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Orientalism, representations, and created fantasies: The transformation of traditional Middle Eastern dances to belly dance

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Date Issued:
2003
Summary:
Belly dancing is often believed to be a traditional Middle Eastern dance. Belly dance, though, developed in America and only recently appeared in the Middle East. The similarities between traditional women's dances in the Middle East and belly dance are minimal, but representations influenced by the concept of Orientalism have affected our perception of what we accept as Middle Eastern traditions. The concept of Orientalism holds that certain items are selectively chosen or formulated to depict Middle Eastern culture. Representations inspired by Orientalism do not rely on unbiased and truthful portrayals, but rather exaggerate or amplify particular cultural aspects to fashion an image of the Middle East that fits with carefully crafted Western expectations, resulting in stereotypes. Within such an environment, the ideas and beliefs that permitted the fantasy of belly dance as a expression of Middle Eastern culture grew and flourished to create the current attitudes about belly dancing.
Title: Orientalism, representations, and created fantasies: The transformation of traditional Middle Eastern dances to belly dance.
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Name(s): Fisher, Julie Marie.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Brown, Susan Love, Thesis advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2003
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 94 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Belly dancing is often believed to be a traditional Middle Eastern dance. Belly dance, though, developed in America and only recently appeared in the Middle East. The similarities between traditional women's dances in the Middle East and belly dance are minimal, but representations influenced by the concept of Orientalism have affected our perception of what we accept as Middle Eastern traditions. The concept of Orientalism holds that certain items are selectively chosen or formulated to depict Middle Eastern culture. Representations inspired by Orientalism do not rely on unbiased and truthful portrayals, but rather exaggerate or amplify particular cultural aspects to fashion an image of the Middle East that fits with carefully crafted Western expectations, resulting in stereotypes. Within such an environment, the ideas and beliefs that permitted the fantasy of belly dance as a expression of Middle Eastern culture grew and flourished to create the current attitudes about belly dancing.
Identifier: 9780496179169 (isbn), 12979 (digitool), FADT12979 (IID), fau:9847 (fedora)
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2003.
Subject(s): Belly dance.
Orientalism.
Dance--Middle East.
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12979
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.