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From the Bellydancer
The conversations are very nearly always the same.
"You're a what, now?"
A bellydancer.
"For serious? You mean like Shakira?"
NO! We are NOT like Shakira!
I'm not sure if the comparisons to strippers or the comparisons to Shakira are worse. I mean, the strippers at least are not misrepresenting the art, Westerners just associate everything even remotely sensual with sex and strippers. Shakira is pretty deliberate in her misrepresentations, and she should know better.
Bellydancing - more properly called Oriental Dance or Middle Eastern Dance - is an ancient, beautiful and sometimes tragically misunderstood art form. Often portrayed as a dance of seduction (and thus all the stripper comparisons), it is actually the umbrella term for a wide array of traditional Middle Eastern social dances characterized by strong abdominal movements, sinuous hip movements, and graceful, snaky arm positioning. Forms of bellydancing are practiced all over Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Greece, India, Turkey, to name just a few countries.
The precise origins of bellydancing are very murky. It is sometimes said that the absolute origins of the dance are rooted in ancient Middle Eastern birthing rituals - female relatives of the laboring woman would dance for her, their abdominal muscles contracting and undulating, simulating her uterine contractions - and that the dance is for women only. This has been widely disputed, with scholars citing the emergence of male forms of the dance nearly simultaneously, but the fact remains that the art is practiced largely by women. While it is true that most variants are danced only by women, many forms of the art are exclusively for men or are co-ed. Bellydancing is considered a celebratory dance, appropriate for the whole village to see and participate in.
Why bellydancing? Some dancers get started because they are fascinated by the muscle work involved. Others are looking for an interesting way to exercise for fitness and weight loss without stressing their joints. Still others want to do something that is just for them, take a little time out of the day to get in touch with themselves. Whatever the motivations for starting, the reasons for staying with it are almost universal - the art is joyful and expressive, and brings with it a sense of well being.
Of course, having an excuse to wear shiny, sparkly, jingly things doesn't hurt, either.
Find out about Bellydancing
Bellydancing is often confusing to the uninformed Westerner. There is a taboo attached to the art, largely due to filmmakers and television producers portraying it as a mystical art meant to lure men to our beds, beginning with veils and ending with wild sex. Because, as we all know, men are clearly incapable of resisting the wiles of a a curvy woman shaking her hips all over the place, right?
Please. Can we give the fellas some credit and bust up a few myths while we're at it? Let's go get some good information!
History of Middle Eastern Dance
A short article explaining what is thought to be the origins of the dance, as well as a few of the basic forms and how to tell them apart. Quick and clear, this is a good starting point.
Belly Dance - The Wikipedia
The Wikipedia does a great job of providing an overview of a complex subject, with carefully cited sources and links out to interesting bellydance articles and resources.
Some General Information On Middle Eastern Dance
Karolyne discusses origins and styles in this well organized, brief primer for women...
Masculine Belly Dance
...and Stefan weighs in on how it differs for men.
The Gilded Serpent
THE informative bellydance 'zine, stuffed with articles, interviews, research and photos by some of the world's most renowned dancers. Topics include various dance competitions around the world, costuming, technique, and the history and ethics of the dance. Be careful - it's easy to spend hours and hours here.
Shira
A cornucopia of dance information, from how to learn to dance to where to find an instructor. Shira compiles some great resources discussing the history of the dance as well as modern practices.
The Belly Dance Hub - Oriental Dancer.net
A fabulous resource uniting articles and interviews from various sources with an active, vibrant bellydance community. Among the participants in the community are well-known dancers Mira Ammal, Salome, Zorba and Tarik Sultan. Whether a brand new belly or a seasoned performer, all dancers are welcomed here with open arms. This is a great place to learn!
The Hip Circle - Bellydance Current Affairs
Another terrific community, with articles and research organized by dance style. In depth interviews and research make up a large portion of this site, a great resource for novice and pro alike.
