Product Description
For those wanting to shake and shimmy their way to a firmer body, this comprehensive guide to belly dancing offers instructions on how to make the most of the hot belly-dancing-as-fitness trend. In addition to guiding the dancer to a trimmer waist, this how-to book helps put women in touch with their sensuality through the alluring moves of this ancient dance. Specific guidelines for pregnant women who wish to stay strong throughout the nine months and regain their prebaby belly are included. The history and culture of the art is also explored with a celebration of the pulsating music and shimmering costumes that make belly dancing a joy to watch. In Cairo there is a saying: "Every girl is born a dancer." With this guide, all women can be divas of the dance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Simple Yet Useful
This is a little booklet, nicely packaged in quality papers. At first I found it quite simple and might not be as comprehensive as I expect.Though the book does not have huge volume, it is precisely written with some basic facts and history about belly dancing.I particularly love the part which it introduces different kinds of musical instrument and rhythem used in belly dancing.The materials are easy to understand, clearly presented but it provides what I expect to know.A practical guide for belly dance lovers.

Lavish pictures and concise introductory information
A lovely book for your very first purchase in this area.The author is an Australian of Middle Eastern background who has now moved to Egypt, so it is obvious she loves her subject.Such a pretty book in addition to being a good read.A great gift if you know someone who is just starting classes, or if you want to encourage them to!!

A really excellent basic bellydance overview
This was actually a surprising little book. A quick flip through led me to believe this was going to be the typical fluffy intro to belly dance book. The typical history, basic movements, and rah rah mystical female culture sections are offered, but where this book differs from several others I've seen is in the offering of brief but nuanced overviews of several important aspects of dance which are typically glossed over by information sources aimed at the beginner.

The first section I especially appreciated the chapter regarding common instruments with a brief breakdown of the mood generated by, and the motions generally driven by the instruments. This included an explanation of common rhythms (which actually goes beyond Baladi, Masmoudi, and Chiftetelli!) listing regional source, time signatures, "feel", and most common drumming patterns.

The other really interesting section for me was the breakdown of commonly seen dance styles with information on area of origin, and distinguishing characteristics in movement, musical style, and costume.

Belly dance is often offered by beginner books as sort of a homogeneous monolithic thing, when in reality it's a very broad collection of sometimes rather tenuously related styles. I think this book does a really good job of giving the reader a taste of the many different flavors of belly dance available without causing information overload.

One caveat: while the predominantly purple and blue printing in the book is awfully pretty, some of the layout choices leave a bit to be desired. Read it in good lighting.

A Must-have
This book is beautifully done- from the imagery to the content and everything in between I really appreciate Keti's research, insight, and presentation.It is very detailed and interesting... leaves you wanting more for sure but hopefully she will write more on the subject.In fact, she has, if you go to her website [...] you will find some interesting articles on a vast array of fascinating subject matter related to bellydance.From sacred geometry, chakras in dance, and identifying the specific traditions in dance of different regions- she has a lot of great things to share.
I have heard her style of teaching dance criticized but having used her advanced instructional dvd, I would have to say that I think, as far as instruction goes, she is one of the best.She takes all of the intricate elements of dance, theory, tradition, anatomy,geometry and really makes some elegant combinations that showcase a broad spectrum of classic bellydance (with a very "old hollywood" flair that I think is charming).Personally, I think her teaching style is fantastic- it gets even the most callow actually dancing right from the get-go without any wated time and imparts with each combination a little history & stylistic insight.You receive an introduction to her teaching style in this book (her A-Z teaching through combinations).

I would consider this a must-have book for the bellydancer's bookshelf.

entertaining and informative
I actually learned some new tidbits about bellydance through this book! I was just expecting to be a nice coffee table book, which it can be, with the nice pictures, but it actually have some good info. It's not a textbook, of course, so don't expect a whole educational level of information. What's in it, is just really good for general knowledge regarding this form of dance and culture. ... Read more

Product Description
Belly Dance Magazine ... Read more

Product Description
The EDA Handbook for Middle Eastern Dance provides an introduction to the most significant aspects of Egyptian Raqs Sharki as taught at the EDA under academy dean DaVid of Scandinavia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Pretty good!
Nice overview!Not so sure on all the Goddess stuff, author uses Curt Sachs as a reference, I'm not hot on Sachs schlorship in that area.

