What does “Baladi” mean?

“Baladi” is a term used widely within the international belly dance community, but also within Egypt. It’s a word that can describe a person, a dance, a musical style, food, and so much more! So it can get a little confusing when trying to understand what exactly baladi is. In this blog post, I’ll touch on the multiple meanings of baladi, along with baladi dance stylisation and musical progressions. I’ll be discussing: The idealised archetype of a baladi person in Egypt;
What we tend to mean when we’re talking about baladi stylised dance;
What a baladi solo or baladi progression is.