Belly Dance Information and Resources
Subject Headings
Look under these headings in encyclopedias and the catalog
Belly dance (LOC)
Bellydance (LOC)
Belly dancing (LOC)
Bellydancing (LOC)
Oryantal tansi
ATS
Tribal
American tribal
Danse oriental
Eastern dance
Oriental dance
Raks Sharki (q and k are interchangeable in both words)
Zar
Middle Eastern dance
Danse du ventre
Ouled Nail
Bebouin dance
Orientalism
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The Encyclopedia of Religion
Eliade, M. (1987). The encyclopedia of religion. (Vol. 4, pp 218-219). New York: MacMillian.
Article related to Middle Eastern dance, specifically the Zar, which is a ceremonial dance of exorcism.
The International Encyclopedia of Dance
Ali, A. (1998). Ouled Nail, Dances of. In Cohen, S.J. (ed). The international encyclopedia of dance. (Vol. 5, pp
49-50). New York: Oxford University Press.
Article specific to the Ouled Nail, a nomadic group of dancers from Algeria.
Cohen, S.J. (1998). Bedouin dance. The international encyclopedia of dance. (Vol. 1, p 401). New York: Oxford
University Press.
The Bedouin dance article gives an overview of the dance styles and customs of the nomadic herding
people of the Middle East.
Saleh, M. (1998). Egypt. In Cohen, S.J. (ed). The international encyclopedia of dance. (Vol. 2, pp 481-495).
New York: Oxford University Press.
Extensive article about Egyptian dance from traditional to modern dance styles and the cultural and
spiritual perspectives related to those forms.
Shay A.V. (1998). Danse du ventre. In Cohen, S.J. (ed). The international encyclopedia of dance. (Vol. 2,
pp344-346). New York: Oxford University Press.
Overview of Orientalism in Western society.
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance
Craine, D. & Mackrell, J. (2000) The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. New York: Oxford University Press.
Short definition for "Raks Sharqi" and a brief time line of the development of the style.
Wikipedia - Belly dance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_dance
An article which gives an overview of the dance style known to Westerners as "Bellydance" with links to
several related websites.
Books
Coluccia, P., Paffrath, A., Putz, J. (2003). Belly dancing: The sensual art of energy and spirit. Rochester, VT:
Park Street Press.
Belly dancing is described as a form of self-expression and spirituality for women in this book. The use of
dance as a rite of passage from childhood, through puberty, adulthood, pregnancy, and
post-menopause is explained briefly as well as many ritual, symbolic, and ceremonial dances.
Fawzia Al-Rawi, R. (1996). Arav, M. (trans.) Grandmother's secrets: The ancient rituals and healing power of
belly dancing. New York: Interlink Publishing Group, Inc.
This memoir is based on the introduction of dance and womanhood to an Arabic girl as she was guided by
her grandmother. The book offers insight into the lives Arabic women, their dance styles and culture,
and the author's philosophy of dance.
Lexova, I. (2000). Ancient Egyptian Dances. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc.
This book provides Irena Lexova's interpretations of dance, costuming, and functions based on 80 figure
drawings depicting dancers from tomb paintings, reliefs, and other authentic sources from ancient
Egypt.
Ramona. (2007). Dynamic belly dance: The joyful journey of dancemaking and performing. Atlanta, GA:
American Bellydance Innovations.
Dynamic Belly Dance is a companion book to direct instruction for students of belly dance which will guide
the student to explore their creativity and to develop their own dance style and choreographies.
Wilson, S. & Wilson A. (1973). The Serena Technique of Belly Dancing. New York: Drake Publishers, Inc.
Serena gives an overview of the history of bellydance and exercise guidelines (may be outdated) and
pictorial instructions for many common belly dance techniques.
Newspapers and Magazines (in print)
Jareeda: The International Magazine for Middle Eastern Dance
Bi-monthly magazine with articles from dancers, researchers, and students.
Zaghareet!
A bi-monthly magazine which publishes articles, reviews, travel articles, tips for professional
development, and events related to Middle Eastern culture.
Habibi
A journal for lovers of Middle Eastern dance and arts which is published quarterly and strives to
publish scholarly articles related to dance and culture.
Websites
Bhuz - Belly Dance Central
http://www.bhuz.com/
Create a free membership to view articles, music and video reviews, how-to guides, vendor and instruction
listings, dance news, etc.
The Gilded Serpent
http://www.gildedserpent.com
An online magazine with thousands of articles related to belly dance with subjects that range from
beginning classes, to becoming a professional, to advancing the art. Subjects are searchable on the home
page to the right of the date.
Shira.net
www.shira.net
This site includes information about many styles of bellydance, reviews on videos and books, links to
related websites, or local teachers, Shira is a knowledgeable and reliable source of information and is
respected by dancers internationally. Her web site to educate, entertain, and inspire belly dancers.
Oriental Dancer - Belly Dance Hub
http://www.orientaldancer.net/
Dance articles, forum, translation of lyrics to popular Arabic and Turkish songs, interviews, vendor listings,
and instructor listings.
Videos
Belly dance basics: Featuring Taaj, the belly dance trainer. (2004). Norfolk, VA: Healthy Solutions, Inc.
Belly Dance Basics is an instructional DVD that includes a brief introduction to belly dance, a warm up,
several beginner techniques, and a cool down.
Dances of Egypt.(2006). Los Angeles: Associated Research Arabic Folklore.
This archival film includes recordings by Aisha Ali during her studies of Middle Eastern dances through the
various regions in Egypt. The DVD includes traditional dance and an overview of many styles.
Electronic Data Bases
Dance Collection Catalog (NY Public Library)
http://catnyp.nypl.org/search~b1o1c1i1p1r1a1
Search Jerome Robbins Dance Division holdings for dance related items by keyword, author, title, subject,
journal, etc. (public)
International Index to Performing Arts (IIPA)
http://iipa.chadwyck.com/marketing/index.jsp
Search publications for the arts for articles. (by subscription to ProQuest, LLC).
