Janie

I have been performing this wonderful art form of ours for a little over 30 years. I started Belly Dancing, Middle Eastern Dance to be more proper, back in my college days while studying for my Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration at San Jose State University, CA.. I have been dancing, since I could walk - I figure it was a past life thing. I started formal dance training with Tap and Ballroom and later ventured out into Modern Dance and Hula. But my passion is and will always be Belly Dance.

I have always done all my own costuming. Being 5'8" and no runway model, if I wanted it I had to make it. Now I am a professional Costume Designer and make my living creating beautiful things. My business is Designs By Janie. Costuming is just one part of being a vender. I sell almost anything a dancer could want, but we specialize in my Comfortable Body Stockings. The company motto is, "We sell only what we believe in.." Which means we either own it, have tested it, or make it ourselves.

Besides being a Costume Designer, I also write books. I wrote the "Dancer's Notebook" for dancers that want to be more organized. My first real book was "How to Put on a Belly Dance Workshop... Without Going Crazy." It shows every step and has check lists to keep you from forgetting anything. Examples of contracts and flyers are also included as well as contact information for over 50 of the best known workshop instructors in this art form. Last year I wrote the first booklet ever written that is completely about body stockings, "Comfortable Body Stockings: How to Use, Dye, and Embellish Them." I have two more books in the works, that I hope to have published soon.

I am have been very happily married for 30 years (to the same man). He is my partner, my nag, my advisor, and my manager. He is also our "Slave Labor" and Sound and Lights man at the Contest and Hip Fest. And now he has his own Belly Dance oriented business, "Veils by Bill" (I guess this dance finally got to him). He sells beautiful hand dyed and painted silk veils and clothing, plus fabulous rhinestone jewelry!