KHALIJI
Khaliji, khaleegy– (ar. gulf) is a folk dance from the Persian Gulf. It is also called ‘the hair dance’ because of many shaking head movements. Other characteristic features are hand gestures like wrist accents and chest shimmy. Khaliji is a joyful dance performed solo or in a group (when performed by several dancers, it is a line dance). Khaliji was originally performed only by women’s group during family events. It was spread across thanks to belly dancers.
The costume for this style is called thobe al nashal and consists of a long robe with a richly embroidered front (embroidered peacocks are a frequent motif). Another important feature is an abundant jewelry – necklace, bracelets and large earrings.
Music for this dance style includes rhythm saudi, also called khaliji.
You can watch a stage version of KHALIJI here: