From Publishers Weekly
A performer, teacher and scholar, Hobin is a British authority on the art of belly dancing, and her new volume is a work of serious dance history, not of titillation or instruction (though one chapter on basic belly dancing movements is included). Hobin traces belly dancing back to its roots in the "fertility dances of the mother goddess cult" and gives a detailed discussion of ancient Egypt, where, she says, "dance was an expression of joy and an integral part of magic, religious rituals and funeral rites." Belly dancing also has had influences from outside the Middle East, however. According to Hobin, contemporary Moroccan belly dancing has roots in Berber folk dances, and one of her chapters looks at the influence of Gypsies. Students of popular dance forms around the world will find this volume to be an unusual addition to their library.
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Product Description
Tina Hobin has written a book outlining the roots of dance in myth and religious practices around the globe. She takes the evolution of the belly dance as a representation of the rites of passage from Ancient Greece to modern times, focusing on different forms of belly dancing and its place at the core of fertility rites and marriage ceremonies in Middle Eastern societies.
Myths, including those of Isis and Osiris, and the role of the Shaman or Witch doctor in African tribes, are explained. The belly dance, with its roots in the birth dance of Saudi Arabia, is described through accounts of present day native societies. The book also contains examples of belly dance movements and exercises for enthusiasts.