Educational Outreach Program

Our Goal

Middle East Arts International (MEAI) strives to educate fellow members and the public about the origins, history and purpose of Middle East-inspired dance and music, to promote and protect the cultural and artistic elements of these art forms.

School Visits

In 2010, MEAI will begin educational outreach in local elementary schools, providing hands-on educational lessons related to Middle Eastern dance and music.

For more information, please contact MEAI at info@MiddleEastArts.org.

Educational Resources

Folkloric Dance

There are many folkloric dances of the Middle East that represent the culture and traditions of the country of origin. Some well known folkloric dances are Beledi and Saidi of Egypt, Khaliji dance of the Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf regions, and the folkloric dances of Tunisia, to name a few.

Instruments

There are 4 main melodic instruments used in Arabic music, the oud, nay, violin, and qanun. The riq or tabla, percussion instruments, are also used.

Related links:
Arabic Musical Instruments

Music

The complexity of the rhythm and the purity of the melodic line are most important in Middle Eastern music. In contrast, Western music has a harmonic framework and a beginning, middle and end. Middle Eastern music has an ebb and flow, a continuous development and endless repetition with embellishments and variations, and uses quartertones, a pitch that is half way between a white and black key on a piano.

Raqs Sharki / Belly Dance

Seen as an ancient dance form, belly dance evolved through various ancient dance traditions throughout North African and the Middle East. Although today belly dance is practiced all over the globe, the Golden Era of belly dance rests in the mid-twentieth century in Egypt. In 1926, Badia Masabny, Lebanese dancer and actress, opened “Casino Badia,” a nightclub in Cairo that was modeled after the cabarets in Europe. Casino Badia featured Eastern as well as Western entertainment, which both European and Middle Eastern audiences found appealing. Similar nightclubs emerged in Beirut, Algiers and throughout Cairo. It is at this time, that the evolution of the dance began, evolving into the sophisticated art form that we know today.

Other Educational Resources:

Arab American National Museum - Arab educational materials
Arab Center of Washington - Arab community
Iranian American Community Alliance - Seattle Persian community
Kay Hardy Campbell - Middle East Specialist
Maqam World - Educational information related to Classical Arabic music
NW Folklife - Supports folk, ethnic and traditional arts in the Northwest
Seattle Folklore Society - Supports folk and traditional arts in Seattle