Together, this page and Belly Dance Resources On The Internet: Part 2 showcase more than 200 sites on the Internet which I have found to contain information that is useful and appealing to belly dancers.

• indicates links added since March 21, 2008.
• Last updated March 21, 2008.
• Last tested for dead links: November 6, 2005.

Please tell me if you encounter any broken links, or if you'd like to propose swapping reciprocal links with me.

All links on this page are ones that I am suggesting, but not necessarily endorsing. I get no financial gain as a result of listing any link on this page. I am not responsible for the content you might find on other people's sites.

Sites Created Mostly By Dancers Or Their Close Associates

Sites Created By People Outside The Oriental Dance Community

Important Comments From Shira

If you like this site, help other belly dancers find it by linking to it from your own web site! No need to ask my permission first--just go ahead and link to http://www.shira.net!

You may use this artwork sample with your link if you want to. Just right-click on it and copy it to your own computer. (Please download it and post it on your own web site--don't just put a reference to it as it appears here.)

• For instructions and sample html, look Behind The Screens.
• For more graphics to use as link buttons, see Buttons for Linking.

Why do I like these sites so much? Because they're not solely dedicated to advertising. In other words, these sites somehow educate, enrich, inform, amuse, or inspire the people who visit them.

• Yasmina's Belly Dance Home Page. By Yasmina. I'd have to say this is one of the best of the web sites owned and operated by a dancer. She has articles, some jokes, a limerick, reviews of videos, music reviews, puzzles, a series of "Spotlight" articles on dancers and troupes, and a lot more. Better yet, she regularly adds new material to her site, so it keeps growing and is worth coming back to visit from time to time to see what's new.
• Oriental Dancer. Many excellent articles and song translations.
• Amara Al Amir. By Amara. Enjoyable collection of articles, some written by Amara al Amir and some by other contributors. Also links to selected articles on other web sites.
• Meira, the Joyful Dancer. This rich site contains many articles, including an extensive one on the history of Oriental dance, instructions for making some costume pieces, and cultural information. Also sells postcards featuring her artwork and links to a site where you can buy her clip art for use on your flyers, business cards, etc.
• Raqs Kashmir. This site by Kashmir in New Zealand offers humor, opinion pieces, safe dancing tips, how to do some moves, how to make some costuming pieces, and more.
• The Gilded Serpent. A great online magazine published by Lynette Harris intended for aficionados of Middle Eastern Dance. Be sure to look for the "Archives" section so you can enjoy articles from previous editions!
• Turbans, Tassels, & Tattoos. About American Tribal Style dance as done by dancers in Australia and New Zealand. Message board, advice on tattoos, workshop reviews, and back health.
• Snake's Kin Studio. The main focus of this web site is on the activities organized by Lynette's studio in Oakland, California. However, the sections titled "Najia's Articles", "Edwina's Articles", and "Resources For SKS Students" will all appeal to belly dancers in general, whether you can attend Lynette's classes or not.
• Museum Of Middle Eastern Dance. A photo gallery of nearly 60 scanned pictures from vintage postcards, Hollywood posters, and other sources depicting women in Middle Eastern dance settings. Some are genuine ethnic portrayals, some Westerners' harem fantasy.
• Belly Dancing For Full Figured Women. By Shira. Size positive site with costuming advice and other resources for full-figured women who are interested in belly dancing.
• Madam Mozuna's Caravanserai. By Shibar Mozuna and Veshengo. Here you'll find lots of useful dance tips, five poems, great quotes, suggestions on finding dance music, lyrics to three songs translated into English, a glossary defining more than 50 terms, suggestions on how to have a hafla, recipes, video reviews, book reviews, music reviews, and other great content.
• Morocco's Meanderings. By Morocco. Local content includes articles on belly dancing and childbirth, floor work, ethics of ethnic, etc.
• International Dance Discovery. By Donna Carlton. Includes the IDD Dancezine, a collection of poetry, essays, and fiction about dance as a transformative experience, a spiritual healing, and/or karmic journey. Also, a list of recommended dance readings, and the Little Egypt Home Page.
• Belly Dancing For Older Women. This web site consists of several articles exploring topics related to belly dancing that are particularly slanted to the needs of older women, but interesting even for younger ones!
• Belly Dancer Breast Cancer Survey. This survey by Kathreen and Diana DeMille provides a way for belly dancers who have had breast cancer to share how they feel about their dancing in relation to cancer. Displays survey results and provides information on how to sign up for an e-mail group made for belly dancers recovering from breast cancer.
• Judith Whitelaw. A very nice resource site by Scottish dancer, Judith Whitelaw. Includes information on the history of tulle bi telli (assuit), traveller's tales about what they saw when they visited the Middle East, music reviews, a translation for the lyrics to the song A’tini al-Nay, a biography of Farid al-Atrache, and more!
• Dreaming Of Jeannie. Despina from Australia is building a wonderful site with more than 20 great articles. Read about belly dancing during pregnancy, health benefits of the dance, advice on dance skills like improvisation, and more.
• Omphalo Stepses. A playful site with costuming advice, humor, an online art gallery of belly dancers and harem girls, and more.
• Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide. Originally created by Kimberly Cyr, now maintained by Stefan. Includes suggestions for dance names, information on various dance styles, costuming, lists of vendors, henna information, etc.
• Belly Dance Home Page. By Stefan. Includes list of dance names, information about Middle Eastern rhythms, suggested class outlines, history of oriental dance, and much more.
• 1001and1.de. By Harald Gaertner. Site is in both English and German. Some song translations for Arabic songs, dance clip art, Arabic names with their meanings, event calendar, and more.
• Learn-to-Belly-Dance.Com. Candra's web site is rich in articles on many topics of interest to dance students, including a historical timeline, overview of diverse styles, question & answer section, etc.

News Articles

The following links lead to individual news articles that mention belly dancing.

