The Mystical (Sensual) Journey of the Baladi Awadi
For most dancers, Baladi is a style. If those dancers are informed, they´ll know Baladi is a dance, music, and lifestyle; it´s also the name of a rhythm and the term used to describe typically Egyptian people, things, and places.
Baladi comes from "balad", homeland/country.
Baladi = "My homeland/country".
Baladi bread - typical Egyptian bread.
Baladi coffeeshop - a typical Egyptian coffeeshop.
Baladi attitude - a typical Egyptian attitude that mixes groundedness, resourcefulness, natural sensuality, honesty, down to earth spontaneity, courage, word of honor, sense of humor, and a whole other set of spices - or characteristics - that are supposed to describe the Baladi character.
What dancers don´t know is that a good Baladi Awadi (Baladi Progression) is also a Mystical and Sensual Journey that can teach us about ourselves and life.
It begins within, with dancer and accordion, whispering in each others´ears, enjoying an intimate conversation.
This is the most feminine, moist, emotional, uterine part of the trip; a starting point that reveals an ancient truth: The Magic, any kind of magic, starts within, in our womb - where it all begins, starting with life.
In this first phase, we´re inside our shell - aka inside ourselves.
Then, the Baladi Progression evolves with the "tabla", or "darbouka", getting into the conversation. This is the bridge between the internal world we´re invited to dig in - with the accordion, in the beginning - and the external world that we´re invited to embrace, work with, and celebrate.
In this second phase, we´re slowly getting out of our shell; saying "hi" to the world outside ourselves with the innocence of newborn babies. It can be described, in fact, as the head of the baby coming out of her mother´s vagina.
-Hello, world! Here I am. - Says the baby.
Last but not least, there´s the "crescendo" built by the remaining percussive instruments that join the tabla and the accordion. These will create a gradual intensity in speed, intensity, and light.
In this third phase, we´re reaching the hottest point of the "awadi". We´re burning in the alchemic oven of dance and life, turning sadness into joy, loss into a victory, and hopelessness into faith.
It all culminates with a big explosion - a kind of personal and universal "Big Bang" - that´s also a huge THANK YOU note to life.
In this last phase, we get to the top of the mountain; we arrive home; we reach the orgasm, the ultimate flight, "Tarab".
- At its core, Baladi Awadi is a metaphor for a life well lived - the ability to circulate from the inner to the outer world; the courage to express ourselves authentically and without fear; the presence of living in the now; the fluidity to move through different stages/seasons/moods/emotions; the gratitude towards life, each moment, and our existence.
- It´s also a metaphor for great love making - the foreplay with the accordion; the building up of connection, arousal, love, and passion, with the tabla; the orgasm with the accordion and percussion, working together, offering the ultimate sensual explosion to the dancer.
Because it´s 100% improvised - music and dance wise -, the Baladi Awadi is also a reminder of how important it is to live in the NOW instead of constantly projecting ourselves into the past or/and the future.
As a professional Oriental Dancer who´s co-created thousands of "Baladi Awadi" sequences with my orchestra in Egypt and with other musicians I´ve worked with along the way, I can tell you this with absolute conviction:
A Baladi Awadi can be a school - life school - if we allow it to be, if we move beyond the steps, if we´re paying attention; if we lose the fear of The Unknown and, finally, embrace The Mystery of this great adventure we call life.
I suggest you try it. There´s nothing like it. Or almost* nothing like it ;)
If you wish to experience the Mystical/Sensual Journey of an authentic
"Baladi Awadi", join our Baladi Online Courses:
Learn how to dance a typical "Baladi Awadi" and develop yourself - as a dancer and as a person - along the journey.
A great adventure of dance, music, culture, and personal discovery.
Be introduced to the magical universe of Baladi Dance, Sensuality and Womanhood in a pioneering course that´ll make you fall in love with the Baladi Dance Style and with Yourself.
Welcome to a Course focused on Baladi Dance Technique & the Sacred Language of the Wombs & Hips.
The complementary course that accompanies "How to Become a Sensual Baladi Goddess".
If you´ve taken at least one of our available Baladi Courses and you wish to upgrade your dance, creativity, and self-confidence, search no more: your course is "Baladi Advanced Course - Maa´lema Edition".
A journey into one of the most important, and misunderstood, archetypes in the Baladi Universe - the awakening of the "Maa´lema" within you.
It´ll be a pleasure to have YOU with me on this journey!
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