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Some Good Reading
- Bellyup Bellydance is happy to share some of our favourite books with you. The following have a wealth of interesting information and is only the beinging. More will be added in coming months.
Belly Dancing for Beginners
Liz Byrski
Pan Macmillan Press (2007)
ISBN-10: 0330423452
ISBN-13: 978-0330423458
Review:
"A road story with a twist, full of spangles charm and drama about three women who go on a belly dancing tour and shake up everything in their lives. Byrski’s forte is getting inside women’s heads and hearts."
Carol George - Australian Women’s Weekly
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“Liz Byrski is an older woman’s friend. Belly Dancing for Beginners is a very funny book yet one with a serious point - women in their 50s and beyond can still have challenging, rewarding and hugely enjoyable lives.”
Christopher Bantick - Sunday Tasmania
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Grandmother’s Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing
Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi
(Translated by Monique Arav)
Interlink Books NY 2003
ISBN 1-56656-326-7
Review:
After recounting her own childhood and coming of age in the Arab world, Al-Rawi reviews the history of women's dancing and reflects on the individual movements used in this ancient art form. In a section titled "Variations and Rituals," she describes nine different dances (e.g., the Wedding Dance, the Birth Dance) and sets them in context. Photographs evoke the mood of each dance, suggesting a general impression rather than step-by-step instruction. The narrative, however, supplies enough detail that the interested reader may wish to try a dance. Throughout, Al-Rawi relates movement to ideas and art to philosophy so that, in her words, "belly dancing becomes a source of inspiration, a means of collecting and strengthening oneself, and a clear and dynamic way of discovering...and understanding oneself." An interesting glimpse into a culture, an art form, and a means for women's healing and self-expression; suitable for most circulating collections, especially those whose readers are interested in Arab culture, dance, and women's studies.ACarolyn M. Mulac, Chicago P.L.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance: Awakening Spirituality Through Movement and Ritual
Inner Traditions (2000)
ISBN-10: 0892816058
ISBN-13: 978-0892816057
Review:
"Her bibliography and notes are extensive. She doesn't leave hanging the reader who wants to learn more about or participate in sacred dance, but offers several pages of resources. The book is not only a history of women and dance, but a textbook for performing sacred dances."
(Katie Watts, Argus-Courier Online )
The Secret Language of Belly Dancing
Macro Edizioni (2006)
ISBN-10: 8875076162
ISBN-13: 978-8875076160 Review:
Bellydance is incredibly popular today, but many prejudices remain about this art because it is not understood deeply enough. In the Secret Language of Bellydance, the author Maria Strova, renown dancer and teacher, reveals the inner meaning of this dance, far beyond the taboos of the body and the imaginary images of the harem - where the dance is erroneously considered to have originated. This confusion has influenced, not always in a positive way, the image of bellydance even today. But where did bellydance originate? What inspired its gestures, what is the meaning of the veil, the jewel on the navel or the serpentine movements? “Everything in bellydance is secretly intentional and its movements hide an eternal language,” affirms the author. From this concept, she takes the reader on a fascinating journey into its prehistoric roots in the Neolithic Age. Imbued with a sacred character, the dance was part of ancient conception and birth rites and sought to explore the cyclic and cosmic processes of life. To illustrate this “original image,” Maria Strova utilizes the symbols of the dance: belly, omphalos or navel, waist, breasts, hands, eyes, hair, veil, spiral, serpent, and the elements earth, air, fire and water. All of the images are used as a key to reveal the poetic language of bellydance and its collection of myths, verse, secrets and personal experiences. In the actual practice of bellydance, this symbolic approach playfully calls on the imagination to reconnect us, through movement, with the instinctive, sensual and sacred wisdom of the body. Dance becomes a powerful instrument which reveals the profound life of the belly.
Bellydance: A Guide to Middle Eastern Dance, Its Music, Its Culture and Costume
Allen & Unwin; illustrated edition edition (2005)
ISBN-10: 1741143764
ISBN-13: 978-1741143768
Review:
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.
Belly Dancing: The Sensual Art of Energy and Spirit
Park Street Press (2005)
ISBN-10: 1594770212
ISBN-13: 978-1594770210
Review:
"Belly Dancing is something of a mini-feast for the senses. Overall, it is an excellent portrait of a sensual art form that is culturally rich, inclusive, and empowering." (Branches of Light, Spring-Summer-Fall 2005 )-----
"This introduction to belly dancing places a welcome emphasis on the spiritual roots of the form."
(Branches of Light, Spring-Summer-Fall 2005 )
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“This comprehensive guide covers all aspects of this ancient art, beginning with its origins, mythology and history of the Middle Eastern dance, and including its physical and mental health benefits. The authors provide practical instructions and easy-to-follow photographs of the most important dance movements, as well as guidance around costuming and related accoutrements.”
(Axnet News, June / July 2005 )
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“Beginners will welcome this clear examination of belly-dance routines and meaning.”
(The Midwest Book Review )
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