| Indian: I�m including this because it�s one of my primary interests and a unique look in middle eastern dance. Indian classical dance is very different than middle eastern dance, although a few signature movements from bharata natyam, kathak, and odissi made it into middle eastern dance. (Snake arms, the head slide and head circle, and some hip movements like the chooch being the ones I can think of off the top of my head). There are several types of classical Indian dance, all very different from one another -- if you're interested in it you�ll find its much harder to find a teacher in the states simply because its not as popular a dance style as any of the middle eastern dancing styles is. However, it�s growing in popularity,and I�ve included a few sites in the list that focus on Indian items. Any kind of Indian jewelry is fine to wear with tribal middle eastern dance garb - most tribal dancers end up with jewelry from India rather than from any other place, and tikas, bindis, and henna or vermilion on the hands and feet started in India before migrating to other parts of the middle east. Sources for sites: ME dance ring: www.bdancer.com/med-ring (you can choose to list all sites on the web ring with the list option at the bottom) Shira�s : www.shira.net If you havent been here, you need to go. This lady is the goddess of information on middle eastern dancing. She has an exhaustive link list that makes mine look paltry. Her costume goddess pages have wonderful resources for everyone from beginner seamstresses to advanced projects on how to make and alter costumes. Asim�s Middle Eastern Dance page: www.mindspring.com/~whill Tons of stuff, costumes and information and philosohpy. A little hard to navigate but there are gems scattered through it. Costume sites: Cost Less Belly Dance: www.costlesscostumes.com American night club They don�t cost less. They�re damn expensive, but if you�re a pro, and you want something that will last you years while you do extensive performances, these are the people to buy from. You can get decent stuff elsewhere, but this stuff is made for the dancer who does it for a living and needs her costumes to last through a lot of abuse. Gypsy Moon: www.gypsymoon.com Tribal Kind of Interesting, a little pricey - some renaissance things, some quirky things, a few dance things as well. Meleea�s Bazaar: www.beledi.com American nightclub.Great prices on complete outfits, just one of each available - the lady imports costumes and then makes changes to them and sells them at affordable prices. If you want a whole costume in one shot, this is a great place to go. I�ve bought a number of skirts from her and a bra � they�re exquisite, well worth the price, and have lasted me through a lot of performances. Ganesha Bazaar: www.ganeshabazaar.com Tribal. Mostly Indian and tribal items - fantastic fringe belts which are great for class and performance and relatively inexpensive. Great customer service. |
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