Description
Specializing in Egypt right through the period 1760 to 1870, this book fills in one of the historical blanks for a dance form frequently known today in the Middle East as raqs sharki or raqs baladi, and in Western countries as “belly dance”. Eyewitness accounts written by European travelers, the major primary source for modern scholars, provide many of the research material. The creator shapes these a lot of accounts into a coherent whole, providing a picture of Egyptian female entertainers of the period as professionals in the arts, relatively than as a group of unnamed ethnic dancers and singers. Analysis is given of the contexts of this dance that was once a legitimate performing art form in Egyptian society appreciated by all kinds of audiences with a focus on actual performances and a re-creation of choreography.