| Melaya Laff Dance |
The Melaya Laff is originally an Egyptian modesty wrap, now a famous
folkloric character. This dance is from Alexandria, Egypt. A melaya
itself is a large, black shawl made of nylon or silk, in which the women
wrap themselves completely from head to toe. It is a modesty garment
for when they leave the house. For the stage, the melaya is trimmed
with gold or silver coins. The word "laff" simply means “to wrap”. Under
the melaya, the dancer wears a form-fitting dress that is short, ruffled
and bright in color, or the baladi galabeya. Also worn is a crocheted
face-veil known as a burr’oh. The melaya is draped upon the body,
and during the dance it slips off and is re-wrapped time and again.
The women compete for attention by flirting as they dance this popular
folk dance.
