Thread: It's 11 AM. I Have to choose a textbook for a college-level belly dance class. In 3 hours. Any ideas? Many thanks!

It's a 3-credit class, 3 hours once a week, dance and culture. I can wing a lot of it myself, but a book is nice. Previous instructor used Serpent of the Nile. Not against it, but interested in other people's ideas. I have to have it in before 3 PM to make the call (and I will be driving all day from OK City to St. Louis, just to make it more interesting), but what the heck. So if you are out there, and you have a suggestion and a rationale, please post!

Many thanks,
Alia

Hello Dahling,
Maybe this one?
Amazon.com: The Belly Dance Book : Rediscovering the Oldest Dance (9780970024701): Tazz Richards: Books
Sounds like it's fairly comprehensive, gets good reviews. Info and ideas from some highly respected sources (Morocco, Artemis, etc.) Here's a review on Shira's site.
Book Review: The Belly Dance Book - Rediscovering the Oldest Dance, edited by Tazz Richards.

Oh damn, if a new copy of that book is $187 does that mean it's out of print.?

I like this better than the Belly Dance Book (which may actually be out of print and hard to find) because it is more like a textbook, and not a collection of essays:

Amazon.com: Middle Eastern Dance (World of Dance) (9780791077757): Penni Al Zayer, Y. Villacampa: Books

Well I looked it up on half.com. Price range there is $58 - $219. Poop. Oh well..

A Trade Like Any Other by Karin Van Nieuwkerk. It contains both history and culture, it's in print, and the pricing is reasonable.

Rosette, kisses! Shira, A Trade is good, but focuses on Egyptian dancers. Would like it to be more wide-ranging. Steffib, that looks interesting.. You've seen it and you like it?

THANK YOU!

Anyone else?

(why is Bhuz backwards for me today?)

Yes I own it and I think it is a must-read for every serious student of this dance.

Originally Posted by Rosette

Oh damn, if a new copy of that book is $187 does that mean it's out of print.?

$187?!?! Dang!! And I sold my copy for only about $20-25 within the past year or so.

I know it's likey too late, but for my money, the most wide-ranging work on the dance is also fairly academic -- Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, And Harem Fantasy. It contains a wide variety of essays, including one on American Tribal.

The issue you'll have is that there are very few written works on this dance form, and most of the more academically-oriented ones will focus on it's cultural background, not on an overview of current trends. Even with the recent (relative) glut in works, there's just not a lot of fresh choices, sadly. :(

You rock, steffib.
Parked outside a Burger King in Tulsa, OK, en route to St. Louis. Gotta love free wifi!

Thank you everyone for your help!

Glad you are not using the Serpent - totally shonky. Nice piccies though.

I like A Trade Like Any Other - but agree it isn't a good introduction. The Shay/Sellers "Belly Dance - Orientalism, Transnationalism & Harem Fantasy" is probably a better gateway. With individual articles by different authors you get a mix of material and topics are more bite size.

I also recommend Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, And Harem Fantasy.

I also am going to be a curmudgeon and say that it's great that you're reaching out for help, but you may want to consider putting such questions to a less google-able location (like the teachers' group instead of the main forums) because you might not want your employers or your students witness to phrases like "I can wing it" or how you're making last-minute textbook choices without readings the textbooks prior to requesting. Students are paying tuition and for text books and school are paying you.... and they might take issue with it.

Originally Posted by ozma

I also recommend Belly Dance: Orientalism, Transnationalism, And Harem Fantasy.

I also am going to be a curmudgeon and say that it's great that you're reaching out for help, but you may want to consider putting such questions to a less google-able location (like the teachers' group instead of the main forums) because you might not want your employers or your students witness to phrases like "I can wing it" or how you're making last-minute textbook choices without readings the textbooks prior to requesting. Students are paying tuition and for text books and school are paying you.... and they might take issue with it.

Bhuz didn't give me the option to Like this, but I do.

Ozma, thank you--this is indeed good advice. Had the textbook call not come during a cross-country road trip, I might have approached it differently :).

Fortunately, my school (and students) trust me to make good decisions--which I have done: I asked knowledgeable people for a considered opinion--here and on FB. On both forums, the same books came up, recommended by people I know and trust. I feel pretty confident about my choice--my students and school can, too.

And I stand behind the "wing it." I know my stuff. I don't need a book to teach the class--the book is for the students, something to hold in their hands and read outside of class, so we can devote more time to discussion, film--and dance!

Yay for college-level belly dance classes!

Kisses, y'all, and again, many thanks!