Articles by Arabella

Arabella is a dancer in Toronto, Canada who has contributed many wonderful articles to this web site.

Technique for Doing Dance Moves

Turn, Turn, Turn. Analysis of how to spin, comparing ballet and kathak dance with Middle Eastern.
Exploring Figure Eights. Variations on the basic Figure 8 move.
The Camel Walk - Way to Move! Arabella analyzes how to do this dance move.

Middle Eastern Music

The Beginner's Guide to Finding Bellydance Music. Tips on how to shop for tapes and CD's of music suitable for dancing.
Not only Books... You Can't Judge a Tape or CD by Its Cover! Warnings about tapes and CD's to avoid.
An Introduction to Middle Eastern Music Rhythms. Explanation of some rhythms commonly found in Middle Eastern music.
Why Is Arabic Music So Confusing? Even knowledgeable people are sometimes confused!
Setrak: Song Titles from CD Covers. Help in determining which CD's by Setrak Sarkissian have the same music as which of his tapes so you can avoid duplication in your music collection.

Costume Ideas

Easy-to-Make Baggy Pants. Even if you don't know much about sewing.
Quick Salwar (Pantaloons). Make your own pattern - easily!
Narrow Salwar (Pantaloons). Use only 1 1/3 yards of fabric!
Pharaonic Collar, Headband, Wristbands, and Dress. Inspired by ancient Egypt, as shown in the photo to the right. Photo by Arabella's embroiderer friend, Carolyn Thompson.
Arabella Wearing Pharaonic Costume

Arabella With a Veil
In this photo, Arabella poses with a veil. Photo by Arabella's sister, Anne Markham.
Related Advice and How-To's

The Mysterious Zar: What Is It? What Can It Do For You? Find out how you can use this ancient ritual to rid yourself of stress.
Whirl Like a Dervish. Learn the technique for yourself.
Hints for Remembering Choreography. Arabella offers suggestions for memorizing routines.
In Search of Authentic Middle Eastern Fabrics. Arabella shares her research into fabrics made in the Middle East, as well as some inspired by the region.
How to Become a Better Dancer Without Really Trying. (Well, almost... tips and to-do's for you to use!)
Learn the Arabic Alphabet! Suggestions for books to use in learning to read Arabic script.

Opinions & Ideas

The Term "Belly Dancing". Arabella reflects on why she dislikes using the term "belly dancing" to refer to Oriental dance.
Dreams Can Come True! Arabella shares one of hers.
Why Middle Eastern Dance Is the BEST Kind of Dance! The perspective from someone who has studied many dance forms.

About Arabella

Arabella began her dance studies with Russian Ballet classes. Frustrated by ballet's impossible ideals, and curious about more ethnic dance disciplines, she moved on to study various other dance forms. Moving further east each time, these included Spanish flamenco, Escuela Bolera, Middle Eastern, and East Indian Odissi.

Arabella, based in Toronto, Canada, is also a certified Mastercraftsman in crewel embroidery, with a special passion for metal thread and ethnic embroidery. Currently she particularly focuses on Palestinian and East Indian embroidery.

In addition to this web site, many of Arabella's articles have also appeared in the Canadian magazine for Middle Eastern dance MID-Bits.

In the photo to the right, Arabella wears a Bharata Natyam costume. Photo by Arabella's embroiderer friend, Lucy Garvin.