Drum roll, please……We have a winner to the “Spot the Belly Dancer” contest! Our lovely Belly Dancer friend, Jennifer lead the race with over 100 votes on the most creative image:  Raking the leaves in her belly dance costume.  I suppose we’d all do more yard work if our neighbors raked the leaves in their [...]

Think about what happens to most women as they age – what are the expectations we have of them? We start wearing granny panties to hide ‘flaws’, pick up Yoga (no diss, I love bikram), and master the art of showing no emotions to our friends and family to make things easier on everyone. We teach ourselves to hide our bodies and ourselves from everyone – including ourselves.

Mirror mirror on the wall, wouldn’t I be prettier without the bump on my nose? I live in Orange County and I’m Persian, which translates to two things: 1) I watch the Kardashians religiously and 2) I know more people in my community who have performed plastic surgery than those who have not. Last week [...]

The mystery of Little Egypt, the first oriental dancer to perform in the United States, is still unsolved. When in 1893 a dancer called Little Egypt is said to have performed at the Chicago World’s Fair, America was introduced to raqs sharqi, a dance that was perceived, at that time, to be very scandalous. To [...]

American Tribal Style, or ATS, is a style of tribal belly dance that’s becoming increasingly popular. But what is it, and how is it different from traditional belly dance? ATS was started in the 1980s by Carolena Nerricio. It’s characterized by its improvisational method, its lead-follow style, its group dynamic, and its costuming. ATS is [...]

A useful tool to any dancer is networking. No matter where you live or where you dance, it’s always good to know other dancers, and make sure they know you. Your relationship with other dancers can lead to workshops, new classes, performances, teaching opportunities, or even just another friendly face in the crowd. Here’s how [...]

I have had the special honor of e-meeting with Marisa Wright of BellyDanceOz.com, a directory of belly dance videos.   It’s a great resource for those of us wanting to be inspired and entertained.  In my recent communication with Marisa, we spoke about the recent talent at “So You Think You Can Dance”. “It has always [...]

The first known etiquette book was written in 2400 B.C. by Ptah-hotep. Much of today’s formal etiquette originated in the French royal court of King Louis XIV during the 1600-1700′s, where elaborate social customs were called an etiquette, an old French word meaning ticket/card/placard, upon which the rules were posted. This code of behavior spread [...]

The last piece I wrote on this subject asked many questions and offered few answers, but sparked a good deal of conversation. Because of this, I am continuing on with this topic, but from the personal point of view. As a bellydancer who has grappled with the more challenging aspects inherent in an ever-evolving and [...]