The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-01-16
The Dancing Girls of Egypt.
lCharles g. Leland.l


Most of the dancing OF the Ghawazi
is Indifferent enongh. 1t is, however,
remarkable that what skill they do ex-
hibit. even under these circumstances,
is seldom appreciated; for the dullest
of them generally affect muscular feats,
such as are never seen in the West, yet
which are not directly perceptible.
They all seem to have the power OF
moving any part of the body freely,
lust as certain persons can move their
ears and it is wonderful how they will
continue to agitate every muscle in the
most rapid manner for hours, quivering
from head to foot as if electrified, with
out being in the least fatigued, and
what is incredible, without perspiring.
I only once saw Ghawazi dancing, which
was, in the opinion of native gentle
men, and of Europeans who had been
many years in the country, and had full
opportunities of Judging, of really
superior and artistic manner. This was
a Girgeh. There were two girls, one
quite pretty and young, the other less
attractive, but rather the best dancer.
These dancing girls were dressed in
long skirts, one over the other, reach
ing to the ankle, the upper garment be-
ing O whitish yellow or reddish color.
The body and arms we're clad in very
dark, tight-fitting chemise, with white
stripes. half an inch broad, about two
inches apart, looking tiger like. Over
this was worn a very tight jacket OF red
satin, very short in the waist, with tight
short sleeves. On their heads were Gu
riously-shaped caps, and their hair hun
in long braids. Around the waist
was a silver girdle with high bosses, and
dependent from it in loops was very
curious and massive ornament chain,
made of eight or ten triangular silver
boxes, and many large silver beads. A
profusion of gold necklaces, coins and
other ornaments hung from the neck
and head. Other Ghawazi at different
towns wore dresses very different from
this. At one place their garments were
of black from head to foot, with
silver stripes, while the braids of
hair we're very prettily made, termina-
ting in many silver balls. At Stout l
saw one whose only ornaments were an
incredible quantity of gold coins OF all
sizes.
The first dancing of all Ghawazi is
simply moving about to the music and
unUuldIlUR
motion are made to run from head to
foot, and over these waves pass with in
credible rapidity the ripples and thrills,
as you have seen great blllow IN a
breeze look like a smaller sea ribbed
with thousand wavelets. All is done
in perfect time with the music. Then
the air changes and there is a variation
in the dance. The girl stops-she be-
comes immovable below the body and
moves only the body above, rocking and
swaying, expressive of suffering from
intense passion. At times, and In time
with the mus C, a convulsion thrills the
waist, arms and head, and sometimes
the muscles. She becomes quiet but
if you observe closely the movement,
passion and exertion are not the less in
tense, and the breasts continue to
move ss if vitality remained IN them
alone; perhaps only one throbs violent
ly.
There is another change, and the
dancer sinks slowly almost to her knees,
as if overcome with passion, while the
arms sweep in singular but graceful ges-
lures. Perhaps she "waves" slowly in
a walking dance, moving the lower part
of her body forward more and more
with a vigorous quivering, and once in
ten seconds starting with a convulsion
which gradually becomes more frequent
until she apparently yields and expires.
The girl at Girgeh performed a very
pretty dance, which was quite poem.
Placing a cup, symbolic of temptation,
on the ground, she danced around it in
a style which was perfectly Spanish,
turning the body and sinking low with
great grace and exquisite art. The cup
appeared to exercise terrible fascina-
tion and she seems afraid to drain it. The
fear was perfectly acted. Five times with
out aid from her arms she almost lay
on the ground, with her thirsty lips
Just dallying with the edge, and then
rising swept in dance, and thrilled, and
shivered, and turned, and sank again.
The sixth time she had completed a
circle, and. no longer able to resist, she
appro .ched the cup with throbs and
panses, and then without using her
hands lifted it from the ground with
her lips alone, draining it as she rose,
and, the tragedy of temptation being
over, merrily danced about the room in
quick step, with her head thrown back,
holding the cup all the time in her
mouth.
Then the elder placed a cup on her
head, and danced for long time vari-
ETY. of movements without letting it fall
the same being done in turn by the |
younger. I did not 8 e, however, as |
nv fellow travellers did on another oc- |
casiop. dancing girls who, while dane |
ing. made cups run from the head down |
the side of the face along tho arms and |
hack as a skilled Hercules in a circus
makes cannon-balls travel around him.
This is, however, rather Juggling than
dancing. Sometimes a stick is used in |
these performances. Sometimes the |
two girls dance duo; and have seen
this made quite as improper, though |
not so sickly sentimental, as in any |
opera-house in Europe, when the bal |
lerina falls back into the male objects |
arm, eyeing him with a leering smile, |
while she lifts one leg to the gallery.
There are 'Awalim and 'Awalini, and |
Ghawazi and Ghawazi. Some are mere |
peasant girls, who work by day and
dance by night and others are low |
caste, and dance coarsely, with male |
lester taking occasional part in the per-
formances, as / saw at Luxor. / am |
told that the best are to be seen in Cal |
ro, in the grand harems on great fest- |
val occasions. Their style of dancing |
is the same that prevails, with the vari-
ations, all over the east, and the great
difference between it and that of the |
west is simply that the one consists
principally of expressive movement
and pantomime of the body, while the
latter is chiefly jumping with the legs.
There is just the same difference In
their dancing and ours that there is in
the music and the oriental is physi-
ally quite as difficult as the other.