Belly Dance Around the World: New Communities, Performance and Identity - Paperback

by Caitlin E. McDonald (Editor), Barbara Sellers-Young (Editor)

In these essays, dancers and scholars from around the world carefully consider the transformation of an improvised folk form from North Africa and the Middle East into a popular global dance practice. They explore the differences between the solo improvisational forms of North Africa and the Middle East, often referred to as raqs sharki, which are part of family celebrations, and the numerous globalized versions of this dance form, belly dance, derived from the movement vocabulary of North Africa and the Middle East but with a variety of performance styles distinct from its site of origin. Local versions of belly dance have grown and changed along with the role that dance plays in the community. The global evolution of belly dance is an inspiring example of the interplay of imagination, the internet and the social forces of local communities. All royalties are being donated to Women for Women International, an organization dedicated to supporting women survivors of war through economic, health, and social education programs. The contributors are proud to provide continuing sponsorship to such a worthwhile and necessary cause.

Author Biography

Caitlin E. McDonald holds a Ph.D. in Arab and Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter. She lives in London. Barbara Sellers-Young is the former Dean of the School of Arts, Media, Performance, and Design of York University. She has applied the somatic marker hypothesis to dance performance in numerous articles and lectures, and is the author or editor of seven books on dance theory.