What is MENA dance?
- Natalie Borg
- Aug 9, 2025
- 6 min read
A brief (I tried!) article on what is MENA dance and the regions it covers. I hope to create further blog posts going into individual styles in more detail. We will learn several of these different styles in class but not all of them.
Quick 1 minute summary of article
MENA is the region of Middle East and North Africa, this covers a wide range of different dances for 19-20 countries. ‘Bellydance’ as a term was coined by the orientalists for dance from the Middle East and although great to use today as an accessible umbrella term (I have no issue with it); it can erase the reference to the origins -the cultures, places and people and the wide differences in various styles that the dances belong to. Without having an awareness of and gaining respectful knowledge of the cultures you are learning from, questions regarding cultural appropriation can arise. Thankfully the dance community is very aware of this and always keen to learn as much as possible.
Main Article
MENA is an abbreviated regional identifier and refers to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.
There are several other identifiers that are used to refer to this region, this one most often used in academia and hence my choice for the website. Turkey is not geographically part of the MENA region but is considered as the Middle East - sometimes the T is added to the identifier MENAT to show that Turkey is included.
According to the United Nation the MENA region covers the following 19 countries including: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Dances and styles vary widely between countries and regions. Dances also differ between the traditional and those made for performance or the stage such as the folkloric styles created by famous Egyptian choreographer Mahmoud Reda.
Some names of different dance styles from the various regions can be found below,
Countries and Dances
Egypt /Lebanon / Turkey / Syria – Raqs Sharqi translates as ‘Oriental Dance’ and refers to the classical dance form that developed through the first half of the 20th Century. Dancers often wear a bedlah or two piece costume that we are familiar with.
Egypt
Raqs Sharqi – as above.
Raqs Baladi – ‘Of the country’ The dance of the people often in reference to people who migrated from rural locations to the city. A more relaxed style of dance compared to the classical Raqs Sharqi, with the music often following a baladi progression with a set structure in the music or a baladi taqasim on a solo instrument. Dancers will often wear a galabeya or dress.
Raqs Assaya and Saidi – Cane and stick Dances developed from Men’s Tahtib.
Dancers will often wear a saidi style galabeya with a collar.
Raqs Shamadan – Candleabra dance as part of the wedding procession known as a zeffa
Melaya Leff and Bambouteya (Alexandria) /Reda Folklore – Developed by the Reda Troupe the dancer will wear a knee length dress with frills and dance with a melaya (traditional covering). The bambouteya is the fishermans dance. Dancers performing a melaya leff tableau might have bambouteya backing dancers.
Muwashahat (Andalusian) /Reda Folklore – Influenced by music, poetry and dance from the South of Spain during the arab occupation. Uses the Samai Thaqil rhythm in 10/8.
Fellahi / Reda Folklore – Farmers dance, Mahmoud Reda created this dance to represent the farmers men and women on the stage
Hagalla (Libya, Mersa Matrouh in Egypt) / Reda Folklore – Made famous by the Reda troupe it was based on a dancer performing in Mersa Matrouh, Egypt which is near the Libyan border. Supposedly based on a coming of age dance from Libya but more readily seen performed by professional dancers at weddings in Libya. Mahmoud Reda created his own stage version of the dance based on his observations of the dancer in his field research. Great articles on this on Shira’s website and Farida Fahmy’s website.
Nubian (Egypt and Sudan Border) – joyful dance style from ethnic group from the central Nile Valley and can be traced back to Sudan and their historical homeland Nubia. Dance has deep cultural roots and links to the nile river. Relaxed movements with particular stepping movement
Awalim – Historical significance. The Awalim or Almeh were the traditional dancers and singers from the city.
Ghawazhee – The Ghawazee dancers of Upper Egypt include the Banat Mazin and Sumbati Ghawazee. Very few of these dancers left. The dancer ‘Shining Peace Keeper’ is creating a fantastic website to record their legacy with Khyria Mazin.
