Syllabus Habiba Eastern Dance Course description Belly Dancing, or raqs al sharqi, in the Middle east, means eastern dance, and is one of the oldest documented dance forms. today it has spread throughout the world as an art form and an exciting way to exercise. after a warm-up, students learn isolation movements of the hip and torso, how to frame them with graceful arm positions and how to use them in patterns across the floor. Belly Dance technique enhances flexibility and provides a workout, yet is gentle on the ankles and knees, making it appropriate for all ages and sizes. By the end of the term students will learn a short choreographed piece and will learn about the history of the dance, the distinctive rhythms used in the music and their cultural context. CE 6123C 1.5 CE Credits $285 CE 6123N Non-credit $210 10 Mondays, Jan 24 Apr 4 6:00 7:30 pm Instructor: Habiba Course Objectives 1. Define cultural/ethnic terminology such as Middle East, Arab, Egyptian, oriental, core Arab world. 2. Define terminology related to Egyptian dance such as beledi, raqs sharqi, raqs masri, hip drop, hip circle 3. Demonstrate knowledge of how to combine selected arm patterns, isolations and traveling steps into a complete dance phrase 4. Describe the main differences between eastern dance and western dance. 5. Be able to create a short choreography out of assigned movements Course Assessment 1. To be successful students will be expected to master the basic movements contained in a choreography taught in sessions 7,8,9 2. In order to be successful students will have to put together a short choreography using assigned elements and perform for each other the last night of class 3. They will write an essay on one of the following topics: (3 pages maximum)
a. What is the most meaningful manifestation of raqs sharqi to you: as a solo interpretive dance, an ethnic dance, a women s dance, a nightclub dance? and Why? b. Does this dance, Raqs sharqi, thousands of years old, have a place in the modern world? c. Compare and contrast your impressions of belly dance (raqs sharqi) before taking this class and your impressions after experiencing the movements, seeing videos of dancers and reading the assigned articles. Grades computed in following manner: 20% essay, 10% engagement during lecture 20% original choreography 20% reproducing Habiba s choreography 30% growth in executing movements Because abilities in dance greatly differ I am treating growth as a significant part of the grading process. Sessions 1/24/11 Session 1. Overview of course and assignments s Posture-alignment Arms and hands hip circles and figure 8 s classic Egyptian traveling steps with arms and hands 1/31/11 Session 2. Define terms: Middle East, core Arabic world, oriental Describe four categories Egyptian dance. Show where Raqs Sharqi (belly dance) fits in. Origin of terms belly dance, Raks beledi, Raks al Hawaneem s shoulder shimmies and rolls undulations
hip articulations pt.1 2/7/11 Session 3. Role of improvisation in Egyptian dance. Context of the dance in Egypt Comparison of western dance and eastern dance s Contractions-pelvic and abdominal Hip articulations pt. 2 hip shimmies combinations with hip movements Across the floor combinations 2/14/11 Session 4. Characteristic features of Arab women s dances. Do the movements have specific meaning? Contrast with South Asian dance. Technique review of Sessions 1-3 Hip shimmies while walking 2/21/11 Session 5: Role of Ghawazi (Egyptian gypsies) in development of Egyptian dance DVD clip of Khairiyya Maazin, Egyptian gypsy. Entrance combinations for nightclub style dance DVD player needed. 2/28/11 Session 6: The taqsim beledi progression, the heart and soul of Egyptian dance Show DVD of Beledi performance and Nile boatmen doing men s style beledi Assign movements for students choreographies taqsim beledi: Improvisation within the form
Spring Break 3/7/11 3/14/11 Session 7: The three most typical Egyptian dance rhythms: Maqsum, masmoudi, malfuf Begin teaching choreography 3/21/11 Session 8: The musical repertoire of Belly Dance: Golden Age of Belly Dance, show DVD of legends of Egyptian dance Review 1st part of choreography and continue with 2nd part. 3/28/11 Session 9: Belly Dance in modern Egypt-the structure of the belly dance routine Finish choreography and review. 4/4/11 Session 10: Lecture/Discussion (30 minutes): Review of main points and discussion Students perform their individual assignments Hand in essays Student materials 1. purchase or bring from home: a hip scarf 2. sources: hip scarves available for sale from Habiba 3. music will be distributed to students at first class 4. reading material distributed to students via e-mail Equipment needed: sound system that plays CDs-every class DVD player for films-2/21, 2/28, 3/21
Assigned reading Note: All of the articles by Habiba are available for free download on her web site: www.habibastudio.com Habiba, Belly Dance: the enduring embarrassment, a paper originally given at the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference, Dec. 8 1995 in Washington, DC in a panel entitled Public Culture in Arab Societies, Arabesque v. 21, Nov.-Dec. 1995 p. 11-13 Habiba, The Legacy of the Ghawazi, Habibi v.20, no.4 Fall 2005 p. 38-46 Habiba, The Ghawazi Revisited: a party in Luxor, Habibi 21, no. 1, Winter 2005 p. 40-47 The following articles will be sent by e-mail to the students: Edward W. Lane, Manners and customs of the modern Egyptians, London, Gardner, 1895, chapter 19, Public Dancers Fatima Mernissi, Scheherezade goes west, N.Y., Washington Square Press, 2001 p. 70-73 Videos presented in class: DVD player needed 1. 2/21 Khairiyya Maazin, Egyptian gypsy 2. 2/28 Beledi, Saidi boatmen 3. 3/21 The legends of Belly Dance