Abstract
Edward Said’s theory of Orientalism has been pivotal in the re-examination of the inclusion and reception of Western visual and performing art depictions of North Africa and the Middle East. This chapter considers Said’s personal history, with specific focus on Egypt as the centre of the arts in North Africa and the Middle East, and the Egyptian dancer he considered to be unique, Tahia Carioca. These two figures, theorist and dancer, are placed in dialogue with each other and with the ongoing positioning of the dance in Egypt. This includes an acknowledgement of Egypt as a place of pilgrimage for belly dancers from around the world and yet a home for that dance where it nonetheless faces consistent challenges from conservative strains of Islam.
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