Learn To Bellydance

instructional videos, dvds & cds
tribal tattoos, Mehndi (henna) art, clothing & jewelry

Bellydance Basics and Beyond: Technique for a Solid Foundation with Jenna

An amazing 2 hour & 20 minute instructional DVD from a lady who's as skilled a communicator as she is a dancer. For beginners, it includes the fundamental movements of bellydance and encourages their practice in a wide range of dance combinations. Jenna's methodical presentation begins with posture. Her basic arms section teaches you how to maintain and enhance a beautiful elongated body line through graceful positioning of the arms and hands. Warmup includes select dance moves and dynamic stretches, also serving as a light total-body workout. The footwork section lays the foundation for traveling steps, focusing on a number of patterns, such as basic walk, 2-step and triple step traveling and ways to change directions. Isolations of shoulders, ribcage and hips are building blocks of bellydance movement; Jenna breaks down slides, lifts, drops, arcs and sharp accents. Some of these elements are dance moves in their own right, and others help to form compound moves: circles, undulations and figure 8s. More advanced dancers will appreciate Jenna's demonstration of layering simple and compound moves on top of traveling steps and the five 5-minute practice routines created from an array of exciting bellydance combinations. An incredible amount of material, professionally presented, for a great price.

The Heartbeat of Bellydance for dancers AND drummers! Rhythms and dance combinations for drum solos with Jenna and Raquy

In the rhythm workshop section, Raquy Danziger breaks apart eight popular bellydance rhythms: baladi, saiidi, maksoum, masmoudi, ciftetelli, malfouf, ayub, & semai. Acclaimed as a percussion performer, instructor and composer, Raquy teaches us how to recognize each rhythm. Then Jenna, dancer, instructor and choreographer, demonstrates effective dance combinations for each of the eight rhythms. Accompanied by Raquy and Carmine, Jenna then demonstrates the unique art of drum solo improvisation with all 8 rhythms. In the choreography workshop section, Jenna takes you step-by-step through three bellydance drum solo choreographies; beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each instructional session takes place before the mirror, enabling you to follow Jenna as if you were right behind her in the studio. On screen, a beat counter accompanies choreographic demostrations. Choreography breakdown sections separate each dance into numbered combinations, and provide titles naming each move. The "Learn and Practice" sections offer a step by-step breakdown of each combination, and a presentation of the choreography "from the top" with practice repetitions inserted, so you can follow Jenna and learn the steps in real time. And you'll love Jenna's famous shimmy drills! Belly dancers and middle eastern drummers will love this DVD and if you're a dancer AND drummer, you've gotta have it! It's one of my favorites.

DVDs by Jillina

Instructional Bellydance With Jillina: Level 1
Instructional Bellydance With Jillina: Level 2
Instructional Bellydance With Jillina: Level 3

The Sensual Art of Bellydance series by Veena & Neena Bidasha

Discover Bellydance 3 DVD set
Discover Bellydance - Basic Dance VHS video
The Sensual Art of Bellydance - Beyond Basic Dance VHS video
Mystic Dance VHS video

Videos by Nourhan Sharif & Yousry Sharif

Belly Dance : Learning Basic Techniques ~ Egyptian Dance ~ An Introduction To Bellydance Technique
Yousry Sharif's Choreography Volume One, HAZAR FAZAR

DVD & Video by Joynan

The Art of Belly Dancing with Joynan Basic Elements DVD
The Art of Belly Dancing with Joynan VHS video

Tribal Fusion - Yoga Isolations & Drills for Bellydance
by Rachel Brice

Bellydance Superstar Rachel Brice teaches basic tools that can be incorporated into daily practice that will bring flexibility, strength and, if practiced regularly, effortlessness into whatever Belly Dance style you choose. Instruction includes a short Yoga practice to warm up and strengthen the body as well as a final chapter on Yoga for flexibility.
Hosted by Carolena Nericcio of FatChanceBellyDance.

Nadia's BlissDance: The Ecstatic Bellydance Workout, Vol. 1

BlissDance Productions presents International bellydance artist, AFAA certified fitness trainer and Pilates instructor, Nadia Moussa, in an exhilarating workout that feels great while shaping and toning your body in a feminine way. More than just a workout, BlissDance is a fluid merge of bellydance, Pilates and yoga. Known for her authenticity, elegance, and musicality, Nadia focuses strongly on bellydance technique, but in a fun, exciting way.
BlissDance received rave reviews in the Spring 2004 issue of Habibi Magazine.

