Music Part 1- Majences - first look for Introductory/Foundation Belly Dance

Are you new here? Or have no idea what is going on and are overwhelmed by all the posts? Or want to revisit a past tutorial, practice video or post. Do not panic. You will find video descriptions, and a master list of all Introductory belly dances posts here in this post by just clicking this link. This list is updated and reposted at the start of each month so you can always find all previous content in one place:)
https://www.patreon.com/posts/34809865

Woohoo it is time to get musical.
We have spent time training our bodies how to move and now it's time to train our ears how to listen and hear the music that we move to so we know what we are hearing and can get a better idea of how to move to it.

We will begin at the beginning with an Introductory look Mejances (sometimes spelled Magence, Mejence, mergence , the list goes on) .

The video is long winded so I will try to keep the text concise and reference what is said in the video here when I said I would provide a list or link :)

* at one point in the video I refer to what we are hearing as a flute but I am actually pretty sure it's specifically a nay and I just brain farted.
There is a channel on YouTube called "Arab Instruments" which is a truly wonderful resource. Here is the link to their Nay video. I recommend checking out their videos.
https://youtu.be/BO9W3uD9xnE

For spelling references
The rhythms mentioned, Malfuf, Ayub (sometimes ayoub) and masmoudi sequir aka Baladi (beledi).

List of Mejances
This is a very small list. I am just providing it to get you started. If you have some time. Go on youtube and look up the songs, you might find different versions, live band versions, variation in dancer interpretation, all good things:)

Nagwa (named for the famous Egyptian dancer Nagwa Faoud) https://youtu.be/8NE159hLK0U
Modern recording of the song
https://youtu.be/7UGXvIpqNmU

Negma - https://youtu.be/815W6sNx9FE

Zara Zara - https://youtu.be/OK1wVugt1kc

Eshta Ya Amar

Mashaal

Tales of the Sahara

Raks El Hob

Set El hosen

We have used mejances not listed here in our practice videos. Can you name one?

A big part of learning is watching examples. So make a tea, grab some popcorn and get comfy cause it is time for a dance video Marathon, starring Mejances.

We will begin with the first mejance that I fell in love with and the first actual bellydancer that I fell in love with, Natalia Fadda (Aka Natalya Strelchenko) dancing to Tales of the Sahara.
https://youtu.be/oFJE6V43Xs8
I saw this above video within my first 2 years of dancing (I started in February 2008) Natalia was my favourite dancer after I first saw a video of her back in 2008. I scoured youtube for more videos and I remember when this one was posted how happy and excited I was. For me this performance is perfect. Her technique, her energy, her emotion, and the costume. Of those almost 10,000 views, 1000 of them might be mine, like actually lol ❤

One of my other absolute favourite dancers, Kahina of Brazil, was shown to me within my first year of dancing and it was once again love at first sight. I love her energetic and clean hip work, joyous energy and how she combines her classic ballet background with her belly dancing. This mejance performance remains a favourite. This song is also a great example of a mejance with a full opening, folklore section Taxim and drum solo and then a wrap up finale. Perfection!
Kahina- love moon and stars
https://youtu.be/iqeZDNhllmk

So you can see a lovely rendition of Eshta Ya Amar by Yasmin. There are lots of videos by lots of dancers to this song so I recommend looking up more if you have the time and interest.
Eshta Ya Amar- by Yasmin
https://youtu.be/NLZRw7iOTGM

Another example I want to give is of a full version of a song, versus a shortened stage edit, the song is Hilwa Laaba Di (an absolute favourite of mine) and the full version here is danced by the one and only Dina Talaat of Cairo. One of Egypt's most successful, famous, and arguably controversial dancers. She is currently in her 50s and still in high demand. No easy feat in today's world. She shaped the dance and is undoubtedly one of bellydances most influential dancers of the culture. Dancers of middle eastern culture face harsh stigmas and judgement, it is not a career path for th faint of heart. Dina made statements through her costuming choices,and performances. Whether or not you like her style there is no denying her power and that she absolutely has her own unmistakable style which (to me anyway) is such an important thing. I have the utmost respect for her career and accomplishments. In this video notice she doesn't enter until almost 2 minutes in. Can you identify what is happening musically when she does enter?
Dina's style is uniquely her own, yet not overwhelming, notice how much time she spends greeting and connecting with her audience. How natural her emotionality is? This is one of my favourite performances of Dina's. I think it is from late 80s or early 90s but I am not positive.
Dina hilwa labba di
https://youtu.be/lDWiQCYuf40

Now time for the stage edit version of the same song with one of Egypt's current stars (although she is originally from the Ukraine). Alla Kushnir already had a successful dance career back in the Ukraine, having been a finalist on Ukraine's Got Talent, but then moved to Egypt to dance full time after she won the televised Egyptian dance competition Al Rakesa. Dina was one of the main judges. If you look up Al Rakesa on YouTube you can see Dina in the judge's chair. Pretty cool. Alla Kushnir is another favourite dancer of mine. One of my long standing dance crushes. I love her energy, technique and well, just all of It. Here she is dancing to one of the shortened versions of Hilwa Laaba Di (followed by a drum solo with some adorable audience interaction).
All kushnir hilwa labba di
https://youtu.be/6CX17GUVTbU

Notice how there is variation in style of the above dancers. Maybe you have an obvious favourite. Maybe you love them all. Maybe you didnt love any of them. Art is subjective. None of those possibilities is wrong. It is so important to watch a variety of dancers as seeing and identifying what we do and don't like can help give us direction and inspire our own dancing. Always try to keep in mind just because it may not appeal to you, it doesn't mean it is bad. There are over 7 billion of us on the planet, its is natural that we are all moved and inspired by different things. You and I could walk into a garden together and each have a different favourite flower, but all the flowers there help create the garden and contribute their own beauty to it. ❤❤

If you would like to see a little evolution of my dancing ,
Here is a mejance from 2011 (admittedly at the time I had not yet heard the word Mejance and was still afraid of veils... lol)
https://youtu.be/Vg3Nt817FCw

Me dancing to a mejance outside on a crowded stage with some breeze (by this point forming a relationship with veil, even in adverse conditions lol)
Dancing to Soo Soo in 2015
https://youtu.be/KF2ABcH-NJ4

By 2016 I was In love with veil. Some love affairs start as enemies, then friends I guess lol.
Me dancing to helm El Raqs (2016)
https://youtu.be/DEo0Mec8yp8

Now I want to make a 2020 Mejance
Stay tuned:)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POWERING THROUGH ALL OF THIS. I know it is a lot and I am proud of you. Thank you for learning with me and see you for Mejance Practice Video:)