Aisha Azar

Dear Stacy,
Actually, we see that all the time in Egyptian belly dance. The difference is that because of their own ethnocentricty and cultural background, because they are Egyptian, they end up using the different influences in a very Egyptian way, just as Americans have taken some Egyptian influences and generally use them in a very western way. I think this might be referred to as filtering, if I remember from sociology class, but don't quote me on that because I am not totally sure. The dance continues to evolve in Egypt and still retains that fundamental Egyptianness. For the most part, Egyptians would have as hard a time working around that as westerners usually have working around their own cultures. Occasionally there is the individual who somehow is really deep down sympatico with another culture, but it does not happen very often.
BTW this is a really well thought out question and I appreciate it!
Regards,
A'isha

sstacy123

Thank you.

Aisha Azar

Dear Aziyade,
I think we had discussed Ardah earlier in this thread. I subscribe to a magazine sent out by Saudi Aramco and in this month's mag, there is an article about Saudi music. Ardah is described in the article as "one of Saudi Arabia's best known song and dance traditions". (Saudi Aramco, Mar/Apr, 2000, p. 4). The article is written by Kay Hardy Campbell.
Though this magazine can sometimes be considered a marketing tool and propaganda for the Arab countries, it is also full of great stuff.
For those of you who want to subscribe, and it is FREE, the subscription address is

Loading Saudi Aramco .....

BTW, back issues from 1960 forward can be downloaded and read and there is an annual index so that you can find dance info or other great things. I have subscribed since the early 80s and I LOVE this mag.
Regards,
A'isha

cathy

[QUOTE
But I have observed a grand dame in the belly dance scene who is justifiably authoritative because she truly is knowledgeable and intelligent do just that, several times. The highhanded, sarcastic and condescending tone she takes on with some poor bastard whose only sin is to pose a naive question or naively repeat some misinformation makes me grit my teeth.

I wish she'd write a book. Failing that, I wish she'd colloborate with other knowledgeable people into writing the kind of FAQ for a web site such as this one that we can use it to help combat the kind of fluff-bunny misinformation and self-serving lies that float around now.[/quote]

Hi Kharmine,

I'm not sure who you are referring to here. But Morocco is definitely working on a manuscript about oriental dance. Cathy

Kharmine

Let's just say it's not someone who is a regular participant on this forum.

And I'm glad to hear Morocco is finally writing that book. She's a national treasure to the belly dance community, even though not everyone agrees with her all the time, and a book would be a significant contribution.

__________________
What if the hokey pokey is really what it's all about?

Aziyade

You know what I'd love to see?

A conference with all in one room:

Serena Wilson
Jamila Salimpour
Sausan
Morocco
Donna Carlton
and Wendy Buonaventura

oh, and Carolena, just for fun.


Wouldn't that be fun? Watch the fur just FLY!!!

Aniseteph

I've got one of Wendy Buonaventura's books, and in four places (I just counted in the interests of journalistic accuracy!) she refers to Botox as "a deadly virus". (OK, 3 deadlies and one just plain virus). This really spoilt the whole book for me - made me doubt everything else she says, which is a shame because it was very interesting. So I just can't take anything else she says without a substantial pinch of salt.

(this has been bugging me since I read the book. I feel better now! )

Suheir

Heh! You're evil! They'd have to have a male troupe as entertainment over lunch - Wendy'd turn purple and explode.

Aisha Azar

Dear Aniseteph,
Bounaventurea does make some other mistakes in her book, such as referring to beledi in one place as "Dance of the people". However, we all occasionally get our "facts" mixed up. This does not mean that everything she says is garbage; just that we have to use our senses a little bit nore sharply in order to pull out of the book what might not have the ring of truth to it. Some of her info is right on, but some is not. I would be willing to bet this is true of any of the books we mention. The problem with Wendy B. for me is that many of her mistakes are so very obvious that it makes me really feel the need to further research her info if I can not verify it with my own experiences.
There is also, as Aziyade points out, a lot of discrepacny between what one "expert" and another says, but when really obvious mistakes are made...well....
Regards,
A'isha

Aziyade

We talk a lot about "objective journalism" these days, but for non-fiction book authors, it's almost as if they're not held to the essence of that standard.

Like a lot of writers, Wendy has an extremely specific axe to grind, and it shows in her book. She's a Hilal student, with the associated mentality. As long as the reader recognizes that, you can see where she's coming from, and you can see where she twists things a tad to fit her own paradigm.

I just get so frustrated when people quote her book like it's the inspired word of G_d on the subject of bellydance history.