Book Reviews

There are many books about Middle Eastern dance and culture, which can help to give you an understanding of the background and origins of our art. Unfortunately, many of the books about the dance itself are not well researched, and they often perpetuate myths and misconceptions, especally about the origins of the dance. However, it is still possible to begin piecing together a picture of how the dance has evolved by reading many of them and keeping an eye out for unsupported claims. The books listed here are ones which Rachael has personally read. For more extensive lists of interesting books please see these sites: Aisha Ali, Morocco (the dancer, not the country).

Middle Eastern Dance

Serpent of the Nile - Wendy Buonaventura: This book is worth buying for the beautiful illustrations alone. It gives a broad and fascinating overview of the history of dance in the Middle East up to the 20th century, largely using the writings of Western travellers and orientalist paintings as sources - however, the chapter on the distant past is largely fanciful and should be taken with a pinch of salt. There are also chapters on the Western 'oriental' dancers of the early 20th century, and how their fantasy representation of the East has influenced the dance. Unfortunately, the chapter on modern 'cabaret' bellydance (i.e. most developments in the dance since the early 20th century) is brief and rather dismissive. On the whole, this is an enjoyable and interesting read, but it contains many unsupported assertions and opinions, so needs to be read with a critical mind.

A Trade Like Any Other: Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt - Karin van Nieuwkerk: An academic look at the social status of Egyptian dancers. The history of the dance in Egypt from the late 1900s to the late 20th century is told using the first hand accounts of Egyptian women of various ages who have worked as dancers. The author examines social attitudes to entertainers in Egypt, and in particular the negative views held by many Egyptians about female dancers. This book is not light reading by any means, but it is immensely useful to anyone hoping to understand the place of dance in Egyptian society. The life stories of Egyptian dancers are especially interesting, and the whole book is thoroughly researched and well referenced.

Grandmother's Secrets (recently republished as Belly Dancing: unlock the Secret Power of an Ancient Dance) - Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi: This book begins with a series of memories of the author's childhood in Iraq, and in many ways this is the most valuable part, as we see life in the Middle East through the eyes of a young girl growing up in the culture. The remainder contains a brief 'history' of bellydance, and some instructions supposedly intended to teach the dance. The history, alas, is largely invented or taken from other histories which themselves were not well researched, and it perpetuates many unfounded myths about goddess-worship and the like, as well as making bizarre sweeping generalisations about the ancient world. The instructional section, I found quite confusing in places - it definitely isn't suitable for learning dance from scratch! However, there are some visualisation exercises and similar which may be fun for slightly more experienced dancers to try. I do think this book is worth reading, but mostly for the parts which include first-hand experience of life in the Middle East.

Books About the Arab World

Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women - Geraldine Brooks: Written by a journalist working in the Middle East, this excellent book gives us a series of insights into the lives of muslim women in many countries. She manages to meet an impressive array of women, from Queen Noor of Jordan to the widow of Ayatollah Khomenei - teachers, soldiers, dancers, politicians, athletes, militant islamists, feminist activists... The women we meet are individual, often surprising, and belie the stereotyped Western view of islamic women as passive victims. There is also some background on the place of women in Islam, and especially the wives of the prophet Mohammed. It's interesting to see how the oppressive customs in many coutries today compare with the teachings and actions of the prophet.

There is one chapter which deals directly with Arabic dance - the author writes of becoming interested in the dance after seeing a performance by Egyptian legend Soheir Zaki, and finding a teacher in Cairo. She goes on to perform as an unlicensed dancer in a Cairo nightclub as an act of defiance towards the prudish Egyptian establishment. She also discusses the pressure on female public performers to retire, generally from religious groups willing to both pay bribes and threaten violence.

Beauty and Costuming

Beauty and the East: A Book of Oriental Body Care - Wendy Buonaventura: This odd but pleasant little book takes a rambling look at beauty and relaxation traditions throughout the world - ranging all the way from Morocco to India. It contains a jumble of descriptions of traditional practises, history, and recipes for trying some things at home. We begin with steam baths, and what to do if you visit a hammam in the Middle East, before meandering through henna, perfumes, face masks... I enjoyed reading this, and it has inspired me to try some pleasant things, but I'm not sure that the instructional parts would be a great deal of help. My one peeve with it is that the author gives undue credence to 'alternative' medicine.