Belly Dancing Basics (Paperback)

~ Laura Cooper (Author), Sarah Skinner (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Sumptuous color photography combined with comprehensive and detailed easy-to-follow instructions demonstrate a unique way for women to get and keep fit while expressing their sensuality through Belly Dancing. Would-be dancers who have longed to learn the intricacies of this ancient dance form can now experience the pleasure of learning and mastering all the basic steps, putting together an individualized routine and adding magic to their performance with veils, swords, and the tiny finger cymbals known as zills . Each complex movement of the body is painstakingly broken down into concise step-by-step directions that are easy to follow. Perfect for the basic beginner, the instructions also offer alternatives and additions to the movements to accommodate a dancer’s growing skill. The lavish sequence of images captures each delicately curved hip and splayed finger; the arch of a foot and the arc of a backbend; and the careful placement of a leg. You can practically see the stomach rippling sinuously, the hips shimmying wildly, and the hair whipping around as the dancer twirls.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140271078X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402710780
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #327,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource for Dancer, Instructor, and Student!, August 7, 2004

By	L. Hawkins "Laura Wilde" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For those of you always lamenting the lack of `real' women examples in in belly dance, you will be pleasantly surprised here. Photographs of nearly a dozen different `real' women (all Oriental Dance performers) from different races, multiple ages (even one very pregnant!) demonstrate the different aspects, proving that belly dance is for every woman and not just for the young and rail thin!

While no one should expect to master belly dance, or any form of dance, from a book, (it is mandatory to see some things in motion) this one is an excellent resource for both student and teacher and a good supplement to lessons by a professional Oriental Dance instructor. Because so many different aspects of belly dance are introduced here, this book can significantly direct your study and help you decide which aspects of bellydance to seek out for further training. I've recommended it to my students and they all devoured the book just like I did. The writing in the book is also inspiring. The author's love of Dance Oriental is clearly evident in in each chapter. Warning! It could be quite contagious!

This book is packed with so much geat stuff! I broke everything down by chapter so you could see that the author devoted whole chapters to topics usally covered by a few paragraphs in other books! There's SO much to learn and SO much to be inspired by!
-Introduction -- The origins and history of belly dancing from ancient civilizations to Mata Hari to the enthusiast of today.
-Chapter 1 Getting Started --where to dance, what to wear, and selecting music. This chapter also has an introduction to Arabic rhythms.
-Chapter 2 Preparation -- Learning the essential, proper posture and how to stretch and warm up your body before dancing
-Chapter 3 Basic Elements -- This is where explanations are listed for nearly thirty moves and basic steps for building a belly dance routine, from hip drops to dervish turns, and traveling steps to arm movements, plus the tips and styling to give them all spice.
-Chapter 4 Adding Mystery -- Bringing beauty and subtlety to your dance with a veil. Wearing a veil, unveiling, and dancing with the veil are all covered here. You may just develop what the author calls "veilitis," a condition impelling dancers to buy multiple veils in a variety of colors limited only by your storage space!
-Chapter 5 Drawing on Power -- Mastering the art of sword work in your dance. Read this chapter to tap your inner warrior goddess.
-Chapter 6 Wings -- Adding spectacular drama to your steps by the use of wings. A modern addition to Belly Dance, wings recall the majesty of ancient Egyptian royalty.
-Chapter 7 Variety: The Spice of Life -- Introducing different props, such as candles, canes, and zills. It's `how to play with fire and not get burned' plus canes and finger cymbals.
-Chapter 8 The Oriental Fantasy -- Performance: perfecting your art by dancing for others. Building a routine, routine/show sets, dance routine examples, costuming variety and make-up, and dancer etiquette are all covered here.
-Resources -- Contains resources for suggested further reading, shopping abroad, costumes, classes, belly dancers, and music.
-Index -- Easy look-up in alphabetical order.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Introduction to Oriental Dance, April 21, 2004

By	Jennifer - See all my reviews

It is a beautiful introduction to a beautiful dance! The book offers cultural and historical perspective on Danse Oriental, or "belly dance," it describes various styles of dance - historical and modern fusion, provides costuming and performance advice and tips on improving one's showmanship and interaction with the audience. I wanted to have this book as a teaching reference (it is definitely a must-have for a dance instructor's library), and I will also recommend it to any beginner student of belly dance who is choosing a creative direction, curious about various aspects of this dance. I loved the sections on dancing with props - cane, sagat, wings of Isis, tray of candles, sword. From its excellent description of dance movements step-by-step, to transcripts of full show routines, the book is rich in learning and creative material. One disappointment was that I hoped to see the photos of the author herself (an amazing dancer) demonstrating the movements; instead there are about a dozen models in the book (all very good), but no pictures of the author.I enjoyed the elegant writing style and the inspiring focus on the artistry of dance. This book is definitely among the best in its field, written by an acclaimed dance instructor with a powerful artistic vision.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Belly Dancing Basics, December 29, 2004

By	E. Ott - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have just received this book in the mail. I am very pleased with it. It is easy to read and has many pictures... It gives you step-to-step instructions with belly dancing moves with excellent and understandable pictures. The author involves you in this book. The introduction gives you a quick rerun on this art's history. I would recommend this book especially to beginners and intermediates. However, its not as good as real lessons. But pretty close ;) .