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

Serpent of the Nile traces the origins of Arabic dance, which survived religious disapproval and growing commercialism to evolve into a popular dance form across the globe.Focusing on the nineteenth century onwards, Wendy Buonaventura reveals how this ancient art was influenced by Western ideas about entertainment, and in turn exerted a powerful hold on the Western imagination. In the heyday of Orientalism, it inspired writers and artists such as Flaubert, Jean-Léon Gérôme and Mata Hari. Buonaventura documents the impact the genre had on fashion, theatre and film at the turn of the century, and explores present and future trends in Arabic dance.This beautifully illustrated classic is a celebration of the female dancers of the Arab world, and their impact on the West.