Rhinestone Embellished Assiut
Part 1: Essential Materials and Supplies 

My troupe Swirl performed at an end-of-year belly dance show at Christmas in the park in San Jose, California. For this performance, we were a trio and we choose to wear a wintery blue and silver assiut ensemble with black and silver accents.

Over the next few blog posts, I’m going to share my step-by-step process for how we took our assiut robes to the next level by adding rhinestone chain embellishment.  Interested in learning more about this process?  Be sure to read to the end and follow the links to the next installment.

Purchasing an Assiut Robe

• Research and Set your Budget:  Once you’ve decided to purchase a robe, take some time to do some research. Window-shop to get a sense of what’s currently being made in Egypt, identify dealers who are active in the market, and learn what the going prices are for different kinds of pieces.  Then set a budget for your project and have that cash ready when you spot the assuit robe of your dreams.
• Know Your Measurements:  Assiut robes are hand-crafted and vary wildly in width and length. Take your measurements and know what your widest circumference and your preferred length. When you are shopping, be sure to check the measurements, and ask the dealer for size details if you can’t spot them in the listing.
• Be Flexible with Color and Size: The assiut market is very volatile. Sometimes there are lots of options. Sometimes there are few available for sale. Be patient and allow yourself plenty of time prior to an event to allow for the hunt, shipping, and alterations when it arrives.
• Support your Favorite Belly Dance Dealers: Although assiut is made in Egypt, there are many dealers in the US that have pieces on hand. Buying from a US dealer supports a belly dance business and our community as a whole.  Shipping times within the US are also much quicker.
• Look Regularly on Etsy and Ebay: Because assiut robes can be difficult to source, it pays to window shop frequently. I encourage shoppers to make friends with dealers so they will be on the hunt for the color and style you’re looking for.

Looking for more assiut shopping tips? Check out this article:

Gathering Supplies

• Upholstery Thread: https://amzn.to/3hE3WII
• Leather Thimble: https://amzn.to/3PBTGgH
• Wire Cutter: https://amzn.to/3WaCxgu (the next style I’m going to buy because my old pair are getting dull)
• John James Needle Set: https://amzn.to/3hGcqPt (My fav. Brand)
• Fiskars Snips: https://amzn.to/3Ws17cv
• Rhinestones: https://amzn.to/3PFEm2H

If you choose to follow these links: Thank you!

I make a tiny commission on sales using the affiliate links above. Amazon affiliate money pays for my website and blog. Using these links keeps all that info free and available to belly dancers today and in the year to come. If Amazon isn’t your jam – visit your local sewing and craft stores to get the tools and supplies you need to complete this project.

Thank you for joining me on this assiut robe embellishment journey!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Dec. 18, 2022

 

Nejla Ates: The Turkish Delight
Article in Fanoos Magazine Dec. 2022

Follow this link to read my article and the rest of this
fantastic issue dedicated to Vintage & Golden Era belly dance.

 

 

Davina: DIY Belly Dance Costume Queen Dawn Devine –
Episode 71 – “A Little Lighter” belly dance podcast with Alicia Free

It was a thrill and delight to work with belly dance podcaster Alicia Free. During an interview made during the summer of 2022, we discussed all sorts of topics from my business mission and the process of writing books to my favorite whole-food snack!

My interview is podcast #71. On the “A Little Lighter” podcast page,  you can find the full catalog of past episodes. There are loads of wonderful interviews with talented dance performers, costume designers, and internationally famous instructors from across the US and beyond. What an honor to be included in a lineup with legendary belly dance personalities like Jillina of  Belly Dance Superstars, Carolena Nericcio of FatChanceBellyDance, and Suhaila Salimpour just to name a few.

Catch the podcast on your favorite app. I recommend visiting Alicia’s website to get started.  Be sure to check out Alisha Free’s Instagram feed too, to hear about future podcast episodes.

I hope you enjoy listening to my podcast and exploring more interviews with some of my heroes too!