News from North America

• Dance of Abundance and Peace: Alia Thabit. Lovely profile of a Vermont dancer, Alia Thabit.
• Burn Calories with Belly Dancing? Dr. Andrew Weil recommends belly dance as a helpful form of exercise.
• I Started to Belly Dance, and I Was Happy Again. Hania Porucznik talks about how belly dance changed her life.
• Dancing For Health. From Columbia University's Health Education Program web site. Explores the health benefits of dancing.
• Another Day, Another Pointless Treadmill? A Wall Street Journal writer chronicles his wife's attempts to establish an exercise routine.
• Belly Dance Class: What Readers Think. The Wall Street Journal writer follows up with feedback from readers.
• Gut Reaction. The Rocky Mountain News does a story about belly dancing centered around an upcoming show. Beware of the dubious "history lesson" at the end!
• Morocco - Of Will and Kismet. Profile of the dancer Morocco which appeared in Al Ahram.
• Belly Dancing: A Woman's Workout. Appears on Yahoo News. A dancer named Teresa describes how rewarding belly dance has been as a form of exercise for her.
• Upswing in Hip-Swiveling Revives Belly Dancing. Profiles dancers in Oak Park, Illinois.
• Making the Gyms Go Belly Up. Commentary by Sandra Tsing Loh regarding belly dance.
• Belly-Dance Studio Turning Out Movers and Shakers. News story announcing the opening of Jordana bint Zweena's dance studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

News from Egypt

• Foreign Belly Dancers Ban Lifted. Autumn 2004 update on the status of performing licenses for foreign dancers in Egypt.
• The Mystique Of Belly Dancing. What you need to know about the Oriental dance scene in Cairo if you're traveling there.
• The Forbidden Dance. Article gives brief history of belly dancing and discusses current efforts by Islamic fundamentalists to suppress it in the Middle East. The accuracy of this article is quite good.
• Tummy Talk. Discusses the current Oriental dance scene in Egypt. Don't forget to click on the link at the bottom for page 2!
• Arabian Nighties. A lingerie souk in Cairo inspires the author to reflect on the role of sex in Egyptian society.
• Musicians And Dancers In A Pharaonic Tomb. Describes a recently-discovered tomb with pictures of musicians and dancers on the walls.
• Fifi Abdou's Income. Brief article stating Fifi made the equivalent of 1.3 million dollars over three years through dancing.
• Belly Dance Brings to Life City of Dead. Profile of an Egyptian woman who lives in the necropolis in Cairo and makes belly dance costumes for a living.
• Dancing to the Rhythm of Time. Obituary for Tahia Carioca.
• World: Middle East Farewell to Egypt's Queen of Dance. BBC obituary for Tahia Carioca.
• Male Belly Dancing Makes Comeback in Egypt, Defying Suppression. A look at the profession of male belly dancers in Egypt, including quotes from Tito.
• Fifi Abdo Refers to Dina as a "Substitute Dancer" Called In When She Has a Headache. May 13, 2003. One of Egypt's celebrity tabloids quotes from a television interview with Fifi.
• Tahia Carioca, 79, Dies; A Renowned Belly Dancer. New York Times obituary for Tahia Carioca. September 22, 1999.

News from Turkey

• Turkish Ambassador Claims Belly Dancing. Brief article stating Turkish ambassador claimed belly dancing originated in Turkey.
• Male Belly-Dancers Dazzle Istanbul. Brief article profiling a male dancer in Istanbul named Evrim and talks about people's reactions to him.
• Turkey's Had a Bellyful of Stereotypes. Turkey's tourism minister places limits on public performances of belly dancing.

News from Iraq

• Belly Dancer Loses Freedom in Post-Saddam Iraq. Discusses how the war in Iraq has impacted one Baghdad dancer's income.
• On Dangerous Footing In Iraq. The Iraqi National Folklore Group struggles to continue its existence.

News from Sudan

• Sudan Bars Women From Dancing With Men. Sudan claims that its new constitution seeks to liberate women from repression.

News from China

• Now, China Shakes to Belly Dancing. Introduction to China's belly dancing scene.

General Middle Eastern Cultural Perspective

• What Would Mohammed Do? Perspective on Islam and attitudes toward women and sexuality.

News from the United Kingdom

• No Navel Gazing - Just Good Food. Review of a restaurant in London called The Pasha.

News from Germany

• Pay-Out for Bum-Sucked Dancer. Liposuction gone very wrong...

News from South Korea

• Belly Dancer "Faked Her Degree." A dancer was fired from a university teaching job when it was discovered she had faked her academic credentials.
• Korea's First Belly Dancer Indicted Over Forged Academic Degree. A dancer has been indicted for faking her academic credentials.

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• Nabila Ebeid (Member of the International Jury). Profile of the actress who played the role of the dancer in Al-Raqissa Wa-El-Siyasi (The Belly Dancer and the Politician) and Al-Raqissa Wa-El-Tabal (The Belly Dancer and the Drummer).
• Ehsan Abd El Qudouss's Profile. Profile of the writer who penned Al-Raqissa Wa-El-Siyasi (The Belly Dancer and the Politician) and Abi Fawq al-Shagara (My Father Is On a Tree). Tells of the affair he had with a belly dancer when he was a third-year law student and the ill consequences that came of it.
• Obituary: A Man for All Seasons. Obituary for Abdel-Moneim Madbouli, who appeared in the movie musicals Gharam fi al-Karnak (Love in Karnak) and Moulid Ya Donia (Life Is a Carnival).

• Venus - Bellydance Movement Vocabulary. Describes how to do more than 30 moves, but doesn't offer any illustrations.
• Miramar's Online Dance Lessons. Assuming you know some basics about belly dancing already, these online lessons will help you expand your skills.
• Aziza Sa'id's Lessons On-Line. Instructions for selected moves.
• Ankestamen. Ankestamen's mother wrote a book about belly dancing many years ago titled Nefertiti Presents Belly Dancing The Basics. Her site features a page from that book, a couple of lesson plans, and written notes for one choreography.
• Bellydance by Anthea - Combinations. Tips on how to assemble basic moves into combinations.
• Raqs With Kashmir. Instructions by Kashmir in New Zealand for selected moves.
• Aaminah's Circles and Lines: A Movement Lexicon. Instructions by Aaminah in how to do more than 60 belly dance moves.

If you're interested in this topic, don't miss my own online dance instructions elsewhere on this web site!

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For the most part, these pages were not created by belly dancers. Some were created by musicians, some by people who are actually from the Middle East, and some by people who just plain like Middle Eastern music.

