Dance has long held a sacred and integral role in the civilizations of the Middle East, predating its elevation to a noble art form in the West. Rooted in ritual, spirituality, and everyday life, movement was once a universal language among the ancient empires of the East. Yet despite this profound legacy, scholarly knowledge about the origins, history, and evolution of Middle Eastern dance has remained strikingly limited.

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The Eastern Dance Forum is an independent, non-commercial initiative that relies on academic goodwill, cultural solidarity, and community support. Your contribution—whether through funding, partnership, or advocacy—helps us expand our research, preserve endangered materials, and amplify underrepresented voices in the field of Middle Eastern dance. By supporting us, you become part of a pioneering movement to reclaim, document, and celebrate a rich yet often overlooked artistic heritage.

Our archive is continually growing—and we invite you to become a part of it. Do you possess rare materials, photographs, recordings, or written documents related to Middle Eastern or Central Asian dance traditions? Whether you're a scholar, former dancer, or private collector, your contribution can significantly enhance the depth and diversity of our resources. We welcome donations, loans, and digital submissions that support our mission of cultural preservation and knowledge sharing.

The marginalization of Middle Eastern dance traditions in global art history is a gap we aim to close. Through scholarly engagement, public access, and curated digital exhibitions, the Eastern Dance Forum strives to raise awareness of the region’s vibrant choreographic legacies. By promoting academic research and cultural literacy, we seek not only to preserve this heritage—but to ensure its rightful place in international discourse on the arts and humanities.