Hossam Ramzy

1. How would you go about learning rhythm as a dancer? And as a musician/drummer?

This is exactly what I teach at our Drumzy School of Music & Dance in the UK and around the world.　This subject is very close to my heart as I feel that the main reason our beloved dance is stagnating and the artists within our art form are having to resort to all sorts of deviations that result in disrespect of the dancer and the dance itself. The examples are many and I need not explain it here.

However, the answer is, as a DANCER, you start by listening and identifying the rhythms from the music. The dancer should be taught to tap our the rhythms in a simple format on a drum with no technicality which will help her identify these rhythms.

If you start to learn Flamenco or Indian Kathak, you are expected to fully learn the rhythms and understand all the rhythmic syllables before you even start learning the moves. But this is because the teachers and instructors know what they are teaching and are experienced in the science of their art forms.　

However, I know that this is not the case in the art of Belly Dance and this is what Serena and I are coming to your country with the wish to teach this to the dancers.

As for musicians and drummers, then they will need to study how to play a drum and learn the rhythms from that.

2. Would you recommend learning a series of different rhythms (and in what order)?

I have developed a series of related rhythms that flow from a root all the to the branches of those rhythms and I called them “THE TREES OF RHYTHM”.

3. What is the best way to go about learning rhythms specific to belly dance?

By learning the rhythms of Belly Dance. I have created a double CD specifically for this subject called Rhythms of The Nile” EUCD 1427 available from my website www.hossamramzy.com .

In this album, I speak and explain the instruments, rhythms and the second part of the album is dedicated to teaching how to play the instruments too. There is a transcript of everything I say on the album in four languages.

4. What is the most common error dancer make when trying to move to drum solos?

The main error would be “Not repeating your moves 4 times” each time you do a new step.

5.What should a dancer be careful about while trying to match their rhythm to that of belly dance?

They have to pay very close attention to time keeping and ensure that they do not over translate the rhythm or the music and not under translate the rhythm or music.

6. What do you expect of a dancer while you play the rhythm?

This is thoroughly explained in my article “Drumming 4 Dancers”.

7. What signals are used between drummers and dancers when a change in tempo or rhythm is wanted?

There should NEVER be a change of tempo. Unless it is designed, understood, rehearsed and practiced between dancer and orchestra as well as between dancer and drummer.

There seems to be this false information, perpetuated by the uninformed instructors who are damaging this art form, that there is a sign to show your drummer or musician to change tempo or to change rhythm.

This is false, this is not true and this should not be used in dance performances.

If you watch a Ballet, you will never see this between dancer and orchestra.
If you watch a Flamenco Tablao... you will never see this between dancer and band..
Same if you watch an Indian Kathak dance performance.

What makes anyone think this can be in Egyptian dance.

Have you watched Nagua Fouad, Mona El Said, Soheir Zaki, Namima Akef, Zeinat Oloui or any of the true Super Stars of Egyptian Dance live with their bands? You will never see such a thing ever take place.

I guess that the answer to your question is ... NO, there aren’t any signs.

8. Is it possible for a group to dance to improvised drum solos and hit the accents?

Dancing to an improvised drum solo will have to follow the rules I gave in my article “Drumming 4 Dancers”.

But to do this by a group, then you will be opening the door to many miss interpretations. Such drum solos may be organized for a group, but a proper routine must be learned and rehearsed between them all, or it will look like a mess.

9. When collaborating with a belly dancer for a performance, what do you look for in both the dancer and in the musical presentation?

I make sure that both dancer and orchestra understand the article “Drumming 4 Dancers”.

And that the dancer knows how to translate the music according to this article. Then we discuss the emotional content of the music, how it going to be portrayed and why.... then we start rehearsing, trying, making mistakes, correcting, agreeing, disagreeing and working out a vision we want to present.

When all above is agreed, then we rehearse and practice this agreed upon results and we perfect it each time we perform it.

For us, a Belly Dance performance is a sacred as a symphony orchestra’s performance.

We work hard at them all.