Before they were belly dancers: European accounts of female entertainers in Egypt, 1760-1870

Uittreksel

"Focusing on Egypt during the period 1760 to 1870, this book fills in some of the historical blanks for a dance form often 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 most of the research material. The author shapes these numerous accounts into a coherent whole, providing a picture of Egyptian female entertainers of the period as professionals in the arts, rather than as a group of unnamed 'ethnic' dancers and singers. Analysis is given of the contexts of this dance--that was a legitimate performing art form in Egyptian society appreciated by a wide variety of audiences--with a focus on actual performances--and a re-creation of choreography."--Publisher description.

Inhoud

Background. On writing this book ; Selected Egyptian history: the study period ; Writers and painters in Egypt from 1760 to 1870 -- Setting the stage. A name for the dance and a name for the dancer ; The low reputation of female entertainers ; The geography of going to the show -- Going to the show: professionals at work. The corporation of female singers: the chanteuses ; Identifying the Raqqâsin, Corporation 200 ; Identifying the Ghawâzî, Corporation 192 ; Male performers: dancers and musicians -- The lives of female entertainers. Relationships with various groups in Egyptian society ; Professional relationships with the audience ; Training ; Economic position of female entertainers -- Biographies. Thirty-one female dancers and one male -- Gossip, hearsay, rumors and myths. The missing 'Awâlim ; The massacre of "the four hundred" ; Banning the dance in Muhammad Ali's Egypt ; Myths of origins of female dancers and singers -- Building the aesthetic of performance. A costume benchmark set by Edward Lane ; The musicianship of dancers ; The aesthetic of dance movements -- Choreography and performance. Six choreographic elements basic to the dance ; Extending the definition of choreography ; Three identifiable dances ; Accessory dances -- Appendix 1: Biographical facts about selected 18th- and early 19th-century travel writers and artists -- Appendix 2: Travelers' terms for female dancers: selected passages by date of travel.