10.3 Folk Dances and Their Accompanying Music

Folk dances in the Middle East are vibrant expressions of cultural identity. From the lively dabke of the Levant to the spirited halay of Turkey, these dances bring communities together at celebrations and social gatherings.

Each dance style has unique movements and musical accompaniment. The rhythmic patterns, often played on traditional percussion instruments, guide the dancers' steps. Many dances feature call-and-response elements between musicians and dancers, creating a dynamic performance.

Popular Folk Dances

Dabke

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• Dabke is a traditional Levantine Arab folk dance and genre of music performed at weddings and other joyous occasions
• Dancers form a line or semicircle, holding hands, shoulders or placing hands on their neighbors' waists
• Involves synchronized footwork, stomping, jumping and vocalizations, with the leader at the head of the line performing virtuosic solos (raas)
• Accompaniment features percussion (tablah, darbuka), woodwinds (mijwiz, arghul, shababa), vocals and sometimes string instruments (oud, buzuq)

Halay

• Halay is a folk dance style found in Turkey, Armenia, Kurdistan, and the Balkans, performed at weddings and festivities
• Dancers form a line or circle holding hands, fingers or shoulders, with a lead dancer at the head of the line
• Characterized by synchronized, simple steps to the side or forward and back, with occasional stamping, squatting and shouting
• Accompanied by davul (large drum) and zurna (double-reed pipe) or other instruments like the oud, kanun, and clarinet

Khaleegy

• Khaleegy is a traditional dance from the Gulf states of the Arabian Peninsula, popular at weddings and other celebrations
• Features men or women dancing in pairs or groups, holding thin canes or swords
• Dancers sway and twirl the canes or swords to the rhythm, and may execute fast spins, drops to the floor, and leaps
• Rhythms are fast and syncopated, played on tabl (double-headed drum), tar (frame drum) and mirwas (small double-headed drum)

Saidi

• Saidi is a folkloric dance from Upper Egypt (the Said region), traditionally performed at festivities and social gatherings
• Male dancers wield sticks or canes, engaging in mock combat, while female dancers perform with canes balanced on their heads
• Movements are bouncy and grounded, with hip accents, and footwork that mimics horse-riding
• Accompanied by a small ensemble featuring the mizmar (double-reed oboe), rebab (spiked fiddle), and tabla baladi (double-headed drum)

Raqs Baladi

• Raqs Baladi is a social dance style from Egypt, danced by men and women at festive occasions
• Danced solo, in pairs or small groups, with movements focused on hip articulations, undulations, and shimmies
• Improvised and playful in nature, interacting with the music and audience
• Accompanied by popular songs with driving rhythms, featuring instruments like oud, ney, violin, riq (tambourine) and darbuka

Ceremonial and Spiritual Dances

Zar

• The Zar is a ceremonial dance ritual found in Egypt, Sudan, and the Arabian Peninsula to treat spiritual ailments and possession
• Patients, usually women, dance to special songs and rhythms to induce trance and communicate with spirits
• Ritual is guided by a leader (kodia or sheikha) who determines the types of songs, dances and offerings needed
• Music is played by a small group with tar (frame drum), mangour (leather belt with goat hooves), krar (lyre) and chanting

Musical Elements

Rhythmic patterns

• Folk dances are often built around repetitive rhythmic patterns or ostinato figures in the accompanying percussion
• Common rhythms include maqsum (4/4), masmoudi (8/4), ayoub (2/4), and chiftetelli (8/4) among others
• Rhythms are played on goblet drums (darbuka, dumbelek), frame drums (riq, tar, bendir) and kettledrums (tabl)
• Dancers' movements are closely attuned to the rhythmic cycles and accents, with transitions or variations signaled by changes in the rhythm

Call and response

• Many folk dances feature call and response between the musicians, vocalist or solo instrumentalist and the dancers
• Dancers may react to accented beats, drum fills, melodic phrases, or lyrics through movement, gestures or vocalizations
• In the dabke, the lawweeh (line leader) often communicates with the drummers to guide the group, cueing transitions to different steps
• In the zar ritual, the kodia sings phrases which are echoed by the chorus and participants as part of the healing ceremony