Originally Posted by belly_dancer

ok... I think (one!!) of my questions will be...
tell us about your last show... did it (as I imagine?!?!) contain dances from different regions??? how did you...

A. writes- The show did contain dances from different regions as well as 5 belly dances.

*decide on costume design (what are your methods of research?!)

A. writes- I design all group costumes for all of our shows, as well as my own solo costumes. In this last show, the company did a Saidi style skit. The skit was done as an old fashioned movie style thingy and I costumed all the background dancers and drummers in full Assuit with skinny white velvet sashes at our hips. The principle female dancer was in an Assuit belly dance style costume with a metal bra and belt made of teir tier and antique silver beads in long but sparse fringe. The male lead wore typical Saidi clothing, big, full light blue gelabiyeh, white scarf at neck, grey long sleeved under shirt and full white shalwar, and sandals. On his head an Egyptian style fez with a dollar bill sticking out on the side as we were doing that Saidi song about the guy complaining about having to spend so much money on his woman. Let's see, we also did a Jeel techno song that was an old Nubian folkloric song put to techno music. I dressed the girls in a "fakeloric" costume for a fusion style dance using basic Nubian movements in a stage setting. The costume was a skirt and veil in one, so that the skirt was made very long and ended up curling around to become their head dress. ( Hard to explain but very fun to wear!!) They also had on leotards and the costumes were black with either pink or yellow hip scarf and pom-poms at the side of the face and on the ankle. The veil was attached to the right hand as well since it played an active role in the dance. We also did a Debke in Palestinian dress with white or black scarves, shalwar and boots. This is the typical costume for Palestinian Debke as my company learned it from Dina and Mohammed Hamideh, of Jafra Dance Company. We narrate each show so the audience knows exactly what is going on and if it is fusion or authentic folkloric, etc.
We also presented a modern Samri with me in a modern version of a party dress cum ball gown that was a gift from a gentleman from Abu Dhabi. Another member did Raqs Assaya in a white and black striped fitted Beledi style dress, small black sash and lace cap ala Fifi ABdou. Another member danced Beledi to Tamra Henna, with our narrator translating the song in advance. We also did a Ghawazi duet and modern costume with Taaj, fringe vest, leotards and the big fringe skirts with the "tubing" at the hip, and necklace of course!
We did 4 Egyptian belly dances to very different types of music and Mark danced Iraqi and Lebanese belly dance.

&.... do you pick out a few & let the group decide... or do you just tell em???

A. writes-I make all final decisions, even down to jewelry. However, I usually let the dancer choose their solo costumes. Sometimes I make adjustments, such as the Assaya dancer wanted to wear the white striped thobe with coin belt and a different head dress. I told her I would prefer this other look and I have final say. She looked great. I make all decisions and usually design the costumes for all group numbers. I want to create an overall feel for the show and costuming is a big part of that.

*who pays for

A. writes- It depends. Usually the dancers in the company buy and own their own belly dance stuff, although we do borrow from each other, too. We each own our own assuit except one of us. I own tons of stuff from years of collecting it, such as four full Ghawazi costumes two modern and two traditional, countless thobes and gelabiyehs, tons of jewelry, 8-10 tradtional thobes from the Gulf, some Saudi outer garb, etc. For dance company costumes that are going to be owned by the company, we usually all chip in, and all of that stuff is stored at my house so it is not spread all over. We have it in our by-laws that when a dancer leaves the group, she forfeits all company owned property.


who makes

A. writes- Whoever is available to sew, usually under my direction.

who keeps
the costumes??

A. writes- The dancers and our announcer keep their own stuff, and I have the company costumes at my house.

in smaller shows... how do you account for costuming inaccuracies?!?
(as in there is NO budget for (whatever) so we will be wearing (whatever) even though they do not quite mesh?)......

A. writes- We find the least expensive example of what we are aiming for and go with that. There are some things that are absolutely necessary for certain authentic dances and we make sure to have that stuff and then we do our best.

Regards,
A'isha

gosh.. have SOOOO many more ???? but am at work... so all thought is done in "spurts"!!!!!
sure I will have more ??? later!!!
whhheeeeee soooo glad you have agreed to a costume thread... almost as fun as actually dancing!!!

Originally Posted by Azeeza

Originally Posted by Azeeza