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General Sites
- Shira's "The Art of Middle Eastern Dance" Perhaps the best and most informative belly dance site on the Web, with belly dancing education, inspiration, and entertainment. You'll find over 300 articles, cartoons, poems, opinion polls, song translations, and more, all related to belly dancing.
- Bhuz.com: A site for the belly dance community, with articles, discussion boards, shopping, and a directory of teachers, performers, vendors, and events.
Regional Belly Dance Sites
Teachers and Performers
- Blacksburg, VA: Donna (cabaret-style Middle Eastern dance)
- Galax, VA: Samra (cabaret-style Middle Eastern dance)
- Roanoke, VA: Amira and Johonna (cabaret-style Middle Eastern dance)
- Southwestern Virginia's own Tribal Troupe: Manipura (Tribal Belly Dance)
- Fredericksburg, VA: Kawakib (cabaret-style Middle Eastern Dance and Tribal Belly Dance)
- North Carolina: Tribal troupe Baraka Mundi
- North Carolina: Tribal troupe Blue Moon Belly Dance
- Atlanta: Tribal troupe Awalim
- Pittsburgh, PA: Zafira Dance Company
- San Francisco: FatChanceBellyDance, one of the leading American Tribal troupes
- San Francisco Bay Area: Ultra Gypsy Bellydance, a professional troupe specializing in Tribal bellydance and incorporating elements of Flamenco and Indian stylization.
- Seattle, WA: Raqs al-Hamra Tribal Fusion Belly Dance, and director Mahirimah's student troupe Shaia Tribe Wild Tribal Belly Dance
- Seattle, WA: Raqs Halim Tribal Fusion Belly Dance Troupe
- Seattle, WA: Zanbaka, Pacific Northwest Performer and Instructor of World Fusion, Folkloric, Orientale, and Tribal Style Belly Dance.
Music
Musicians
Drum and Finger Cymbal Instruction
Arabic Music Information & MP3s
The following MP3 sites provide a great way to find new artists and music that you like. Please support the artists you like by buying their CDs whenever possible.
Dance Names
- Names for Dancers and Other Graceful Souls, and their origins and meanings
- Feminine Arabic Names and their meanings, and the corresponding site for Masculine Arabic Names
- Muslim female names and their meanings, and the corresponding site for male names
- The House of Plumblossom lists male and female names (and their origins and meanings), broken down by country and gender, including African, Arabic, Greek, Indian, Persian, and Turkish names
- Indian baby names (and their meanings) for girls and for boys
- www.kabalarians.com lists almost 1 million male and female names from around the world, broken down by gender and country, along with fun numerological analyses of how each name supposedly affects your personality
Costuming
- Costume Corner at Shira.net, featuring Dina, the Costume Goddess, has many wonderful costuming tips and instructions
- Elaine's Dance Costume Page includes instructions for making skirts, veils, and headbands
- Great Easy Costuming Ideas from Omphalo-Stepses. Also check out the
Omphalo-Stepses Belly Dance Costuming Book.
- Costuming How-to's from Raqs with Kashmir
includes instructions for making a Saudi Khaleegy thobe from a sari,
a circle skirt, and harem pants.
- A pattern for making a Non-fitted Choli
- Sheikhani Mid-East Dance Troupe's instructions for making Easy Harem Pants,
Circular skirt,
Circular Cape, and
Accent Overskirt.
- In-depth instructions for making three different styles of harem pants can be found at Aziza Sa'id's site.
If those are too in-depth for you, a much briefer explanation of how to make inside-seam harem pants can be found at
Tala's page. More variations on the theme are offered by the Costume Goddess on
Shira's site.
- Rashid's Turkish Salwar Pattern
gives instructions for making Turkish/Persian/Indian-style gusseted salwar (shalwar/chalwar).
- Farfesha's Six Steps to a Perfect Turban
Vendors
We are not affiliated with any of these vendors in any way, nor do we make any guarantees or endorsements regarding them.
For information on minimizing your risks when buying online, read Avoiding Disreputable Vendors (on Shira's website).
- Aliah's Closet Belly Dance and Middle Eastern costumes, jewelry, and supplies
- Artemis Imports sells belly dance patterns and costumes.
- Asia Minor Imports Cabaret and tribal costumes, classwear, zills, and Turkish Romani (Gypsy) music
- B. D. Patterns sells about two dozen different belly dance costuming patterns.
- BellyDanceShoppe Costumes, music, videos, and accessories, including very inexpensive silk veils
- Cheeptrims sells all kinds of ribbons, trims, fringe, tassels, and appliques; all at very reasonable prices. Recommended by the Costume Goddess.
- The Dance Shop sells Hermes sandals for dance
- Dawn Devine Brown (Davina) is the author of well-known costuming books including Costuming from the Hip, From Turban to Toe Ring, and the new Bedlah, Baubles, and Beads
- Desert Dancer Tribal wear and custom costumes, and hand-dyed silk veils.
- Dina, the Costume Goddess, Tells All her secrets in her series of costuming books.
- Distant Caravans Belly dance costumes, jewelry, music and videos, tassel scarves (and instructions on how to tie a turban using two tassel scarves), henna kits, and woolen shawls and used saris from India
- Domba.com Purveyor of Tribal Gypsy Costumes, Tribal Belly Dance Costumes and Ethnic Musical Instruments and CDs
- Fat Chance Belly Dance sells music, videos, costumes, patterns (including their classic choli pattern), jewelry, accessories, and costumes
- Kamikaze Costumes: "Tribal Belly Dance Costumes and Accessories for the Urban Berber. Everything Tribal, All In One Place. Follow Your Divine Wind."
- L. Rose Designs Wonderful, elegant silk and velvet designs for the discerning Middle Eastern dancer, at very affordable prices
- Madame X sells a pattern for an Adjustable Beledi Dress, one for a Marvelous Mermaid or Fabulous Fishtail Skirt, and one for an Adjustable Ghawazee Coat and Turkish Vest
- Mandala Catalog Accessories, jewelry, scarves and veils, zills, and music
- Mesmera's dance sandals, made of sterner stuff than the Dance Shop's Hermes sandals, are suitable for both streetwear and performance.
- Nahari Silk Veils Wonderful silk veils at very reasonable prices
- River's Edge Dancewear carries affordably priced flamenco skirts and accessories, plus silver or gold ballet slippers
- Salome's Tent sells a wide variety of hipscarves and more.
- Saroyan Mastercrafts Excellent quality finger cymbals, costume coins, and balanced Turkish scimitars (for sword dances)
- ShimmyShimmy.com Lots of costume pieces and accessories, props, and fun items such as sweatshirts and mousepads
- Sugar Petals makes those nifty leotards with mesh or lace middles. And now you can view the catalog and place orders online!
- Tribal Bazaar sells tribal jewelry, skirts, hipscarves, and textiles.
- Tribal to the Max Imports sells tribal jewelry and textiles.
- Turkish Emporium Turkish costumes and accessories, including velvet hipscarves with coins, and nifty Oriental slippers, plus musical instruments and more
- Unicorn Belly Dance Supplies carries a wide variety of costumes, accessories, props, and instructional materials
- Shaheena's Bellydance Supplies Costumes, accessories, and classwear, plus henna and chainmail
- Zanbaka's Designs has an excellent selection of all things extremely tribal.
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