Taaj the Belly Dance Trainer

During my 2006 tour to Egypt, I asked people along the way what was the highlight of the event so far. Several people thought that the Tannoura show was excellent, particularly the sagat player. I’ve been to Egypt many times and have seen the Tannoura show multiple times, but each time it gets better and better. The performers are more in tune with each other. The venues have improved. The group has gotten larger, and the performances are more complex. So, I had to agree that the show was a highlight and the sagat player stood out in particular. It just seemed natural then that I should ask the group if they would be interested in seeing if it would be possible to study finger cymbals with him.

We found out that the sagat player was named Adel Youssef and he was very interested in tutoring us. He not only played finger cymbals, but he danced and offered to teach us that as well. I wasn’t sure about his knowledge of Raqs Sharki since that’s NOT what he was doing on stage, but we all agreed to give it a go.

Before we started class, Mr. Youssef made sure that we all had the same brand of finger cymbals so that his ear was not distracted by a bunch of different tones. He examined the sagat we already had and chose a pair among those offered. We scattered to find ten more pair just like those.

The next day’s class consisted of Mr. Youssef showing us the proper posture, how to hold our hands for the best quality of sound, and how to breathe. We played a triplet and a simple pattern for an hour while focusing on these qualities. Each time someone dropped her posture or stopped breathing, he corrected her. It might sound very basic, repetitive, and not very useful to someone who wasn’t there, but I can tell you that it made a tremendous difference to have sagat approached by a musician who focuses not on what to play, but how to play.

Another interesting thing that Mr. Youssef did was put himself in “performance mode” each time he played- even if it was only to play two measures. You could see him transform into someone who was on stage playing for an audience each time his cymbals connected. It helped me to see that practicing in performance mode not only assures that you will have a stage face during the entire performance, but it makes the experience more joyous to experience.

The second hour of class was devoted to belly dance. It didn’t occur to me to ask about music prior to the class, but it didn’t matter. We didn’t use any. Mr. Youssef instructed us to get up one by one and dance to music in our heads. When he saw something he wanted to comment on, he said, “Stop.” He’d then show us a way to make what we were doing better. For some there were postural improvements. For some it was dynamics changes. Others got hints on how to give more structure or emotion to what they were doing. Whether you were watching or dancing, you were getting something useful. All of his tips showed that he had a fantastic eye for body line, movement, and aesthetics.

Mr. Youssef’s teaching was very personal and targeted. I realize that his class is not what most Americans want out of a workshop, but I think it’s more what we need to compliment weekly technique classes. I wish he could come to the USA to teach, but his limited English and the difficulty in getting a visa probably makes that impossible. So if this is the type of instruction you desire, you are going to have to go to Egypt to get it. You can see him Saturdays and Wednesdays at the Tannoura show. He’s the only sagat player, so you can’t miss him. … And tell him Taaj sent you!

A Workshop with Adel Youssef