Tamalyn Dallal
Oriental Dance teacher, writer and film maker
"40 Days and 1001 Nights," One Woman's Dance Through
Life in the Islamic World.
From 2005-2006, Tamalyn set out on an epic journey to Indonesia (including the tsunami ravaged semi autonomuous region called "Aceh"), Egypt's Siwa Oasis, Zanzibar, Jordan and China's westernmost province of Xinjiang.
At that time, Islamaphobia gripped the US and gave excuses to start wars and destabilize nations. Tamalyn wondered, if 20 percent of the world's population is Muslim, and the things our media said were true, the world is in great dancer. But if they are really just ordinary people with the same needs and desires as the rest of us and being scapegoated, that is equally troubling.
So she set out to spend 40 days in each of the above areas. She found much diversity, people who deserve to be seen and heard, not spoken about as dangerous (in subsequent years many Muslim countries were torn apart by outside agitators, including the US.)
She sought to meet people and write stories about her experiences. This is a travel journal and a personal account. She listened to their concerns about many things that were not what we talk about here. She ate amazing foods, danced to incredible music, attended many a traditional wedding, attempted to learn languages, and much more.
This is a timeless and fascinating read.
You can purchase the book for $20, plus $5 shipping within the US.
"They Told Me I Couldn't" Multicultural ad ventures dancing in Colombia, South America in the 1980's
Between the years of 1983 and 1984, Tamalyn performed and traveled throughout Colombia. Her stories surpass accounts of dance as she traveled throughout the country as a young woman alone, befriending a street child, finding romance with a Colombian rancher, riding boats through the jungle, busses through the mountains, teetering on the edge of cliffs, meeting many people of the Arab diaspora that now live throughout Latin America, and much more.
$15 plus $5 postage and handling
