Studio Davina

Hello, Gang!

I recently was sent an email that asked the question,

“Why don’t you allow comments on your blog posts?”  

This isn’t the first time I have had this inquiry, so I thought I would take a moment to share my thoughts on the subject.  But first, let me begin with a little history of my website.

Davina – Online since 1996!

When I first started my website in 1996.  It first appears in the archives of the Wayback Machine in 1999 under my then domain davina.org. I couldn’t get the .com top level domain because someone had already purchased it, so I “settled” for the .org.  My website was to serve as a home for articles about belly dance costuming, sharing news about where I was heading to teach dance and costuming workshops, and my free belly dance costume ‘zine called “Costumers Notes.” I knew that websites were going to be the “Next Big Thing.”  I never knew quite HOW big it was going to be!

Davina .org and .us – a brief history

The image bar at right traces the major moments in the development of my website over the nearly 20 years it’s been in existence!  At the top, is the oldest image of a page dated from 1998. I had many fits and starts before I settled in on this lovely *ahem* brown and goldenrod hand coded website. My skills were minimal, my site tragically ugly. The few images on my site were quite tiny and widely spaced throughout the site.  We all have to start somewhere!

In 2001, the site got a makeover. After talking to a lot of people at belly dance events such as Rakkasah, Wiggles of the West, and Desert Dance Festival it became clear that I needed an easier to read, less painful to look at site, so the colors were adjusted to a less difficult, yet still rather garish, color combination, as you can see in the second image.

In 2003, we nabbed Davina.us and we started using Adobe GoLive as our layout tool (3rd down in the image bar). That same year, I moved the Costumer’s Notes ‘zine to its own domain. (Right at bottom.) Two websites created not quite twice the amount of work.  I started a mailing list, and was sending text only.

By 2011, I found juggling two websites to take far too much of my time, so I brought Costumer’s Notes back onto my website (Image 4.)  By this point, I had more than 4000 pages total between the two websites, and I knew that I needed to leave GoLive (now abandoned by Adobe,) and head over to the “Blogging Side.”  Because of the sheer amount of content, I resisted the change.

2013 the “Davina: The Blog” Begins

After much soul-searching, I decided to take the plunge.  I was working on the development of the book, The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut and it was clear that I wanted to upgrade the appearance of my site.  It’s taken a while to get out of the “article” writing mode and develop my blogging voice.  I’m not quite sure I’m there, but with every post, I’m getting closer!

So when I started the blog in 2013, I already had a pretty lively direct interaction with folks on FaceBook.  We also experienced a pounding by spammers who were filling my “comments” section up, and I found myself spending a lot of time managing the comment portion of my blog.  Something had to go give, and I needed that time back!  So I shut off the comments here, and I now encourage folks to either email me directly or to join the ongoing conversation on Facebook.

Facebook Groups – Join the Conversation

Now, in 2017, I’m still choosing to have conversations and direct interaction over on the community-driven Facebook.  At the moment, I split my time between three main groups, making regular posts, participating in conversations, and sharing lots of images.  Aside from my main page which has a mix of coffee cups, nerdy memes, and historic fashion, these are the groups where you can catch me!

Assiut Group

With over 200 members and an active and vocal community of collectors, fans, and researchers of our favorite fabric.  If you like my book, The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut, then this is the group to join! Gotta buy it now?  It’s available on Amazon.com.

Becoming a Belly Dancer – Bonus Group

The latest group we’ve started is hosted by the authors of Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage.  This new and growing community is a place to come to share information about our favorite subject, Belly Dance!  If you are thinking of picking up a copy of this amazing handbook for belly dancers, this is the perfect place to ask questions directly from the authors. Gotta buy it now? It’s available on Amazon.com.

Studio Davina: Behind the Seams

If you enjoy watching projects develop from fabric to fashion, from idea to publication and more.  This is where I share my projects in progress with my fellow costumers.  Do you sew?  Wanna share your projects?  Join us for the conversation!

Not a Facebook Fan – Email me Directly!

If you aren’t a fan of Facebook, you can find me on Instagram under the handle @davinadevine.  Or email me directly davina@davina.us with any comments, thoughts, or questions about my blog.  So while I don’t have plans on opening my posts up to comments and discussion, I wouldn’t mind hearing from you!

Here’s to Creative Costuming & Delicious Dance
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
June 27, 2017

 

 

The Costuming of Salome – Ephemera

Hello gang! I just wanted to take a moment to share with you some of my growing collection of Salome images. Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve been hunting postcards and other ephemera from the years 1890 – 1930. My goal is to trace the evolution of the image of Salome on stage, and later 0n screen. My goal is to one day write a book on the subject, and this collection will illustrate that publication. In addition, I’m also collecting images of ethnic belly dancers from around the Mediterranean as well as European and American orientalist dancers.

A Passion for Costume History

I am fascinated by the subject of Salome in early modern dance, theater, and opera costumes. Theatrical costuming, regardless of discipline, exists outside of the flow of fashion. Stage costumes, unlike daily clothing, are character defining, larger than life, and visually stunning. During the first 30 years of the 20th century, Salome’s “costume” became very codified with specific design elements that defined who she was to the audience. Dozens of different Salomes graced the stage throughout Europe, the US, and Canada. It was a cultural phenomenon!

Merch isn’t a new concept

Late 19th century entertainers recognized the potential power of the new and modern art of photography for both advertising their shows and building their personal fame. What we call “merch” today, began with theatrical cabinet cards and early postcards sold in theater lobbies. A patron of the theater could purchase a card of the cast and take it away, a keepsake and memory. These cards were produced in great quantity and saved as treasured mementos. This is a boon to historical researchers like myself, who can find them in the vintage ephemera market.

Salome in Post Cards & Ephemera

Of course, my mission will be to take these postcards and ephemera and to trace the evolution of the costume for Salome, using primary newspapers and journals for quotes about the shows, and how the spectacle of the Salome costume impacted the audience.  Over the next few weeks, I’ll be filling in a spreadsheet with names of dancers, singers, and actresses who played Salome and when and where they performed. There were hundreds!  

That’s not Salome!

One of the challenges I face as a researcher is identifying the women in these postcards.  As I populate my spreadsheet, I’m taking the time to seek out the information about this performer, the name of the play or opera, and what role she actually played.  This will allow me to separate the dancers from the singers, the Salomes from the Herodias.  Across the web, there are hundreds of misidentified images.  Not every picture that “looks” like Salome is actually her!  So when I find a postcard that appears to be Salome, but is actually a different role, I make note of that too. Sometimes, it looks like Salome and she’s actually Cleopatra in a recycled Salome costume!

Will this be a book?

Though narrow in scope, I’m finding more and more Salomes. I’ll be continuing this research project for a few more years. When I have enough images in my collection to support the growing body of research, the transformation from notes and pictures, to an illustrated book will begin.  When I look at future projects, this is a 5-7 year project from this moment. With perseverance in research, and lots of luck in finding postcards and other ephemera this will be a lovely and fun read.  In the meantime, here are a few photos from my collection to enjoy! 

To Research Projects!
Dawn Devine ~ Davina
6-20-2017

PS. Read More About Salome Today

Wanna do some research of your own check out “Sisters of Salome” by Toni Bentley,  a retired ballerina and dance researcher. Explores the lives of four women who embraced the character of Salome. Bentley explores their motivation and mindset behind the dance. She focusses on Maud Allen, Mata Hari, Ida Rubenstein & Colette. This book is filled with lots of juicy facts about these four infamous performers, and how playing the role of Salome impacted their life. Available on Amazon.com