Tracing the Steps: The Story Behind the Rhythmic Undulation (Arabic) Shimmy
If you're anything like me, you may have thought the Rhythmic Undulation (Arabic) Shimmy came about from dancers simply combining two basic steps.
But what if I told you this movement is deeply rooted in the traditions of the Banat Mazin, the famous Ghawazee dancers of Egypt?
That's right! The Rhythmic Undulation Shimmy shares its origins with the much-loved Mazin-Inspired Shimmy Combination.
In an article from Cultural Roots: The Origins of American Tribal Style Movements (Tribal Talk, circa May 2000), we get a glimpse of this connection:
"The Arabic Shimmy is a variation on the Arabic, inspired by the Ghawazee dancers of Egypt. The forward step of the Arabic movements is an interpretation of the foot stamping seen in the Ghawazee movements."
In the late 80s or early 90s, Carolena Nericcio and members of the FatChanceBellyDance® troupe had the opportunity to take a class with Edwina Nearing, a respected historian and scholar well-versed in the traditions of the Ghawazee.
From Gilded Serpent:
"Edwina Nearing, an orientalist and journalist, majored in Near-Eastern Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and the American University of Beirut. She was the Middle Eastern Affairs Editor for Habibi Magazine, where she penned a book-length series, The Mystery of the Ghawazi. Licensed by the Egyptian government as a folkloric dancer, Edwina performed with the Banat Mazin as part of their ensemble off and on since 1979."
Edwina, Cody and Pepper Alexandria
During this workshop, Edwina introduced the dancers to a movement known as the Horse Step.
You can see a similar step in the left side of this video:
The dancers were drawn to the power and essence of this step but felt that the flat-footed stomp of the right foot didn't quite align with the evolving format of American Tribal Style (ATS®) at that time. So, they adapted it. The flat-footed stomp transformed into a movement on the balls of the feet, much like the Arabic Step, and the shimmy was added—giving birth to the ATS® version of the Banat Mazin (Ghawazee) Horse Step.
The FCBD®Style version of this step works quite well with our fast vocabulary and the variations like the ASWAAT/RUNSWAAT make this step really exciting! However, the amount of coordination it takes to create a strong, fluid Rhythmic Undulation (Arabic) Shimmy means many dancers work years before they feel confident in this step.