HABIBA RAKS MEDSOK

On Saturday November 11, two members of Troupe Jamileh Malika traveled to Kentucky for a delightful MEDSOK weekend of dance with Habiba, one of the worlds experts on Ethnic Dance. My sister in dance, Parvaneh Ravan and myself packed more into a day and a half than I have had time to totally comprehend.
I was more than delighted to have the opportunity to attend a workshop in Louisville, Kentucky at the Riverbend Winery with the international teacher Habiba. Habiba, the 2001 IAMED Ethnic dancer of the year presented a five hour workshop on authentic Ghawazi (Egyptian Gypsy) dance. Habiba demonstrated the joyful hypnotic dance style of the Ghawazi which tanslates as the "Invaders of the Heart." This art is truly one that will invade your heart.

The Ghawazi tradition was carried on for hundreds of years, and passed on through Ghawazi families. The Ghawazi are musicians and dancers, and performers for weddings at outdoor festivals in Lower Egypt. The Ghawazi migrated south after having been driven from Cairo when dancing was banned in the 19th century.

The Ghawazi were a house hold word in the 1900's and Habiba"s articles cite they have been referred to by renowned dancer Nagwa Fuad as the "purest example of Egyptian dance." The Ghawazi were made world famous by 19th century travelers and were the subject of countless orientalist paintings.

Habiba first traveled to Egypt in 1985 to study with the legendary Benat Maazin (Maazin Daughters). The Maazin family is the last practicing family in the line of Ghawazi. There is only one remaining survivor of the classic tradition. The Maazin family are members of the Nawar, gypsies who migrated to Egypt in medieval times. Khairiyya Maazin is trying to carry on the family tradition despite increasing pressures from religious fundamentalism and the infusion of Western culture. Other family members have retired from the dance due to the cultural isolation and stigma for female dancers. (There are several great clips of Khairiyya Maazin dancing on YouTube.) Oddly, it is American dancers that are keeping the traditional alive.