“Dancing Down the Midway: 1893 – Part II” – The February History Talk is Up!   

Cultures and Exhibits on the Midway:  In this slide-talk, we’re zooming in and looking at the layout and exhibits on the Midway Plaisance.  We will start at the east end of the Midway Plaisance and move west, exploring the “Entertainment Zone” of the Chicago World Fair.

We often speak about individual dancers and specific exhibits.  In this talk, we’ll situate the key venues for watching “Danse du Ventre” within the greater context of the Midway.

Why not make an appointment with yourself to learn more about our dance history?  Grab a cup of your favorite hot beverage and join me here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/dancing-down-ii-123255201

“Dancing Down the Midway: 1893”  Course Overview

🧿  “Dancing Down the Midway: 1893 – Part I” 
Setting the Stage:  This is an introduction and overview of the Chicago World’s Fair, the history leading up to the exhibition, and the different zones of the event.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/dancing-down-i-120828283

🪬  “Dancing Down the Midway: 1893 – Part II”
Cultures and Exhibits on the Midway:  In this slide-talk, we’re zooming in and looking at the layout and exhibits on the Midway Plaisance.  We will start at the east end of the Midway Plaisance and move west, exploring the “Entertainment Zone” of the Chicago World Fair.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/dancing-down-ii-123255201

🛞 “Dancing Down the Midway: 1893 – Part III”
Dancers on the Midway:  Using primary source materials, including images, publications, and ephemera, we’re creating a breakdown of the different “Danse du Ventre” venues. We’ll answer the following questions: Which dances were performed where?  Who performed there?  How much did it cost to see the dancers?
March Release:  https://www.patreon.com/collection/110642

🐪 “Dancing Down the Midway: 1893 – Part IV”
Personalities, People, and Myth Busting: In this talk, we’re going to look at a collection of key figures who played pivotal roles in building, running, and performing.  We’re also going to talk about the term “belly dance” and take a fresh look at the origin myths of “Little Egypt.”
April Release:  https://www.patreon.com/collection/110642

🏆 “Dancing Down the Midway: 1893 – Q&A”
Finally, I will make a fifth and final Q&A presentation to address any questions and comments generated in the comments section or that arrive in the DM’s.
Date TBA: https://www.patreon.com/collection/110642

“Dancing Down the Midway: 1893” is on Patreon

I use the Patreon platform for my classes, demos, and talks.  You can sign up for just a month or plan for an entire year of learning by subscribing. The history lectures are the top tier at $15 per session – with access to the lower tiers and the back catalog of material.

Proceeds from Patreon support my ongoing archival research.  Thank you for your kindness and continued support.
https://www.patreon.com/davinadevine

Here’s to a having a great day!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Feb 2025

Wow – What a treat the 2025 Grammy Awards had for us!  Shakira was back with her signature belly dance moves.

Sahira of Houston, Texas really leaned into this performance, analyzed the choreo, and has graciously uploaded a quick instructional demo.

I appreciate Sahira’s approach to filming, showing us both the front and back view of each combo.  I ran through this tutorial three times and worked up a sweat.

If you are like me, a little older and a little chubbier, I recommend taking time to warm up the joints and stretch out the back and legs before tackling this demo.

The Rolling Stones wrote up a review, and in their article, they shared a close-up of Shakira’s bra.  Notice how much coverage and support this bra offers along with a U-shaped length of beaded fringe reaching from the top of one cup to the other.

In this belly dance fashion era of the “Dina Bra,” it’s really nice to see a dancer sporting a look that looks secure enough to hold everything in place.

I just love spotting belly dance in popular media and watching how movement and costuming styles evolve and change.

I hope you have a blast trying out Shakira’s moves!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Feb, 2025

Improv Vs. Choreo – Which do you choose?

Today, I was involved in a conversation on the venerable social media giant FaceBook. The question of the day, “Are you an improv style dancer or do you prefer choreography?”

Chreo Vs. Improv

Like most things in life, the answer is “Depends.” In the video above, it would be nearly impossible for the elegant and graceful Shoshanna to perform a set choreography.  Live music with a band requires the trust in your skills, have the speed to respond to tempo changes, idiosyncratic arrangements, and even unexpected shifts into different songs.

Choreography is great when you are working with a group of people and want to achieve a high level of synchronization. Working with recorded music helps groups stay together and on beat.

Different Approaches for Different Situations

So my answer is a resounding both!  New dancers often focus one one modality over another.  Experienced performing dancers face a variety of different performance scenarios.  One week you might dance on a standard stage. The next performance might be in round, a typical scenario at large weddings.  But there is also an infinite variety of facility layouts in restaurant, cafe, and bar scenarios.

One of the key skills that separates the student from the teacher, the social dancer from the professional, is the knowledge base to quickly take stock of the performance situations.  Where is the audience situated?   What are the paths to enter and exit?  Given the layout, what are the places to pause for one-on-one interaction with a VIP or patron with a special event like a birthday or anniversary.

Combonography

Okay, I get it, that’s isn’t really a word. But it catches the essence of my own personal approach when I have the opportunity to dance. As an older more experienced dancer, I have favorite combos that I know are comfortable, safe, and also as distinctive and show-stopping as I achieve in this season of dance.

Hybrid Dances: Choreography + Improv

As a long-time instructor I have crafted performance pieces for a  variety of dancers and groups. Over the arc of my career, I’ve come to the conclusion that to be a successful performing dancer, it’s important to have a full arsenal of approaches.  One approach is to craft dances to recorded music that include choreographed pieces, like a chorus for instance, and spaces for improv.

Including passages, verses or bridges for open improv allows for spontaneity and flexibility to interact with the audience. It also creates time for moving through spaces between tables, up and down off stages and platforms. It’s also time you can take to adjust to larger facilities, or smaller more intimate venues that might need subtle adjustments.

No matter where you have the opportunity to dance this year, I hope that these concepts give you food for thought and inspiration!

Happy costuming and dance,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina, 
Feb., 2025 

PS: Here’s a blast from the past with the 2019 lineup of my troupe Swirl, demonstrating a hybrid dance with choreographed portions with individual improv sections.

“Dancing Down the Midway: 1893”

I’m so happy to share my Winter 2025 belly dance history course, “Dancing Down the Midway: 1893.”

During this four-session belly dance slide-history course, we’ll take a deep dive into the venues on the Midway Plaisance of the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893.

We are going to begin with an overview of the fair and a history of the exhibitions that lead up to Chicago in 1893.  Then we will zoom into the Midway Plaisance and look at the surviving primary source material featuring entertainers and the stages where they performed.  

• Part 1: Setting the Stage (Now Available!)
• Part 2: Cultures and Exhibits on the Midway
• Part 3: Dancers on the Midway
• Part 4: Personalities, People, and Myth Busting
• Part 5: Q&A wrap up (TBA Pending Questions)

These four sessions each include 50 slides featuring primary source diagrams, maps, illustrations, and photographs.  Then I’ll wrap things up and in fifth and final talk, pending questions and queiries.

The slide deck above is a quick flip of “Part 1: Setting the Stage.”  Now available on Patreon at the $15 Tier.

Check it out – and if it’s a good fit and the right price, join me for this deep dive into the archives!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Jan, 2025