As printed in the Quarter 3/2005 issue of The Belly Dancer Magazine
KHALEEGY
By Halima
Khaleegy pronounced "kuh-lee-jee" is the Arabic word for gulf. You will sometimes see it spelled as Khaleeji and Khaliji. It is also called Saudi, Gulf Dance, Hair Dance and Women's Dance. It is also called Raks na'ashar to distinguish it from some of the men's dance and in Kuwait it is called Samra or Samri. It is a folk dance from the Persian Gulf, ie., Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. The rhythm is simply called Khaleegy or Saudi.
The Khaleegy dress or Thobe Al Nasha'ar is a beautiful extra long dress that is usually a solid color fabric with delicate embroidery of gold and silver and/or pearls on the front and along the sleeves. The back is usually plain. The sleeves are very open and long; this allows the person to pull the sleeve onto their head and use it as a face veil. These beautiful thobes can be worn over anything but I remember being told that the dress that was worn beneath them was called a Fustan which was simply a shift type dress. Some of the Thobes that I see now actually look more like caftans with a more fitted sleeve. These would be a little hard to perform the exact same style of dance as the longer ones with the larger sleeves.
This dance is usually performed at weddings and social gatherings. The Thobe is never worn to parties but simply taken there and changed into upon arrival. The dance is usually performed in pairs or two lines with the women passing each other. The women will uluate and talk to each other when passing, giving encouragement. Sometimes the women will take turns leading the dance with the others following. This does give a lot of creativity for floor patterns if you are performing this dance in a show.
The hair which is worn loose is swung in a circular, figure eight motion, or a pulsing motion where the head is dropped twice to each side flinging the hair as you change from one side to the other. I heard someone once remark that the flinging of hair to one side and pulsating reminded them of trying to get water out of their ears. Hopefully that will give you a more visual aspect of the movement. While performing the hair movements one or both hands are placed palm down on the chest. I have also seen the hair movements performed with one hand placed along the side of the nose as though you were whispering something.
The basic footwork is simple using a limping type step with one foot flat and the other on the ball, ie., flat, ball, flat (Right, Left, Right) or simply a two step flat, ball (R,L). The movements come mostly from the shoulders, hips, hair and hand gestures. The hands pick up the thobe and make circular and figure eight movements. There is also a hand movement where the hands pull the thobe to one side and the hands are close to gehter and move up and down opposite of each other in a vertical movement, ie., right, left right, and then left, right, left to the music. When the emphasis is on the hands, the motions are smaller and more delicate. Hand flutters are common with usually one hand holding the thobe while the other makes the fluttering motion. When the emphasis is on the thobe the motions are quite large, ie., swinging the thobe in a figure eight motion, pulling it to one side while turning or doing hip movements so that the hip motion can be seen. You are showing off your beautiful thobe so that everyone can admire it. The shoulder motions are small rocking movements with the emphasis on shoulders rather than the bust. Also head slides and head circles are used in this dance as well.
Hand gestures in the middle east usually have some meaning. For example, an Egyptian hand gesture called Al Assal is when the dancer places her fingertips to side of the chin; this gesture indicates "sweet as honey". Fingers to forehead means "happiness". So always try to identify hand gestures before using them if possible. Another hand movement I have seen is where the hands are palm to palm resembling that of a fish and what I call "Allah" hands where the hands are uplifted as though in supplication.
When performed properly this is one of the most beautiful feminine dances I have ever seen. It is shy, coy, flirtatious, never vulgar and always joyful. Remember the emphasis in this dance is on delicate, graceful movements.
Dance and be joyful! – Halima
