March Topic & Talk:  “Doing” Belly Dance History

Research Tip:  Look for things off the beaten track.
Image: Roman Era Egyptian Clappers and Finger Cymbals on display at the Bristol Museum, UK

In 2016, I joined my co-authors Sara Shrapnell and photographer Alisha Westerfeld on a book tour in the UK.  First, we attended the belly dance festival Celebrating Dance in Torquay UK.  Sara and I both taught workshops, sold books, and had a great time hanging out. The next weekend, we headlined a day of workshops and a showcase on the Isle of Wight.  Sara is a great teacher and it’s always fun to work with her.

Between these two events, Alisha and I spent three days in Bristol.  Unfortunately, I came down with sniffles that evolved into a cold.  I was not just a little sick, I became MONSTER SICK.  We stumbled into the Bristol Museum and I asked Alisha to take a photo of these beautiful clappers.  Who knew there was going to be an Egyptian exhibit in this city museum?  

I was so bleary-eyed and run-down that I didn’t even notice the gorgeous set of finger cymbals in the case.  It wasn’t until I was home, recovered from bronchitis, and flipping through Alisha’s photos that I spotted this treasure!

If you are interested in more historical information about finger cymbals, you can check out the first sections of my book “Zills: Music on Your Fingertips.”  And I frequently share lectures on this subject both online and (when we can do it again) in person.

“Doing”
Belly Dance History

Saturday, March, 27,  2:00 pm PT
90-minute Digital Seminar
plus eBook study guide
Only $20

Click to reserve your space!
Hosted by Sara Shrapnell
of the Belly Dance Business Academy

What will I be covering in this talk?

In this digital seminar, I’ll be covering my mindset and approach to formulating key inquiry questions and then sharing my methodology and workflow. I’ll be sharing my favorite research tools, digital platforms for storing information, and how I use digital databases to uncover historical data that helps us document the history of belly dance.

Along with this talk, I’ve put together an eBook that includes a breakdown of the process of performing archival research and live-links to my favorite digital databases.

Join me for a peek “behind the curtain,” enjoy a beautiful slide show of historic images, and maybe even take your own historical research skills to the next level.

Will I see you there?
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 15, 2021

Today’s Research Tip:
Beware of misattributions on user-driven Image aggregate websites and micro-blogs.

Image: Hungarian Dancer and Contortionist Sahary-Djeli known as “La Mystérieuse”

One of the websites I have a love and hate relationship with is Pinterest.  On the one hand, I love that it serves as a storehouse for a wealth of visual information and inspiration. 

However, on the other hand, I’ve learned to question the data that accompanies images should all be questioned.  Other image aggregate sites include Flikr and the micro-blog sites Tumblr and Instagram. 

Sahry-Djeli

This image, of Sahry-Djeli, is lovely and dates back to 1910-1913, and I use it as part of ongoing research on Salomania.  

However,  in many places, this is labeled “La Belle Otero” another great entertainer.  These two performers were contemporaries, both working in Europe, but primarily in France, during the first quarter of the 20th century.  They also were performers of the dance du ventre, and appeared in the role of Salome. 

Sahry-Djili was more than just a dancer. She was also a famous contortionist, with extreme flexibility and extension through her body.  Her lithe limberness was her unique claim to fame and made her stand out when compared to the numerous other Salome’s gracing the stage of theaters around Europe.  Look at this amazing position she could get into and hold for the length of time required for studio images at this time.

La Belle Otero

However, at some point, someone noted the resemblance between these two performers and misidentified this image as La Belle Otero.  Since then, this image and attribution have circulated the web.   La Belle Otero was from the previous generation, and by the time Salomania took hold of the stages of Europe, Otero was a seasoned performer while Sahary was an up-and-comer. 

As a researcher, I always question “the source” of the accompanying documentation.   Consider the “Five W’s”  – Who, What, When, Where, and Why (and the sixth “hoW”) when looking at pictures on image aggregate and micro-blogging websites.   If you feel confident that you have the correct information, rejoice!  If you have concerns, as I did for this image, then it’s time to put on the researcher hat and either confirm the attribution or find the real info.

Build Your Own Research Archive

I’ll be using more images of Sahary and discuss how I find, process, and store images in my archive. Wanna join me?  If you are interested in learning more about how to find and use images for your own research, study, and teaching, why not come join me for my talk on Saturday, March 27?

“Doing” Belly Dance History

Sat., March, 27,  2:00pm PT
90-minute Digital Seminar
plus eBook study guide

Only $20
Reserve your space

Perhaps I will see you there!
In the meantime, take care and be well!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 12, 2021

Today’s Research Tip:
Create a list of museums with digital archives to use as a starting point for conducting image research.

Image: Qajar Dancer in the act of a “Persian Snap”
Located at The Met aka  Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York – View Here

One of the tools that I use when I’m conducting research is a list of digital archives.  This includes a wide variety of websites around the globe.  What I do is visit a location, like the Met Museum where this image is stored, and I poke around a bit to get a sense of the organization of the site, what the features are, and how these features work.  The Met Museum has digitized most of its collection and it is very robust, so it’s a great place to start. 

Formulate Your Research Question

But what is there to find at an art museum that can help with belly dance history research?  Let’s take a moment to look at this painting.  You might have seen and heard the “Persian Snap.”  If you are researching the branch of Middle Eastern Dance History that includes Persian dance, you might ask yourself, “When did Persian dancers start “snapping” in this manner?”  

While this painting doesn’t indicate a start date, it does offer documentation that it was in use by dancers in the courts of Qajar era dancers around the turn of the 19th century or 1800 – 1825.  So a dance historian can say with authority that Persian dancers have been snapping in this manner since before 1800.   As you dig around, you might find more images that can support pushing that date earlier. 

Build your Own Research Tools

If you are curious about what other archives I regularly turn to, I’ll be sharing my top 20 archival sites in the study guide that accompanies my next talk.  Interested in getting this little research handbook?  Come join Sara Shrapnell and I as I share my top tips for conducting interdisciplinary history research on the subject of belly dance.

“Doing” Belly Dance History

Saturday, March, 27,  2:00 pm PT
90-minute Digital Seminar
plus eBook study guide
Only $20
Click here to reserve your spot

 

I look forward to seeing you there!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
March 8, 2021

 

 

Belly Dance Showgirl: Nejla Ates
The life and legacy of the “Turkish Delight”

Sunday, February 28th
2:00 pm PST/5:00 pm EST

$25 Includes live talk, .pdf handout & 30-day replay
Bonus – “Fabulous Fifties” ebook

Hosted by Mahin of the Bellydance Quickies
Reserve your spot

Join me on Sunday, January 28th for a history slide-show about Nejla Ates. She was the most famous Turkish belly dancer of the 1950s Nejla Ates. During this 90 minutes presentation, we’re going to be exploring her life, loves, and legacy. 

Dubbed “The Exquisite Turkish Delight.”  Nejla lived and worked in the US for 14 years. During that time, she experienced a meteoric rise to fame as she took on first Broadway, then Hollywood. We will discuss her publicity stunts, her scandalous behavior, and her appearances in tawdry magazines.  Before she left, disillusioned with the American entertainment industry.

 

 

This has been a year of creative exploration in the world of visual communication through dance.  As dancers, we’ve moved away from in-person live performances, but we’ve never stopped performing.  Dancers have taken to the leap into digital space where today’s dance shows are composed of live pieces and recorded programs.