Bellydance Book Reviews Archives - Mahin's Bellydance Quickies

"Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage" – A Book Review

Posted on March 24, 2017March 21, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

“Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage” is a collaboration by Sara Shrapnell, Dawn Devine, Alisha Westerfeld and Poppy Maya. All of these women are experienced belly dance performers and bring their own voice and experience to the content. This is one of the most unique things about this particular book – and one of it’s strengths, in my opinion. Reading it is like attending a panel discussion on entering the pro bellydance track. […]

A Review of "The Belly Dance Handbook"

Posted on March 27, 2014March 21, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

Very few books on belly dance catch my attention enough to actually read them. Even fewer find a way to be relevant to both the beginner and the seasoned performer. After being a fan and follower of Princess Farhana’s blog for years, I knew “The Belly Dance Handbook” would make it onto my reading list. This lady is one of the hardest working and most diverse performers in the biz, and she’s got a wealth […]

About That Story They Told You…

Posted on January 28, 2011March 21, 2019 by Mahin Sciacca

I finished the first book on my 2011 reading list and as promised here’s my review of “Looking for Little Egypt” by Donna Carlton. So, did we find her? No. It turns out that the convenient pocket-sized story so many dancers are told about how Sol Bloom introduced America to bellydance by presenting Little Egypt at the 1893 Chicago World Fair is, shall we say, a misrepresentation. The facts are much more convoluted, and in […]