BD Assignment #4 - Saidi Rhythm: Dancing the Dums

Let's play with rhythm and dance!

In class and home practice we do a lot of drilling of movements, repeating them over and over in a two beat rhythm. Here we break free and explore connecting our movement to Middle Eastern rhythms.

Today's rhythm is the Saidi:

D t D D t / Dum tek Dum Dum tek

Dum is the strong beat, created by hitting the center of the drum

Tek is the weaker beat, created by hitting the side of the drum

We will concentrate on the dums today. Listen to the music a sample below. Start with step one and do as much as you want to explore. Take your time. You can always come back to it. :-)

Step 1 --> DISSECT THE BEAT

Find the dums and the teks. Say the rhythm aloud in time with the music.

Dum tek Dum Dum tek

Now just the dums:

Dum...... Dum Dum....

Step 2 --> FEEL

Get a feel for the roll of the beat, the tempo and timing of the rhythm, any sensations/emotions that come. Close your eyes. Can you feel the drums echo in your body? If yes, where? What kind of movement, if any, do you feel the drums are calling you to dance?

Sept 3 --> DANCE

Using any accented linear movements (lifts, drops, slides, etc) on the three dums, do the following combos, listening to the song at least one time through each. Take your time. The list is long, to give you plenty to come back and work on. ;-)

Combos:

Explore your own random accents on the dum...

* Hold, Hit Hit

* Hit, Hold Hold

* Hit, Hit Hit

Next using certain body parts for each dum....

* Hip, Hip Hip

* Chest, Chest Chest

* Hip, Chest Chest

* Chest, Hip Hip

* Hip, Hip Chest

* Chest, Chest Hip