Customer Reviews

Looking for Little Egypt

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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This book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of middle eastern dance in the US, as well as the history of the Columbian Exposition of 1893. It is amply illustrated with period photographs and samples of publications of the time, as well as immediately afterwards. It explores the myth of Little Egypt, and the hows and whys the name became such a legend. A fantastic read.

This is a very well-written history of the Columbian Exhibition and the Little Egypt legends that abounded after the 1893 Fair. A fascinating read; highly recommended.

Looking for Little Egypt is well-researched, a fascinating history, that is eloquently written. It was not as much about belly dance as I expected; it is exactly what the title says: looking for the legendary Little Egypt. It is a fascinating, murky, brief, and obscured history of a dancer whose existence is more legend than truth. Carlton sought to discover just who was Little Egypt. She was able to dispel a few myths (Twain did not suffer a coronary after seeing her dance), but was left with no solid answers about who that dancer was in the end.

If you enjoy Middle Eastern dance or like a good history/mystery, this book is absolutely for you!

This book is a well organized and well written account of the beginnings of "belly dance" in the USA. More than that, it's a detailed account of the famous "Chicago World's Fair," and much to my surprise I found that as intriguing as the Little Egypt Story. Buy it, you'll be riveted!

This book is the best book available about the history of oriental dance. Although this book tells only about Chicago World Fair and dancers and musicians there, it does it with lots of accurate information and very interesting and fluent way. Illustration is wonderful and here a reader can find out how Oriental Dance really found its way to the West and what lies behind colorful myths about Little Egypt.

for introducing Eastern dance to America in the late 19th century at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The various dances performed by Middle Eastern peoples shocked prim middle class Americans with their sensual body movements and their dress. American dance at the time were very stiff and formal, stifling spontaneity, sensuality, and expression. Also, many moralists of the time consider such sensual dancing highly pornographic and sought to have them censored or banned in many communities. It's similar to the shock some people have when a prominant entertainer ripped the bodice of a singer at a Superbowl halftime performance a few years back. Likewise, "Little Egypt," as many Middle Eastern dancers were often called, caused a sensation throughout America.

Belly dancing is still controversial in many places in America because of its association with "exotic dancing." Many dancers are denied permission to dance at festivals and cultural events because of such associations.

Little Egypt is crucial to understanding why so many people still associate belly dancing with stripping.

Here is a fun piece of literature. The writer is engaging and takes her reader along with her on this tabla treasure hunt...every answer or discovery brings multiple new questions and adventures for the sleuthing...if you adore dance and you adore learning and adventures through time...knowing where, what our origins are...this is a great piece of work for you!

Happy reading and happy dancing!

I can see the author did do her research in an effort to be taken seriously in her account of the origins of "Little Egypt" and etc., but it is a dry read, does not flow. Still good to have on the shelf, but a bit disappointing.

This is easily one of the most important historical books about belly dancing ever written. Donna Carlton approaches the subject like a true scholar, delving through college and Chicago archives to discern the truth about the identity of the original Little Egypt, the dancer commonly known as the nation's first well-known belly dancer.
Ms. Carlton's exploration includes extensive information on the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (which was one of the inspirations for my own novel), as well as the Awful Seely Dinner in 1896 and the evolution of belly dancing into the modern day.
Ms. Carlton is a dancer herself, which gives her a unique perspective and insight into this enigmatic figure who has captured our imagination for more than a century.