Aldana Argüello Valenzuela
psiarguellovalenzuela@gmail.com
Marina Barrionuevo
info@estudiosahar.com
In Argentina, research on the history of dance and music from Asia and North Africa constitutes a field of study that is still developing. Although valuable contributions have been produced in recent decades from different disciplines, these remain dispersed across various publications and there is still no specialized academic journal that systematically gathers and disseminates research dedicated to these artistic expressions. Likewise, the number of researchers specialized in these topics remains limited, highlighting the need to create spaces that promote knowledge production, academic exchange, and the strengthening of this field of study. With the aim of contributing to this development, the Journal of the History of Dance and Music of Asia and North Africa was created.
This first issue marks the beginning of this academic and scientific publication, dedicated to rigorous research and dissemination of culture and the arts of both Asia and Africa, with a strong interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach. Initiated by the Asociación Civil Estudio Sahar —an organization with more than 20 years of experience in dancer training and research on Bellydance under the direction of Lic. Marina Barrionuevo— this journal is the first of its kind led by a scientific committee composed of Bellydance dancers, who are also members of the Estudio Sahar Dance Company.
Its members have diverse academic and artistic backgrounds, and the committee itself is responsible for preparing, selecting, and compiling articles, while also incorporating external peer review by highly recognized academics who evaluate each submission. With an open call for authors interested in publishing, the journal’s core purpose is to bring together different disciplines that can engage in dialogue in order to generate new academically valid knowledge about culture, recognizing its value, richness, and diversity.
Although the articles gathered in this first issue address diverse topics, they share a common concern: critically reviewing the traditional narratives that have shaped the understanding of dances and music from Asia and North Africa, as well as the cultural, artistic, and historical identities constructed around them. From diverse perspectives and disciplines, the articles in this edition invite readers to rethink established concepts, analyze the representations that have shaped these fields of study, and broaden the perspectives from which these manifestations can be researched and interpreted. This diversity of approaches reflects the spirit with which the Journal was created: to promote academic dialogue and contribute to the development of new research on the history of dance and music from Asia and North Africa.
This edition, entitled Ahlan Wa Sahlan —whose Arabic translation is “welcome”— aims to inaugurate this new space for academic exchange and symbolizes the welcoming of a project that seeks to consolidate and strengthen this field of study.
In the article “Between Myth and History: Contemporary Debates on the Origins of Bellydance,” Marina Barrionuevo seeks to outline some current hypotheses regarding the very genesis of Bellydance, distinguishing between widespread myths and historical findings that form the foundations of this art. If the first article proposes a critical review of narratives about its origins, the following article shifts this reflection to the present, asking how these historical debates influence the way authenticity is understood today. In “The Authenticity of Bellydance and Cultural Appropriation,” Evelyn Andersson opens the debate on whether there is an intrinsic “purism” within Bellydance, or whether the cultural exchanges resulting from historical colonization processes and contemporary globalization invite us to reconsider the concept of “cultural appropriation” in this art form.
Following this discussion, in the article “Does a Uruguayan Style of Bellydance Exist?” Florencia Klot conducts a qualitative and quantitative study, exploring whether a distinctive Bellydance style exists within Uruguay. Deepening the reflection on identities constructed around this discipline, in “Khawalat, the Belly Dancers,” Gina Katherine Pastrana Urueña further develops the analysis of Bellydance by incorporating a gender perspective, examining the conceptions and roles of masculine identities within this discipline.
The reflection on identities continues, now through the analysis of cultural imaginaries and representations. In “What Do We Talk About When We Talk About ‘Gypsy Style’?” Leticia Martin explores the social imaginaries and stereotypes commonly associated with the gypsy (Romani) style, shedding light on the actual meanings and implications of gypsy or Romani dances. Continuing the discussion introduced in the previous article, in “Papusza, the First Romani Poet: Body, Habitat, and Subjectivity,” Aldana Argüello Valenzuela and Carlos Antonio Buscarini seek to reconstruct the legacy of Papusza, the first Romani artist to publish her poetry in written form, and examine how this impacted both her psyche and her way of inhabiting space.
After exploring different historical and identity debates, this edition turns its attention toward the sources and tools that contribute to the study of performing arts. In “Photography as a Tool for the Documentation and Preservation of Performing Arts,” Mercedes Cepeda examines photography as a means of conserving and historicizing performing arts, particularly dance, and its contribution to this field of study. As the closing article of this first edition, and reflecting the Journal’s commitment to fostering dialogue between national and international researchers, Heather D. Ward’s article, originally written in English and translated by Virginia Scocchera, “The Ghawāzī of Egypt: Complex Histories, Contested Identities,” explores the origins and concept of the ghawāzī, dancers who had an influence during the colonial period and in the subsequent development of Bellydance.
To conclude, the works gathered in this first edition constitute the cornerstone of a path that is just beginning. We hope that this Journal will accompany the growth of a field of study that is still developing, encouraging the circulation of knowledge and dialogue among researchers, artists, and educators. We hope that this first issue will become a contribution to both the artistic and scientific communities.
Ahlan wa Sahlan. Welcome.
*Automatic English translation