salome serpent dancing madonna

books:

Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World

10 reviews
Wendy Buonaventura

International Specialized Book Services, 1998

FOr the Pictures, if Nothing Else
I can't speak to the accuracy of Wendy Buonaventura's history of belly dancing, though I found no evidence of the most controversial complaint, that she fails to note the role of European Orientalists in fabricating our notions of Middle-Eastern dance. In fact, she discusses this very thing at length. The treasure in the book is the collection of paintings. Where else can you see Dinet's ...

Belly Dancing

1 review
Wendy Buonaventura

Trafalgar Square, 1983

Said's worst nightmare
This book is the epitome of Orientalism and bad scholarship. Buonaventura presents opinion and interpretation as fact and twists around translations of words in order to fit her hypotheses--all without listing sources. Starry-eyed newcomers to the dance would do well to do some of their own research rather than read this book. The book also presents the Middle East as one big cultural and ...

Beauty & the East

3 reviews
Wendy Buonaventura

Saqi Books, 2001

A Wonderful and Sensual Look at Beauty Rituals
The title might be a bit misleading, since many people might think Asia/Far East when they read "Oriental." This book includes Egypt, Greece, Iran, Turkey, India, Lebanon and more, presenting a rich cultural feast for beauty and body care rituals. Some of the ideas presented may not appeal to the average reader, but for the woman who is interested in making her own potions and lotions, this is a ...

Something in the Way She Moves: Dancing Women from Salome to Madonna

3 reviews
Wendy Buonaventura

Da Capo Press, 2004

Historical Perspective on Women in Dance
Wendy Buonaventura's book is a book about the way women have gained freedom from the constraint's of society through dance. How the "battle of the sexes" have played out on the dance floor, and how society views women during different historical periods. This book is a "must read" for any serious student of dance, whether male or female. Some people may find sections of the book offensive, ...