chapter / 2026
Belly Dancing: Somatic Modes of Improvising Happiness
This chapter refines Sellers-Young's idea of belly dancing as a somatic mode of improvising happiness. Happiness here is not simple cheerfulness or entertainment. It is a relational state produced through music, rhythm, responsive movement, audience interaction, and the temporary reorganization of self with others. Belly dance becomes a practice for improvising joy within social constraint. The chapter draws together decades...
Middle Eastern Dance: Histories, Theories, Performances