• Al Mashriq - The Levant - Lebanon & The Middle East. Contains extensive information about Lebanese culture, including Middle Eastern music.
• Arab Music (From Music In Our World). An excellent article written by Ali Jihad Racy and Jack Logan about Arabic music. Talks about the major influences that have touched Arabic music over the course of history such as contact with assimilated cultures, contact with Medieval Europe, etc. Covers the structure of modern-day Arabic music, including a discussion about maqam and iqa.
• Arabic Music Info Source. Lots of information about Arabic music, with a special focus on the newest Arabic artists and hits! Plenty of RealAudio clips to listen to, plus music reviews.
• Arab JukeBox (Music Of Lebanon). Offers more than 450 RealAudio files of full-length Arabic songs. Posts a monthly "Top 20" Arabic songs, based on which RealAudio files had the highest download activity. Sells cassettes of Arabic music.
• Dumbek Rhythms. This is an excellent page for learning the various rhythms used in Middle Eastern music! It provides diagrams illustrating how to play each rhythm, and you can click on the names of many of the rhythms to get a WAV file that shows you what it sounds like!
• Farid El Atrache Web Site. This web site contains loads of information about this well-known actor, singer, and composer. His popular movies in the 1940's did much to legitimize Oriental dance as an accepted art form in the Arab world, each of them featuring a beautiful dance scene by Samia Gamal or another talented dancer.
• Mohammed El Bakkar. In the 1950's and 1960's, records by this artist were widely distributed and enjoyed among American belly dancers. Today, there's a great web site that makes this classic music available in MP3 format via download. Also biographical information and a bit of fun in the Sightings section.
• Oud Home Page. Learn about the history of the oud (Middle Eastern lute), explore links to other sites with Middle Eastern music information, and browse through information about CD's that feature oud music.
• A Man From Egypt. MIDI files of about 10 songs. Warning: this page automatically loads with a MIDI that you can't turn off.

Lyrics Links

The music-related web sites listed below offer translations to one or more Middle Eastern songs. If you couldn't find the song translations you wanted on my own Lyrics menu, perhaps one of these other web sites will have them!

• Oriental Dancer. Salomé's web site offers translations to over 100 Arabic songs.
• Al Mashriq's Fairuz Page. Al Mashriq, a web site focused on Arabic culture, offers English-language translations to 20 songs by the famous Lebanese vocalist, Fairuz. Songs included are: Fi Ahwi 'al Mafra', Muwashshah: Qad Ya'taziru, Kan 'Inna Tahun, Hayyi-l-Biyya'in, Ya Tair, Sa'aluni-n-Nass, Itab, Bhibbak Ya Lubnan, Sanarji'u, Kan Izzaman, Mishwar, Habbaitak Bissayf, Khudni, Mawwal: Fi Lina Ya Hub, Shadi, Muwashshah: Law Kana Qalbi Ma'i, 'A Hadir il-Bosta, A'tini al-Nay, Hawa Bairut, and Min 'Iz Innawm Btisri'ni.
• Asra's Arabic Song Translations. Canadian dancer's web site with lyrics to 15 Arabic-language songs, including Zeina, Behawek, Chocolatta, Habibak Ana, Haram Aleyk, Hazar Fazar, Kalem Ennas, Keef Bdaweek, Ma Hada La Hada, Rakset Dala'a, Sana Wara Sana, Ya Bahaia, Ya Leila, and Yasta Ya Arribiya.
• Arabic Song Translations. Web site dedicated to helping you find translations to Arabic-language songs. There are only a couple of song translations on this site itself, but its index to translations listed alphabetically by song title will make it easy for you to find books, CD liner notes, and other web sites with translations to your favorite Arabic songs.
• Beatrice Curtis. Translations for a few lyrics, including "Aischa" by Khaled, "Ombr'elle" by Gnawa Diffusion and "Mon Amie la Rose" by Natacha Atlas.
• Romany Saad. Translations for several Arabic songs by Abdel Halim Hafez, Amr Diab, Ehab Tawfik, Hisham Abbas, and Kazem el Saher.
• Marleen's Tarkan Place. For the Tarkan fan: English-language translations for 47 songs on Tarkan's first four CD's, plus pictures, info, and more.
• Tarkan Online. Translations to the 12 songs that appear on Tarkan's CD titled "Karma".
• Al Mashriq's Nour El Houdda Page. Al Mashriq, a web site focused on Arabic culture, offers the English-language translation to Ya Garat al Wadi, a song popularized by Nour El Houdda.
• The Lyrics Of Farid's Songs. Lyrics to songs by Farid El-Atrache. Most are given in Arabic script only, but it does include the English-language translation to Ya Gameel Ya Gameel.
• Judith's Belly Dance Pages. Translated lyrics to A’tini al-Nay.
• Madame Mozuna's Caravanserai has lyrics to three songs, Erev Shel Shoshanim, Gole Sangiam (Flower Of Stone), and Norits Karoon Yegav. For each, she includes the English translation and the transliteration of the source language.
• 1000and1.de. Translations from Arabic into German for three songs. (It links to my site for the English translations.)
• Raqs with Kashmir. Kashmir from New Zealand offers lyrics to a few Arabic songs, including Illi Sharti Einuh Bitgannin, Haad Yensa Alboo, and Nour El Ain.

News Stories About Middle Eastern Music

• Egypt’s Pop-Music Clashes and the “World-Crossing” Destinies of Muhammad Ali
  Street Musicians. How changing Egyptian tastes in music affect its long-time Mohammed Ali Street music business.
• The Other Face of the Video Clip: Sami Yusuf and the Call for al-Fann al-Hadif. Commentary on music videos in the Arab world.
• Ahmed Adawiya: The King Is In the House. Profile of the shaabi singer Ahmed Adawiya.
• With An Ear to the Ground, Singer Gets Arab World's Beat. Profile of Shaaban Abdel-Rahim which appeared in the Washington Post.

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For the most part, these pages were not created by belly dancers. Some were created by people who are actually from the Middle East, and some by people who simply admire the Middle Eastern culture and history.

