2019 was a tough year for me full of life obstacles, lost friends, and an unexpected house mini-remodel. So during 2019, I leaned heavily on my productivity system to help me survive four months of trials and tribulations. Many big projects were simply put on hold, a few were completely abandoned, and my coming out of a major life change, I craved some new inspiration in the project planning department.

 

12 Week Year

The 12 Week Year is the most inspirational business book I’ve read during the past year. It has reframed the way I think and plan both business and life projects. I’m looking forward to implementing more of the strategies in this book in the new year.

During my 2019 declutter, I realized that the books that wound up in the donation pile were all outdated business and computer books. I decided to stop buying business books in paper format and only pick up them up in digital or audio formats.

FIY – This book also is available in a workbook format. I bought both the book and the workbook, and I found that the book is all you really need.

Getting Things Done

Dot Grid Notebook

Since I was in college I’ve carried two things with me everywhere. One is a notebook to act as “my backup brain.” The other thing I’ve carried is a planner to keep track of everything. Now, more than 30 years later, I’m still relying on these two basic elements to keep my business and life on track. Although I’m now using a lot of digital tools, paper and pencil on paper is still my go-to for brainstorming, project planning, and organization.

This year I’m using a TDP dotted notebook which I purchased simply because the price was right compared to past journals I have used.  I’ve learned over time that I like a slightly thicker paper, with a gsm of over 100.  This particular notebook has both with a thick and creamy 120gsm paper with number pages.  When I picked it up, it was under $8!  

The Planner In My Bag

The Planner on my Desk

Paid for with MyPoints

Pinterest for Inspiration

Vision Boards

Productivity

Organization

To celebrate the holidays,
I will be joining author/dancer/teacher Sara Shrapnell
of the Belly Dance Business Academy
for a free workshop!

“On Finger Cymbals”

 Live on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 5:00pm
But available for replay at your convenience!

During this free, hour-long talk, we will be presenting tactical strategies and
tried-and-true methods for selecting, practicing, caring for, and storing finger cymbals.

No matter what you call them, Arabic Sagat, Turkish Zills, or English Finger Cymbals,
playing these instruments is one of the most ancient and enduring traditions of belly dancers worldwide.

 

This is a free gift for our friends and students, followers and fans!
Thank you for your continued support of our creative and informative projects.
Watch it live, or catch it in the replay – follow this link to sign-up!
https://bit.ly/2QFM00p

Sharing our love of music and dance this holiday season!

Hello gang!

What a fun and exciting fall we are having! I’m thrilled to be completely booked this fall with a couple of fun projects.  Taking a phrase from the world of drag, I’m feeling very “Booked and Blessed!”  What’s coming up?  Where will I be?  Scroll down to find out more.

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A post shared by Belly Dance Costume Design & Construction (@davinadevine)

Right now I feel a bit like the meme above.  I’ve got projects on the left, projects on the right, and a few events tossed in for good measure! This weekend I have the unique pleasure of organizing not one or two upcoming projects, but FIVE!

Belly Dance Bedlah Sets

Over the next 10 weeks, I’m going to be hard at work on three complete bedlah sets. In my studio, a bedlah set is a matched or coordinating bra and belt set. I’m a bit old-school in my approach. It’s important to me that costume pieces are as versatile as possible, so I make separate belts. This allows my clients the option of pairing the bedlah sets with a variety of skirts.

This fall, I’m working on a brilliant highly reflective duo-chrome turquoise/blue holographic set that includes a matching skirt.  This fabric, above left, is high-spandex blend with a laminated surface. Try as I might, my camera simply couldn’t capture the rich color.

For an ATS dancer, I’ll be converting this damaged vintage assiut shawl, middle left, into a tribal style bra and belt set.  I’ll be building this bra with a traditional ring and tie closure.  The belt will be fairly simple because this fabric is so lovely.

Then I get to make a sparkly micro-sequin and organza bedlah set with a skirt and topper. For this ensemble, I’ll be combining orange with accents of gold and red. This costume is going to feature rhinestones, ruching, and layered fabrics to create texture. Once the turquoise/blue costume is finished, I’ll be diving into the orange costume.

