Introduction to Baladi

As a beginner student you may often wonder about foreign phrases that your teacher refers to during your lessons. It may all seems complicated and overwhelming at first but these phrases are essential communication tools that are widely acceptable and used among musicians and belly dance artists particularly due to their meaning in Middle Eastern art.
When you start belly dancing you usually pay more attention to the move itself to execute it correctly but each move that you do has a meaning and it is rooted in the tradition of belly dance and getting to know the meaning of each move will definitely enrich your belly dance experience even more.  
Today I would like to first introduce everyone to Baladi and here are few facts about it:

• If you imagine the term Belly dance as a tree, Baladi would be one the roots of the tree, well technically a rhizome (small root) would be more correct to describe it.
  
• The word Baladi comes from Arabic‎ baladī which means “of the country” or “of the people” and it used to describe either style of belly dance (Raks Baladi), local products or hometown people (think of Yorkshire pudding :)).
  
•  Baladi is a form of improvised dance and it is deeply rooted in the folklore dance  styles (Ghawazee, Saidi, Fallahi, Hagallah) as pointed out by Hadia in her articlehttp://www.hadia.com/articles/baladi-the-mother-of-oriental-dance
  
• Baladi (or beledi) has been greatly popularized in early 50’s and 60’s in Cairo by two famous Egyptian dancers Fifi Abdou and Soheir Zakibut before that, Baladi was generally danced during social gatherings by local people and sometimes by women alone. If you would like to get a real feel of this wonderful dance from social perspective you can read brilliant article written by Hossam Ramzy http://www.shira.net/baladi.htm who also explain about the music as well (Baladi Progression).
  

The music in baladi has much evolved since bringing western influences such as accordion and saxophone and sometimes violin instead of traditional instruments like ney to express the freedom and improvisation of this dance in the form of Baladi Ashra or Taksim Baladi.
Takasim Baladi does not have structure per say however the music is usually divided into sections that sets the communication between the dancer and musicians that starts with usuallytakasim- soft and improvised solo played by accordion or saxophone which is then joined by tabla. The table sets series of rhythmic hits –Sawal Jawab like a call and answer between tabla and accordion, a musical conversation between two instruments after which both progress into faster beat Masmoudi Saghir.


Example of the beginning Baladi Ashra set played by Guy Shalom.
After Masmoudi Saghir there is series of Tet’s call and answer by tabla and accordion which takes the melody into saidi rhythm and then faster fallahi. Sometimes there can be also little drum solo added as well which then sets into finale.


The costume often includes traditional long dresses known as galabeya with matching hip scarf. Today galabeyas have also matching bra that is worn underneath and decorated in various beads or coins although used to it was a simple long dress cover with a scarf. 
Interpretation:
Baladi is usually earthy but soft at the same time, grounded and playful that is characterized by big lower body movements, soft undulations, pelvis movements and relaxed hands.
Baladi is like storytelling to your audience through movement, you are convening the message with your body to the audience through different rhythms and melodies. Baladi is usually improvised but it helps a lot to listen to the song before hand to familiarize yourself with the feeling and the meaning of that song.
Baladi can be also divided into Oriental Baladi which from the musical point has the same structure but it has lighter feel with oriental hands movements in very upright and fixed position and also lots of Arabesques and upper body transitions

You can buy Baladi music from Guy Shalom here and from Hossam Ramzy here 
Source:
http://www.bellydancestuff.com/styles-baladi.html
http://www.shira.net/baladi.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baladi
http://www.shemsdance.com/articles/egyptian-baladi-and-the-baladi-taksim/
http://www.hadia.com/articles/baladi-the-mother-of-oriental-dance