Femininity and Dance in Egypt: Embodiment and Meaning in Al-Raqs Al-Baladi: Cairo Papers in Social Science Vol. 32, No. 3

By Noha Roushdy

Considering the paradoxical position of al-raqs al-baladi or "belly dance" in Egyptian social life, as both a vibrant and a contested cultural form, this issue of Cairo Papers in Social Science considers the impact of wider socio-cultural and political forces on the marginalization of professional performers, on the one hand, and in defining the parameters for non-professional performances on the other hand. Through interviews with professional and non-professional female dancers in Egypt, it explores the relationship between al-raqs al-baladi and the dynamic cultural repertoire that produces notions of femininity and normative personhood in Egypt. As a dance that Egyptians learn in childhood, it exposes the cardinal relationship between culture and body movement. The study received the Magda al-Nowaihi Award for best graduate work on gender studies in 2010. Cairo Papers in Social Science 32/3

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9774165934
• ISBN13: 9789774165931
• Release Date: April 2014
• Publisher: American University in Cairo Press
• Length: 118 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.5" x 8.4"