This classic book is a lavishly illustrated celebration of female dancers of the Arab world and their impact on the West. The origins history and development of this ancient art which has survived in the face of commercialism religious disapproval and changing times.

If you can get ahold of a copy of this, get it! It's got a very well-researched history of bellydance in it. Its main focus is the Orientalist movement. Very interesting for seeing where some of our modern day ideas about bellydance come from. ( )

The two best parts of this book: the amazing photos, and Buonaventura's passion for the dance.

Buonaventura's book covers the history of belly dance, Orientalism, as well as North American adoption of the dance, and recent events. I am a belly dancer, and I learned a lot - not just about the history of the dance, but even the meanings of words we use in the belly dance community (baladi, raqs sharki) and the stories of women associated with the dance (like Mata Hari). However, sometimes the stories seem too good to be true; Buonaventura can turn almost any anecdote or fact into something positive about belly dance, and I started to doubt her as a reliable source.

Regardless of whether Buonaventura's love for belly dance biases her research, any belly dancer will learn from this book, which is also an easy read and not too academic. The photos alone are worth buying the book for - historical, beautiful, and full of costuming inspiration! ( )

(This review refers to the 2001 edition of this book.) This beautifully-illustrated book explores the history of belly dancing from the perspective of women's sexual power. It's a feast for the eyes, but it's not one I'd recommend for factual information on belly dance history. For my full-length review, please see http://www.shira.net/books/breviews/buonaventura-serpentnile.htm

Wendy Buonaventura explores the history of belly dancing from the viewpoint of the power of women's sexuality. For my full-length review, please see http://www.shira.net/books/breviews/buonaventura-serpentnile.htm ( )