Learning Belly Dancing from Books and the Web

from the 1970's and 1980's. If you're a teen-ager, you may be more successful finding these books in your city's public library rather than your school's library.

"How To Belly Dance Books" That Are Still In Print

I'm aware of only two books available on the market today that use text and pictures to describe how to do belly dance moves. These include:

• Belly Dancing for Health and Relaxation. ISBN number 0-7156-1605-6. Written by Tina Hobin. Originally published in 1982, the most recent printing done in 1998. Published by Gerald Duckworth & Co, Ltd. in the United Kingdom. You may be able to order this through Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Read my review on shira.net.
• Quality of Belly Dancing. No ISBN number. Written by Véda Sereem. Originally published in 1977. Self-published. To order it, write to her at Véda Sereem, 48042 Mary Lynn Drive, Lexington Park, MD 20653-2525, United States, or telephone her at (+1) (301) 737-2845.
• Intermediate Bellydancing. ISBN 1-58513-024-9. Written by Vicki Corona. Published by Earth Dance International Publishing Company. See "My Book Recommendations" at the bottom of this article to order it. Read my review on shira.net.

"How to Belly Dance Books" No Longer In Print

Additional books written by other dancers were also published in the 1970's and 1980's. Once video became available as a belly dance learning tool, most of these "how to belly dance" books were discontinued because most students prefer video over books.

Here are a couple that you might look for through used-book sources and libraries:

• The Art of Belly Dancing. By Dahlena and Dona Z. Meilach. This is my favorite of the old out-of-print books because the text explains things quite well. Published by Bantam Books in 1975.
• The Belly Dance Book. By Serena and Alan Wilson. Published by McGraw-Hill Book Company in 1983. ISBN 0-07-070811-8.

In addition to looking for books that teach dance moves, you may want to look for other books about belly dancing that provide costuming instructions, finger cymbal instruction, dance history, and information about Middle Eastern culture. Here are some suggestions:

Finger Cymbal Instruction

• Mastering Finger Cymbals. By Mary Ellen Donald. Detailed information about Middle Eastern rhythms and instructions on playing finger cymbals. Published by Mary Ellen Books. To order it, contact Mary Ellen Books, P.O. Box 411562, San Francisco, CA 94141-1562, U.S.A. Telephone (+1)(415)826-DRUM (826-3786). Read my review on shira.net.

Costuming Instruction

• Costuming from the Hip. By Dawn Devine Brown. Introduction to belly dance costuming. Published by
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