Category: Publications

Books, Articles, Patterns and Writing Projects by Dawn Devine ~ Davina

Categories
Belly Dance General Publications

Book Reports: Becoming a Belly Dancer is Almost Done!

Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage is almost finished!  We’ve just received proof 5 in the mail and are hard at work making the final changes that will help make this publication as perfect as possible!  With 402 pages and over 1000 images of dancers of all levels of performance from complete beginner to seasoned professional and every thing in between.  I’m very proud to have been invited to join the team of four authors who contributed their expertise and knowledge from different areas of the belly dance world.

Cover_Design_2015 WEB

There are so many wonderful things to say about this book, that I’m going to have to create a whole separate page here on my website to share with you all the details!  But here are some pages from the book to check out while we finish up over the next few weeks. Our anticipated release is Mid October or sooner.  Join my mailing list to get the first notification of availability and early-bird pricing and pre-orders.

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I only have 18 pages to layout out, and a list of edits to complete, and then it will go for it’s sixth and final proofing. At this moment, we are contemplating a mid October release.  This week, we held three photoshoots of Sara Shrapnell, the lead author, Shalimar and Basinah, two talented professional dancers from the greater SF Bay Area.  I just randomly pulled images from the pile to share.  Today’s todo list includes selecting the perfect shots from these photoshoots, prepping and placing them into our document.

BaB-Promo-Sara-Kim-Taniko

We do have a plan for offering signed pre-orders via Kickstarter, but we are still working on the details. In the meantime, I’ve got a lot of beautiful photos to sort through, book layout that needs fine-tuning, and a list of edits that grows shorter by the day.

For more information about my co-authors, visit their websites!

Sara Shrapnell: http://www.letsbellydanceusa.com
Poppy Maya: http://www.poppymaya.co.uk/
Alisha Westerfeld: http://alishawesterfeld.smugmug.com/

 

 

Categories
Costuming DIY General Publications

From Sashes to Bedlah – Quick and Easy Bra and Belt Part 1

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Taking a moment from the production of my new collaborative book project, Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.  I’m going to be performing at a show on April 10, and am thinking of whipping up a quick bra and belt set and considered using some assiut.  However, I should be working on items that can appear in the upcoming book, so I’ve switched gears and am making a simple bra and hip belt out of a trio of affordable coin belts which just arrived in the mail.  This hip sashes transformed into bedlah set is of the easiest “first costume” projects.  I’ll be taking photos of this project for the new book, and we will be including directions in chapter 10 of the upcoming book. We’ve already made Sara Shrapnell’s version, which she has affectionately dubbed her “Treasure Chest” costume and with luck, each of us authors will have a version of this costume by the time this book project is finished!Sara-HipWrap-BW-WEB

Quick and Easy Bra and Belt Set

Materials Needed:

2-4 hip sashes for the outer covering
1 lingerie bra to use as a base for the finished costume bra
1 yard buckram for belt base
1/2 yard of fleece for belt base
5 yards of grosgrain ribbon to reinforce belt base and make straps
Fabric Glue to prep the embellishment for cutting into pieces
Thread to match the color of the hip sashes
Hooks and eyes for closures
Sewing Kit – Scissors, hand sewing needles, thread conditioner, pins, thimble, dark and light marking pencils
Sewing equipment – Sewing machine, ironing board

Step One – Find Inspiration & Do Research
When you decide that you are going to make this style of costume, your first step is to research your options, in other words, go shopping.  Find a point of inspiration.  For me, I’ve already been working on putting together a purple, black and silver costume.  I have two, fluffy and full tiered dancing skirts one in purple and one in black with purple stitching.  These two existing skirts are underutilized in my wardrobe, so I searched for three matching hip sashes to craft a bedlah.  The internet is a vast, vast place.  Shop your favorite belly dance vendors, at your local mall, and digital outlets like ebay, etsy or even Amazon.com.

