DEBORAH FRIEDES Dance Researcher Tel Aviv, Israel BIO | POSTS

In Sidi Bou Said, a picturesque suburb of Tunis, on my way to a Fulbright reception at the U.S. ambassador’s residence.

A beautiful theater in Tunis. Several Fulbrighters saw an advertisement for a performance of African dance there and excitedly told me about it in case I wanted to go see it!

Why do I blog?

Well, I love being able to share what I’m learning with other people. I myself learn a lot in the process of writing, and I learn even more when readers share their comments and questions (please keep them coming, folks!).

I haven’t blogged in a few weeks because I just spent some time sharing my research - and learning about other scholars’ passions - at a Fulbright enrichment seminar in Tunisia. Forty-three young researchers working in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE came together to talk about their particular inquiries into the fields of political science, sociology, psychology, public health, oceanography, anthropology, journalism, economics, engineering, history, law, literature, art history, musicology, theater, film, Islamic studies, women’s studies, and Middle Eastern studies. It was a privilege to hear about the fascinating projects that the other Fulbrighters are pursuing and a pleasure to talk with them about the development of Israeli contemporary dance. Here - as in other academic settings - I found that few people had any background knowledge of dance history but nevertheless found the subject intriguing. While I must admit that I enjoy the reactions when I tell people about my research (”Dance history? I didn’t know you could study that! That’s so cool!”), I’m looking forward to the day when this field will be as established as art history, theater history, musicology, and performance studies. In the meantime, I suppose we need to keep learning, sharing, talking, and writing both within and beyond the dance community!