• Al Mashriq - The Levant - Lebanon & The Middle East. This wonderful site contains extensive information about culture in Lebanon and the rest of the Middle East. I highly recommend it!!
• ArabNetwork. A directory that leads to a collection of assorted web sites likely to appeal to the worldwide Arab community.
• Egyptian Castle. Make sure you have plenty of time available before you visit this web site, because once you get there you won't want to leave! You'll find music clips, movie information, live Arabic radio, cartoons, Arabic proverbs, and much more!
• Egyptian Ministry Of Tourism. This is the official page for the ministry. In addition to tourist information, it contains some great content about Egyptian antiquities, recipes, animal kingdom, and more.
• LebanonArt.Com. Home of the artist Joseph Matar who invites artists to exhibit their works here. LebanonArt presents Lebanon in panoramic views.
• Lebanon 2000. Includes free electronic greeting cards, a photo gallery, Asian Soccer Cup news, Lebanese links, and more. Unfortunately, the way it's structured it's hard to tell the difference between the content and the ads. But do dig around--there's some good information here if you have the patience to look for it.
• Neferchichi's Clip Art and Backgrounds. Imagine a web site with lots of clip art and information related to ancient Egypt--plus several familiar images from ancient Egypt which have been edited to have chihuahua faces instead of the original! Imagine King Tut's funeral mask with a chihuahua face!
• ParsPage. This web site's primary audience is the ethnic Iranian community in Canada, but it will appeal to anyone who appreciates Persian music, dance, and culture. Includes a nice feature for sending electronic greeting cards with Persian artwork.

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• Museum Tours: Virtual Egyptian Museum. 124 lithographs by 19th-century artist David Robert.
• Orientalist Art. Online gallery of artwork by 19th century artists, including Etienne Dinet, Charles Gleyre, Jean-Leon Gerome, Louis-Joseph Anthonissen, Henri Regnault, Ludwig Deutsch, Edward Lear, Leon Belly, and others.
• Sahnobar Dance Ensemble. Featuring the dancers and musicians who make up the Sahnobar Dance Ensemble in Gainesville, Florida. Also includes two excellent articles: a short write-up describing Oriental dance, and excerpts and pictures from Orientalist writings in the 19th century about the Ghawazee.

• Oriental Dance: It Isn't Just For Women (And Never Was). Written by Tarik abd el Malik in New York City. Article appears on Morocco's web site.
• Male Belly Dancers, Questions & Answers. This article on the Pink Gypsy's web site covers the historical and cultural perspective on male dancers, costuming suggestions, photos of Kamaal (a popular California-based male dancer) and general comments about male dancers, all in Q&A format.
• Masculine Belly Dance. Stefan (David Duncan) shares his personal ideas on how a male dancer can make his moves more manly.
• Belly Dancing for Men. Ankh shares his advice for men who belly dance.
• Men & MidEastern Dance. Afra offers a U.K. perspective on men in Middle Eastern dance.
• Zorba. A male student of dance in Monterey, California who is proud of being a heterosexual man who enjoys doing this dance form. In addition to a photo gallery showing him in costume, the site includes Frequently Asked Questions about being a male who dances, and a rant about clothing and style expectations of men.
• Marko. Profiles Marko in Santa Clara, California.
• Male Belly-Dancers Dazzle Istanbul. Brief article profiling a male dancer in Istanbul named Evrim and talks about people's reactions to him.
• Jim Boz. Introduces Jim Boz, a male dancer in San Diego, California.
• The Hahbi'Ru Web Site. Hahbi 'Ru is an ensemble specializing in folkloric Middle Eastern dance. Its co-directors are John Compton and Rita Alderucci.
• Raymere's Realm. Male dancer in Columbus, Ohio who also teaches men how to belly dance. Includes photos.
• David. Promotes David, who dances in the Oslo, Norway area.
• Jeff Oberman's Bellydance Gallery. Look for the photos of Alfredo, Dan'l, and Sons Of The Padisha.
• Said el-Amir. Dance resumé for Said el-Amir in Munich, Germany.
• Shakin' Belly Dancer. Warning: my reaction to this web site was, "Oh my!"
• Sharif. In Santa Cruz, California. Includes a "Frequently Asked Questions document about the experience of being a male who belly dances and an article with his thoughts on being a male belly dancer.
• Male Belly Dancing Makes Comeback in Egypt, Defying Suppression. A look at the profession of male belly dancers in Egypt, including quotes from Tito.

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• Omphalo Stepses. Instructions for making several costume items, including circular veil, pantaloons, Turkish-Macedonian vest, and more.
• Elaine's Page. Offers instructions for making a circle skirt, a panel skirt, a flounced skirt, a two-thirds circular veil, and a headband made from scraps.
• Tala's Middle Eastern Dance Homepage. Online patterns for Ghawazee coat, shalwar, blouse, and hip belt.
• Raqs with Kashmir. Instructions on how to make a circle skirt, how to make harem pants, and how to make a Khaleegy thobe.
• Beaded Jewels. Instructions for making an arm snake, a snake headpiece, and beaded earrings.
• Cassandra Strand. Instructions for making a bead/sequin crown like the Egyptian ones, information describing options for shirts and bras, instructions for making several styles of belts (tassels, coin, bead/sequin), and a description of different types of jewelry with illustrations. Unfortunately, many of the menu choices on the site go to "coming soon" screens, but the articles that she has posted are good ones.
• Meira, the Joyful Dancer. Instructions for making crocheted hand covers, dresses and tunics, coin and bead trim for hip scarves, and necklaces. Also instructions on how to make a headdress for the Guedra ritual of the Tuareg Blue People in Morocco.
• Bab's Designs. Sells assorted belly dancing costumes, both sparkly and folkloric. Also includes several articles that Shelly (the owner of Bab's) wrote for the Canadian magazine MID-Bits, including recommendations for costume design for different body types, care and cleaning of costumes, suggestions for getting the most out of your costume budget, how to make a simple bra/belt skirt costume, and tips for a student costume.
• Celebrations Bellydance by Nita Collins. Instructions on how to make circle skirt, pantaloons, straight skirt, handkerchief skirt, and baladi dress. Also comments on underwear, see-through fabrics, and lingerie pieces.
• Ruric-Amira. Includes articles with advice on making circle skirts and folkloric baladi dresses.
• Seven Veils: A UK Belly Dance Web Site. Tells how to make your own costume bra and circle skirt.
• Sheikhani Middle Eastern Dance Troupe. Has instructions for making harem pants, a circle skirt, a full-circle cape, and an accent overskirt. Very helpful for new dancers who are just starting out making costumes!
• Dawn Devine Brown. This is the web site for Davina, author of several books about belly dance costumes: Costuming From The Hip; Beads, Baubles, & Bedlah; From Turban To Toe Ring, and others. Look under the Costumer's Notes header for Dawn's online newsletter with costuming ideas, tips, and advice. Under the Articles heading, you'll find her report on costuming trends at Rakkasah 2000. Under the sections for Costuming From The Hip, and From Turban To Toe Ring you'll find sample pages from the books with costuming information you can use.
• Figure of 8. This web site for the Figure of 8 dance studio in Australia includes an article titled Hints for Making Your First Costume, which includes brief instructions for circle skirt, bra & belt set, triangular and rectangular hip scarves, harem pants, veil, and caftan.
• Farfesha. Instructions from Michelle Morrison and her troupe Farfesha in New Mexico for wrapping a turban, making tassels, dyeing silk.
• Madame X: Patterns. Offers instructions for making a circle skirt, pantaloons, and simple belt. Includes tips on how to hold up a body stocking. Also sells patterns developed by Madame X and pre-made belt forms.
• Anthea. Instructions on how to construct a belly dance costume bra.
• Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide. Kimberly Cyr's web site has a section with costuming FAQ's (frequently asked questions) on costuming and care tips, finger cymbals, dance shoes, costume headgear, henna, and customs of make-up and decoration. Also a number of vendor links.
• Make Your Own Party Bra. On the U.K.-based Wiggle web site.
• Oriental Dance in Norway. If you can read Norwegian, you may enjoy the instructions for making several different costume pieces, including: panel skirt, circle skirt, handkerchief skirt, two variations of mermaid skirt, harem pants, gauntlets, three different sleeve variations, sleeveless midriff-baring blouse, simple full dress, slim dress, and belt. If you don't read Norwegian but do read German, you'll find these same instructions in German at the web site Troupe Raqs Oriental (see above).

