Comments | badriyaz: My Shamadan performance

badriyaz

My Shamadan performance

Aug 03, 2008 19:19

So, I danced with my shamadan yesterday. The major unfortunate discovery of the day is that the sticky stuff I used to hold the candles in place gets melty in the hot sun and high heat, so I lost a few candles during the show. OTOH, I think I dealt with it professionally and I didn't step and slip and fall on any of them. It's not so obvious when ( Read more... )

belly dance, afterglow

Comments 13

firefly124 August 3 2008, 23:37:23 UTC

I think you did a great job with both! And you did handle the candle issue very well. My favorite bit, though, has to be the end of the cane dance. Very dramatic finish!

badriyaz August 4 2008, 01:15:40 UTC

Thanks--that's a classic Najmat move, I'll give credit where it's due! :-)

pink_kimono August 3 2008, 23:44:51 UTC

Very cool.

I think my head is too knobby to balance things on it. :o)

badriyaz August 4 2008, 01:16:10 UTC

The beauty of a shamadan is that most of the weight rests on the band that goes around your head, so it's okay if your head is lumpy :)

bluemoonsaga August 4 2008, 00:20:49 UTC

don't feel bad a buddy of mine had the same thing happen. every shimmy & candle fell off.

good job!!

badriyaz August 4 2008, 01:15:13 UTC

Of course, none of them ever fell off at home!

bintblue August 4 2008, 00:22:14 UTC

Not only did we both do shamadan last night, we used the SAME MUSIC. We rule.

That doesn't really put your mind at ease when you've got a big old lightning rod on your head...
Holy shite!!!

Nice clip, very entertaining, I would have been hooting and hollering!

candles bintblue August 4 2008, 00:25:28 UTC

P.S. I used to use these sticky dot things you can find at craft stores, now I use a yellow thick playdough like substance called "poster tac", made by super glue. It is *great*. My candles do not move, and it is reusable.

Re: candles badriyaz August 4 2008, 01:14:54 UTC

Cool, I'll keep an eye out for that. I used florist's clay, which was fine for the candles that already sat straight in their holders but wasn't strong enough for the candles that have to be set in at an angle due to half-assed drilling and soldering work by some underpaid person in Egypt :-/

That's funny about the music--I gather then that the song is still a current or at least nostalgic favorite?

Re: candles bintblue August 4 2008, 01:33:30 UTC

No idea whatsoever, but I like it a lot!

suzycat August 4 2008, 02:14:02 UTC

V nice! I would love to do shamadan in principle, but I am really shit at balance. I liked the floor bits especially (there is really no reason, apart from my pathetic physical weakness, that I couldn't do one of those kneeling layback thingies. I should work on it.)

What was the Saidi piece? It occurs to me, watching you, that an actual cane-focused choreographed saidi solo from me is LONG overdue, and I like that music. (Your cane looked good too. My hatred of all props means I don't do a hell of a lot with mine and I really should force myself to do more *things*.)

badriyaz August 4 2008, 15:14:13 UTC

It's funny, I was only inspired to develop the strength for any sort of floor work because of my gothic belly dance. Generally I'd never do any floor work in my Egyptian dancing, but for shamadan it's appropriate. I'll sometimes go to my knees in a drum solo for some head tossing as well ( ... )