Tanoura is an Arabic word meaning “skirt” and Tanoura dance is a type of Arabic folkloric and traditional ceremonial act that can be seen in various Islamic countries, including Egypt and Turkey, not to mention it is one of the interesting and spectacular programs in Safari desert journey in Dubai. Tanoura dance has simplicity but also a lot of transcendental complexity, and can be considered as a kind of mystical ritual with entertainment and tourism splendors, which is usually performed by Sufi men while playing Sufi music. In this type of dance, a dancer, while wearing very long and round skirts like huge trays is constantly spinning around himself, performing interesting and distinct rhythms. This stunning dance conveys unique meanings to the viewer and each piece, as part of a live theater performance, introduces the audience to different meanings and concepts, such as signs of feeling and gratitude of nature, mankind, birth and prosperity, the praise of God, mercy, clarity, light, and transcendence that can be seen in various magnificent performances done by professional Tanoura dancers.

How Tanoura Dance Is Performed?

Different shows with various concepts, dresses, and choreographies can be expected in Tanoura dances, the performances can change and be diverse, but what is usually seen is the presence of a lead dancer who plays the role of the sun and the background dancers spin around like planets. Performances mostly take place in a dark area, and in parts of the program, colorful and decorative lights are lit on the skirts, which contribute to the charm of the dance. Tanoura dancers wear a variety of colorful costumes and skirts, and more importantly, the colors of the skirts they wear may vary from place to place, depending on the region, locations, the type of performance, and the tastes of the planners. Dancers usually wear four-round skirts, such as large trays, they rotate, raise their skirts over their heads, lower them up and down, change and transform them in different manners, rhythmically in the most artistic way with special tenderness and affection. At the beginning of each performance, a group of singers recites ancient poems called “Al Tawasheeh,”, to create a sense of sublimity, spiritual and mystical excitement bit by bit, as singers create the best atmosphere, the dance movements begin, and slowly the rotating start to shape. Musicians beat their Egyptian drums or “Tabla” along with other musical instruments such as the pharaonic lute, percussion, and Sagat (used by ballet dancers), and the swirlings are adjusted to the rhythmic tone of the music that is performed live as if the dancers are riding on the waves of music. Gradually the sound of the music rises, so at the very end different Egyptian drums playing unified that gets louder and louder, and with a united and harmonious melody, they induce a sense of reaching the Lord and the oneness with God, and every aspect of the dance screams the greatness of the one creator and praise and appreciate him. Traditionally, Tanoura dance performance consists of three main parts. First, the introductory part, which is accompanied by the performance of traditional music, local and nostalgic songs, so from the very beginning, singers immerse viewers in a sweet expectation, and musicians play different oriental music for preparing the stage. Then a primary dance starts that somehow introduces the main dancers and prepares the audience to see an original and attractive show. And finally, Tanoura dance, with its professional performers, overcomes the whole scene and takes over the stage entirely.

Spiritual Believes Behind the Tanoura Dance

The inner spiritual purity, submission to the creator, reaching the peak of mysticism, and oneness with the divine essence are some of the emotions that Sufi dancers say feel during Tanoura dance and they believe these religious-mystical performances plunge them into certain inspiring trance states. It may be unbelievable for them to say that dance can create such a supernatural power in a human mind, but what we see is that these righteous dancers spin around sometimes for more than half an hour without a hint of confusion, dizziness, or showing any sign of nausea, and this can be a proof of their belief in the mystical tranquility of Tanoura dance.

History of Tanoura Dance

Tanoura dance, which has recently gained a lot of popularity in Dubai, is said to have originated in Turkey and especially Egypt, and the distinctive feature of it, is the multi-colored skirts worn by the dancers. Tanoura dance started in the 12th century from the Sufi Brotherhood. In their religious ceremonies, Sufis wear long identical white clothes from top to bottom with large round skirts, the full rotation of their skirts giving a special charm to their dances, and Tanoura dance has also borrowed this prominent style.

Philosophy and Ideology of Tanoura Dance

Tanoura dance philosophy can be easily seen in rotations. According to this ideology and belief, the world starts from one point and spins around and around and finally ends at the same point, spins slowly intensify and this rotating and uniform motion lasts for a while, stops eventually at some point which symbolically that is the cycle of life. In the middle of this movement, different dramatical performances are placed, and the beginning and the end of the spinning, each with meaningful routines, express the philosophy of this dance with the perfect language of art. As we said earlier, one lead dancer is in the role of the sun and the other dancers in the background are in the role of the planets. With extraordinary skills, the lead dancer impressively moves the 4 skirts around himself, which are the symbols of the 4 seasons of the year. He raises and lowers various skirts on his body, one by one and sometimes all together, each gesture has its own special meaning, moving counterclockwise, which is very similar to turning around the Kaaba (the Holy Shrine of Muslims around the world in Mecca) during the Hajj ritual. In a part of the ceremony, the dancer raises his right arm and at the same time lowers his left arm, which is a symbol of the unification of the earth and the heavens, mystical states immerse the dancer in a spiritual ecstasy while trying to be a light to reach the sky. The hypnotic and extraordinary performance of Tanoura dance takes place in a dimly lit space full of intense emotion, and from time to time the passionate and excited applause of the audience is heard, which the essence of their existence has been touched and have been captivated by the extraordinary attraction of the scene. Although the performance of Tanoura dance is associated with the theme of religion, this does not mean that its impact on nonreligious and international travelers is diminished and every single person can be mesmerized by the soothing and fantastical performance of this phenomenal dance.