Step Two – Assemble the Materials
Once you have a design in mind, and have sourced the materials and supplies, it’s time to make a shopping list.  Be sure to “shop your stash” for things you may have in your collection already.  If you are working under a tight budget, be sure to keep your bottom line in mind!  As a professional costumer, I buy grosgrain ribbon, buckram, and closures in wholesale quantities and prices, so I’ve always got these items around. But if you’re picking things up at your local fabric store, try as much as possible, to capitalize on sales and special offers.

Next week, I will continue working on this project,
Until then ~ Happy Costuming and Dance,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
April 1, 2016

PS – Be sure to visit Sara’s website for more details about our upcoming book!

 

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Cover_Design_2015 WEBComing Soon!

 

Categories
Belly Dance Publications

First Proof Arrives – Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage

Hello Gang,

Just wanted to touch base with all of my friends, family, fans, and followers and say:

Happy Holidays!!!

Over the past two months, I’ve been putting in long hours working on a tremendous new book project, “Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.” Sara Shrapnell, author of “Teaching Belly Dance,”photographer Alisha Westerfeld, international professional belly dancer Poppy Maya and myself, have teamed up to create a text book for the art of belly dance.This isn’t a book about how to dance, but rather, it’s a book about how to manage all of the processes that go into crafting a good performance.

Over the past two months, I’ve been putting in long hours working on a tremendous new book project, “Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.”   Sara Shrapnell, author of “Teaching Belly Dance,”  photographer Alisha Westerfeld, international professional belly dancer Poppy Maya and myself, have teamed up to create a text book for the art of belly dance.  This isn’t a book about how to dance, but rather, it’s a book about how to manage all of the processes that go into crafting a good performance. 

This was a big week for our team.  After nearly a year of work, we reached an important milestone.  Our very first proof arrived! 

Although we are a few months away from being finished, we decided that it was time to get the manuscript printed to ensure that we are moving forward on a good trajectory.  At this stage of the game, we are looking to identify which photographs need improving, either by adjusting the brightness and contrast, or by going back to the original color shot and adjusting the tonal qualities of the various colors.  Sometimes, something that looks very spectacular in color, like a pink and blue costume for instance, can turn muddy when converted to black and white. Especially if the blue and the pink tones convert to the exact same shade of gray! 

As we massage the text, work the photos, and play with the layout, the book is finally taking shape.  I’ll follow up with more details of what info is included in this book in future posts.  But in the meantime, I’m just so very happy to be able to share this spectacular moment! 

Happy Holidays Indeed!!

Yours in Dance and Costuming,
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
Dec. 9, 2015

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Categories
Makeup and Appearance Publications

The Magic of Black, White, and Grey

Poppy-MakeupFor the past six months, I’ve been using a makeup styling technique taught to me in a workshop by Sara Shrapnell, author of Teaching Belly Dance, and my co-author on the upcoming, Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.  In this book, we are sharing our top tips for progressing your dance journey from the classroom to public performance.  (( Are you a dance teacher?  Check out Sara’s book over on amazon.com and be sure to visit Sara’s site here))

As belly dancers, we need to wear stage-worthy makeup. When it comes to the eyes, the goal is to be bigger, bolder, darker, and brighter than you would be in your daily life.  One way to achieve this effect is to lay down a good monochrome base layer of eye shadow using black, white, and mid-grey.  Your mission, is to have a perfectly perfected, eye look, that you can then quickly add color to at your event venue.

Left: Poppy Maya, international dance professional, has used this technique to create the look at left.  The black, white and grey base was topped with purple eyeshadow, and finished off with black liner and false eyelashes for maximum drama.

Of course, you might be asking, why would someone want to wait to add color until they got to their performance space?  Well, there are many answers to this question, but the most important three include:

• You don’t know what the lighting will be like.  Often, you don’t know until you arrive at your performance venue what the lighting will be like.  From harsh florescent, to dim pseudo-candle lit, bright stage spots, to flashing disco-ball spots, its a good idea to assess the lighting and apply that last pop of color to suit the conditions.

