Al-Dihaif, al-Razha, al-Sharh models of Yemeni folk dances

The Ministry of Culture band performes al-Razha folk dance.

Yemen is full of public and varied folklore legacy. It is as old as the   civilizations which prevailed in ancient Yemen. Despite the modern changes in Yemeni community life, the public legacy remained to be intact, preserving its superb distinction over the time and affecting the people’s life at all times. 

The public folklore legacy has multiple characteristics, including the physical one such as that of the public dances, which is an important kind of public folklore at the present time. It is now gaining the interest of the Ministry of Culture and the community at large, as realized in the formation and rehabilitation of the dancing bands at governorates’ offices, in order to preserve their public legacy, and display it at the local and international levels, display it through the media and the festivals, where the Yemeni folklore finds increasing interest. Yemeni dancing is one of the artistic involuntary expressions in which Yemeni people express their creative capacities, which are built-in in this public art linked to their sufferings. This is expressed by different dances which spread all over the Yemeni regions and villages, giving the superb image of Yemeni solidity, firmness and freedom. It also reflects the philanthropy, nobility, truth, beauty and peace, as human values distinguishing the Yemeni people. 

Yemeni dancing, like other expressions of national folklore, found great attention because it expresses the method and the authenticity of public folklore. In Kanfar district in Abian, as in other districts, there are numerous folklore dances. Each of these dances are performed at different occasions, as the district is full of different sorts of dances that are practiced at certain instances, according to the norms of each part of the district, whether it is a wedding occasion, or any other occasions. Examples of these dances are: 

Al-Dohaif Dance 
It is one of the most beautiful dances which are widespread in the Abian governorate. It is performed by fishermen at the costal villages, such as Shaqra costal town. It is often danced at midnight. The dances express the fisherman’s struggle at sea, with the sea waves. It starts with the ‘dan’ sound, and it ends with the best poem collectively performed because it is the best one that expresses the social worries and other issue in a symbolic manner.

The dance is done by two opposite sides of men and women, chorusing the sound with slow rhythm, then their enthusiasm gradually rises up and the dancing quick rhythms start, which depends on the men’s violent movements, which resemble the fisherman struggle with the sea, and reflecting the tedious work they do at sea. The dance is done by stamping the feet on the ground, accompanied by women’s clapping, with two dancers (a man and a woman) in interpositions going into the middle, to do the rotating movements and then go back to their positions.        

These dances go on in turns with fresh dancers coming in each time. Big drums called (mahajir) are used in this dance. (al-Maktra) is also used in this dance. It is a censer in which embers and incense are put, then a woman carries it and rotates with it in the middle of the round (al-Madara). The dance is also performed in wedding and Eid occasions.    

Al-Razha 
Al-Razha dance is a public dance, practiced by men and women on harvest time (al-sirab), particularly at cotton picking, in the past.  Now it is   danced at weddings and other occasions. It is danced by two opposite lines, on the feet stamp rhythm. The first line moves forward in slow steps till it draws closer to the other line, then they move back to their places. Then the other line does the same movement, with the drum beaters (al-Madara) in the circle moving from their places. The songs that accompany this dance are chorused performing the dance’s rhythm.  Al-Razha has many divisions ranging from the slow to the quick motions. The best type is the one which is formed by a circle containing men and women, with two men and two women at the middle doing a different movement, which is characterized by their liveliness and quickness, on the same rhythm.   They come together and then move away from each other, in an elegant circular motion, doing this many times. This dance is carried out in many parts of Ja’r district. 

Al-sharh 
Al-Sharh is practiced by the movement of the hands and legs. It is danced on wedding occasions by the women.  The number of dancers is often even ranging from two to six, tuning their feet motion to (al-Mahajir ) and (al-rawis) drums’ rhythm in a to and fro motion  in the middle of the circle. Al-’Hajol’ and the ‘Maqrma’ (veil) are also being pulled by the hand during the dance. The women put on their best cloths and jewelry. This dance is danced in Ahwar and Ja’r. It is characterized by the unspectacular movements of the legs, excluding the other parts of the body. 

Al-Samrah 
Al-Samrah dance is danced by most of the costal area people in the district. It is done by two lines of men and women, starting with the ‘dan’ or ‘bal’ sounds. Poems verses are recited by a poet and chorused in singing by men and women for some time, and then the sound tune is changed, accompanied by the men’s line stamping their feet and moving slowly towards the women’s line. The two lines touch each other’s hands. The dance is done on weddings and other occasions, such as the Prophet Mohammed’s birth occasion. The dance is characterized by being danced without rhythms, and it is danced on moony nights.

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