Sometimes as a dancer, it’s easy to feel isolated or alone until you find your local dance tribe. I find it rewarding and fulfilling to read other dancers blogs in the meantime while looking for your dance tribe, to fill up your desire for dance conversation.
Here are a handful of my favorite blogs by dancers. Some of them are strictly about dance and some include lifestyle and other journeys. All of them are great writers and really fun to read!
First up is Princess Farhana (aka Pleasant Gehman). She’s a bellydancer, intuitive, and she used to be a punk rocker! She has the best stories I’ve ever heard and they are all true. You won’t believe your eyes half of the time. She’s also a great resource for bellydance. She knows everything there is to know about costuming, stage makeup, getting gigs, dancing in a restaurant, and more. For Pleasant, I’m going to share both of her blogs. The first is her bellydance blog, which has been on a hiatus for a bit but trust me when I say there is a plethora of great information in there and tons of great stories to read! The second link is her more personal, lifestyle account of her life. Stories from the past, present, and sometimes even the future. You never know what you’ll get there but you’re sure to be thoroughly entertained. I highly recommend both!
Next is Mahin’s blog, She’s Got Hips. I just love Mahin, she’s the sweetest gal and always ready and willing to help a fellow dancer out. She’s a beautiful dancer and incredibly knowledgable about the history of bellydance. Her blog is rich with information that could keep you reading for years. Her writing is well-thought out and professional without being boring or stuffy.
If you’ve lived in or near Los Angeles, then you know Suzy Evans, one of the icons of bellydance. Beloved event producer, video producer, and just lovely lady all-around, Suzy is a wealth of information. Her blog is not longer kept up since 2014, but the information, stories, and topics are still relevant to this day. I highly recommend a stop by her site especially if you’re a bellydancer. Her most recent blog includes the lyrics to Midnight at the Oasis in english! So much fun.
Another favorite bellydancer of mine and former troupe-mate, Faizeh, has a marvelous blog about being a mommy and a bellydancer. It’s called Belly Dancin’ and Baby Rearin’ and if you can’t tell from the title, she’s pretty funny. She’s been a writer for years, loves to share stories and discuss hot topics. Her blog also has taken a backseat to life, bellydance, and as she calls it baby rearing – although her sweet daughter is growing up fast – but the information and stories are ones that stand the test of time. Have a look and a read, I know you won’t be disappointed.
Sophia Ravenna is a long time friend and dancer who has dedicated over a decade to bellydance. She has a great blog that discusses everything related to dance including makeup and costuming. Take a look and enjoy!
Abigail Keyes is a world-traveling dance instructor and performer. She writes about everything from body image, to historical information, to current events in the bellydance world. I find her blog to be informative and important in the bellydance world as she discusses some of the deeper topics we are all concerned with as dancers.
Ananke has a short but mighty list of blogs on her site. They have a wide range of bellydance topics and she covers a lot of area for the beginning bellydancer. Each of these blogs is a quick read that will give you a little more insight into the life of being a bellydancer.
I’m guessing by now you’ve heard of Datura Online but if you haven’t, you’ve got to hit their website right now! It’s amazing!! It’s the Netflix of bellydancing. With incredible instructional videos from all of your favorite bellydancers like Rachel Brice (founder of Datura), Zoe Jakes, Colleena Shakti, and Amy Sigil just to name a few. What some of you may not know is that the website has a fantastic blog too! Featuring trailblazer bellydancers, music theory, and all of their class announcements when new classes come out!
Sahina appears to be a younger and possibly newer bellydancer but her topics on her blog are fantastic. Even if you just read the most recent blog about vegan makeup for the stage, you’ll feel more informed about what you’re putting on your face than ever before. Her science of bellydance blog is pretty great too – we all love to hear how good bellydance is for our minds, bodies and spirits!
Sara Shrapnell is a bellydance writer, teacher and performer with lots of history under her belt. She has taught over 4,000 classes both in the US and abroad. Her blog is filled with great information and I love that she writes about contemporary issues that bellydancers face. The only disappointment you might have on her blog is that when you finish reading them all, you’ll wish there was more!
Lorna is a Scottish bellydancer that moved to Cairo, Egypt to pursue her bellydance career. Her blog discusses the challenges of moving to such a dramatically different city and follows her through her journey as her career blossoms in the city that never stops dancing.
If you’ve searched bellydance on Youtube, you’ve come up with Shimmy.TV at some point. They have a wealth of dance videos and interviews to watch! They also have a very nice blog with about a dozen articles on topics that all dancers can relate to. From stretching tips, dancing while pregnant, gig bag prep, and choosing your bellydance name. When you’ve finished reading the articles, I recommend taking a look at their awesome videos too!
Tempest of Tempest’s Teapot is another long time friend and bellydancer. Her dance follows the more gothic side of the realm with lavish and dark costuming, music, and sinuous movements. Tempest is also an artist who creates beautiful drawings and paintings and pieces of jewelry. Her blog is on hiatus as of December 2016 but I have a feeling she’ll be back eventually as her love for bellydance will never die. Meanwhile, the material she has written over the years covers the hard topics a lot of dancers don’t want to face or talk about in writing. I’ve always considered her to be a very strong and brave woman and as you read her blog, you’ll see why. Her blog is also filled with richness and beauty, like her dancing. I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I do!
I have to include Janan’s Bellydance Blog. There are only three blogs there, the first being about their change in name as a dance troupe but the other two are just fantastic. How to Choose a Belly Dance Teacher and 8 Must Have Items for Your Performer’s Toolkit. Two great articles worth saving for future revisiting as newbies and also great for experienced dancers to share with their students. Enjoy!
Last, I’m sharing a one-off article on Copyblogger’s website that was written by a bellydancer. If you’re in the marketing world, you know Copyblogger is one of the big players and I was just too over the moon excited to see that a bellydancer had the opportunity to write for them! The dancer’s name is Lisa Barone and the article is “What Belly Dancing Taught Me About Personal Branding”. I love seeing bellydance in mainstream venues like this one!
I hope you get some great summer reading out of these! Perfect for those lazy days on the beach or waiting in the airport for your summer vacation to start.