Have you explored the Costuming section of my own web site? Don't miss it!

About Traditional/Historical Garb

• Traditional Women's Costume in Muslim Countries. Photo gallery illustrating women wearing traditional garb. There is also a mirror site that you can try if the main link doesn't work.
• Oriental Costumes: Their Designs and Colors. Online edition of this book by Max Tilke which was originally published in 1922. Wonderful photos of many garments from the Middle East and North Africa.
• Pre-17th Century Middle Eastern Headwear. A historical research paper by Narah bint Durr that addresses veils, turbans, caps, hats, and royal headwear.
• Costumes Of The Levant. On the Al-Mashriq web site. Collection of illustrated articles describing the traditional garb of the eastern Mediterranean region (Lebanon, Syria, Israel, etc.)
• Traditional Lebanese Costumes. Also on the Al-Mashriq web site. Five photos from an airline magazine.
• Folkwear Patterns. Look in the "Caravan" category for sewing patterns for several garments from the Middle East and North Africa.
• The History Of Costume. Web-based version of a picture book titled The History Of Costume, which was published in Germany by Braun & Schneider around 1861-1880. Although primarily focused on Western Europe, it does feature some illustrations on the Middle East: ancient Egypt, ancient Near East, ancient Greece, Moors, Arabs in the 4th through 6th century range, 17th & 18th century Turks, late 19th-century Egypt, and late 19th-century Near East.
• Notes On Islamic Clothing. Comments about historical Islamic clothing. This is a web version of an article that originally appeared in print, and unfortunately does not have the illustrations.
• Morocco: Exhibition Of Traditional Costumes. Photos of traditional Moroccan clothing.

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This category of links features sites that offer reviews of music, videos, and books related to Middle Eastern dance.

• Atlanta Oriental Dance. Several music reviews.
• Belly Dance by Lita. Reviews of several videos.
• Judith Whitelaw. Thumbnail reviews of some books and music by Judith Whitelaw.
• Yasmina's Joy of Belly Dancing. Music and video reviews by Yasmina.
• Madam Mozuna's Caravanserai. By Shibar Mozuna. Thumbnail reviews of books, magazines, videos, and CD/tapes.
• Kookie Kaftan. This England-based web site by Lynne Chapman offers brief reviews of books, videos, and music that are readily available in the U.K.
• Dance Christina. This web site by Christina in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area features several video reviews, some written by her and others written by contributors.
• Cassandra Strand. About 15 video reviews by Cassandra Strand. Also about 8 book reviews.
• Celebrations Bellydance! by Nita Collins. About 7 video reviews.
• Asra's Video Reviews. Currently just 2 reviews.

If you haven't already seen my own page of product reviews, be sure to look there, too! I cover books, music, and videos.

• Delilah. Quicktime coin-rolling clip from Delilah's Bellydance Workshop Volume 3 and RealVideo promotional trailers for several of Delilah's other videos. Look under the section titled Ideas & Images.
• Amara. Quicktime video clips of Amara and Ya Helewa!
• Gypsy Caravan. Includes RealVideo clips from Initiation and Caravan Trails.
• Sandrina. In Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

• Chronicles. Published by Isis and the Star Dancers in the U.S.
• Jareeda. Published by Mezdulene in Oregon in the U.S.
• The Palace. Australian magazine published by Amera's Palace.
• Root Magazine. This publication focuses on ethnic dance at large, not just belly dance but also samba, tango, flamenco, and others.
• SAHDA. The newsletter of the Middle Eastern Dance Association in Canada. This link takes you to the home page for MEDA. Look for the link to SAHDA for information about the newsletter.
• Zaghareet! Published in the U.S. by Sharina.

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If you plan to offer belly dance as entertainment at either Renaissance Faires or events sponsored by the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA), then you'll need researched, documented information about the costuming and culture of the Middle East during the specific period of time covered by these events. Here are some web sites, listed in alphabetical order, particularly focused on information and vendors that will be useful to SCA members, Renaissance Faire guilds, or anyone else who wants to focus on belly dance within a historical context:

• Narah Bint Nurr's Research Papers. One article on headwear in the Middle East and India before 1700, and another on Middle Eastern dance before 1700.
• Cariadoc's Miscellany. Several useful articles: see Concerning the Archery of al-Islam, Some Sources for Islamic Persona, An Islamic Dinner, and Notes on Islamic Clothing.
• Ottoman Traders. The Ottoman Traders are a historic re-enactment guild that portrays a Ottoman Turkish trading caravan of the mid-1500's. The site includes costume guidelines, photographs, political history, some Arabic and Turkish phrases, and more. Excellent resource for anyone wanting to create a historical Turkish persona!
• Stefan's Florilegium: Sources For Medieval Middle Eastern Dancing. This site is a collection of e-mail messages collected by Mark S. Harris on the subject of belly dancing within the context of the SCA. The messages cover a broad range of topics.
• Academy Of Saint Gabriel. This is an organization that researches historically accurate Medieval names for use within the Society of Creative Anachronism. The Academy Library contains a list of about 80 Arabic women's names (but doesn't tell what they mean), and includes an extensive bibliography on Middle Eastern names.

