Women, Dance and Revolution: Performance and Protest in the Southern Mediterranean

The countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean - Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria - have undergone major turmoil in recent years, with civil war, occupation and uprising becoming a focus of international attention. Women, Dance and Revolution offers a highly original perspective on the political and cultural tensions through the experiences of contemporary dance practitioners from the region. It shows how these women - all established performers, choreographers and teachers - have been affected by and responded to the changes brought about by the troubles. As their personal dreams unfold into public aspirations for their society and country, the moving body becomes central in the debates over the future of the region. Through dance they engage in public protest and performance, endure violence and repression, and reveal new meanings of identity, gender and body politics. Their journeys of dance – both abroad and in their homelands - illuminate how, despite moments of disillusionment, objection and betrayal, being a woman and being a dancer can still mean many things and influence society in many ways in the Arab World