Well, our choreography club kicks off with a wonderfully spontaneous, natural, joyous dance from Blanca. She suggests that we watch those moves and write down what we see. Let’s try it out!
Here’s the first minute, from Blanca. You’ll need to listen to the music, some parts don’t fall into regular 8-counts so easily.
x = times
R = Right
L = Left
Each number = 8 beats
1. L hip roll into a drop, repeat R
Semicircle (pelvic crescent) to R, foot touch, pelvic circle while doing 1/2 turn
2. It goes right away into R hip lift looking back
repeat hip lift L side
the third time R side with open arms, 2 hip drops
3. cocky walk: (that’s how I call it) single – single – double
Repeat
4. Baladi step back (backup step) 4x
5. 3-step turn to R, 2 hip pushes
3-step turn to L, hip twist
6. Cocky walk 4x, Hip circle
7. Baladi step back (backup step) 4x
notice the arms
8. Windmill (Windmills are hip rolls (reversed mayas) with those revolving arms you see at 0:39)
Hip circle
9 Sidewise Arabic hipwalk, 2 hip pushes
Arabic other side
10. Horiz figure 8 chasse with high arms 2x
3-step turn
11. Baladi step back (backup step) 4x
notice the arms
12. Maya, reverse undulation, snake arms, weight on L foot, R heel up, single-hip circle R
13. 3-step turn, 2 hip lifts
3-step turn, shoulder accent
14. 3-step turn, hip lift
Step, single hip circle into drop
3-stepf turn, sharp hip lift on accent, roll up with slight rev undulation, arms to temple pose, head accent
And here’s the lot deciphered by Shaia Farid.
:05-:06 R hip out-up-in, L hip out-up-in
:07-:08 Crescent R, L
:09 Small hip circle L to face back
:11 Look behind R/hip lift, look behind L/hip lift, look behind R, R hip lift/2 hip drops
:15 3/4 shimmy/hip drop walk forward (step R, L, RR, L, R, LL)
:20 Back-traveling double hip drops L, R, L, R
:25 3-step turn R; 2 L hip lifts
3-step turn L; R hip lift
:33 Clockwise big hip circle
:35 Step back RR, LL, RR, LL
:39 R hipover; L hipover
:42 Clockwise big hip circle
:44 3/4 shimmy walk R
:49 Step forward L and L, R and R
:52 L turn
:54 Step back R, L, R, L
:59 Maya down R/L; roll up; snake arms
Pose and drop R hip w/knees bent
1:03 3-step turn R, double L hip lift
3-step turn L, step-pose; shoulder push R/L
3-step turn R, L hip lift
Step and R hip forward twist and and back drop
Step R, L
L turn, roll up
1:19 2 back-traveling hip drops
Sink into R hip lift
1:31 Maya R/L, roll up
1:36 L turn
Forward-traveling 3/4 shimmy walks
1:44 3 R small hip circles
R hipover, L hipover
Reach L, turn R
2:03 R hip circle back to front
2:14 Facing back, 2 R hip pushes
2:35 roll up
2:42 Step-hip R, L, R, L
2:51 roll up
2:56 Lean/reach R
3:06 Maya R/L/R, roll up
3:09 R/L hip drop facing front
3:13 2 R hip lifts
3:16 Sharp mayas R,L,R
Snake arms, shoulder pushes R, L, R
3:22 Maya, roll up, snake arms
3:26 R hip twist, R hip twist and drop x 3
3:31 Reach forward w/R arm, step back R, L, R
3:36 L hipover traveling R; R hipover traveling L; 2 L hipovers traveling R
3:40 Step-touch R, L w/small shoulder shimmy,
Side step-touches traveling forward R, L, R, L
3:45 Step back L, RLR,
3:51 3/4 shimmies traveling R, 2 R hip pushes
3:53 3/4 shimmies traveling forward, 2 L hip pushes
3:55 3/4 shimmies traveling forward, omi R
3:58 Double back step R and R, L and L
Step back L,
4:01 Reach forward w/R arm, turn L
4:04 Maya w/snake arms
4:06 Egyptian shimmies
4:10 Clockwise big hip circle; pose
beautiful beautiful dance.. but SO difficult to take each move down!
Mala did you describe it till 0.15?
Coz I’m still strugglin with “deciphering” the movements. Slow-motion would be necessary for me to really explain each move!
I could break down her moves in my own terminology, but it would take me some time. I will give it a shot, though. It would help tremendously to know who the artist is, and the name of the song.
Thanks for this great idea!
Shaia
We’ll ask Blanca. Not sure if she knew though – I think she just improvised.
So yes, do try to write the moves. It would be nice to see different ways of writing choreographies!
