I’ve recently published my annual trend report from Rakkasah 2011 on the Gilded Serpent Website. This article is a quick rundown of what was hot on the tables at this year’s Rakkasah West. In a nutshell, swimsuit fabrics, feathers, lace, stripes, rhinestones, clear straps and yoga-based styles by independent designers were the rage. What was out? Classic AT
S style tribal, animal prints, rainbow color schemes, extremely long fringe and dense fringe, and veil-poi. To read the whole article, click through the Gilded Serpent website and check it out! Coming in May – Tribal Trends at Tribal Fest 11 in Sebastapol, CA. Photos by Zemira
Over the weekend I was pleased to participate in a brand new Bay Area belly dance event, Bay Area Belly Dance hosted by Sudeep. This charming afternoon event was held in Redwood City at Angelica’s Bistro. The event was simply delicious. The dancing, delicious to watch. The shopping, delicious to behold. The food, simply delicious. Sudeep did an outstanding job of publicizing the event, and consequently, a local news organization came out to cover the event. They shot some excellent interviews interspersed with some delicious dancing. It’s always good when belly dance is showcased in the media in a positive light!
I’m so very thrilled to announce that my best-selling book Embellished Bras is now back in print! With the increasing costs of printing, shipping, storage and general expenses of using a traditional “Small Publisher” business model, I’ve taken the big step of reorganizing my business into a modern “Print on Demand” company.
What does that mean for my readers? We are converting our books one-by-one from their previous look, to a new slicker and more professional final product. They have shrunk in physical size from 8″ by 11.5″ to 8″ by 10″ and instead of a plastic spiral binding, will now have a glossy full-color wrap-around cover. It’s the same great content in a new slicker package! BUT – even better – we can can keep our books affordable.
Embellished bras in now available for sale through the POD service Create Space, a division of Amazon.com. The book will be available from my website and from Amazon.com in a few short weeks. But if you want to get a copy before then, visit the Embellished Bras product page on Create Space.
What else is happening at Ibexa Press? My graphic designer, Kristina Reinholds, is hard at work developing the new cover for Bedlah, Baubles and Beads, while Jerry Case is working on reformatting the text and images to fit the new slightly smaller size. This project should be finished by Early May. Then, the team will embark on renovating From Turban to Toe Ring. Meanwhile, I am hard at work on my next book, Costumes of the Maghreb, and in the next few months, will be posting more information about this book as it progresses.
A huge thanks goes out to my family, friends and fans who have supported me, purchased my DIY books, and have shared this great passion of mine – belly dance costuming!
I’ve never had the pleasure of visiting Germany, but suddenly, I’m inspired to go. I have recently found the most visually delicious belly dance catalog I’ve ever seen. Sakkara is a premiere belly dance costume shop in Baden-Baden, Germany, and offers what appears to be a vast collection of amazing costumes, accessories, jewelry and supplies for dancers. Their website has all their contact information and is loaded with images. But what I’m really enjoying is their high-quality catalog. The models are lovely, well photographed and wearing gorgeous costumes. Check it out! ~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Today I’ve returned to my desk after attending Rakkasah West in Richmond California. I really had a great time enjoying the performances, shopping the dealers and reconnecting with dance friends near and far. Before I sit down to write my Rakkasah Trend Report for 2011, I thought I would take a moment to share with you a really good little video clip from National Geographic. In an effort to record the cultures of the world, National Geographic has made a series of video clips available on the web featuring such culturally rich ethnographic arts such as music, dance and theater. I found this clip on Belly Dance in Cairo captures the sentiment of what is happening over there in the world of dance. Check it out!
Hello Gang,
Hello Gang,
Hello Dancers and Costumers,