What is a good gift for a belly dancer?

Question:

What is a good gift for a belly dancer?

My friends birthday is coming up in November and she just recently got into belly dancing. What is a good gift I can get and where can I buy it in NYC?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Well it's hard to say since I don't personally know what your friend likes or has already but here's a few suggestions that are generally good.

1. A new hip scarf. As a beginner it's helpful to have one with coins on it so that you can hear what your hips are doing as well as see it. Knowing her favorite color will help you find one she will like. You can buy them from various places... not being from New York I can't direct you to any specific shops but, many people buy online. You can find them on ebay or order them from vendors such as Dahlal International. Here's a link specifically to her hip scarves:
http://www.dahlal.com/default.aspx?n=1&c...

2. A set of Finger Cymbals (aka Zills) could be a nice gift. It recommend a small or medium size since they are easier for a beginner. Here's links to the two major manufacturers in the US:
Saroyan Mastercrafts
http://www.saroyanzils.com/onlinestore/...
Turquoise International
http://www.turquoiseintl.com/cymbals.htm...

3. If she likes reading try one of these bellydance books (many are available through national retailers such as barnes & nobel or bodrers or online through amazon):
Bellydance: A Guide to Middle Eastern Dance, Its Music, Its Culture and Costume by Keti Sharif
Bellydance by Dolphina
Snake Hips: Belly Dancing and How I Found True Love by Anne Thomas Soffee
Grandmother's Secrets: The Ancient Rituals and Healing Power of Belly Dancing by Rosina Fawzia B. Al-Rawi
Belly Dancing Basics by Laura A. Cooper
Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World by Wendy Buonaventura (highly recommended)

4. A performance or instructional VHS/DVD such as those offered through IAMED (International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance). The videos can be bought from their website or through various vendos. Ocassionally the are available on ebay or amazon.

5. A new CD. I'd recommend going with either something by Hossam Ramzy or try one by Amro Diab (sometimes spelled Amr Diab) or Hakim.

6. Prepaid lessons where she has already started or a slot at local workshop or even just take her to a local event thats going on here's a link to some local events:
bellydanceny.com/events.html

7. Take her out for diner somewhere to a middl eastern restaurant that offers bellydance perfomances. Just call around at various ones and ask if they have bellydance shows. Short shirt and a long skirt. Dignity and self respect bellybutton jewelry A Hula Hoop Gift certificte for a waxing.
Skin care products
Ab master PLUSS (gerneric term for a workout machine)
Gym membership. Please ignore the previous posts.

A hip scarf is a must have for all dancers. They are beautiful scarves decorated with coins and beads that dancers use to help isolate movements. A dancer can never have enough hipscarves :) You can find a wide selection on websites or on ebay. If you go the ebay route check the ratings on the sellers and make sure that they are based in the US (if not you'll pay a lot in shipping and it will probably get stuck in customs for a bit) How about a gift certificate? A veil would be nice!