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How to get your own link added here: First, put a link to www.shira.net on your own site. Then send e-mail to Shira (see bottom of this page) with the address of your web site and a request for a return link.

• Brothers Of The Baladi. In Oregon.
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek. In New York.
• Pharaoh's Daughter. In New York City.
• Harry Saroyan. In Riverside, California.
• Mary Ellen Donald. In Oakland, California.
• Sirocco. In Capitola, California (near Santa Cruz).
• Eric N. Peterson. In Atlanta, Georgia.
• Yunyk. In Tyler, Texas (near Dallas).
• Troupe Americanistan. In Eugene, Oregon.

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How to get your own link added here: See my Frequently Asked Questions page for instructions!!

I am not affiliated in any with any of these vendors, and none of them have paid me anything for the privilege of being listed on my site. In fact, I have not even purchased goods from all of them. I have simply learned of the URL's to their pages through my web surfing, and I'm sharing that information with you. You should apply your own criteria to determining whether they are someone you want to do business with. Need some advice on how to minimize your risk when buying from a vendor that you don't have any prior experience with? Click here to read Avoiding Disreputable Vendors, which appears elsewhere on this web site.

In Europe

• Orienta Boutique. A place for belly dancers to purchase supplies in Frankfurt, Germany.
• Forbidden Fruits Bazaar. Sells hip scarves, tops, and skirts.
• Kookie Kaftan. Lynne Chapman's business in Rugby, England. Sells costuming items and cushions.
• Roz. Sells costumes and music. In North Yorkshire, England.

Along The Pacific Rim

• Amera's Palace. Australian vendor who sells costuming, music, videos, and other belly dance supplies.
• Veils of Arabia Bellydance Supplies. Australian vendor in Queensland who sells assorting costuming supplies, swords, and music.

In Canada

• Abir's Casbah. Costuming, music.
• Belly Elegance - Oriental Costume Coutoure. Red Deer, Alberta.
• Çiçek Pasaj. Sells beaded fringe, finger cymbals, videos, music, hip scarves, patterns, and veils. In both English and French.
• Cleopatra's Bazaar. Costumes, accessories, jewelry, videos. In Toronto, Canada.
• TAV Creations. Custom costume-making business by Tracey Vibert.
• Saramaga Middle Eastern Dance Costumes. Costumes, jewelry accessories. In Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In The United States

• A Kai Silks. Silk veils.
• Adira. New and previously adored costumes, gifts, supplies.
• Aliah's Closet. Online catalog of belly dance attire and jewelry.
• Asia Minor Imports. Sells costuming, music, and props.
• Atéa's Magical Motion. Excellent instructional videos on beginning belly dance. Also cassette tapes for practice music.
• Bab's Designs. Sells assorted belly dancing costumes, both sparkly and folkloric. Also includes several articles that Shelly (the owner of Bab's) wrote for the Canadian magazine, including recommendations for costume design for different body types, care and cleaning of costumes, suggestions for getting the most out of your costume budget, how to make a simple bra/belt skirt costume, and tips for a student costume.
• Backbeat Press. Book publisher with a book related to belly dancing.
• Baghdad Bazaar. Based in Norfolk, Virginia. Sells costumes.
• Beaded Jewels. Sells beaded hand and foot jewelry, zill purses, gauntlets, necklaces, earrings, and cuffs.
• Behind the Veil. Based in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Veils, hip scarves, other costume pieces.
• Belly Dance Shop. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Costumes, hip scarves, veils, accessories. Includes suggestions for costume alterations.
• Bellydance Treasures. Based in the Dallas, Texas area, sells costumes and other supplies.
• Bohemian Market. Based in Montevallo, Alabama. Sells costumes, jewelry, music, and veils.
• Cleopatra's Closet. Based in the Washington, DC area. Sells costumes, jewelry, music, and videos.
• Costume Goddess. Describes costuming book by Dina, the Costume Goddess.
• Chandra's Dance Extravaganza. Costumes and supplies, ethnic jewelry, finger cymbals, swords, canes, CD's and cassettes, books, videos.
• Dance Doodahs. Sells feather boas, body glitters, fancy tights, wild and wacky wigs, novelty glasses and hats, loose Swarovski rhinestones, and other sparkles, frou-frou, and doodahs for dance costumes.
• Danstuff. Sells hip scarves, finger cymbals and bags, dance shoes.
• Delilah & Steve Flynn (Visionary Dance Productions). Featuring belly dance retreats, classes, instructional videos, and performance videos by Delilah, and dance music by her husband, Steven Flynn.
• Desert Dancer Imports. Sells hip sashes, tassel belts, veils, music, videos, drums, custom costumes, and other items.
• Designs By Janie. Costume items, videos, switch plate covers, music, body stockings.
• Egyptian Jewelry. Jewelry made by a craftsman who incorporates ancient Egyptian items in a modern-made, precious metal setting. An example is making a ring with a gold band but an Ancient Egyptian scarab as the centerpiece.
• El Coyote Enterprises. Hand-crafted finger cymbals, made by Sulyman El Coyote.
• Emeralds. Sells hand-dyed clothing and dance costumes.
• Fatima's Bazaar. Clothing, music, and accessories.
• Flower of a Different Desert. Affordable practice outfits and costume pieces. In Toledo, Ohio.
• Folkwear Patterns. Look in the "Caravan" category for sewing patterns for several garments from the Middle East and North Africa.
• Halimeda's Oasis. Costuming for both Tribal and Oriental.
• Hariiya's Headbands. Assorted costume items.
• International Academy Of Middle Eastern Dance. Grants awards to top dance videos. Sponsors an annual awards show. Sells videos of performances at the awards show.
• International Dance Discovery. Several books, including Middle Eastern Dance Video Sourcebook and Looking For Little Egypt. Also videos, music, finger cymbals.
• Jaiya. Sells jewelry.
• Kelly Hawes. Prints of paintings featuring dancers, all her own original artwork.
• Kittie Sparkle. Sells skirts, pants, tribal-style belts, and silk veils.
• Last Oasis Boutique. Sells costuming items.
• Lindia's List. Sells used tribal-style costume pieces.
• Madame X: Patterns. Instructions for making a circle skirt, pantaloons, and simple belt. Tips on how to hold up a body stocking. Sells patterns developed by Madame X and pre-made belt forms for larger-size dancers.
• Magic City Costumes. Sells dresses, coin belts, jewelry, cholis, skirts, etc.
• Meira, the Joyful Dancer. Sells postcards, CD, and a coloring book featuring her artwork.
• Meleea's Bazaar. Meleea concentrates on designing and making affordable "starter costumes" for beginning dancers. Also costumes for larger women who have trouble finding costumes that fit from other sources.
• WorldDance New York. Produces and sells belly dance performance, instruction, and fitness videos.
• Oasis Dance Company. Sells jewelry, props, videos, music, costumes, musical instruments, perfume, ethnic clothing, and home decor items. Also features an event calendar.
• Oddities. Sells antique jewelry that would be great for Tribal style.
• Omar Faruk Tekbilek. This page features several excellent Turkish-flavor music CD's that are suitable for belly dancing.
• Our Tribe. Sells rare antique jewelry and clothing from the Middle East and Central Asia. Even if you can't afford to add these items to your collection, go ahead and browse the online catalog because Ruby's descriptions will teach you a lot about ethnic clothing and jewelry.
• Pink Gypsy. Costumes, videos, belly button brushes, and other treasures.
• Romantic Songs & Dances By Annabelle McBride. Annabelle sells her own original songs and paintings in the form of CD's, tapes, canvas prints, and greeting cards.
• Sadiia's Silks & Supplies. Silk veils for dancing, by Sadiia.
• Salome's Tent. Costume items, finger cymbals, veils, etc.
• Sarah. Finished costume items, hip scarves, jewelry, finger cymbals, and music.
• Saroyan Mastercrafts. Finger cymbals, T-shirts, costume coins, etc.
• Scheherezade Imports. Sells wide variety of dance supplies, including costume items, music, videos, books, and more.
• Shennteelaa. Sells costumes, swords, drums, finger cymbals.
• Sulisha's Creations. Sells hip scarves, jewelry, coin belts, music, gift items imported from Egypt, and more.
• Suzanna Del Vecchio. Sells performance and instructional videos. Sponsors belly dance retreats in Colorado.
• Tatika's Treasures. A brief web site with some information about the costuming and Middle Eastern instruments that Tatika sells.
• Topkapi Designs. Sells costumes imported from Turkey.
• Treasures of the Sahara. Sells belly dance costumes, accessories, drums, practice wear, and more.
• Turkishbelly.com. Sells costumes, accessories, music, videos.
• Twisted Tassels. Sells tassel belts for American Tribal Style dancers.
• Uniquewear. Sells belly dance costume items and other supplies such as swords, henna, jewelry, finger cymbals, etc.
• World Dance New York. Produces and sells belly dance videos, including instructional videos, performance ones, and fitness workouts based on belly dance moves.

