Interesting & Informative Sites

Table of Contents

Active Sites

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.

• Bellydance Plus! for Plus-Sized Women. By Shira. Size positive site with costuming advice and other resources for full-figured women who are interested in belly dancing.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Anthea. Many articles written by Anthea over the years.
• Raqs in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Male dancer Asim (Woodrow Hill) shares his research into Middle Eastern dancing during the SCA period.
• Bellydance Stuff. By Lauren. Electronic postcards, tips on dance technique, information about different dance styles, and more.

News Stories

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

News from Egypt

• Foreign Belly Dancers Ban Lifted. Autumn 2004 update on the status of performing licenses for foreign dancers in Egypt.
• Funky Finn Gets Down with Brown. The President of Finland, who has taken belly dance classes, busts a move with James Brown.
• 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.
• Male Belly Dancers Apply for Permits in Egypt. Al Arabiya article on May 11, 2008.

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 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.
• Inner Goddesses, Come Out and Dance. New York Times article about belly dance instruction in nursing homes.
• Movin' and Shakin': Charlotte Bellies Up to An Ancient Art. News story about the belly dance scene in Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Belly-Dancing: A Good Exercise for Weight Loss? Comments by Dr. Edward Laskowski at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

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.
• The Cambridge Science Graduate who Gave up Lab Work for a Bachelor in Belly-Dancing. Profile of a woman who did a career change from scientific research to belly dancing.

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.

Orientalist Art

• 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. Excerpts and pictures from Orientalist writings in the 19th century about the Ghawazee.

Archived Sites

These sites were popular on the Internet around 1997-1998, but eventually the site owners decided to quit updating them. Stefan has arranged for them to remain online for reference.

• Middle Eastern Dance Resource Guide. Originally created by Kimberly Cyr, archived 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.

Belly Dance for
Renaissance Faires & SCA Events

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.
• Raqs in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Male dancer Asim (Woodrow Hill) shares his research into Middle Eastern dancing during the SCA period.