Receptivity and Inclusivity

In the spirit of the 4th of July holiday, Egyptian American musician and folk dancer Karim Nagi shared with his fans his version of the Star Spangled Banner in celebration of America's highest ideal of diversity, receptivity and inclusivity. 

As students and professionals of Middle Eastern dance, we do our art form justice by learning about and understanding Middle Eastern music. Here are some things you can learn with this piece: 
​
Instruments
 
Buzuq (بزق‎‎; also spelled bozuq, bouzouk, buzuk)
This long-necked string instrument was originally a folk instrument from the Levant region of the Middle East (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Palestine). Since the middle of the 20th century it has crossed over to mainstream Arabic music and become more common in traditional Arabic ensembles.
 
Darbuka
This goblet-shaped drum is the dominant percussive instrument in a lot of folk and pop Arabic music, and is also used to some extent in classical Middle Eastern music. In Egypt, this instrument is called a tabla. In the Levant, it is called a dirbakki or derbake. 
 
Riq (رق, also spelled riqq or rik)
This small hand drum with brass cymbals is a type of tambourine that is used to play intricate rhythms and ornamentations in Middle Eastern music. It is another common and important percussive instrument in the Middle East.
 
 
Rhythms
​
All the rhythms used in this piece are extremely common in Middle Eastern dance, and therefore very much worth studying.
​
Maqsum Rhythm (4/4)
This lively rhythm is probably the single most common rhythm in Middle Eastern music! It is found in classical music, folk & beledi music, shaabi, pop, megeance, drum solos, and often!
​
Here's the basic skeleton of the maqsum rhythm: 

​Maqamat
 
Maqamat (singular maqam) are arrangements of notes in Middle Eastern music. They are similar to scales in Western music, but much more complex because they include the scales, melodic phrases, modulations, ornamentations and more. They also evoke a specific mood.
 
The maqamat used in this piece are suznak, bayati, saba, and huzam.

What's your favorite aspect of Karim's video, or your favorite part of this song? Share your thoughts on the comments below!

Our bodies carry us through our entire life, supporting us and enabling us to do the things we love. Our bodies are our only true home from the moment we are born until the moment we die, growing and changing and transforming with us. Our bodies even have the capacity for creating life and bringing it forth into this world... yet how do we treat those bodies of ours?

How often do we speak about our bodies with shame, how often do we talk to our bodies with disdain, how often do we think about our bodies with sadness? How often do we feel frustrated for the things our bodies "can't" do or for the way our bodies look?

How rarely do we take the time to appreciate all the amazing things our bodies already enable us to do? How rarely do we marvel at the perfect balance of our automatic bodily functions that keep us alive and healthy in every moment?

Most of us think and speak about our bodies only with frustration and negativity and rarely if ever with appreciation and positivity. We take for granted all the amazing things we have to be grateful to our own bodies for.

And then maybe we learn to appreciate our body's ability to function, to move freely without pain, only after an accident or illness impairs that ability. Only then do we tend to learn how precious our bodies are and have always been, and how insignificant the criticisms over the way our bodies look or the things we think our bodies can't do really are.

It's time to start shifting the way we think and talk about our bodies every day. Let's move away from the frustration and move towards more love and appreciation. Let's try replacing criticisms of our bodies with wonder and gratitude, today and every day.

I like to end all of my belly dance classes guiding my students to give themselves a hug and thank their bodies for everything they do; all the functions we take for granted that keep us alive, healthy and in balance and free from pain.

And I'm not the only one. In one of her online classes, Brazilian belly dancer Ju Marconato spoke about the importance of expressing gratitude to our bodies for those very things. She talked about not waiting until we become sick to see the value in our health. She expressed this so beautifully that I decided to translate her message into English and share it with you today: 

"Today I am thankful for the air that I breathe deeply through my lungs. I am thankful for my skin, my hair, my nails.

Have you ever stopped to thank your kidneys? Imagine life without your kidneys working. How much are your kidneys worth? How hard would you work to have kidneys that are perfectly healthy and whole? Is there a price for that? 
That is true wealth! I am thankful for my kidneys.

I am thankful for my intestines, my spleen, my liver, and the perfect synchronized functioning of my internal organs. I am thankful for each cell of my body, each one perfect and healthy. How I am richly blessed...

I am thankful for my eyes. How wonderful it is to see colors, lights, to see the faces of the people I love. How important it is to have this channel of communication with the world. Do you see it?

