Grandmother's Secrets

“In her lovely and lyrical book Al-Rawi explains how the ancient Eastern art of belly dancing is both source and symbol of women’s identity and strength in the Arab world, and how she gained this knowledge from her grandmother. Part memoir, part dance history, and part instruction guide … Al-Rawi offers women of all ages a window into another culture and into themselves. Her earthy wisdom may remind readers of such fictional works as Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club and Anita Diament’s The Red Tent.” – Publishers Weekly
“Al-Rawi relates movement to ideas and art to philosophy so that … belly dancing becomes a source of inspiration … and a clear and dynamic way of discovering and understanding oneself. An interesting glimpse into a culture, an art form, and a means for women’s healing and self-expression.” – Library Journal
“In a strikingly graceful and original book, Al-Rawi tells the history of the dance from the earliest times … Most important, she explains the significance of belly dancing as an expression of the feminine principle and a way for all women to find their inner strength.” – One Spirit
“Enjoyable reading … reveals astonishing similarities between East and West when it comes to the use of breath and the body.” – Dance Magazine
“A beautifully written guide to a much-misunderstood tradition.” – Natural Living Today
“Both a philosophy of belly dancing and a primer … provides clear instructions on how to perform belly dancing … the results are lucid and informative. The book also provides important insights into Sufism … so engagingly written … that the reader longs for more … This view of the dance is new to the literature and provides a fascinating contribution to belly dance theory … It provides original and valuable perspectives on a dance form and life style that are misunderstood.” – Middle East Studies Association Bulletin
“More than a dance book. It is about being a woman; about female empowerment, from its early connotations to the final vestiges of matriarchal societies.” – Arabica
“Grandmother’s Secrets is a unique and highly engaging work of considerable merit.” – The Midwest Book Review
“Al-Rawi cleverly reveals the secrets of ancient Oriental dance, and revels in its mystery … She warmly draws readers into her childhood awakening to her culture and her place therein.” – Foreword Magazine
“I am very happy to see this type of information being made widely available to the American public. I hope the message of Grandmother’s Secrets is revealed to and embraced by dancers and non-dancers alike encouraging more searches and discoveries of this kind.” – Zaghareet Magazine
“A significant cause for celebration … This beautifully written book is an ambitious attempt to cover as much ground relevant to the dance as possible … a worthy contribution to the discourse on Middle Eastern dance.” – Habibi Magazine
“Upon careful reading, the seemingly incongruous mixture of personal narrative, historical analysis, and technical discussion blends serendipitously into an intriguing and insightful interpretation of the spiritual and social roles of belly dancing as a uniquely feminine and personal expression of women’s life experiences, desires and emotions. Due to the highly technical nature of the discussion, this book will be most appropriate for specialists in the anthropology of dance and for teachers and practitioners of belly dancing.” – Religious Studies Review

Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi is a much-admired teacher of Middle Eastern dance and Sufism. She grew up in Iraq and Lebanon and was educated at the Universities of Cairo and Vienna. She is an expert in Arabic studies and is the author of several books, including:

• Divine Names: The 99 Healing Names of the One Love
• Midnight Tales: A Woman’s Journey through the Middle East
• Golden Sky, Red Earth: Womens Lives in Palestine

She lives in Vienna.

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