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If my own list of web links is not enough to satisfy your insatiable appetite for surfing sites on the Web relevant to belly dancing, then here are some sites whose primary focus is offering links to a large number of web pages on belly dancing!

• The Apothecary's Belly Dance Links. I counted just over 100 links on this site, and probably the majority of them are not listed here on mine. That's a lot of links!
• Arabic/Egyptian Dance In Yorkshire, UK. Links to a variety of web resources focused on Middle Eastern dance.
• Asim's Middle Eastern Dance Link Page. Collected by Asim, a male belly dancer who is active in the SCA, this page has a huge list of links! I counted over 150 when I visited it on March 31, 2001. Asim has made a special point of seeking out web sites that are less well-known.
• Belly Dance Web. Operated by Offworld Multimedia.
• Bellydance Links! Large number of links related to belly dancing, Middle Eastern names, and more. Also an article explaining that a belly dancer's sword is counted as a weapon under Texas law.
• Dans.pagina.nl. Lots of links on dance of all kinds, not just Middle Eastern dance.
• Egypt Search. This is a search engine dedicated to sites that have something to do with Egypt.
• Farhana Masri's Home Page. By Farhana, The Paillette Queen in Orange County, California. On this page, Farhana shares her love for the dance and lists some of her favorite informational links.
• Henry's Hotlist. It lists web sites related to all kinds of dance. This link goes straight to the Oriental Dance section.
• Panta Rei. A large number of links, organized by category.
• Sapphire Swan Dance Directory. This online directory features hotlinks to hundreds of sites about dance of all types, including about a dozen links for belly dancing.

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The web sites in this section feature photo galleries related to Middle Eastern dance. Look here if you want to see pictures of a wide variety of dancers.

• Edmund W. Frick Web Site. One corner of Ed's site features a photo gallery of belly dancers and links to belly dancing web sites.
• Omphalo Stepses. One corner of this site features Belly Dancers and Harem Girls--A Historical Cheesecake Gallery. Includes artwork from antique postcards, old photographs, album covers, and more.
• Belly Dance Gallery. By Jeff Oberman in Corvallis, Oregon. This site is a collection of photos of belly dancers taken by Jeff.

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This category lists links to playful sites that may give you a smile. Take a look!

Before you run off to explore these links, you have visited my own Belly Dance Fun & Frolic Page elsewhere on this web site, haven't you?

• Yasmina's Belly Dance Home Page. Look for the "Humor" menu of Yasmina's web site to find some jokes and a limerick there! Another section called Puzzlers features a playful quiz and several word search puzzles with a belly dancing theme.
• A Republican Belly Dancer. Probably danced to raise money for George W. Bush's 2004 Presidential campaign....
• Belly Dance Goddess of the Stratosphere and Troupe Games. Two lighthearted articles on the Raqs Kashmir web site by Kashmir of New Zealand.
• OSHA Requirements For Belly Dancers. Belly dancing can be a hazardous profession. What if the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Health and Safety Administration developed rules for bellydancers?
• The "Tog Your Dog" Project. Some of the best-dressed dogs and camels this side of the Nile river!
• 'Toons. A page featuring assorted cute cartoons from Bette Lucas' web site. Some, but not all, are related to belly dancing. Don't miss the animation of the belly dancer playing the trombone!
• Belly Dancer Dreidel. The pomegranate fruits and leaves hanging from the dreidel are lifted up like the belly dancer's skirt while dancing.
• The Stovall Belly Dancer. This is a piece of lab equipment which has a "unique, undulating motion."
• Silly Questions. Snappy answers to silly questions that have been asked of The ShanMonster (owner of the Omphalo-Stepses belly dance site).
• Shakin' Belly Dancer. Warning: my reaction to this web site was, "Oh my!"
• Snake Limbo. A web page full of snake jokes. Move your mouse over every small snake on the site for a different snake joke.