Try putting a blindfold over your eyes for a day or just a few hours, and go about your daily activities or try to go outside.
When you take off the blindfold your perception will be more accurate, and will show you the grandiosity of being able to see.
This way a feeling of pure gratitude is installed in your heart, so you don't have to lose your health to be thankful for it.

I am thankful for my ears. How wonderful it is to be able to hear songs. Do you understand the magnitude of that?
Cover your ears for just 24 hours. When you uncover them you will be jumping in gratitude for the gift of hearing.

I am thankful for my legs that take me where I need to go. I'm thankful for my arms that hug and do work. I'm thankful for my hands that caress, nurture and cook. I'm thankful for my metabolism.

I am thankful for my heart. So much gratitude for my heart. This perfect and tireless machine that works 24 hours in my favor. Atria and ventricles working in perfect synchrony. It's a miracle. My heart is truly precious, it's invaluable.

I am thankful for my brain, my nervous system, my endocrine glands, my defense sells.

I am thankful because I am a magnificent expression of life. I am nature manifested in all its wisdom. I love my body. It is home to my spirit. I love my temple. Today I am grateful."

You are a magnificent expression of life. Your body is a marvel, a microcosm of nature, a unique and beautiful temple that deserves to be honored and respected. Cherish the wonderful things your body does for you today and every day, and observe how much more easily the dance of life begins to flow. 

Taqsim (تَقْسِيم‎, also spelled taqseem, taksim or takseem, plural 'taqasim') is an improvisation of an oud, buzuq, violin, ney, qanun, accordion, saxophone, or any other melodic instrument in Middle Eastern music. 

It can be performed alone or as a part of a full musical composition, sometimes as an introduction and other times in the middle of the piece.  When it's a part of a full composition, it may be backed up by a steady rhythm in harmony with the melodic solo.

When we're describing taqasim in English, we might use the name of the instrument first, followed by the word "taqsim,"  like "oud taqsim" or "ney taqsim." However in Arabic, typically the description of a word will follow the noun that it's describing. Since the instrument describes the type of taqsim being played, in Arabic these taqasim would be described as "taqsim oud" or "taqsim ney." 

Hear a few examples below: 

Which of these melodic instruments is your favorite to listen to? Which type of taqsim do you most enjoy dancing to? Would you like to learn more about taqasim, like how to interpret this music as a dancer? Let us know in the comments below!

“This moment humanity is going through can now be seen as a portal and as a hole. The decision to fall into the hole or go through the portal is up to you.

If you repent of the problem and consume the news 24 hours a day, with little energy, nervous all the time, with pessimism, you will fall into the hole. But if you take this opportunity to look at yourself, rethink life and death, take care of yourself and others, you will cross the portal. Take care of your homes, take care of your body. Connect with your spiritual House.

When you are taking care of yourselves, you are taking care of everything else. Do not lose the spiritual dimension of this crisis; have the eagle aspect from above and see the whole; see more broadly.

There is a social demand in this crisis, but there is also a spiritual demand -- the two go hand in hand. Without the social dimension, we fall into fanaticism. But without the spiritual dimension, we fall into pessimism and lack of meaning. You were prepared to go through this crisis. Take your toolbox and use all the tools available to you.

Learn about resistance of the indigenous and African peoples; we still haven't stopped singing, dancing, lighting a fire, and having fun. Don't feel guilty about being happy during this difficult time.
You do not help at all being sad and without energy. You help if good things emanate from the Universe now. It is through joy that one resists. Also, when the storm passes, each of you will be very important in the reconstruction of this new world.

You need to be well and strong. And for that, there is no other way than to maintain a beautiful, happy, and bright vibration. This has nothing to do with alienation.

This is a resistance strategy. In shamanism, there is a rite of passage called the quest for vision. You spend a few days alone in the forest, without water, without food, without protection. When you cross this portal, you get a new vision of the world, because you have faced your fears, your difficulties.

This is what is asked of you:
Allow yourself to take advantage of this time to perform your vision-seeking rituals. What world do you want to build for you? For now, this is what you can do -- serenity in the storm. Calm down, pray every day. Establish a routine to meet the sacred every day.

Good things emanate; what you emanate now is the most important thing. And sing, dance, resist through art, joy, faith, and love."

This post is being shared on Facebook today, credited as a message from White Eagle, Hopi indigenous tribe.

This summarizes my feelings so well that I feel there is no need to come up with my own words, and I wanted to share it here.

Please take care of yourself, try to find joy through dance/movement, art, conscious breathing, singing, playing music, and laughing. By recharging yourself you will have the energy to envision and fight for a better future and make a positive difference in the world.

-Yamê