Belly Dancing The Sacred Shapes with The Goddess Dancing Karen Uminski, Anita-Cristina Calcaterra & Cathy Moore

A unique and inspiring approach to the world's oldest women's dance. Warm up stretches inspired by ancient images of the Goddess from around the world are followed by dance movements divided into five segments, each born from one of The Sacred Shapes: the circle, the crescent, the figure eight, the shimmy, & the undulation. The three teachers do each shape in a variety of ways, one by one, with the hips, the heart, & the head. The shapes are described in relationship to both our bodies and the physical world. Each teacher use poetic and scientific imagery to help the viewer to experience and draw the shapes with her body. The last section is an original choreographed dance, The Creation Dance, that incorporates the movements taught in the DVD. There are prompts on the screen, making the dance movements easy to follow. There are also performances by each of the teachers on the video, all improvised dances, inspired by the Goddess within and the beautiful music of Desert Wind.

Bellydance: East Coast Tribal - Basics, Combinations & Strength Workout
East Coast Tribal bellydance is a fusion style that blends sensual, fluid movement with sharp percussive accents, combining exotic echoes of the world's ancient dances with dark cyber-age mystique. This instructional and muscle-conditioning program was designed by Sera, an acclaimed performer of Tribal fusion bellydance, and sought-after instructor with a superb systematic teaching method. Sera's movements are rooted in Tribal Fusion Bellydance, drawing from ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, and American Tribal Style. This DVD includes a Warmup and Drills programs combining fluid movements and percussive hipwork of bellydance in a way that promotes muscle strength, tone and elongation. There's a series of upper and lower body isolations that will help you ingrain in your muscle memory the precision of bellydance technique, and develop muscle control that will convert into a mesmerizing fluid dance as you are learning the East Coast Tribal combinations. The step-by-step instructional section breaks down essential bellydance movements and assembles them into 6 combinations. The combinations can be practiced and performed individually or as a whole. They come together into a seamless choreographed sequence with a wonderful flow of energy and an amazing expressivity. And there's also a bonus: a beautiful, inspiring performance by Sera :-)

Stark...sublime...intense. The phenomenon of Gothic Bellydance or "Raks Gothique" is a multitude of poetic visions born out of the Goth, or Gothic, subculture, music, imagery and fashion, and expressed in the language of Bellydance. GBD incorporates many Bellydance styles and motifs: Cabaret, Tribal Fusion, modern dance, echoes of Gypsy dance, Flamenco, Asian, and Indian dance--all called to express the darkness of the unknown, and the mysteries of life, death, and eternity that have inspired Goth philosophies and lifestyles. This first of its kind, groundbreaking collaborative project brings you the work of innovative and uncompromising "dark fusion" artists including a number of the recognized pioneers of Gothic Bellydance. The DVD features Tempest, and Ariellah of California; Asharah, Ya Meena and Raven of Washington, DC; Jeniviva, Ayshe, Jehan, Tanna, Blanca and Neon of New York City, as well as music by outstanding composers and performers including Solace, Jehan, Collide, Knossos and Gypsy Caravan.

Bellydance for Beautiful Freaks with Tempest

With this new DVD, Tempest, a pioneer of Gothic Bellydance in the US, teaches steps and combinations based on the vocabulary of bellydance but fused with romanticgoth soul and a darkly edgy urban sensibility. If you are a dancer interested in Raks Gothique, or Gothic Bellydance, welcome home. Captured by a camera lens, may this be a glimpse of the realm where - across age groups and national borders - we share our vision of Gothic Bellydance as both social and performance dance - the beautiful, soul-capturing, inspiring art. Enjoy performances by Tempest, hear her thoughts on projecting our individuality through dance, and reflect on the long path the Beautiful Freaks of the world have traversed to create the dance culture we call our own.

Music for Bellydancers

Turkish Bellydance: Desert Night Dance by Huseyin Turkmenler
Raks Sharki Vol. 3-Journey of the Gypsy Dancer by Jalilah
Sabla Tolo: Journeys into Pure Egyptian Percussion by Hossam Ramzy
The Rough Guide to Bellydance
The Drummers of the Nile in Town: Cairosonic Mahmoud Fadl
Putamayho presents Arabic Groove

To add some Medieval, Renaissance Faire, Celtic &/or goth trance flavor to your dancing, try these brilliant fusion CDs:

Feast of Silence Vas
Niyaz Niyaz
Aion Dead Can Dance
Awake Inside a Dream Angels of Venice
The Book of Secrets Loreena McKennitt
Whirling Omar Faruk Tekbilek

Books about Bellydance & Tribal Culture
The Tribal Bible
Exploring The Phenomenon That Is American Tribal Style Bellydance
by Kajira Djoumahna

The Belly Dance Book
Rediscovering the Oldest Dance
by Tazz Richards

Grandmother's Secrets
The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing
by Rosina-Fawzia B. Al-Rawi

Serpent of the Nile
Women and Dance in the Arab World
by Wendy Buonaventura

Snake Hips
Belly Dancing and How I Found True Love
by Anne Thomas Soffee

Bellydance : A Guide to Middle Eastern Dance
Its Music, Its Culture and Costume
by Keti Sharif