Best Narrative into many artforms of Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Gulf Dance: Must have for any serious dancer
The writer took a carefull approach into describing the history and culture of the dance origin, then continued into describing the dance - the meaning of the dance, the musical meaning of the dance, the costume of the dance, and the performance of the dance. This led into much enlightened knowlegde being sought by serious studenst. She started out with bellydance being brought to the US, and many myth busters. She covered Egyptian Cabaret and Saiidi, with a comparision of male vs female Saiidi dance. Then trance dance or religious dance, Guedra and Zar. There is a chapter on Lebanese Debke. I wish there was one on Turkish and Lebanese Bellydance. She does cover the Gulf States with Khaleegy and another battle dance in Dubai thought to have been brought to Dubai from Egyptian Traders. There is a controverial chapter on mail belly dance. Then a comparision of an American show vs an Egyptian Show. This book is so packed with knowlegde that I have found to be more than likely accurate with my research. IT IS A MUST HAVE. I COULD NOT POSSIBLY DESCRIBE IT ALL HER. IT IS FULL OF WELL RESEARCHED KNOWLEDGE. Not alot of pics though. Even goes over a full Tunora Routine.

Kira

Concise layman's guide to Middle Eastern Dance
If you are interested in exploring literature on Middle Eastern Dance and have been stumped by the wide range currently on offer, this is an excellent introduction featuring major Middle Eastern dances.Easy to read with relevant information including historical development, it was a pity that it had so few photos.

... Read more

Product Description

Throughout centuries of European colonial domination, the bodies of Middle Eastern dancers, male and female, move sumptuously and seductively across the pages of Western travel journals, evoking desire and derision, admiration and disdain, allure and revulsion. This profound ambivalence forms the axis of an investigation into Middle Eastern dance—an investigation that extends to contemporary belly dance.

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful scholarly book on belly dance
Great book. Useful for scholars of Middle Eastern Dance. Very well written & researched. Also, incorporates meaningful personal experience from a cultural insiders perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
Style File is a compact dictionary of the specialty terms associated with Middle Eastern dance costuming. This concise visual guide is an invaluable reference tool for dance students, teachers, and belly dance costume designers. Over fifty beautifully illustrated original drawings are supported by easy to understand text that identifies the garments and accessories unique to our dance form. Covering high-glamour bedlah to earthy folkloric, tribal fusion to historical reproductions, each style is broken into its component parts. From assuit to zardozi, this handy book is a must for the reference library of Middle Eastern belly dancers who want to push past the basic cabaret costume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A must for any belly dancer
This book is a great resource on Middle Eastern Dance costume styles and when to wear them.It is indispensable for any dancer new to belly dance.Full of great information and the background on the different styles of belly dance costumes.

Excellent Visual Reference
I purchased this to supplement my information on costuming for Middle-eastern dance and related styles.As I can both sew and make my own patterns this book is a great reference source anytime I may have questions about what styles go with what.If someone is looking for a pattern book THIS IS NOT IT! For that you need to purchase her *Costuming from the Hip.Costuming from the Hip has instructions and patterns on how to make a wide variety of costumes, this book will show you what the final product should look like.I like having both as together they give a complete picture.She also offers other books that go more in depth on how to make bedlahs, do beading, or costume for Tribal dancers but unless you are an ATS dancer (From Turban to Toe Ring) or are only interested in Cabaret style costuming (Bedlah, Baubles, and Beads, Embellished Bras: Basic Techniques) I would recommend starting with these two first, the "Style File" and "Costuming from the Hip".

*(Not for the casual or beginning sewer.)

Good for beginners
A bit expensive for what it is, but I do agree that beginners need to read it. It's a good book to help you understand about costuming.

