Favorite Danse Orientale books

I don't always agree with the authors of the following books, but understanding their work is useful to understanding the evolution and perception of this dance. Perception may not be the most accurate foundation, but it is foundation. And in order to improve the treatment and reception of this dance, we must first repair the foundation. Also included are books of interest to dancers.

  Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World, by Wendy Buonaventura. Publisher's description: Focusing on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Wendy Buonaventura shows how Arabic dance came to be influenced by Western ideas about art and entertainment. But the influence was two-way. In the heyday of "Orientalism," Arabic dance exerted a powerful influence on the Western imagination--on such writers as Flaubert, such artists as David Roberts and Jean-Leon Gerome, and such imitators as Colette and Mata Hari. Their fascination was often based on common fantasies about the women of the Middle East. Yet, as the book's magnificent illustrations show, this obsession also produced wonderfully evocative images. At the turn of the century, the genre also had an impact on fashion, theater and popular entertainment. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

Looking for Little Egypt, by Donna Carlton. A richly illustrated investigation of the story of the media-hyped introduction of danse orientale in the USA, and it's lingering effect on the public perception of this dance. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

  "A Trade like Any Other": Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt, by Karin Van Nieuwkerk. Publisher's description: In Egypt, singing and dancing are considered essential on happy occasions. Professional entertainers often perform at weddings and other celebrations, and a host family's prestige rises with the number, expense, and fame of the entertainers they hire. Paradoxically, however, the entertainers themselves are often viewed as disreputable people and are accorded little prestige in Egyptian society. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

  The Arabic Alphabet: How to Read and Write It, by Nicholas Awde. Proceeds step-by-step through all the letters of the Arabic alphabet, showing the sounds they stand for and how they are combined into words. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

  How to Dance Forever : Surviving against the Odds, by Daniel Nagrin. While not about danse orientale, this book is a useful resource for the dancer who wants to take care of her health. Danse orientale is not limited to women of a particular age group, but it is limited to dancers in good health. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

  Tango and the Political Economy of Passion, by Marta E. Savigliano. While not specifically about danse orientale, this book's analysis of the threads of tango is a useful parallel. Publisher's description: What is tango? Dance, music, and lyrics of course, but also a philosophy, a strategy, a commodity, even a disease. This book explores the politics of tango, tracing tango's travels from the brothels of Buenos Aires to the cabarets of Paris and the shako dansu clubs of Tokyo. The author uses her "tango tongue" to tell interwoven tales of sexuality, gender, race, class, and national identity. Along the way she unravels relations between machismo and colonialism, postmodernism and patriarchy, exoticism and commodification. In the end she arrives at a discourse on decolonization as intellectual "unlearning." Also reviewed by Barbara Sellers-Young in Volume 17, Number 3 of Habibi magazine. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

Caught Looking: Feminism, Pornography and Censorship, by Kate Ellis, Nan Hunter (Editor), Beth Jaker (Editor), Abby Tallmer (Editor). What does this have to do with danse orientale? This dance has to deal with a complex and broad spectrum of public perception, amid issues of feminism and eroticism faced by the dancers themselves. This book is a collection of essays and challenging photos. Among other things, this book provides a chronology of how the debate within feminism about eroticism has developed. Click here for Barnes&Noble listing of this book.

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To send James Janner e-mail (jjanner@jannermedia.net).
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