Thread: Picture research - folkloric and regional styles

I'm currently preparing for a little presentation I've been asked to give. No snappy title as yet but the theme is the diversity of Middle Eastern dance styles. Its a tiny academic presentation and I'm currently searching for some good visual resources that I can point people to.

Can you show me/point me in the direction (web) of your favourite folkloric images? At this point in time anything will do - I'm just looking for inspiration so knock me out with Tunisian/Rroma/Khaleegy/Algerian/whatever ..g.:.

At the moment I'm looking for stills, rather than videos.

Cheers.

My favorite pics are from the 1928 National Geographic Magazine when they researched the Ouled Nail in Algeria. You can find images through Google as well as a description of their clothing and dancing.

Welcome to the club. I first did this one in 2001 - and used mostly National Geographics. I was asked to expand it out to 3 hours this year and went looking for new images - but basically fell back on - National Geographics (I have a big collection ..g.: ) If you have a short time frame it may be a bit difficult hunting around second hand book shops for the old 10c ones, but I see they have issued a set going back to the first issue on DVD.

The other thing I have done (with attribution) is pulled stills off Aisha Ali's and Morocco's footage. A bit grainy due to the technology of the time but the real thing.

Also, look out for photos and sketches from old travellers and archeologists.

I love Dinet's paintings of the Oulaid Nail. There's an item in the last mag. As an Orientalist, I feel his paintings have such sympathy and more merit than many of the others.

Etienne Dinet Dancing Girls

in lecture/demos like that I've also included photos of the first bellydancers here (the World's Fair Dancers) as well as modern nightclub performers... I think it shows an interesting evolution in style, and how western influence has changed it. I think it helps people understand where bellydance came from & that it is actually linked to "regular folks" not just weird show biz types

Originally Posted by lizajuk

I love Dinet's paintings of the Oulaid Nail. There's an item in the last mag. As an Orientalist, I feel his paintings have such sympathy and more merit than many of the others.

Etienne Dinet Dancing Girls

Amel Tafsout was singing his praises last week, for exactly the reasons you mention. Not exploitative like other Orientalists.

I've gotten some wonderful postcards showing Ouled Nail dancers on eBay. Prices aren't bad, costumes are amazing.