Al-Tally: A History of Assiut in Pictures I’m excited to share my latest article about Assiut Al-Tally in Fanoos Magazine. This is one of my current favorite belly dance publications. Each quarter, subscribers receive a free “blog-o-zine” style publication directly to their inbox. The theme for the summer edition is “Folkloric & Traditional Dance.”  My focus on costume history paired beautifully with this issue’s theme.  Egyptian folkloric dancers frequently wear the iconic assiut robe when performing.  And thus, an article idea was born. I strategically selected 10 intrigui ..read more

I’m on the planning committee for the Fabulous Fall Festival 2024.  This year, we’re celebrating our 20th anniversary!  I’m gobsmacked that this event I helped found back in 2004 is still around. This belly dance world where I’ve lived for 30+ years has been through upward spirals and downs. During this time, we’ve lost legends, experienced high drama, and changed our language and word choice.  We’ve taken a step back and reappraised our place in the world of dance and at large. For more information about our Fabulous Fall Festival 2024, visit the BABDAMA website and join our ne ..read more

Consumable Sewing Supplies Restock I was thrilled to finish the retro-fabulous ensemble for my client Azura.  This vintage Costless coin bra and belt set spent many years in a box in her closet.  In 2023, we began reworking the parts and pieces to breathe new life into the costume. After months of working on this ensemble, I realized I needed to do a big restock of consumable sewing supplies.  Once I sent the costume off to take the stage at Hot Raqs in June, I embarked on a reset, restock, and general cleanup of Studio Davina.  “Loose Inventory” While I probably need a fu ..read more

Assiut in Film: “The Cat’s Meow” Fun and flirty, this amusing cozy murder mystery stars Kirsten Dunst as Marion Davies, Cary Elwes as Thomas Ince, and Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin. However, the glimpse of Elinor Glyn played by Joanna Lumley of “Absolutely Fabulous” fame wearing a vintage assiut shawl gave me a thrill.   Cat’s Meow: Is it True Story?  Is it Fictional? This is a stylish movie with an enjoyable plot and a beautiful cast in stunning clothes with a black-and-white color scheme.  While it is true, that producer Thomas Ince, died under mysterious circumstances. &nb ..read more

Two London Fashion Exhibits in 8 Hours? I wound up in London for a mere 50 hours on a recent work gig.  The team arrived late on Friday and left early on Monday.  I only had eight free hours and four items on my “must-do” list.  The list included some sightseeing, shopping, and not one, but TWO fashion history exhibitions. Could I do two London fashion exhibits in one day? With careful planning ahead of the trip, I maximized my experience in a minimum amount of time.  Here’s a rundown of how the day went. “Sargent and Fashion” Tate Britain, London My first stop on my day o ..read more

Hello My Friends, Family, and Fans! As I write this post, it’s the first week of May.  Spring is here in the SF/Bay Area and flowers are blooming everywhere. I took the first quarter of the year off to make substantial behind-the-scenes changes to the operation of my tiny publishing/costuming/dancing business. Newsletter Updates Are you subscribed? If not, check out the April 2024 edition here. Subscribers may notice that the newsletter’s look hasn’t changed much visually when compared to last year. However from a technical and organizational perspective, we’ve changed many things includi ..read more

Clockwork Alchemy 2024, April 19-21 I’m pleased to announce that I’m heading to the Bay Area’s premier steampunk event, Clockwork Alchemy on April 19-21. I’m presenting two historical slide shows and serving as MC for the Belly Dance Show. If you’re interested in learning more about this event, visit their website for schedule, location, pricing, and more. Clockwork Alchemy – Main Page Clockwork Alchemy – Schedule The post Clockwork Alchemy 2024 Schedule appeared first on Studio Davina ..read more

“By the Sea” – Theatrical Victorian Bathing Attire – Part 1 True Confession: I have a strange hobby – I cosplay as a college professor at steampunk conventions. Over the past 20 years, I’ve traveled to conventions up and down the West Coast presenting slide history talks focused on 1850 – 1920. This year, I’m doing something I haven’t done in many years. I’m going to make a costume to attend one of my talks! “By The Sea” This year, Clockwork Alchemy has a fun theme, the Aetheric Ocean.  For this event, I’ve put together two 50-minute slide-show talks.  The first, “By The Sea” is a s ..read more

Egyptian Kirdan, a dance tradition In our world of belly dance, we call necklaces like the one to the right many different things. They might be called a “Dowery Necklace” as they are associated with weddings and are worn during the zeffeh, a traditional wedding processional. Photo Courtesy of BellyDance.com You might also find them described as “Egyptian Crescent Moon Necklaces. ” The moon is symbolic of the cyclical nature of womanhood. During the 20th century, dance performers wore these to performances associated with weddings. Belly dancers have long used their terminology to describe the ..read more

Early 18th Century Turkish Dancer This is one of the best-known illustrations of a Turkish dancer, hailing from the 18th century.  But where did this illustration come from and why do we see so many versions in digital and print forms?   Early 18th Century Turkish Dancer “Tchinguis, ou Danseuse Turque” is a genre-defining illustration made for the book “Recueil de cent estampes representant differentes nations du Levant.”  The version above is from an early edition, first published in 1714.  Original copies survive as individual plates on unbound paper and in bound boo ..read more