The Newberry Library’s Pictures from an Exposition: Visualizing the 1893 World’s Fair includes a series of rich programs about the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

On Saturday, November 10, 2018, the Newberry will host two events about Middle Eastern Dance.

 “Dancing Remains: Female Entertainers Before, During, and After the Columbian Exposition of 1893”. Meiver de la Cruz, Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance at Oberlin College, revisits the historical precedents and ideological legacy of the dances presented at the “Street in Cairo” exhibit in the Midway Plaisance, to challenge prevalent representations dancers as non-agential objects of the gaze.

The lecture runs from 10:30-11:15 am in Ruggles Hall at the Newberry Library, 60 West Walton Street, Chicago. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. 

“What Did Middle Eastern Dance at the Fair Look Like?”. Erika Ochoa demonstrates three styles of Middle Eastern dance present at the Fair: Ghawazee from Egypt, Ouled Naïl from Tunisia, and Cengi folk dance from Turkey. Followed by an “Interactive Belly Dance Workshop.”

The demonstration and workshop runs from 11:15 am-noon in Ruggles Hall at the Newberry Library, 60 West Walton Street, Chicago. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

“Travels on the ‘Midway’: A Trip to Egypt,” from Puck magazine, 1893.