SHAMADAN DANCE IN DUBAI

The Shamadan is a large candelabrum balanced on top of a dancer’s head, in a tradition unique to Egyptian dance. This beautiful dance prop is historically used in the Egyptian wedding procession, or zaffa. Because of the Shamadan’s size (available with 5, 9 or 13 candles) the body’s balance point is altered and it requires high skills, long exercises and an absolute isolation of certain body parts in order to perform the various dance figures in a «floating» style. Raqs Shamadan usually contains a floor element with which to show off the skills. Originally this dance was performed during weddings, and has been known for a long time in various areas of the Mediterranean. It’s always a pleasure to watch this style performed on stage, no matter if solo or group dance. Of course there is also the dance with a beautifully decorated tablet with candles and petals — but witnessing a dancer with a Shamadan decorated with glamorous strings and pearls or glass ornaments and the tapered burning candles is always a memorable experience for guests. Music for Shamadan includes traditional musical pieces which mention the Shamadan and music that has been used by name dancers known for their Shamadan performances.