Author: Davina

Davina ~ Dawn Devine is a belly dance costume designer, dance instructor and author of more than a dozen publications on Middle Eastern dance.

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Studio Davina Jan. Coffee Chat 2024

Coffee Chat, Jan 2024

Have you ever seen the book “Belly Dance: Celebrating the Sacred Feminine?”  Written by Los Angeles-based photographer Martha Burns, this limited-edition coffee-table book is stunning!

Martha Burns’ book is featured in this month’s Studio Davina Coffee Chat. It was published in 2009. and I met Martha in 2008 at the Desert Dance Festival in San Jose California.  She told me about her upcoming project. She explained her twin passions of photography and belly dance. This book was expensive, but a real labor of love. Martha hoped it would be the start of many more books to follow.

Fast forward to 2023 and I pulled this book off my shelf to have a re-read. It has become a time capsule of an era.  I was present for some of these performances by friends, students, colleagues, and my instructors.

I spent a little time poking around the web to see what Martha Elena Burns is up to today.  Unfortunately, her Facebook account and the book website are both shut down. After inquiring with several dancers who appear in the book no one has heard from her in over a decade.

Do you find this quick video flip interesting? I’ve included the first 100 pages and some commentary in this month’s Studio Davina Coffee Chat on Patreon.  The second half of the book will be available in February’s Coffee Chat.

Wanna join me for a coffee?  It’s only $3!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina

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Classes on Patreon

“The Belly Dance Historian’s Tool Box”

The Belly Dance Historian’s Tool Box

Belly Dance Historian’s Tool Box:
Three Class Series

Join me this winter quarter for the first course of 2024.  “The Belly Dance Historian’s Tool Box” will focus on the process of “doing” archival belly dance research. From abstract concepts to practical methodology.

The Belly Dance Historian’s Tool Box is a three-class series that takes a deep dive into three critical areas to help you take your historical research activities to the next level.

Winter Quarter, 2024

Introduction – Release Date Jan. 15, 2024
Part 1 – On History – Release Date Jan. 29, 2024
Part 2 – Intellectual Tools – Release Date Feb. 29, 2024
Part 3 – Data, Storage, & More – March 18, 2024

Introduction – January 15, 2024:
25 Slides – 45 minutes – Handout

Not everyone has the time or need for a serious multi-class deep dive. To facilitate in choosing the best class for you, I’ve put together an introductory presentation where I will briefly go over the content of the course and share links to the handout.  This will allow you to choose to take one class, the whole course, or just enjoy the overview and handout!

Class 1 – On History – January 29, 2024:
45 slides – 90 minutes

In the first class “On History,” I’ll be sharing the process of historical concepts, interdisciplinary study, research methods, and goal setting. This includes a discussion of belly dance as a subject or theme, how to break the chains of historical bias, prevent scope creep. We will also consider the ways intersectional thinking can bring richness and value to our research projects.

Class 2 – Intellectual Tools Feb. 29, 2024:
45 slides – 90 minutes

In the second class, join me for a presentation on how to build your research tools.  Much like a carpenter will build a jig to speed up and streamline his creative work, there are several tools you can construct to make your research more efficient and effective.  We will be discussing building a practical system that will make it easier to locate and process historical data.

Class 3 – Data, Storage, and More, March 18, 2024:
45 slides – 90 minutes

Once we have developed our project and built our intellectual tools, the final step in building a research system is planning how to collect, store, and find our data.  I’ll present a broad range of options from old-school paper options, to free image storage spaces, and paid data storage apps. I will present my method and additional options for you to consider.

But also in class three, we will be going over some detailed case studies in belly dance research. In addition, I will answer questions posted by course participants from the introduction, “On History,” and “Intellectual Tools.”

Class Sign Up – “The Belly Dance Historian’s Tool Box”

This series is offered as pre-recorded videos via Patreon at the $15 level. Once you have signed up, you will receive an email notice directly via email to let you know when the classes are ready. 

Will I see you for my “Tool Box?”

If you are a dance instructor looking to up your informational game, a student working on research papers, or a blogger wanting to include more historical content. This class will help you up your research game.

It’s going to be a history deep dive and super nerd-fest. Perhaps just want a behind-the-scenes peek into my research system and over 500 historic images, come join me on Patreon.

Happy New Year!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
January, 2024

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General

La Belle Otero

La Belle Otero

This powerful sculpture of La Belle Otero by Camilo Rodríguez Vidal is located in Valga, Spain. This statue is a tribute to this legendary Belle Epoch entertainer who was born Agustina del Carmen Otero Iglesias in 1869.