The appearance of hyperlinks on this web site does not constitute endorsement by Spousal Sponsorship Program of any of the hyperlinked web sites, or the information, products or services contained therein. Spousal Sponsorship Program does not warrant or guarantee the content or accuracy of any information presented in hyperlinked sites, and does not make any representations (expressed or implied) as to the accuracy, currency or authenticity of the information and materials of third parties that may be accessed through this web site. Any reference or hyperlink obtained from this site to a specific commercial or non-commercial site, product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by Spousal Sponsorship Program of the site, product, process, or service, or its producer or provider. Any product information is provided by the hyperlinked site, and Spousal Sponsorship Program makes no warranty, expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assume any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, usefulness or application of any product information from this site or the hyperlinks to other sites. Although the names of privately owned companies may be listed, that listing in no way implies endorsement of any company or its products by Spousal Sponsorship Program, which does not recommend or otherwise promote any of the services or products offered by any of the hyperlinked sites. Hyperlinks are provided solely as a service to users of Spousal Sponsorship Program, and therefore should not be construed as advocating or reflecting any position of Spousal Sponsorship Program.
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Acoustic Guitar
Antique Tractor Pulling
Autism
Barbecuing
Bed Dweller
Bellydancing
Chocolate
Flyfishing
Homebrewing
Military Scale Modeling
Roboticist
Woodworking
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Gift Ideas
What do you buy for the bellydance enthusiast? Music? Books? Videos? What about shiny things like hip scarves, jewelry or zills?
Show your bellydancer that you Get It, and gift her (or him!) with something useful and fun!
Sparkly Shiny Jingly Things
When you're new to bellydancing, it can be frustrating to watch your instructor glide through the isolations and movements like they're second nature while you're trying to figure out how to convince your left glutes to move independently from the right glutes and get The Girls to hold relatively still when you practice shoulder shimmies.
I found that while I was learning the basics, the shiny, jingly frippery associated with modern bellydancing was a terrific motivation. Figured out mayas without falling over? Time for a pretty new hip scarf! Got snake arms? Buy a silk veil! Shiny hand flowers, cowry shells for the hair, toe rings, henna paste for henna tattoo? Yes! I figured I could at least be pretty while I fumbled around. Now I can be pretty and dance well, so the shiny things worked!
Scheherezade Imports
Lucy brings in top-notch imported bellydance gear, so until I knew what to look for, I ordered from her exclusively. She's pricier than most, but it's well worth the cost for the amazing quality wares she brings in.
A'Kai Silks
Based in Hawaii, dancer Je'Sennia features hand dyed silk veils, skirts and cholis. Her work is high-quality and her service is nothing short of spectacular. A little spendy, but the amazing quality and fast service are worth it! Je'Sennia's products and service are legendary, and have landed her a contract to supply the Bellydance Superstars with veils.
Uniqessentials
I cannot say enough good things about Dheeraj. He has an eye for quality merchandise, both dance wares and traditional Indian and Middle Eastern garb. Affordable and gorgeous, I've purchased a number of handflowers and foot adornments from him, and have been nothing but pleased.
HipScarves
Jeff does a great job of keeping prices down, down, down - practice hip scarves can be had for a little as $12! The emphasis, of course, is on practice hip scarves. These are not performance quality hip scarves, but rather, just the thing for the beginner who isn't sure she wants to drop $50 on a heavy, handmade hipscarf from Cairo.
Left Coast Trading
With an ever-changing selection and super fast, secure shipping, Left Coast Trading is a shop to watch. My favorite dance outfits have come from here and are holding up well after two years of solid abuse.
Mid-East Bellydance
Belly-Dance-Queen
Eurotards
Music
Explore the world of bellydance through music! The possibilities are endless - traditional Arabic music, blistering hot drum solos, Indian influenced trance, even Sanskrit mantras set to ethereal music are a great addition to any dancer's collection.
Video
Whether instructional or performance, videos are sure to please even the seasoned dancer. Sometimes, we just want to sit back and admire someone else's technique!
