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Algeria: Desert Dances
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The East African (Nairobi)
14 July 2008
Posted to the web 14 July 2008
Zachary Ochieng
Nairobi
VISITING ALGERIA FOR THE first time, one may expect to observe a strict Islamic dress code in force, with women covered from head to toe, and veiled faces. However, this is not the case, as I found out recently.
The national culture is no longer as strict and nothing attests to this better than the rich entertainment that the Algerian National Ballet laid out for the Health ministers and other delegates attending the recently concluded Ministerial Conference on Health Research for the African Region.
Operating under the Ministry of Culture, the Algerian National Ballet aims at promoting the country's artistic values and diverse heritage in all its forms and styles. Comprising mainly graduates from the National Institute of Dramatic and Choreographic arts, the National Ballet offers unparalleled entertainment in dance.
Boasting 38 years' experience, the National Ballet has a large repertoire of traditional and modern dance styles and has won various awards in both local and international competitions after performing more than 2,500 shows in over 60 countries.
AMONG THE AWARDS BAG-ged are the Gold Medal at the Mediterranean Folk Dance in Murcie, Spain (1998), and the Gold Medal at the International Festival in Izmir, Turkey, 2003.
In its rich entertainment menu, the ballet troupe offers the dance of the fillies. Based on the folklore of the Ain el Beida region in eastern Algeria, the dance portrays quivering fillies surrounding their mother, the mare. It is performed by female dancers.
Then there is the dance of Goum or Fantasia, a collective equestrian game practised throughout Algeria for great traditional celebrations. In this dance, battle rides are stimulated, interspersed with bursts of rifle shots. The dance highlights the nobility of the horseman and the mount.
Performed by women from the high mountains of Djurdura, the Kabyle dance celebrates the abundant harvest and olive collecting, where women express their joy.
The dance is performed through vigorous moves accompanied by high polyphonies of traditional music. But if you thought Kabyle is the only vigorous dance, you are wrong because the Allaoui dance will leave you asking for more as you swing a long.
THIS IS A DANCE THAT IS virile in temperament and is quite unique for its shoulder movements. It is common throughout the west of Algeria and is performed by men. The stamping of the feet which accompanies the dance expresses a bond with the earth and the capacity to endure.
Also very entertaining is the Zendali dance, an urban dance practiced in eastern Algerian cities. It is performed by elegantly dressed women in traditionally embroidered costumes adorned with gold trimmings.
In Algeria, marriage is also preceded by dance. The Naili marriage dance is popular in the high plains of central Algeria (Ouled Nail).
The dance starts with a solo by the bride in which she expresses her joy and concerns on the eve of her marriage. The solo is then followed by the marriage ceremony during which the men and women dance together, expressing joy for both families.
THE DANCE OF TLEMCEN IS an urban one from the city of Tlemcen, performed by women during celebrations and ceremonies.
The women wear beautiful traditional costumes and display grace, wealth and beauty.
From the northern Tindouf region is the vibrant dance of the Reguibet. It features the movement of the body and hands unique to this region. Moved by the rhythm of the drums, the women dance in a frenzy that culminates in a fully charged ecstasy.
The dance of the Touareg is a war dance that expresses the bravery of the men of Hoggar and Tassilli. Dancers armed with swords and shields enlist in a game of look-out, challenge and cunning. Swords clash in a series of leaps and war cries. A truce is arrived at as the women hope to deliver a message of love and peace.
Then comes the grand finale, the dance of Algiers, performed by beautiful and graceful women bathed in veils and colour. The dance is accompanied by refined instrumental music borrowed from the ancient city repertoire.
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The dance ends with an invitation for the men to share the joy and pleasure of the celebration.
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