Studio Davina Facebook Group

If you are interested in these three projects, I’ll be sharing in-progress photos, links to sources for materials and supplies, and thoughts on techniques.  I check it every day to respond to comments and answer questions.  And of course, all our members are encouraged to share their costume creations too!  Come join the conversation here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/StudioDavina/

Event: Fabulous Fall Festival

If you are local to the San Francisco/Bay Area of California, why not check out the Fabulous Fall Festival Saturday, November 9tth from 11 am-8 pm?  I’ll be vending at this event with books, jewelry, and assiut costume accessories for sale.  Even if you’re not shopping, swing by and say hi to me and my co-authors Sara Shrapnell and photographer Alisha Westerfeld.  Find out more details about location, price, etc, check out the flyer below.

Behind the Scenes on Instagram

As I spend the next two weeks working on these costumes and accessories, I’ll be posting regularly on my Instagram feed. So if you want to follow along and catch the behind the scenes peek, be sure to follow me there.

Have a happy and creative weekend!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
October 26, 2019

Hello Gang!

Whew!  Over the past week, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions in social media and via email about the Bellydance Bundle 2019.  This is my third year contributing to the Bundle and I’m going to take a moment to share the answers to the most common queries I’ve received about this year’s event.

When does it go on sale &  how much will it cost?

Bellydance Bundle 2019
$174 available – October 16th -23rd
22 Contributors – Over $1000 value

Who’s contributing to the Bellydance Bundle this year?

I’m so excited to be included in an amazing list of illustrious dancers, scholars, and teachers.  This includes: Sadie, Aziza, Ranya Renee, Victoria Teel, Sahra Saeeda, Morocco, Keti Sharif, Oreet, Amanda Rose, Shahrzad, Sahira, Alia Thabit, Mao, Mahin, Myra Krien, Terri Allred, Heather Wayman, Nisaa – Heather Ward, Rosa Noreen, Sara Chrapnell, and Adriane Dellorco.  To learn more about what each instructor is contributing, follow this link.

New for 2019 – Yallah Raqs Podcast

Want to find out more about what’s inside the Bellydance Bundle 2019?  Check out the Yallah Raqs podcast.  Organizer Tiffany Noro interviews each of the contributors, discussing the content they are contributing to the Bundle as well as their top tips for practicing their dance technique.  Best of all, the podcast is FREE!

**SHAMELESS PLUG — I’m Yallah Raqs Podcast Episode #7**

Is the Bundle a Good Value?

I ran the figures, and the bundle comes out to only $14.50 a month.  That’s less than the cost of a regular weekly class in my neighborhood!  Then, when I factor in the caliber of the contributing instructors, the Bundle is an amazing value.

My talk: History of Finger Cymbals: From Antiquity till Today

My talk is on the history of finger cymbals.  In this slideshow-style video, I’ll be tracing the history of finger cymbals from the most ancient examples to the turn of the 20th century. My goal is to take a deep dive into this aspect of our dance, sharing primary sources and research notes that informed my publication, “Zills: Music on Your Fingertips.

It’s a Digital Bellydance Festival

The Bundle is like attending a major belly dance festival – but from the comfort of your livingroom.  You get to learn from some of the best instructors from around the world via the internet without having to pay for travel expenses.  And unlike traditional festivals that run multiple tracks of programming, you don’t have to choose between classes.  You can take the classes at your convenience over many months.

Masters of the Craft

I’m so impressed with the line-up of instructors this year.  I feel honored to be included among so many talented dancers!  There’s no event in the world that can offer such variety and depth of knowledge.  Each participant is a headliner in their own right, a celebrated star each with their own point-of-view on our artform.

Invest in Your Art, Invest in You

If you can, this is a great time to learn from the greats at such a fantastic price.  For less than the cost of an airline ticket, hotel, and admission, you are making an investment in learning technique, strengthening your skills, and deepening your understanding of belly dance.  I’m looking forward to getting my Bundle so that I can take classes with some of my dance heroes, like Morrocco, Aziza, and Sadie. Those three dancers alone make it worth the price.  But then there are so many other celebrated instructors that make the bundle an amazing value for the price.

The Bellydance Bundle 2019 

On Sale Oct. 16th to the 23rd

I’m really looking forward to taking these classes over the coming months! 
Will you be joining me?  
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
October 11, 2019

 

 

 

Do you listen to podcasts?

I was recently interviewed by Tiffany of the Bellydance Bundle for her new podcast, Yallah Raqs.  My talk is titled “Zills: Practice & History” and I had an absolute blast recording it!  If you are a podcast listener, I hope that you find it both informative and entertaining!

Enjoy the Podcast!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
October 3, 2019