Instructional
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Bellydance for Beginners with Suhaila: Fitness Fusion - 4 Volume Gift Set (Buns, Jazz, Pilates, Yoga)
Easily my favorite dancer, Suhaila Salimpour is all about fitness and technique. She covers all of the basics, from isolations to drills to muscle memory exercises, with an emphasis on proper posture and solid technique. Ideal for those new to bellydance, this set is broken down into four major workout areas so you don't get overwhelmed.
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Tribal Fusion - Yoga Isolations & Drills for Bellydance
Tribal dancer Rachel Brice offers up a tough yet deeply calming fusion workout combining classic bellydance moves and yoga. With three workout lengths to choose from - 15, 30 and 45 minutes - it's easy to tuck a little Rachel into your day. Ambitious beginners, beware! Start with the 15 minute session and work your way up, or your abs will NOT be nice to you!
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Instructional Bellydance with Jillina - Level 1
One of the Bellydance Superstars (like Suhaila and Rachel), Jillina offers a refreshing fusion of American Cabaret style dance accented with classical Egyptian moves. Easy to follow and fun to watch, this is a good place to start if you want modern dancing with a classical twist.
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Belly Dance Party: Bellydance combinations you can learn tonight!
Purists balk at Neon's "Instant Bellydance"" series, but novices and dancers with a sense of fun find her top notch. Neon is technically proficient and a very easy to follow teacher. If you've ever wanted to just get together with the girls and learn to shake it, this is the video to start with. Very cheerful and energetic, Neon's workout will leave you smiling.
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Prenatal Bellydance
Is the dancer in your life expecting a baby dancer? Is she afraid to continue dancing during her pregnancy? Don't let her mope around the house, pining for her hip scarves! Give her this, a bellydance workout that carefully follows the guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and gets the dance right back to its roots!
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Belly Dance - Instructional Fitness Workout Within Traditional Movement
Simple and clean is the best way to describe this wonderful video. Dancer Goldean focuses entirely on traditional Egytian methods to provide a full and satisfying workout. No glitz, no glam, and she acknowledges that fluffy women dance too! Terrific low impact exercise to improve both fitness and technique.
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Entertainment
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The Golden Apple - Bellydance Stars of New York
Gorgeous performances from four of New York's best, including an amazing sword duet that will leave you speechless.
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Bellydance Superstars Live in Paris at the Folies Bergere
Since beginning their world tour three years ago, the Bellydance Superstars have rocketed to superstardom. Shows sell out rapidly, they're approached constantly to appear on this television show or that, and videos fly off the store shelves. Performances are tight and clean and feature some of the top names in the bellydance community - Rachel Brice, Ansuya, Rania and BellyQueen among them.
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Bellydance Superstars - Solos Monte Carlo
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Bellydance Superstars
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Gothic Bellydance
The darker side of Tribal Fusion bellydance, presented with grace and class. Be warned, there is nothing traditional about this video - unlike "normal" bellydance, Raks Gothique is slow and sinuous, very dark, with an eye towards building mystery. The performers look very serious and dance introspectively by design - they know the audience is there, but they won't acknowledge it. Daring and different, this is a favorite from my collection.
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Evolution - Tribal Fusion Bellydance Performances
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Showtime - Dazzling Bellydance Performances
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Books
Lessons
Know who your dancer takes lessons from? Pay for their next session! Are they looking for a new instructor? Hit the directories!
Directory at Shira
Directory at Oriental Dancer
Bellydancing @ SocialGrid
Still having trouble helping your Best Beloved find an instructor? Visit the forums at Oriental Dancer! Crammed with friendly, knowledgeable dancers, you'll also find the place haunted by performers such as Tarik Sultan, Zorba (The Veiled Male), Mira Ammal and Salome. Boasting worldwide membership, everyone at Oriental Dancer will be happy to share their instructors' names with you!
Extravagances
Is your favorite dancer advanced and looking for adventure? Send them to Ahlan Wa Sahlan, the world's most famous bellydance festival, held in Cairo!
Study Tours in Egypt
Dancing Goddess Dance Tours - Greece, Turkey, Egypt
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