Friends & Dancers who have inspired me:
Tundra Caravan
Kismet
Viktoriya
Morocco
Aziza
Margo Abdo O'Dell
Amaya
Hadia
Dondi
Titanya
Mesmera
Zahra Zuhair
Thia
Artemis
Nour

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Dancewear:
Dancewear, including Hermes Sandals can be purchased through a dance catalog or online. Some of my favorite dancewear websites are:

www.dancedistributors.com
www.discountdance.com
www.justforkix.com
http://www.riversedgedancewear.com/index.html

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Belly Dance Supplies & Costumes:
Ebay: type in belly dance
Dahlal International
Moon Dance
The Belly Dance Store
Topkapi
Treasures Egyptian Imports
Artemis Imports
L. Rose Designs: L. Rose Designs is a small family owned business located on the Northern California coastline. They've served the Middle Eastern Dance world since 1995 and are pleased to offer a complete online catalog of custom made designs.

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Hip Scarves:
Hip scarves can now be purchased through Dance Distributors and Just for Kix but they call them Hip Skirts instead of Hip Scarves. These are an economical choice for a beginner but the ones I’ve seen are lower in quality (light weight Polyester chiffon, less coins) then you might get at a store that specializes in Middle Eastern dancewear. Be careful when ordering online because you don’t really know what your getting. I’ve found that carefully going over each spot where there’s a knot with Fray Check (can be purchased at any fabric store) helps prevent unraveling and dramatically prolongs the use of your hip scarf. Hip scarves come in different sizes, so if ordering online, be sure to ask how big it is. Ideally, it shouldn’t be so big that you tie coins into a knot when putting it on. If you find a hip scarf you love and it’s a bit too big, it’s not going to hurt the hip scarf to tie the coins into your knot. Just be careful when untying it. Hip scarves are usually made from chiffon or velvet.

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Veils:
For a your very own custom veil you can easily make your own by purchasing around 3 yards of fabric in length and 45 inches wide. You can determine the correct length by throwing the veil/fabric over one arm and line up all the edges. The ends of the veil should fall somewhere around your ankle. Most advanced dancers prefer to use silk veils . Silk can be a little harder to manipulate because it’s so light but the way it catches air and moves through the air is beautiful and its abilities for artistic expression are endless. Different fabrics will move differently so try as many different kinds of fabric as possible to see what you like and will be easy for you to manage while practicing. Be sure to stay away from fabric that’s too heavy, even though it may be gorgeous. Veils can be purchased at many of the websites listed below.

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Finger Cymbals (English), Zills (Turkish), Zagat (Egyptian), Sil sil or Sanouj (Arabic), Salasih (Farsi), and Kymbala (Greek):

Spend your money once:
A set of double slotted finger cymbals provide the best control. Single slots flop all over the place, make learning more challenging than fun. I recommend purchasing a high quality pair of Saroyan Mastercraft finger cymbals.

Elastic:
Use high-quality, flat elastic that is the width or just a hair wider than your slots. Be prepared to replace the elastic when needed. Elastic stretches and wears with use. A fluctuation in your weight will cause your elastics to fit too tight or loose; adjust accordingly.

Fit:
A set of finger cymbals consist of four, percussive hand held metal disks and should be placed on the thumb and middle finger, either between the nail and first joint, or over the first joint, facing palm-ward. If you are planning on doing veil or sword work first, you may push them farther down your fingers, or twist them to face backward. They can be discreetly rearranged when you’re ready to play. Once your finger cymbals are on, close fingers so that the edges of the thumb and finger match each other. With the finger cymbals together, wiggle them back and forth with your other hand, making sure they line up properly when played. Do the same for the other hand. Sew or better yet, safety-pin the elastics once you have them adjusted to the correct fit. They should be tight enough to discolor your fingers a bit after wearing them a few minutes. Painful finger cymbals are too tight.

Storage:
Use a soft bag that is just big enough to store your finger cymbals tightly. Air tarnishes and changes the tone of your finger cymbals. Larger bags allow cymbals to bang and dent each other. Heat and cold can shrink and expand metal.. Don’t leave them in your car.

Cleaning:
Finger cymbals can be cleaned by using a silver cloth, or remove the elastics and use Brasso or Bar Keeper’s Friend.

Muffling for practice:
Cut tips off of socks and edge with elastic or toe tie sock pantyhose around finger cymbals leaving elastics free. Put masking tape across the strike surfaces of each finger cymbal. You can double layer if you need to. Make sure it is masking tape - others will stick and the adhesive can change the finish of your finger cymbals.

Purchase:
Some stores won’t let you try out the finger cymbals before purchase because they don’t want to be left with a used instrument. If you have the chance to try them out, purchase a pair with a tone that is pleasing to YOU. Ask a couple of dancers who already have finger cymbals if you can hear theirs to get an idea of the different tones.

You can purchase Saroyan finger cymbals in Fairbanks at:

A Desert Passage
409 College Rd. Suite 4
Fairbanks, Alaska
456-4680
Or online at: www.saroyonzils.com

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Music:
Amazon offers Free Shipping on some items if you purchase more than $25

Barnes and Noble has a limited supply locally, or go to Borders when you are in Anchorage. The Borders link takes you to Amazon which has teamed with Borders.

PE-KO International & Hollywood Music Center distributes to many other sources that sell Arabic/ Middle Eastern music

Maqam has lots of great Egyptian/Middle Eastern music, DVD, instruments, musical instruction, etc.

Artemis Imports has an amazing selection of music. Lots of the old classics. Her prices are high but she has an incredible knowledge of music.

***The suppliers of the music section above (except Amazon, Borders, and Barnes and Noble) are very good at recommending music to you. Tell them what you like and they will guide you through the sea of music.

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Books:
usually available and cheapest from www.amazon.com. The last three books I’ve listed were recommended by Morocco who I trust completely. The first book on this list contains an article written by Morocco.

The Belly Dance Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dance by Tazz Richards
Anthology of articles written by members of the belly dance community on a variety of topics.

A Trade Like Any Other: Female Singers and Dancers in Egypt by Karin van Nieuwkerk
Excellent view of how Oriental dance evolved in Egypt as a performing art in the 20th century and explores the question of why entertaining is considered a low-class profession for women in Egypt.

Middle Eastern Muslim Women Speak by Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and Basima Bezirgan
Anthology giving insights into what women in Muslim countries really think and overview of the real loves of woman in the Near and Middle East.

Veils and Daggers: A Century of National Geographic’s Representation of the Arab World by Linda Steet
Steet’s analysis of the discourses of Orientalism, patriarchy, and primitivism in the magazine’s representation of the Arab world uncovers the ideological perspectives that have guided National Geographic throughout it’s history.

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Special thanks to Tamara Knappenburger for sharing her favorite resources, many of which I have included on this list.

Souzana ~ Middle Eastern Dance Artist
Website: www.souzanadance.com
Email: souzanadance@gmail.com
(907) 388-1452