Overview

In Those who don’t know falcons grill them (2018), a cohort of young male dancers perform the Khabayti, a hybrid style influenced by both Hejazi and Sufi dance. The choreographed pageantry of swirling, sword-wielding men and boys was once used in preparation for war, and is now typically performed at social gatherings by male dancers, with the exception of segregated events, at which only female dancers are allowed to perform. In the video, the troupe is seemingly propelled by the hypnotically mastered sounds of the mizmar, a wind instrument common in traditional Arabic music. Drawing on her background in print making, Alamoudi outfits her dancers in custom-made garments patterned with falcons, the national bird of Saudi Arabia, which represents an emblem of courage, power, and national identity.