Al-arada folkdance a staple of Qatari weddings

By Naser al-Ghanem in Doha
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-04-21

[-/AFP/Getty Images] Al-arada is performed through the Gulf. Above, dancers in Saudi Arabia.

Every Thursdays and Fridays, lavishly-designed Arab tents rise in many empty squares throughout Doha.

This ritual signals the arrival of a wedding day in Qatar's capital.

As night falls, men carrying swords begin to sway under the floodlights. They are beginning al-arada, the folk dance of the Arab Gulf, including Qatar.

Locals insist on preserving their folk dance despite the mixing of many cultures when celebrating weddings and happy occasions.

Ibrahim Abd al-Rahman, an Arab Gulf heritage researcher, told Al-Shorfa that "al-arada is the dance at weddings and happy occasions and is performed by men from all ages wearing traditional outfits".

Abd al-Rahman said, "During al-arada, well-known Gulf mawwals [vocal music genre] are performed. They begin and end with the rhythm created by the drum, the only instrument known by people on the coast of the Arab Gulf. It is a male-only dance where every dancer carries a sword, swinging it down to the ground and up to shoulder level."

"Every Arab tribe has its own mawwal for such occasions. Men stand in two rows and everyone sings, divided by the drummers while the dance is led by a light dancer, known as 'al-razif', who circles around them in counter-clockwise direction."

Another heritage researcher, Sultan Bin Rashed al-Adnani, said that this dance is a Qatari custom that should not be abandoned.

He said, "The Qatari dance is characterised by the sword and is called the Qatari sword arada. The dance performed by the people of Najad is a mix of the sword arada and the fast-paced Samiri Arda. In UAE, they have a special dance called the yola."

"By clinging to its heritage, whether with al-arrada or other customs, Qatar managed to preserve a beautiful model of the traditional life the Qataris lived for hundreds of years," al-Adnani added. "Despite the modernity and construction and the entry of various cultures, Qataris remain committed to their customs and this indicates love for their heritage and that of their fathers and forefathers."

Al-arada seems to have also become the favourite dance for many Arabs living in Qatar.

Ahmed Sharif, an Egyptian who has lived in Qatar for 10 years, said that Arab residents in Qatar have started to practice this dance.

"I dance this dance with them," he said, referring to occasions he attends in Qatar.

Sharif spoke about what happened to one of his Egyptian colleagues in Doha, who decided to have a Qatari wedding party.

"He set up a tent in one of the squares and hired a drum band to play al-arada music. But the attendees did not dance well since they wore full suits, not the Qatari traditional dress which helps when performing al-arada."

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