ESKANDARANI
Eskandarani or Iskandarani is an urban folklore from Alexandria, the port city in Egypt. Eskandarani outfit is quite unusual – it consists of a short dress to knees, with flounces, a headscarf with tassels or flowers and high heels. Eskandarani can be danced with a large black shawl called melaya – then the dance is called melay leff, which means “wrapped in a scarf”. We can also see the dancers with a face covered by a veil called yashmak. This dance is cheerful and flirtatious and requires quite good acting skills. In this style a dancer covers and discovers herself with a shawl, coqueting this way an audience. In the choreographies created by Mahmoud Reda, we can see not only female dancers but also male dancers who are into the role of seduced fishermen / sailors.
Music for dancing Eskandarani is mostly songs about the sea, fishermen and Alexandria.
Here you can watch a dance MELAYA LEFF: