Versatile Dance Studios

Free online belly Dancing lessons?

I herd of one like Ivillage.com but i need to no more movies by video!!

I'd recommend taking actual lessons from a live instructor. There are so many things you just don't get from a video whether it's a free online video or a $50 video. To really learn you need someone to show you the correct way/safe way to do the moves. When you teach yourself you can end up doing things that could cause injury either temporary or permanent and the injuries may manifest imediately or they may be ones that develop over years of doing a movement wrong. Besides your own safety you also miss out on a lot of the other things that make classes so great such as learning more about various local dancers and local history and current events. You miss out on the sense of comradery and sisterhood that often grows in the classroom setting. All videos, books, websites, magaizes, articles, etc... are meant to supplement classroom learning. They are not a substitute for a live instructor. However once you understand at least the basic moves and fundamental mechanics of the technique you could learn from videos because you will know already how to execute the moves safely. I have included a short list of resources you may find helpful. The first section is a list of sites that have really good directories for finding local instructors and classes. After that is a list of various resources that may help you learn bellydance but, remember they are meant as supplement.

WEBSITES (for learning moves on-line)
http://www.middleeasterndance.net - my own site look under the movements section, there will be enough to keep you busy for a long time. Also please read the before you begin section with the disclaimer, warm-up, cool-down, and basics about posture.
http://www.shira.net - Shira's site is an extensive collection of articles written about and for bellydancers and can provide you with a wealth of information that will be very beneficial. It's one of the oldest and most respected sites on the Internet and is referenced by bellydancers world-wide. She has a specific page which tells you how to do some moves as well as extensive links to other sites that offer on-line lessons as well.
http://www.venusbellydance.com/vocabulary.htm - More movement descriptions.
http://www.aleena.com/miramar/ - go to on-line dance lessons there are several articles about dancing there.
http://www.zilltech.com/onlinelessons.htm - Another old, well, respected website full of information you should check out. She offers a few instructions for several basic moves.
http://www.kawakib.com/page-30.html - more of a technique lesson but might be helpful after learning some basics.
http://www.raqs.co.nz/moves.html - has some descriptions of select movements.

BOOKS
Belly Dancing Basics by Laura A. Cooper (ISBN: 140271078X) - newer book, not great but not bad either.
The Art of Belly Dancing by Dahlena with Dona Z. Meilach - This book is out of print but shows up on amazon and e-bay from time to time. It's ok but it's written for a different time the history part is especially questionable but the moves are pretty straight forward.
Grandmother's Secrets by Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi (ISBN: 1566563267) - An interesting read has several descriptions of dance moves as well.
A lot of books have been coming on the market recently and most of them (excluding out of print books) are available at Barnes and Nobel or borders books as well as other chains and smaller stores.

ON-LINE INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS
http://www.trybellydancing.com/ - Like a mini instructional video available online. It's not bad quality.
http://www.expertvillage.com/interviews/egyptian-belly-dancing.htm Several mini instructional segments on various moves as well as zills, costuming, and musicality.
http://bellyrolls.com/howtopage.html - more mini on-line instructionals. The video quality is a little poorer and not is clear to see but the instructional quality is decent.

VIDEOS
Precision Motion Workout Series by Suzanna Del Vecchio - offers good posture basics as well as quality instruction on many moves.
Bellydance for Fitness Series by Neena and Veena Bidasher - this series is very cheap and available from major retailers like target, walmart, borders, and Barnes and Nobel but the quality of instruction is low. This is more of a workout for beginner dancers who already have had some training. The videos are a good quality as far as picture and sound but these are not good for an absolute beginner.
If you have any questions about bellydancing, please feel free to contact me through my site:

http://www.middleeasterndance.net

1 Learn basic posture for tribal fusion belly dance