Electronic Greeting Cards & Postcards

The thing that makes the following web sites fun and frolicky is the fact that they provide a way for you to send electronic greeting cards that have something to do with Middle Eastern dance, music, or culture.

• Fares.net: Arabic Electronic Greeting Cards. Variety of e-cards to choose from, including many images with Arabic and Turkish themes.
• Maia's Belly Dance Academy. Lovely drawings of dancers are available to decorate your e-cards.
• Lauren's Belly Dance Stuff. E-cards with dancer images. Also free dancer clip art.

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Learning folk dances is a great way to add diversity and a folkloric flavor to a belly dance. Some folk dances are well suited to getting your audience to get up and dance with you. Here are some web sites that feature information about folk dances from the Mediterranean region. If possible, look for an international folk dance club in your community that does these dances, and learn them from the dance club members--it's a lot more fun than trying to learn it by reading these web pages, and you'll also find out which music is good to use.

• Ali Pasha. Turkish. Instructions on how to do it appear on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dance web site.
• Cocek. Gypsy (Eastern Europe). Sometimes spelled Chochek. For some descriptive background about this dance, click here. For instructions on how to play to cocek rhythm on the dumbek, click here.
• Hasapiko. Greece. This is the dance that was made famous in "Zorba, The Greek." These instructions on how to do it appear on the web site of the Greek Dancers of the Monterey Peninsula.
• Kendime. Turkish. Instructions on how to do it appear on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dance web site.
• Kol Dodi. Israeli. Instructions on how to do it appear on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dance web site.
• Ma Navu. Israeli. Instructions on how to do it appear on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dance web site.
• Mayim. Israeli. Instructions on how to do it appear on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dance web site.
• Misirlou. Greek-American. Instructions on how to do it appear on the Greek Dancers of the Monterey Peninsula web site. Another version of Misirlou instructions appear on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dancing web site.
• Never On Sunday. Greece. Instructions on how to do it appear on the Greek Dancers of the Monterey Peninsula web site.
• Syrto. Greece. Instructions on how to do it on the web site of the Greek Dancers of the Monterey Peninsula. Another set of instructions for Syrtos appears on Bob Shapiro's Recreational Folk Dance web site.

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The MED-Dance List employs an Internet technology known as a "listserver" that lets you exchange e-mail messages regarding Middle Eastern dance with hundreds of other people who share your interest in it. The way it works is that any subscriber can send in an e-mail message containing a question, opinion, response to something someone else posted, or other message. A moderator (Eileen Bauer) reviews every message, and forwards all those that are suitable for the list's topic of Middle Eastern Dance. Thanks to her efforts, The List is free of commercial solicitations (known as spam) and other messages that are unrelated to the topic of Middle Eastern Dance. You receive all the messages in your e-mail box, to process at your convenience.

People on med-dance discuss just about every topic of interest to belly dancers, and it's a gold mine of resource information about the history of the dance, current trends, costuming, performance tips, upcoming belly dance events, and many other dance topics. You can either "lurk" (read the messages without posting any of your own) or take an active role yourself in posting messages, as you see fit. There are usually 30-40 messages per day.

To Subscribe To Med-Dance

There is no cost to subscribe. Just send a message to majordomo@world.std.com in which the ONLY text appearing in the message is:

You'll get a message back asking you to confirm whether you want to be on the list. Follow the instructions in it. Then you'll be wired and talking to the rest of us!

If your subscription attempt appears not to work, it may be because of problems with the mail software on your computer such as Eudora. Check to make sure you are sending plain text, not MIME or HTML. Otherwise, your administrative messages to majordomo@world.std.com will hopelessly confuse majordomo and your posts to the med-dance list will be rejected. Here's how to do it if using Eudora: Click on the Tools menu item, then pick Options (the last choice). Scroll through Options until you find one called "Styled Text" and pick it. Put a check in the box that says, "Ask me every time." Whenever posting to med-dance, be sure to pick "Plain" instead of "Styled".

Find Out What List Members Look Like

Aziza Sa'id has put the MED-Dance Gallery on her web page, which is a photo gallery of those med-dance list members who have contributed pictures of themselves. If you are a member of the med-dance list and would like your photograph added to this page, send e-mail to Aziza Sa'id (there is a hotlink at the bottom of her page), and she'll send you instructions on how to get yourself included.

For Previous Discussions

You can find digests of previous med-dance list dialogues at http://www.dancers-archive.com/med-dance/. You'll also find a brief index listing subject lines of messages appearing in the digests and another listing messages by sender. If you'd like to search the archives by keyword, go to http://www.dancers-archive.com/Architext/AT-med_dance1query.html.

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The links in this category point to the web sites of other people whose web sites are not related to belly dancing, but they invited me to swap links with them. Will any of them appeal to you? I don't know, but if you'd like to do a little web surfing, maybe you'll find something you like!

• Diet Riot! A weight loss program for people who want a healthy balanced diet they can live with long term.
• Halcyon Cosmopolitan Entertainment. Lots of links to sites on psychology, entertainment, language, philosophy, politics, etc.
• Greek Dancers of the Monterey Peninsula. Information about this folk dance club.
• Best Ballroom Shoes. Sells shoes for ballroom dance.

Of course, you may view or print pages from this site for your own personal use. And you're welcome to link to this site without asking me first.

If courtesy and respect for my generosity in sharing all of this are not enough to get you to honor my wishes, please also remember that the law is on my side. All articles and artwork appearing on this web site are protected by copyright law.

I truly regret the need to say all of this, but I've been driven to it by people who stole things from my site. If this theft continues, it could drive me to remove this site from the web. So please be an honorable member of the Internet community, and cooperate with my requests.

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