Tannoura – Spinning dance similar to sufi whirling but presented for the stage
Pharaonic – Artistic/imaginative stage presentations with reference to ancient Egyptian imagery and hieroglyphics
Algeria – Kabyle Dance – dance wearing traditional dress and a scarf called a fouta around the waist. Constant fast hip movements like a fast ‘egyptian walk’ throughout and spinning a scarf
Ouled Nail – historical significance (pronounced ‘willed nah-eel’) the original ‘danse au ventre’ and where ‘bellydance’ got its name by the orientalists. The Nailiyat were independent women who worked as professional dancers.
Iran (Persian Gulf) – Bandari and Persian Dance – Bandar in Farsi means port or harbour and relates to a region in Southern Iran on the Gulf coast. Contains elements of Khalighee dance such as steps and hair movements.
Syria / Palestine / Lebanon / Jordan – Dabke – Stepping circle group dance often used as a form of resistance. Features intricate steps and stomps with regional differences in style. From the word ‘dabaka’ meaning ‘stomping of the feet.’ There are six main types of dabke and about 20 different regional styles.
Kuwait / Saudi Arabia / United Arab Emirates – Khalighee – uses particular foot work and hand gestures whilst moving the head to show the hair
Morocco – Shikhatt – Moroccan ‘Bellydance’ style
Ahidous – Tribal dance from the middle Atlas region
Ahouache – a circle or line dance performed by men and women
Houara – a dance from the Inezgane area
Raqs Al Seniyya (Tea Tray Dance) – Traditional dance (like Raqs Shamadan in Egypt) was introduced by an enterprising performer
Iraq- Kaweelya – energetic hair dance with particular footwork, shares elements with khalighee dance. Music has intense rhythmic sections.
Tunisia – Tunisian Dance Style, Raqs al Juzur (Pot Dance), Raqs al Maharem (Scarf Dance)
A word on props
Dancers use a variety of different props when dancing and it’s good to have a knowledge when it’s appropriate to use these. For example, different types of sticks for Raqs Assaya (hooked cane) or Saidi dance (straight stick) from Egypt, but you wouldn’t dance to saidi music with a veil.
Veils are used in ‘Raqs Sharqi’ although in Egypt these are often used just at the opening of a dance and dropped to side while the dancer continues her performance. In the west veil dancing has become a technique in itself and belly dancers can perform a whole ‘veil dance’.
Fan veils originated from Chinese dance but have been readily adopted by western bellydancers and flow dancers, soaring in popularity.
Isis Wings were apparently a prop first used by Vegas showgirls but due to the similarity in shape to the wings of the Egyptian Goddess Isis were adopted into western bellydance; although I have seen them used in Egypt as part of pharaonic stage tableaus.
America/Saudi Arabia - Raqs Al Sayf (Sword Dance) – Men’s sword dancing is dance is ‘El Ardha’ from Saudi Arabia. Dancing with sword is not seen in the Middle East and was developed in America, although popular today with western bellydancers including tribal style performers. It has been associated with the almeh or ghawazee in Egypt through orientalist paintings such as the famous one by Jean-Leon Gerome (above), but we cannot rely on these as evidence as artistic license was used to create the scenes. There is a performance by Aisha Ali where she dances ghawazee style with sword. I am hugely influenced by dancer Asmahan London who performed and filmed her sword dance in Cairo and was advised there to use saidi music when dancing with the sword.
Ritual dances can also be found in the MENA regions, although we wouldn’t be covering these in class – these include Guerda and Tbal from the Tuareg Berbers of Morocco and Algeria. Hadra from Morocco, Sema (Whirling Dervish) from Turkey, Zar from Egypt / Sudan and Libya.
References
Wikipedia Middle East and North Africa
United Nations MENA
Article on Shira’s website regarding Orientalism
Asmahan London – Articles on Sword dance for Gilded Serpent
Great article and pictures on the Ouled Nail Tribe, Algeria
Morocco’s (Aunt Rocky) article on Tea Tray Dancing
Shining Peace Keeper’s website on the Ghawazi
Article from Shira Website on Fellahi Dance
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