• You have a costume change.  If you are performing twice, you might want to start off performing with your monochrome look for your act 1, then change gears with a bright pop of color for performance 2.

• You have several costumes to choose from.  When you’re performing in a line-up with other dancers, it’s a good idea to pack one or even two backup costumes.  Why?  Well, if a line-up of 8 dancers has five in red, you might want to wear a different color to stand out from the crowd.  Alternately, you might taking a gauge of the audience and choose a costume based on their taste.

Of course, you might be totally familiar with your location, wearing one costume, and performing solo, in which case, adding color at home might be fine for you.  Using this monochrome base will help you modulate your color tones, forming a tonal base upon which to add the rest of your colors.  One single shade of eyeshadow, suddenly looks like three subtle – and perfectly matched – nuances.

The essential ingredient necessary for creating this look are a trio of white, black, and mid-grey eye shadows.  Many makeup companies have created trios, quads, and larger eyeshadow palettes that feature this particular combination of neutrals. You should select a product and formulation that suits your skin, your taste, and your pocket book.  We’ve already done some of the research for you, and have gathered together some of the best drugstore/discount shop brands that are useful for laying down the monochromatic base.

The complete directions for creating this makeup look is in the book “Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage,” and we are anticipating a holiday 2015 release.   But don’t wait for the book to come out to give this technique a try.  Pick up a smoky black, grey, and white shadow set and start experimenting.  If you feel like showing off, share your eye shadow experiments with us over on our FaceBook Group!

Dawn Devine ~ Davina
September, 25, 2015

 

Black and White Eyeshadows - Part 2

 

Black and White Eyeshadows – Part 2 by davinadevine featuring an eye shadow
Categories
Costuming DIY General Publications

3 Essential Sewing Reference Books

3-Sewing.BooksIf you’ve been following my blog, you have probably read some of my DIY costuming books devoted to Middle Eastern belly dance costumes.  However, I find that many novice seamstresses purchase my products and find they need advice on basic construction. Fortunately, there are already numerous books on general sewing technique available today. But which one to choose?

When you are making costumes, having a good quality sewing book or two on the shelf makes a lot of sense. Sewing books are reference tools that can introduce a novice to basic techniques or help an experienced seamstress figure out challenging sewing problems. So, here’s my round-up of recommended sewing reference books that I keep on hand in my collection, and use as texts when I teach my classes and workshops.

Readers Digest Guide to Sewing
I feel that this is an indispensable book for anyone who sews! With clear, easy to follow directions and beautifully drawn illustrations, this book is a dependable workhorse. I use this title as a text when I teach construction classes at the local community college. Everything is in here, from hand sewing stitches to installing zippers, from threading a sewing machine to complex tailoring techniques. This book is an encyclopedia of tips, instructions and helpful hints for dealing with all aspects of sewing. This book has been around a long time, so if you are on a budget, you may be able to find a copy in your favorite used book store. Find it on Amazon

Vogue/Butterick Step-By-Step Guide to Sewing Technique
What every library needs is a good dictionary and this is the one for every costumer. In this book, sewing techniques are arranged alphabetically for ease of searching. This book is the perfect companion to the Vogue/Butteric k Guide to Sewing (see above.) It is much more comprehensive filling in the gaps, providing a reference that has everything from basic to advance techniques. The illustrations are easy to follow and understand. This book is also fairly inexpensive, making it an excellent value. Find it on Amazon

Singer Guide to Sewing
This book is but one title in the large Singer Sewing series. There are many excellent volumes in this library and this book does a great job of introducing basic sewing technique. It is filled with big beautiful full-color pictures that are eye catchy and clearly illustrate the sewing techniques discussed. However, this book is not comprehensive. Unlike the other titles listed above, you would need to buy several books in the Singer series to put together to match up to the more comprehensive titles. But if you prefer photographs rather than illustrations, this is an excellent alternative. Find it on Amazon