One of the highlights of my year is participating in the steampunk event Clockwork Alchemy. This year, the convention has moved to a new season of the year, a new date, and even moved to a new hotel!
Clockwork Alchemy 2025 Grand Bay Hotel SF Redwood City, CA
October 24-26, 2025 Visit the Website
Clockwork Alchemy hosts a belly dance show each year, and this year, the theme is “Dark Fantasy.” This is the perfect theme for performers interested in dark circus, dance macabre, and every shape and form of goth.
I look forward to working with the team to set up this dance show. If you’re interested in finding out more about this dance show, with opportunities to sign for a performance slot, sign up and watch for the August newsletter.
Perhaps I’ll see you there? ~ Dawn Devine ~ Davina Aug. 2025
If you’re local to me or will be in town on November 8, 2025, join us for a day of music and dance. We’ve landed the space and booked our DJ. Let’s have a dance party.
For more information, visit our event website and sign up for our newsletter. Our production group, BABDAMA (Bay Area Belly Dance and Music Association), sends out 4-6 notices in the coming months as details unfold. And if you want to sign up for a dance opportunity, the details are sent out in our newsletter.
I hope to see you there this fall, Dawn Devine ~ Davina July 2025
Belly Dance Mini-Magazine:
Taking the Newsletter in New Directions
This summer, we’ve decided to spend some quality time working on the Belly Dance Mini-Magazine. In the spring, I polled the Studio Davina Facebook group. Almost unanimously, the group voted for “Themed Issues,” but there was also a large number of folks who voted for “Regular Departments.”
For me, this felt like a mandate from the community for more quality content organized in an efficient and better way. This is the result.
“Focus on …”
We’ve chosen to create a collection of mini-articles and links to related content and call it “Focus on…” The first in this series is about legendary Mata Hari, notorious spy, courtesan, and dancer. Her career spanned the decade between 1905 – 1914, pausing at the start of WWI.
“Focus On…”
Curated Video, Articles, Publications
For this first “Focus On…” piece, I intentionally chose to share a variety of different information types for different newsletter readers. Included in this section are links to primary source materials, biographical videos, informative and well researched articles, historic and modern book recommendations.
Upcoming “Focus On…” subjects include particular dates, styles, props, and, like Mata Hari, focus on specific dancers. My main mission is to share quality information. This new segment allows me to share from the wide variety of images and links from my historical research.
Regular Monthly Topics
In addition to the monthly special feature, I’m honing in on a series of regular monthly topics. Much like a fashion magazine that includes columns on beauty, fashion, and travel, my goal is to create a regular list based on subscribers’ tastes.
During the second month of the year, I’m experimenting and brainstorming with my Facebook Group to dial in a good set of 8-10 topics to share each month. It’s going to be a fun project that will make the newsletter more entertaining and informative.
If you haven’t signed up for the “Belly Dance Mini-Magazine” yet, use the link below. Keep scrolling and click through the image below to read the entire July 2025 newsletter.
Thanks for joining me for this adventure in belly dance costume and history!
