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Wedding
Celebrations in
all Middle Eastern countries have included the presence
of a dancer acting as high priestess in pre Islamic times with
ceremonial functions blessing the Bride and Groom. This ceremony
was linked to Fertility and Abundance, basically good luck and
prosperity. To this day, the people present a dancer to bring
the Wedding Couple into the reception room to their guests. This
has nothing to do with current religions, it is a social custom
that the people love. The dancer and the quality of the wedding
show is a mark of prestige just like thousands of years ago.
Everyone has a favorite dancer and wants her at the wedding.
This
entrance procession is called a Zaffa. It has the dancer,
the bride and groom, a group of musicains playing the zaffa rhythm
on percussion instruments, a mizmar, brides maids with candles,
or a boy with inscence. The zaffa procession with the dynamic
Arrousa Rhythmns create an unforgetable occassion that introduces
the Newly Married Bride and Groom to the Wedding Guests in the
reception room. In the Middle East the Bride and Groom sit on
a raised small stage in decorative chairs surrounded by flowers.
They may also be seated at a head table with their parents.
In
addition to the entrance procession at the wedding ceremony,
the dancer will also perform with her orchestra. There are special
songs and the Bride and Groom will be brought up to be introduced
and congradulated and they will dance together for their guests..
She then gets all the relatives and friends up to dance and should
make an atmosphere that everyone will remember and treasure forever.
Videos are made of the event and pictures to record the occassion.
Asmahan
has a group of musicians and singers who perform the traditional
Zaffa for weddings. They also provide the Raks Sharqi show
as part of the wedding ceremony. Each wedding is unique and a
show can be created to suit the occasion. A wedding reception
can have a dance show with a CD accompainment which will include
a veil dance, taksim, beledie, songs, getting the bride and groom
up to dance, and bringing the relatives and guests up to dance. |
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