Cane Dance: “Raks Asaya”
Although I am devoted to the study, practice and instruction of very wide variety of Middle Eastern Dance, oriental, folkloric and ROM, I have always nurtured a special love for the lively, playful and perhaps most well known of all Egyptian dances, “Raks Asaya” or Cane Dance.
This flirtatious female dance has its roots in its male counterpart known as “Raks Tahtyb” or Stick Dance. Although Tahtyb exists as a pure martial art, a martial art done on horseback, or even true combat in disputes between clans, it is most often seen as an elegant and mesmerizing stylized mock combat ‘dance’ or a solo social dance.
The Saidi men of Upper Egypt are the masters of the Tahtyb. They use a large bamboo pole about 4 feet in length called Naboot (or a heavier Shoum in real combat situations). The “dance” begins with a stately “horse step” called the tawala, as the naboot is held in a vertical position above the head. This movement mimics the famous dancing horses of the Said and is performed by repeatedly lifting one flexed knee up as the heel traces small circles punctuated by a sliding hop. The heavy Saidi rhythm of the Tavul and Dumbek is often accompanied by the flute-like Mizmar or Arghool and stringed Rabbab. Fluid and elegant mock combat movements are combined with pivots and turns and skillful twirling of the naboot, until the music changes to the faster felahy rhythm and the two men begin to circle one another as the “fight” begins.
The female gypsy Ghawazee, i.e. Ghaziya of Luxor in Upper Egypt were the first Egyptian women to use the stick in their professional performances. However, these sticks were slightly shorter, thinner reeds reminiscent of those used in Northern India and Iran. The initial tawala step and both positioning and twirling of the stick were copied directly from the man’s Tahtyb, while another typical step called hora (one foot crossing over the shin of the other leg) is included. However, during the rapid rhythmical sections, the dancers display their isolation skills by placing the sticks between two or three dancers at waist level and holding them parallel to the floor, as they circle around one another executing vigorous hip shimmies and twists.
Paintings and carvings found on the walls of Medinet Habu, the funerary temple of Ramses III and the tomb of Khereuf at Luxor, have fostered the theory that the origins of Tahtyb are ancient and intrinsically Egyptian.
However, as neither musical accompaniment nor female interpretation are depicted in the pharaonic tomb carvings and drawings, because Raks Tahtyb is practiced predominantly in the Said, because the musicians and the dancers of Tahtyb are the gypsy people of the Said, and because the musical accompaniment of all of the dances cited in this article include very minor variations of distinctly gypsy instruments which originated in India, I propose that the origins of the stick dances and games can be traced along the pathway of the gypsies back to their homeland Indian.
Silambam of southern India is a rigorous martial art which includes certain movements similar to those of the Tahtyb, and employs large bamboo poles similar to the Egyptian naboot or shoum. However, this practice in not accompanied to music and contains no dance-like elements. Contrarily, the stick dances from Gujarat and Rajasthan in northern India (the birthplace of the gypsies), are performed by both men and women and display the dexterity of the dancer’s footwork and use the smaller, slender stick to complement the Mudras of the hands and the rhythmical patterns of the music.
Following the path of the gypsy through Persian we find several types of stick dance (called çûb-bâzî) practiced in Iran. Dr. Robyn Friend states that one form is done only by the men from the Bedouin tribes of Southwest Iran. In a stylized combat, the two men dance in time with the musical accompaniment (usually the karnâ and naqqâra). It is both a dance and a show of skill and bravery, as it can become very competitive and aggressive. Both the long, heavy poles and smaller thinner sticks are used. Another type is not so much an improvised competition, as a social dance wherein the movements of dancers and the hitting of the sticks follow definite rhythmic patterns. Interestingly, it is performed by women as well as by men. In this type, each dancer has a short delicate stick, and executes a basic dance step, striking the sticks of the other dancers as well as his own, while moving to the rhythm of the music.
The migration of the gypsies continued down through Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and into Egypt. The connection and distinctions between the nomadic Bedouin and Gypsy tribes are unclear due to their similar appearance and lifestyle.
Many Egyptian Gypsies initially settled in Cairo, where they were infamous for the street performances for both the local and foreign population, including foreign troupes. Plentiful documentation exists describing their performances during the Ottoman times. They were eventually expelled from Cairo, and moved to Luxor, Esna and Aswan after the Mohamed Ali ban in 1834.
I was unable to find and documentation concerning the transition from the Ghawazee small stick also called Tahtyyb into the crooked neck cane “asaya” that we recognize today. However, it is probable that the asaya was adopted during the times of British colonial presence in Cairo.
The contemporary female raks asaya, which is far removed from its Ghawazee origins, likely evolved in Cairo during the Golden Age of the performing and dance arts of the 40-70’s. The dancer deftly manipulates the cane to embellish or frame a variety of distinctly feminine “oriental” movements, such as undulations, hip and shoulder isolations or shimmies. Even the basic tawala and hora steps have been transformed into graceful, diagonal cross step patterns finished with dainty pointed foot. The dancer will occasionally copy the male macho movements and energetic twirling, striking motions of Tahtyb, perhaps in recognition of, or in contrast to men’s interpretation. It is generally performed as a part of the folkloric portion of a solo Egyptian dancer’s multi-segment performance, or as a group folkloric choreography. The traditional costume is a simple cotton galabiya with hip scarf, or it’s more theatrical rendition,
the beledi dress, sometimes made from the unique traditional asuyt fabric (fine woven cotton with threads of sliver folded and pounded in to elaborate geometrical patterns), or decorated with sequins, beads, and/or coins.
The use of the crooked neck cane in Lebanese and Syrian dance is frequently witnessed in spontaneous male social dancing. Many Lebanese female oriental dance artists incorporate the use of cane directly in their oriental performance while wearing bedla, usually to the strong heavy Debke rhythm which is strikingly similar to the Egyptian Saidi, while the instruments are virtually identical. The typical twirling of the cane and their basic steps also reflect those of Tahtyb. These similarities are either the result of the journeys into Upper Egypt frequently made by the Sinai Bedouin or evidence of a gypsy origin.
The Spanish gypsies, who believe to have their origins primarily in the North African migration route, use the cane in flamenco dance form Martinete. The crooked cane is tapped on the floor in intricate counter time to the rhythms of the feet. Suarez’ famous flamenco movie “Carmen” features a magnificent Martinete between two male dancers which begins with the dance and ends in combat.
Another path of migration moved across Eastern Europe. Today in Yugoslavia, the Rosta family of gypsies continues to practice a stick dance which reflects both the complex footwork and combative characteristics of its Indian origins.
So, whether Raks Tahtyb and Asaya originate in the battles practices of the Pharaonic Egyptians or whether they are the dexterous and artistic inheritance of the gypsies of India remains a mystery. However, men of every race culture and creed have battled since the beginning of time, but the gypsies have always given and continue to give us their priceless gifts of music and dance.
For those wishing to inquire about sources of this information, please feel free to contact Hadia at hadia@hadia.com. For those interested in studying Raks Asaya, try Hadia’s Raks Sharki Series video/DVD Vol. #2 available at www.hadia.com/dvds