Low production values, detailed, informative, short
This odd little book is not quite what I expected for the money, but it's adequate nonetheless. While $13 is a little high for a Very simple black and white guide consisting of a mere 40 glossy, monochromatic pages put together with only two staples, the content is well-researched and concise. The drawings convey the styles well and with enough detail, though they are irrefutably amateurish. The proportion is only so-so, and all the faces are left blank, and while an "independently produced" book will have a low budget, the illustrator could have tried to make it a little more professional-looking, but I have seen worse illustrations in mass-produced books, so kudos for the independent writer team, the Browns. The fact that there are so many illustrations (at least one per page) with such diverse styles and pieces shown, I would still buy this book knowing all I know now. As a costume designer and dancer, there is plenty of inspiration in these humble pages, and while much of it can be found in bits and pieces on the internet, this is well-compiled and useful.

Great Overview of Costume Styles
This small book graphically demonstrates the differences among the various styles of Middle Eastern dance costumes.It would be of assistance to any dancer, costume designer, or dance historian. ... Read more

Product Description
48-page stapled booklet of ads, b/w photos and informative listings all about Middle Eastern Dance (belly dance) videos: performance, instructional, workout, costuming and more. Many obscure and hard-to-find titles listed, including those not widely advertised. A fantastic resource for students, teachers and aficionados of the dance form. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Source Guide for Ethnic Dancers
I have been a subscriber to the Middle Eastern Sourcebook for several years. I enjoy the commentary on the videos, the dancers and range of dance styles covered.Within these pages you can find videos of traditional "Raks Sharki" to new innovative techniques of "Moving Meditaion" or "Spiritual Bellydance". As a student myself of ME dance and a teacher, I continually go to this guide and explore various videos and their techniques.I also share this source book with my dance students and encourage them to begin their own Bellydance Video Library.THANK YOU DONNA CARLTON! ... Read more

Product Description
The EDA Taskbook for Middle Eastern Dance supplements ""The EDA Handbook for Middle Eastern Dance"" along with ""The EDA Technique Manual for Middle Eastern Dance"" by EDA academy dean DaVid of Scandinavia. ... Read more

Product Description
The EDA Technique Manual for Middle Eastern Dance provides an anatomical breakdown of each movement element present in Middle Eastern Dance as per taught at the EDA under academy dean DaVid of Scandinavia ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on April 17, 2009. The length of the article is 1039 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Dance, and the world dances with you.(Ticket)(The Middle Eastern Dance Guild of Eugene celebrates International Dance Day this weekend)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: April 17, 2009
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: G37

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Dabke, Ghawazee, Armenian Dance, Yalli, Liwa, Khigga, Fann At-Tanbura, Ardha, Middle Eastern Dance, Samri, M'alayah, Mizmar, Syriac Dance, Yowla. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 41. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Dabke (Arabic: ; also transliterated dabka, and dabkeh) is the most popular Arab folk dance in Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. It is also danced in parts of Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. A line dance, it is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions. The leader of the dabke heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers. Dabke in Arabic is literally "stamping of the feet." The leader, called raas ("head") or lawweeh ("waver"), is allowed to improvise on the type of dabke. The leader twirls a handkerchief or string of beads known as a masbha (similar to a rosary), while the rest of the dancers keep the rhythm. The dancers also use vocalizations to show energy and keep up the beat. The dabke leader is supposed to be like a tree, with arms in the air, a proud and upright trunk, and feet that stomp the ground in rhythm. At weddings, the singer begins with a mawwal. The raas or lawweeh takes the lead. Everyone does a basic 1-2-3 step before the song kicks in. At weddings, the dance is sometimes performed by a professional troupe dressed in costume. The dabke was popularized in the 20th century by the Lebanese composers Assi and Mansour Rahbani and singers like Zaki Nassif, Fairuz, Wadih el Safi, and Nasri Shamseddine. Lebanon's most famous dabke troupe was the Firkat el Arz. Other troupes today include Ibdaa, Sareyyet Ramallah, and El-Funoun. The "dabkeh" originated in Palestine and Lebanon where houses were built from stone with a roof made of wood, straw and dirt. The dirt roof had to be compacted which required stom...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=2403135 ... Read more