Belly Dancing Basics
by Laura Cooper & Sarah Skinner

Bellydance
by Dolphina

Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance
Awakening Spirituality Through Movement and Ritual
by Iris J. Stewart

Belly Dancing : The Sensual Art of Energy and Spirit
by Pina Coluccia, Anette Paffrath & Jean P�tz

Costuming from the Hip
by Barry Brown & Dawn Devine Brown

Bedlah, Baubles, and Beads
by Dawn Devine Brown & Barry Brown

Dance along with a Middle Eastern band in your own home, or learn to play doumbek & frame drums for other dancers:

The Doumbek Video by Jonathan Kessler Beginning through advanced techniques in Arabic drumming style with opportunities to play along with an actual middle eastern band in between lessons. Learn beledi, maqsum, chiftetelli, malfuf, khaligi, ayyub & karsilamas plus how to switch rhythms & play for bellydancers.

Voices of the Doumbek by Robin Anders Robin starts you off with hand, body & breathing warm-up exercises, teaches a variety of doumbeks tones from basic to advanced including ayub, baladi and cheffte telli, then demonstrates how to combine and vary the rhythms. The video ends with an impressive performance... something to shoot for :-)

Rhythmic Wisdom Learn basic frame drum technique and interlocking rhythms from Layne Redmond. Not only is Layne a master of the frame drum & tambourine but she's a great teacher, putting the focus on your learning, not on her performing. You'll also learn a bit about how drumming connects to religion, history, physics, and psychobiology from this fascinating lady who also is the author of When the Drummers Were Women: a Spiritual History of Rhythm

My own collection of handcrafted earrings & necklaces inspired by the natural healing properties of the stones and the magic of dance, music & rhythm;they're made to move with you :-)

Tribal Tattoos & Mehndi (Henna Art)
The Return of the Tribal Body Adornment Kit by Inner Traditions
Kit includes ornate bindis from India, cosmetic piercing, henna from Pakistan, body paint, and tribal tattoo designs, with complete instructions and a look at the history and significance of these body adornments.

The Henna Body Art Kit by Aileen Marron, Halawa Henna, Emma Peios
This specially devised kit will enable you to create beautiful henna designs for yourself and your friends within hours of starting to use it.

Tribal Tattoo Designs by Maarten Hesselt Van Dinter
This 336 page book is an excellent reference for anyone looking for indigenous art and original "root" design. It addresses body art from a large spectrum of social groups and all continents. The illustrations are very clear and detailed, and it is well organized to allow you to follow the evolution of a design as it jumps from country to country, culture to culture.

The Tattoo Encyclopedia : A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo by Terisa Green
A unique illustrated reference on the origins and meanings of nearly one thousand tattoo symbols that serves as a guide for choosing a personal image and provides a fascinating look at the tattoo as a work of art. Organized in a convenient A-to-Z format, cross-referenced, indexed by category, and illustrated with three hundred samples of authentic tattoo line art, this book features a stunning array of images ranging from ancient Buddhist and Chinese designs to those sported by twenty-first-century bikers. The definition of each symbol includes the widely accepted interpretation based on historical fact and cultural source, as well as various interpretations that have developed across different cultures and time periods.

Mehndi : The Timeless Art of Henna Painting by Loretta Roome
Mehndi, the ancient art of painting on the skin with henna, beautifies the body, rejuvenates the spirit, and celebrates the joys of creativity and self-expression. More than just a temporary tattoo, mehndi offers us a way to participate in a centuries-old tradition still practiced in India, Africa, and the Middle East. Loretta Roome traces the origins and meanings of traditional designs, demonstrates how to create them on the skin, and reveals the recipes, tools, and techniques needed to paint designs that range from simple to complex. The result of years of research and the author's experience as one of the nation's foremost mehndi artists, Roome's book offers practical information, creative inspiration, and many suggestions for enhancing the playful, intimate, sensual, erotic, and spiritual aspects of the ancient and amazing art of mehndi.

If you need a costume fast, BuyCostumes has lots of them and they ship quickly.

Bellydance Skirts, Belly Chains, Zills, Ankle Bells, Henna & Stencils

Check the Hairpieces, Falls & Clips section for a great selection of inexpensive pony falls and braids in natural and exotic colors.
They also have some interesting "Cleopatra" and "rasta" style wigs, with and without beads

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Learn To Bellydance

instructional videos, dvds & cds tribal tattoos, Mehndi (henna) art, clothing & jewelry

Music for Bellydancers

Books about Bellydance & Tribal Culture

Tribal Tattoos & Mehndi (Henna Art)

Bellydance Skirts, Belly Chains, Zills, Ankle Bells, Henna & Stencils

instructional videos, dvds & cds
tribal tattoos, Mehndi (henna) art, clothing & jewelry