I’m not a big fan of belly dance costumes that are any more naked than they already are, but sometimes that “naked” design details on costumes can be visually interesting and also create beautiful lines. And when I say “naked”, I mean those cut outs that show your skin or details that mimic the colour of your skin.… Read more →
A couple of months ago, I asked on Sparkly Belly’s FB group what everyone wanted to see on Sparkly Belly. And the most popular request was plus size costuming tips. So! Here are my take on plus size costuming. I focused on the 3 plus size costuming challenges I hear from Sparkly Belly readers most and used their words to… Read more →
Christmas has passed, and it’s the end of the year. How was your 2016? My 2016 was lots of learning and meeting new people online and in person. I learned many little sewing techniques while making Sparkly Belly tutorials, and I also took a business program this year. I launched new ebook, Belly Dancer in Business, and new course, Swirly… Read more →
Welcome back to Your Sparkly Wardrobe Project! 😀 Your Sparkly Wardrobe Project is a collaboration project I’m doing with a lovely dancer Mahin, she’s got a ton of experience and knowledge in belly dancing. And we are taking turns each week to show you how to make the most out of your belly dance costume wardrobe and give you fresh… Read more →
I love belly dance costumes made by Russian designers. I can easily spend half an hour scrolling through Pinterest, just getting design ideas and inspiration from gorgeous creations made by them. They are so good at creating a dramatic look. 😀 I noticed they do that by using a lot of ruffles. But not the light and soft type. They… Read more →
Welcome back to the Perfectly Fitting Costume Guide! To quickly recap, here are the last 2 parts from the Guide: Part 1: 10 Ways to Make Your Belly Dance Bra Work Part 2: 3 Perfectly Fitting Belt Tips Part 3: This post! It makes me nervous when my skirt waist is a liiiittle bit too big. It appears… Read more →
Last week I announced that the enrolment to my online Belly Dance Costume Workshop (BDCW) is opening on May 22, 2016. I’ve been receiving messages and questions from excited dancers 🙂 If you have questions about the workshop, feel free to email me at mao@sparklybelly.com. I’m happy to answer your questions, and it’s great to know what you are wondering… Read more →
The weather is getting warmer, and it’s time to think about costumes for summer performances! Or in you’re in the southern hemisphere, think about winter holiday performances 😉 Either way, now is a good time to start making costumes for the upcoming season. So in that spirit, I have 3 big announcements for you today. Announcement #1… Enrolment of the… Read more →
Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a wonderful day with your loved ones. I’m just finishing up the last bit of work here then heading off to my fiance’s parents’ place for dinner. It’ll be a good time 🙂 Before I go, I want to quickly share with you some photos. I often receive photos of beautiful creations by dancers, and… Read more →
Since it’s nearing the end of this year, my fiance Navid and I went for a nice dinner together last weekend to chat about our achievements from this year. We did this last year too, and these dinners are great opportunities to reflect on what we love doing, what and whom we appreciate in life, and how fortunate we are.… Read more →