Mauritania dance
by Gloria Ssali
Title
Mauritania dance
Artist
Gloria Ssali
Medium
Drawing - Drawing
Description
Mauritania[5] is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest. It is named after the ancient Berber Kingdom of Mauretania, which later became a province of the Roman Empire, even though the modern state covers a territory far to the southwest of the old kingdom. The capital and largest city is Nouakchott, located on the Atlantic coast. The dance is at the same time public and personal to the dancer. It carries symbolic dimensions, examining and interpreting that which is Life: the value of planetary movement and their relations to the Earth, known in other areas and spiritual paths as "the Wheel of the Year". It is a celebration of Mother Earth's fertility; and the personal and cultural feelings of Communication between the Earthly and the Divine. "Maghreb Dance is about contact with Life and Nature, where the woman represents Nature and the man the Human being." The movements are, first of all, earthy and strong as Berber-Amazigh dances are all fertility dances. Strong hip and belly movements such as hip drops and belly drops, more syncopated chest movements and many shoulder shimmies. Facial expression is also important. In Maghreb dance, the basic movements are the same as in Middle Eastern dance but the focus is different because of the rhythms. North African rhythms are more related to African rhythms, the one is on the off beat whereas in Middle Eastern dance, the one is the on beat. So, Maghreb dance is strong, fluid and very spiritual because of the use of rituals. The connection to the audience is very important
Uploaded
October 5th, 2011
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