PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

• Starting to Perform
• Uniting Mind, Body, & Spirit on Stage
• Dealing with Bloopers

• Using Middle Eastern Music
• Other Things to Consider

• Opinion Poll: Why Do You Enjoy Performing Publicly? Cast your vote, and see how others voted.
• Your First Performance. Advice on how to enjoy doing your very first performance.
• Belly Dance Costuming: A Basic Beginner's Costume. This design for a simple costume is suitable for both practice and amateur performances.
• Tips & Tricks for Performing. Avoid the pitfalls, and develop your skill. Added September 4, 2011.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision Productions, Glendale, California.

• How to Become a Better Dancer Without Really Trying. (Well, almost - tips and to-do's for you to use!). By Arabella.
• Secrets Of Success. By Despina. Don't overlook the importance of your mental attitude on your success. Despina reveals how to train your brain for success.
• Expression and Sensuality. Add passion to your performances.
• Exploring Stage Personalities. Portray a "character" when you dance!

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Kaylyn Hoskins, Solon, Iowa.

• Dancing to Distraction. A light-hearted look at errors belly dancers make that distract audience attention away from our performances.
• Special "Kairos" Time and Adapting Performance in Real Time. By Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan. Dealing with bloopers!

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

• Language of Song & Dance. Why you need to know what the lyrics mean. By Shira.
• Why Is It Important to Know What the Lyrics Mean? By Lennie Clark.
• Habibi, You Are My WHAT?! Leyla Lanty's Essential Arabic for Dancers - Volume 1. Taught by Leyla Lanty. DVD review by Shira.
• Helpful Tips When You Are Dancing to a Song. By Osama el-Gohary.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by William M. Smith, Iowa City, Iowa.

• Classy or Tacky: Which Are You? Belly dancers are constantly battling the mistaken notion that what we do is sleazy, and sometimes we innocently do things that hurt our image.
• The Great Armpit Debate. You like having hairy armpits, but other people are pressuring you to remove the fur. Now what?

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision Productions, Glendale, California.

• Dear Shira: What About In-Costume Tipping? A reader asks whether or not to accept tips tucked in the costume.
• Tips & Tricks for Collecting Tips from the Audience. How to work the room. Added September 4, 2011.
• Opinion Poll: Collecting Tips? How do Shira.net users feel about tipping practices?
• Tips & Tricks on the Business of Belly Dance. Gigging and performing. Added September 5, 2011.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.