19 - Baladi
A common term in Belly Dance and its origins are from the word "beledy" which
loosely translated is "of my country" or "of my community."
"Urban Beledi" is used to cover the style of dance brought to, and developed in, Cairo and Alexandria as the fellahi (the farmers) moved off the land and into the cities. It is the dance of the people (awalâd il-beled); not the foreigners, not the intelligentsia. "awalâd il-beled" includes key concepts of Egyptian identity such as honour, good humour, living for moment, generosity, and a tough worldliness (Nieuwkerk:1997 111-115). Related words are baluda meaning "to be slow witted" and balada meaning "stupidity"
Thus the term is a global one rather like "The Blues" and applies to both music and dancing.
Previous to the early 1900s, the Egyptian baladi was performed mostly outdoors at festivals or in private homes and coffee houses as well as being an indispensable feature at weddings. Owing to Islamic restrictions on dance generally the dancing by women in particular would tend to take place in remoter villages where the role of Islam would not be as strong or else they would be performed effectively by non
Muslims such as the Gawazees. I am talking about dancing outside the Hareem. The dancing would of course be of the participatory/religious and celebratory type, not the audience/performer type of thing that really emerged in the 20th Century.
The Saiidi is a common form of folk dance from Upper Egypt and is earthy; often with heels into the ground. Some steps mimic the horse. Uses saiidi beat. Lots of hips. Costume is gallibiya or tunic (but without shalvar), tied at waist. Head covered. Often uses cane. Saiidi could come under the general umbrella of Baladi.
The whole feel of Baladi would have been earthy and proud and these qualities were quickly used to create all the 20th century hybrids that we see today.