This book examines the globalization of belly dance and the distinct dancing communities that have evolved from it. The history of belly dance has taken place within the global flow of sojourners, immigrants, entrepreneurs, and tourists from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. In some cases, the dance is transferred to new communities within the gender normative structure of its original location in North Africa and the Middle East. Belly dance also has become part of popular culture's Orientalist infused discourse. The consequence of this discourse has been a global revision of the solo dances of North Africa and the Middle East into new genres that are still part of the larger belly dance community but are distinct in form and meaning from the dance as practiced within communities in North Africa and the Middle East.

This book examines the globalization of belly dance and the distinct dancing communities that have evolved from it. The history of belly dance has taken place within the global flow of sojourners, immigrants, entrepreneurs, and tourists from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century. In some cases, the dance is transferred to new communities within the gender normative structure of its original location in North Africa and the Middle East. Belly dance also has become part of popular culture's Orientalist infused discourse. The consequence of this discourse has been a global revision of the solo dances of North Africa and the Middle East into new genres that are still part of the larger belly dance community but are distinct in form and meaning from the dance as practiced within communities in North Africa and the Middle East.

Movement: Onstage and Off is the complete guide for actors to the most effective techniques for developing a fully expressive body. It is a comprehensive compilation of established fundamentals, a handbook for movement centered personal growth and a guide to helping actors and teachers make informed decisions for advanced study. This book includes: fundamental healing/conditioning processes essential techniques required for versatile performance specialized skills various training approaches and ways to frame the actor's movement training. Using imitation exercises to sharpen awareness, accessible language and adaptable material for solo and group work, the authors aim to empower actors of all levels to unleash their extraordinary potential.

Movement: Onstage and Off is the complete guide for actors to the most effective techniques for developing a fully expressive body. It is a comprehensive compilation of established fundamentals, a handbook for movement centered personal growth and a guide to helping actors and teachers make informed decisions for advanced study. This book includes: fundamental healing/conditioning processes essential techniques required for versatile performance specialized skills various training approaches and ways to frame the actor's movement training. Using imitation exercises to sharpen awareness, accessible language and adaptable material for solo and group work, the authors aim to empower actors of all levels to unleash their extraordinary potential.

A far-reaching and engaging overview of the role of narrative in dance and theatre performance, bringing together chapters written by an international range of scholars and subsequently creating a critical dialogue for approaching this fundamental topic within performance studies. Drawing on historical and contemporary examples of a variety of different performance genres, the book will provide a method for exploring the context of a particular form or artist and enhance students' ability to critically reflect on performance.

A far-reaching and engaging overview of the role of narrative in dance and theatre performance, bringing together chapters written by an international range of scholars and subsequently creating a critical dialogue for approaching this fundamental topic within performance studies. Drawing on historical and contemporary examples of a variety of different performance genres, the book will provide a method for exploring the context of a particular form or artist and enhance students' ability to critically reflect on performance.

This book includes both a description and a discussion of the methods used by Kanriye Fujima, a member of the Fujima school of Japan, to teach Nihon Buyon to primarily Japanese-Americans. Sellers-Young discusses Fujima's life as a teacher in three Pacific Northwest communities, providing an explanation of her teaching processes and contexts of performances. Incorporating the themes and images associated with the pieces, Sellers-Young discusses Fujima's vital role in the maintenance of specific Japanese cultural values. Contents: Preface; Becoming a Student; Kanriye Fujima's Life and Traditional Japanese Dance Theatre; The Movement and Its Aesthetic Base; The Students; The Studio: The Process of Teaching; The Performance Elements; Contexts of Performance; Nihon Buyo: From Japan to the Pacific Northwest; Appendices: The Dances and Program Notes of Fujinami-Kai; The Ten Most Taught Dances in Each Age Category; References; List of Illustrations; Tables and Charts.

Dancer/scholars from around the world have contributed essays on belly dance to this book. They all carefully consider the transformation of an improvised folk form from North Africa and the Middle East into a popular global dance practice. The essays explore the differences between the solo improvisational forms of North Africa and the Middle East, often referred to as raqs sharki, which are part of family celebrations, and the numerous globalised versions of this dance form, belly dance, derived from the movement vocabulary of North Africa and the Middle East but with a variety of performance styles distinct from its site of origin. Local versions of belly dance have grown and changed along with the role that dance plays in the community. The global evolution of belly dance is an inspiring example of the interplay of imagination, the internet and the social forces of local communities.