Also share your own experiences with choreography, since you do them so often for all your shows and classes!
Yep, it was just playing at the studio where Blanca dances. So it’s a mystery!
I saw maya with reverse body wave into snakey arms a few times. Grapevines, with Basic Egyptian or Basic Arabic, 3 step turns, One hip circles. Hope you dont want us to write everything down eh? LOL I gotta go to class. giggle.
I’ve only choreographed one song Mala, and I think I sent you the dvd I made of it. I dance very differently in choreography than when just following the music. Improvisation is much more fun. But then I’ve never done that in performance either. Just for fun and as a hobby.
The singer’s name MAY be Elomda and the song may be called Malak ya Wad. It’s a possibility, anyway!
wow thanks!!
it s a pretty tough one to analyze, she s moving so fast.
love her dance her particularly much!
fits the music very nicely.
Here is how I broke it down yesterday. There are some movements that I missed, and of course I used my own terminology.
- Shaia
Bianca’s Choreography
:05-:06 R hip out-up-in, L hip out-up-in
:07-:08 Crescent R, L
:09 Small hip circle L to face back
:11 Look behind R/hip lift, look behind L/hip lift, look behind R, R hip lift/2 hip drops
:15 3/4 shimmy/hip drop walk forward (step R, L, RR, L, R, LL)
:20 Back-traveling double hip drops L, R, L, R
:25 3-step turn R; 2 L hip lifts
3-step turn L; R hip lift
:33 Clockwise big hip circle
:35 Step back RR, LL, RR, LL
:39 R hipover; L hipover
:42 Clockwise big hip circle
:44 3/4 shimmy walk R
:49 Step forward L and L, R and R
:52 L turn
:54 Step back R, L, R, L
:59 Maya down R/L; roll up; snake arms
Pose and drop R hip w/knees bent
1:03 3-step turn R, double L hip lift
3-step turn L, step-pose; shoulder push R/L
3-step turn R, L hip lift
Step and R hip forward twist and and back drop
Step R, L
L turn, roll up
1:19 2 back-traveling hip drops
Sink into R hip lift
1:31 Maya R/L, roll up
1:36 L turn
Forward-traveling 3/4 shimmy walks
1:44 3 R small hip circles
R hipover, L hipover
Reach L, turn R
2:03 R hip circle back to front
2:14 Facing back, 2 R hip pushes
2:35 roll up
2:42 Step-hip R, L, R, L
2:51 roll up
2:56 Lean/reach R
3:06 Maya R/L/R, roll up
3:09 R/L hip drop facing front
3:13 2 R hip lifts
3:16 Sharp mayas R,L,R
Snake arms, shoulder pushes R, L, R
3:22 Maya, roll up, snake arms
3:26 R hip twist, R hip twist and drop x 3
3:31 Reach forward w/R arm, step back R, L, R
3:36 L hipover traveling R; R hipover traveling L; 2 L hipovers traveling R
3:40 Step-touch R, L w/small shoulder shimmy,
Side step-touches traveling forward R, L, R, L
3:45 Step back L, RLR,
3:51 3/4 shimmies traveling R, 2 R hip pushes
3:53 3/4 shimmies traveling forward, 2 L hip pushes
3:55 3/4 shimmies traveling forward, omi R
3:58 Double back step R and R, L and L
Step back L,
4:01 Reach forward w/R arm, turn L
4:04 Maya w/snake arms
4:06 Egyptian shimmies
4:10 Clockwise big hip circle; pose
wow thanks so much!!
This would be a good song for cane dance eh?
hmm.. I’d rather not dance Saidi style to this one to be honest!
It’s just a regular pop song..
country-side romantic, yes, but veery poppy.
And I hear nothing Saidi related to it.
but I could be wrong!
Nice pop songs for Saidi style to me are Saharni (Najwa Karam) and Tigi nagsam al amar (Walid Toufiq/Tawfik).
cocky walk=arabic hip walk?
Nice job Shaia! I’m thinking about offering you a job as official transcriber
Oh, I definitely think it would be fun as a cane number! Or Shabbi style.
Thanks, Blanca! I gave it a shot.
Well it s closer to shaabi than to anything sa3idi related.. but to shaabi I would NOT dance cane. That s like doing line dance to Justin Timberlake..
I’m not sure it is shaabi style, even.. it does have many elements of it, but somehow is more “civilised”. Nice song anyway.
Technically, you’re right, but I have seen dancers do cane to pop songs, and it works. Depends on how much of a purist you are, I suppose. I think that cane is just plain fun, and shaabi is mostly about attitude.
Now, I want to see that line dancing to Justin Timberlake!
Well, sure, from that viewpoint
haha I wished I could linedance!