Product Description
48-page stapled directory of more than 250 videos, all types belly dance titles on VHS/DVD. b/w pictures, advertisements, index. ... Read more

Product Description
Upbeat and exciting, Egyptian popular music appeals to all audiences. You just have to dance to it! Jillina teaches you how by adding traditional Eyptian steps to modern belly dance for a playful, high-energy performance. "Jillina has a pure oriental feeling combined with her extraordinary body movements. She mixes modern with oriental and takes everyone's heart with her." ... Read more

Product Description
Volume I, Book 20.Illustrated overview and mini-sewing & crafting class on authentic folk costumes worn in & around the Middle East.Fabric types, care/packing/storing how-tos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

This was very informative
I was very impressed with all the information packed in a small easy to read no nonsense style. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Middle Eastern Folk Dancing!

not worth the price
What a dissapointing book!Not even a "real" book; a few pieces of paper stapled at the spine.It was so very general in scope, it was of no practical use whatsoever.No specific sewing instructions.No dates (or even time frames)on any costumes.The line drawings were small and the only costume that had directions was for a "T-tunic".Fabric/costume care information in the back wasn't anything you can't find on-line anyway.A book not even beginners will find useful.Waste of time and $$$. ... Read more

Product Description
This workbook covers the following topics: Near and Middle Eastern Dance, The Body and Belly Dance, The Basic Movements of Belly Dance, Dance Styles of the Middle East, Props and Embellishments, Music, And Performing. ... Read more

Product Description
48-page stapled booklet of ads, b/w photos andinformative listings all about Middle Eastern Dance (belly dance)videos: performance, instructional, workout, costuming and more. Manyobscure and hard-to-find titles listed, including those not widelyadvertised. A fantastic resource for students, teachers andaficionados of the dance form. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A unique resource
This book is a unique resource for finding the right title among the wealth of danse orientale videos. There is simply no other single source for this many videos, listed objectively. -jj-

Dance All Night
Wow! I would never have believed that a book like this existed! I love to belly dance and find that dancing to videos is the best exercise. I have always been on the search for good videos and now I don't know where to begin! I am thrilled to know that there are so many videos out there to choose from. Plus the booklet itself is so pretty. I get inspired to keep dancing from just looking at the pictures. Plus some of the tapes are not just instructional or for workouts but also performance.

Thank you Donna! I now know where to go for great dance videos.

The most complete guide to Middle Eastern Dance Videos
This is the most complete guide to Middle Eastern Dance Videos that I've ever seen. I've been referring to it and ordering videos from it for about ten years.
Donna Carlton, its editor, updates it annually, so I've never had a problem getting the videos I order from it.
The front and back covers, inside front cover, and first 18 pages consist of ads. Many other ads are sprinkled throughout the booklet, although it is divided into five main sections:
Instructional Videos
Performance Videos
Costuming/Catalog/Miscellaneous Videos
Addresses (approximately 90, including most of the biggest names in "the belly dance community" Index (inside back cover)
There are many illustrations, but only in black and white, and mostly of photocopy quality. Many belly dance products - especially those in print, are plain and uncolorful, which is a shame, considering how colorful the fine art of belly dancing is! I believe this is due to "the belly dance community's" aversion or reluctance to market, and occasional denial of, the belly dance's intense sexuality. Failing to capitalize on this most marketable of aspects, entire troupes of belly dancers spend weeks raising funds approximately equivalent to those one sexy dancer can make in one night or sometimes even in an hour! As a result, I have yet to see a belly dance magazine in more than a half dozen colors, whereas even the raunchiest pornography is rarely published in other than life-like color. I wouldn't recommend "The Middle Eastern Dance Video Sourcebook" as coffee table books or collector's items, but if you seriously want to buy belly dance videos for instruction and/or entertainment, this booklet serves as the best, most comprehensive guide I've ever seen in the twenty years that I've avided collected belly dance videos! ... Read more