Here is a very short list of books that I have found informative and enjoyable. I have picked books that I personally own and have been able to at least browse through if not read. Some of these books are not about Middle Eastern dance, but I feel that they somehow enhance the dance or the attitude of the Dancer or the person interested in leaning more about this art form.
For a more complete list of books please visit Alice's Belly Dance Area Booklist or Shira's book Review Page.
A well known and popular book in the Middle Eastern Dance community. "Focusing on the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, she 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 artist 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."
Grandmother's Secrets-The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing by Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi
"Al-Rawi has written a strikingly graceful and original book that blends personal memoir with the history and theory of the dance known in the West as "belly dancing". It is the story of a young Arab girl asa she is initiated into womanhood. It is a history of the dance from the earliest times through the days of the Pharoahs, the Roman Empire, to the Arab World of the last three centuries. It is a persomal investigation into the effects of the dance's movements on individual parts of the body adn the whole psyche, It is a guide to the actual techniques of the dance for those who are inspired to put down the book and move".
Crowning Anguish by Taj Al-Saltana
"The life of Taj al-Saltana, daughter of the ruler of Iran, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, epitomized the predicaments of her changing era. Overcoming her limited education within the harem walls, Taj chronicled a thirty-year span in the life of a generationthat witnessed a shift from traditional order to revolutionary flux. Taj's account is a genuine voice for women's social grievances in late twentieth century Iran, and one that reveals a remarkable woman. Her memoirs remail highly relevent today, almost 100 years later."
"Sacred Sexuality explores the origins and practices of sexuality as an integration of heaven and earth in many diverse cultures throughout the world. Attitudes toward sexuality have changed profoundly since the ancient Mother Goddess fertility rites, and the images of integration between female and male throughout history present an antidote to the repression and gender divisions in modern society."
Mehndi-the art of henna body painting by Carine Fabius
A Wonderful and informitive book on the beautiful art of Mehndi. This book contains photos of original boody work, patterens to follow for designing your own, receipes for mehndi paste, and helpful hints for making your designs last.
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