Happy Dance and Costuming
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Nov. 11, 2022

Snapshots from Gaslight Steampunk Expo 2022

The first weekend of October I had the supreme pleasure of attending this year’s Gaslight Steampunk Expo.  I was invited to present four slide-history talks. This year, I focussed on the theme of the event, Halloween!  So I presented talks on The Femme Fatale, Victorian/Edwardian Fancy Dress, The Winchester Mystery House, and a brief history of Halloween.

Assiut Head to Toe

Photographer Alisha Westerfeld and I chose to wear assiut head to toe on the Saturday of the Expo.  My goal for 2022 is to wear this amazing assiut robe to every event I attend through the end of the year.  So far, I’m making it happen.

For this event, I decided to skip a dance belt for ease of movement. My base layer is a long-sleeve tee shirt and leggings to make this robe comfortable for all-day wear. Alisha paired her decadent assiut tabard with a long slinky skirt. It was a serious blast to be so dramatic, sparkly, and still comfortable!

 

Gilded Age Assiut Vest

One of the projects for the upcoming book on costuming with assiut is this dapper assiut vest. My long-time friends Nancy and Jim joined me in this current book. Nancy and I collaborated on the embellishment of this ready-made vest similar to this one.  We used a pieced hand-stitched applique technique and swapped out the buttons.  Jim Hay styled his vest with pants, a coat, and an amazing top hat. In this outfit, Jim could keep up with Carnegie, Vanderbilt, or Rockefeller!

Clockwork Alchemy

My next steampunk-themed event will be Clockwork Alchemy, April 7-9 in San Mateo California. I look forward to bringing some super-nerdy history slide talks to this event.

Now I’m off to clean my studio to prepare for my next wave of costuming for the upcoming book.
Have a fantastic and creative day,
~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina
October 14, 2022

 

 

Dance Chat with Aubre Hill: Episode 5 – Maria Sokolova

Los Angeles dance teacher, performer, and scholar Aubre Hill is now hosting a series of interviews on YouTube.  Dance Chat with Aubre Hill: Episode #5 features the amazing Maria Sokolova who, quite literally, teaches right down the street from my home. She’s a mesmerizing dancer to watch and I recommend catching a performance with Maria any chance you get.  Find out more about Maria on her website and be sure to follow her on Instagram for great belly dance content!

Dance Chat with Aubre Hill

When I heard that Aubre Hill was launching an interview series on YouTube, I immediately headed over to check them out. I have watched the first five issues and have enjoyed them all. I highly recommend giving this series a watch.  As of the writing of this blog post, you can catch conversations with illustrious dancers including:

• Episode #1 Jamilla al Wahid
• Episode #2 Helena Vlahos
• Episode #3 Sahra Saeeda
• Episode #4 Anaheed
• Episode #5 Maria Sokolova
• Click Here for Aubre’s Dance Chat YouTube Playlist

LA Raqs Reboot

Aubre Hill has also taken a lead role in rebooting the LA Raqs website.  This is a great resource for anyone who lives, works, performs, and studies dance in the greater Los Angeles and Southern California regions. From San Diego to Santa Barbara and beyond, you can find event and class listings, informative articles, links to performance videos, and more.  Visit the site and be sure to sign up for their newsletter. http://www.laraqs.com/

Aubre Hill

I am a huge fan of Aubre Hill and recommend taking the opportunity to study with her if you can.  You can find out more about her classes, events, and research on her website. I follow Aubre on her Facebook feed and on Instagram to enjoy following her adventures in dance.  Her troupe, The Qabila Foundation is also a joy to watch so be sure to look for them on your favorite social media platform.

I hope that you enjoy these talks with Aubre.  When you click through to YouTube to watch Maria and the rest of her Dance Chats, be sure to like and subscribe.  Leaving a message below a video helps the YouTube algorithm. If you like and admire Aubre, take a moment to leave a comment or drop an emoji to give her a boost and help her channel grow.

Enjoy this great dance content!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
September 23, 2022