La Belle Otero took the Parisian nightclub scene by storm in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. She was a singer, dancer, and notorious and unabashed courtesan. Her little black book included heads of state, dukes, and even a king or two!  At the apex of notoriety, she was one of the stars of the famous Follies Bèrgere.

When the Salome dance movement was at its height in the first decade of the 20th century, La Belle Otero adopted the dance fusing her authentic classic Spanish style with early modern Orientalist vibes. The Lumiere brothers caught her on film – check out this compilation of photos and an 1898 Spanish dance snippet in this video:

This rare clip was filled during a performance of her specialty dance, the “Valse Brillante” in St. Petersberg, Russia.

Although she was primarily a Spanish dancer, the artist Camilo Rodríguez Vidal chose to depict her in her Salome costume.

This has been a Belly Dance History Snack.

Thank you for visiting my website and supporting my ongoing research on the Visual History of Belly Dance.
Dawn Devine ~ Davina

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General

A Blast From the Past: Latifa Davis c. 1984

Latifa Davis in Assiut c. 1984

 

Arabesque Dance company

Story Time: A Long Time Ago…

Back in 1982, I had dreams of being a Rockette dancer in New York City.  But due to a major injury, I hung up my toe shoes. Of course, it just changed my direction and so I explored other ways to express myself through dance, and make money doing it!

I started my classes with a dance instructor named Brenda at a small mixed-technique dance studio whose name I cannot recall in Milwaukee, WI. However, I had big dreams of becoming a costume designer and historian and I was only there briefly before I graduated high school and moved to San Diego, CA to follow my dreams.

Dreaming of Assiut Costumes: 1985-’95

For nearly a decade, I was a full-time college student living on a shoestring. I finished the Fashion Program at Mesa College and went on to do theater and visual arts at UCSD.  During that era of my dance career, I studied regularly with Cyrena of San Diego.  Over 10 years from 1985 – 1995, she helped me learn to dance, showed me the ropes of being a pro, and even booked me for group dance gigs.  Photo Above: post-show photoshoot c. 1989

Making my costumes was essential for budgetary reasons, so authentic assiut was out of the question.  But in my early years soaking up the rich variety and moves of the San Diego/Los Angeles dance scene I dreamed of having a beautiful assiut ensemble like Latifa of Arabesque Dance Company.

Above Video: Same Dance – but with the Original sound.  Listen to that unmistakable tone of Saroyan coins. 

In the video above, Latifa Davis completely embodies my vision of movement and costuming for belly dance and what I hoped to achieve in 1984.  I LOVED catching her shows solo or as part of her amazing troupe Arabesque Dance Company as often as I could. Little did I know how fortunate I was to be located in Southern California with such a hot dance scene!  Be sure to like and subscribe to Latifa’s YouTube channel.

I’m so glad Latifa shared this video with the Assiut Fans Group on Facebook.  If you would like more inspiration for assiut costuming come and join the conversation on all things assiut!   In this group, we talk about everything from collecting and selling, to making, wearing, and styling beautiful ensembles for onstage and off.

And you know me, I’m always sharing historical photos. Perhaps if you love assiut, from antique to modern, we will see you there!  Photo Below: Davina in Blue Assiut c. 2016

Here’s wishing you a happy and safe Holiday Season,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
December, 2023

 

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General

November 2023 Class News

Building a Belly Dance History Talk

Behind the Scenes of “The Belly Dance Historian’s Toolbox”

If you’ve been following me for a while costume history is my jam!  I began presenting slide-history lectures as an art history student in college. That’s way back before the turn of the century. 

By special request from one of my Patreon members, I’m sharing my current process of “Doing” belly dance history. Over the next three months, watch for my latest class series, “The Belly Dance Historian’s Toolbox.” 

“But how DO you put together one of these history classes?”

I’ve spent the past few days, recording my process and flow for the key steps in the process of starting from the initial concept to recording and sharing the video.  Here’s the loose schedule coming up in the Patreon History level:

  • November: “Building a History Talk” a step-by-step process discussion.
  • December: “The Belly Dance Historian’s Toolbox” Part 1  “Preparation and Planning”
  • January: “The Belly Dance Historian’s Toolbox” Part 2 – “Crafting Intellectual Tools”
  • February: “The Belly Dance Historian’s Toolbox” Part 3 – “Tech Deck & Data Storage”

Each class in this features 30+ slides with loads of gorgeous historical photos. Maybe some pictures that you haven’t seen before. This mini-course includes a .pdf handout which includes live links to research tools and archives around the globe.  Does this deep dive into history sound like your jam too?  Come join me next week when I post the first class on Patreon. 

Happy Dance and Costuming,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina

PS: If you purchased the Bellydance Bundle 2023, Thank you!   You will have the opportunity to view these videos on the same timeline.  Look for more information on the Bundle site.