I think it's official that I'm going to be in the next dance recital at the studio. Since I'm not a huge fan of public performance, this is going to be a challenge. I don't mind practicing - like it, in fact - I just don't dig the stage.
Beledi music is used specifically for a dance known as the Melaya Leff (pronounced "ME-LIE-AH LEF"). This dance is from Alexandria, Egypt. A melaya itself is a large, black shawl made of nylon or silk, in which the women wrap themselves completely from head to toe. It is a modesty garment for when they leave the house. For the stage, the melaya is trimmed with gold or silver pailettes. The word leff simply means "to wrap". Under the melaya, the dancer wears a form-fitting dress that is short, ruffled and bright in color. She dons open-toed slippers with high heels called ship-ship, and on her head she ties a small scarf decorated with pompons or flowers. Also worn is a crocheted face-veil known as a burr'oh. The melaya is draped upon the body, and during the dance it slips off and is re-wrapped time and again. As Alexandria is a port city, the dance scene is between the fishermen and the women who are looking to profit by sharing their liberties. The men sit on the street beside a café, drinking and smoking their water pipes. The women compete for attention by flirting. Eventually, the men and women dance together.
i got nuthin.