What was your first belly dance costume? - Page 4

da Sage · 01-25-2008, 03:12 AM

Chani, I think pink/fushia cotton would be fine. As for the silver trim, leave it 'til last, and lay it over the pieces you have finished (with the belt and necklace) to see if it looks right to you. If it looks wrong, maybe you can score some gold or colored trim on sale. *crosses fingers*

Farasha Hanem · 01-25-2008, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sedoniaraqs

I sewed my first belly dance costume out of silk that I had dyed myself. It consisted of harem pants and a maching peasant style top (both from Atira patterns -- anyone remember those?) made of heavy 20mm silk charmeuse and dyed a deep moss green. The quality of this fabric was about the only good thing about the costume. The peasant top had silk gauze sleeves dyed to match. I have a picture of myself at work and if I get brave I may show it.

With this I wore a wispy multipanel skirt made of silk gauze dyed a bronzy gold. Silk gauze is very hard to work with so this turned out a little funny. It had 3 circular panels, but ended up looking like three skinny strings hanging around me.

Over this I wore a white hip scarf with gold coins and bead that I purchased from the Kismet Belly dance store in Salt Lake City. I thought their boutique was the bomb, but of course compared to Dahlal's warehouse today it was nothing.

The over all look was some kind of wierd blend of American Vintage belly dance (ala Artemis' use of the term), hippie granola, and west coast tribal which was mostly what was being done in Salt Lake at that time. Hey, maybe I was tribaret before there was tribaret!

I should add that at this time (and it wasn't eons ago, only 10 years), costume vendors vended mostly cheap metal mesh/fake coin stuff (which I smartly avoided), cost-less real costume coin costumes (outrageously expensive but beautiful; still want one today), and imported Egyptian bedlah with ill-fitting pointy cupped bras with outrageous amounts of fringe, and equally fringe-laden belts that would never fit your butt because they weren't shaped. These bedlahs were worn with multi-tier petal skirts with sequin flowers and trimed in paillettes -- these ensembles would pretty much make one our UBDC lists today, but it was the cream of the cream back then, at least in my corner of the world. I guess Egyptian high-end designers like Madame Abla were making costumes for Morocco and other dancers who went to Egypt, but these were not available off the rack anywhere.

I knew nothing about stage makeup (other than alot was supposed to be used) and of course the ensemble was topped off with a bindi on my forehead. Because bindis have so much to do with Middle Eastern dance, don'cha know.

They say confession is good for the soul....

Sedonia

*is SOOOOOOOO embarrassed, but laughing sooooooo hard because Miss Butterfly Lady bought TWO packages of bindi today!* Boy, I'm such a newbie bellydancer!

Yeah, I think I know that women from India are the ones who wear bindi, but I've seen American bellydancers wear them, and figured maybe it was an AmCab thing. Besides, I couldn't resist; they were just so purdy!

I've already posted a thread about my new first costume, so if you missed it, and wanna see it, go look now!

d

Shanazel · 01-25-2008, 04:42 AM

NOT Am Cab!!!

I categorically deny it!

(Fake coins, sure; bindi, never!)

What a lovely sense of humor you have, Farasha Butterfly Lady! I've learned it is always best to laugh at myself- I get to laugh so often that way.

Farasha Hanem · 01-26-2008, 01:06 AM

*smiles* Thank you, Shanazel.

In my short 46 years, I've learned that it's always best to admit when you make a mistake, and if it wasn't a seriously bad mistake that has hurt yourself or someone else, try to find the humor in the situation, and have a good laugh.

We all do things to embarrass ourselves from time to time (I'll probably embarrass myself BIG time tomorrow! oO; ), but if we can just laugh and not take ourselves so seriously, others will see it and remember that we're all human.

I can hardly wait to wear my new costume tomorrow at our first performance!

I'll try and post pics (hope someone gets our performance on video).

Oh, gee, I just thought; what am I gonna do with all those bindi? o_O;

Shanazel · 01-26-2008, 04:54 AM

Put 'em all over your arms and legs and pretend to have chicken pox?

Farasha Hanem · 01-27-2008, 01:37 AM

Sparkly chicken pox!!

I just came back from my first public performance; I'm so excited (more about it in another thread)! The ladies from the other two troupes who danced with us were wonderful. Most of them have been dancing for like 5-10 years, but some of them were wearing bendi! *scratches head* I did have the passing thought, "Gee, if I'd worn my bendi, I wouldn't have been an oddball," but I guess the situation kind of reminds me of what my grandmother used to ask me: "If all your friends were jumping off a cliff, would you do it, too?"

Brea · 01-30-2008, 06:31 PM

My first costume was racy because my first teacher believed that BD costumes should be. I wore a ton of silver coinage, a black bra, black panties, and a black fringed shawl around my hips. And I performed in it, yes I did *shudders*!!!!

belly_dancer · 01-30-2008, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanazel

NOT Am Cab!!!

I categorically deny it!

(Fake coins, sure; bindi, never!)

What a lovely sense of humor you have, Farasha Butterfly Lady! I've learned it is always best to laugh at myself- I get to laugh so often that way.

YEP... definitely NOT AmCAb.....
sounds like something those tribal girls would do!!!

RioDancerCO · 01-30-2008, 09:26 PM

I think bindis are a bit of a toss up. They are NOT Middle Eastern, but you will see them worn by non-professional dancers enough that you're not likely to be yelled at for it. You could make a very small case for the overlap of Middle Eastern culture and that of India due to the spread of Islam, but I don't know how convincing it would be

I've also seen women wear bindis as eye accents which somehow seems to work better since it doesn't put two cultures in as direct a conflict. The picture I attached is from my first American Cabaret performance. I still enjoy this costume (though I've had to alter it since I'm not quite that tiny anymore!)

Shanazel · 01-31-2008, 03:54 PM

If that picture was taken at Marjorie's studio in Cheyenne, I do believe we have met, Rio Dancer- that was one of the coolest costumes I'd seen in a long time.

01-30-2008, 06:31 PM	#37 (permalink)
Brea V.I.P. Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA Posts: 1,283	My first costume was racy because my first teacher believed that BD costumes should be. I wore a ton of silver coinage, a black bra, black panties, and a black fringed shawl around my hips. And I performed in it, yes I did shudders!!!! __________________ www.breamorgiane.com

01-30-2008, 09:26 PM	#39 (permalink)
RioDancerCO Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Colorado Posts: 74	I think bindis are a bit of a toss up. They are NOT Middle Eastern, but you will see them worn by non-professional dancers enough that you're not likely to be yelled at for it. You could make a very small case for the overlap of Middle Eastern culture and that of India due to the spread of Islam, but I don't know how convincing it would be I've also seen women wear bindis as eye accents which somehow seems to work better since it doesn't put two cultures in as direct a conflict. The picture I attached is from my first American Cabaret performance. I still enjoy this costume (though I've had to alter it since I'm not quite that tiny anymore!) Attached Thumbnails __________________ Rio

01-25-2008, 03:12 AM	#31 (permalink)
da Sage V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: MN Posts: 1,108	Chani, I think pink/fushia cotton would be fine. As for the silver trim, leave it 'til last, and lay it over the pieces you have finished (with the belt and necklace) to see if it looks right to you. If it looks wrong, maybe you can score some gold or colored trim on sale. crosses fingers

01-25-2008, 04:42 AM	#33 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,654	NOT Am Cab!!! I categorically deny it! (Fake coins, sure; bindi, never!) What a lovely sense of humor you have, Farasha Butterfly Lady! I've learned it is always best to laugh at myself- I get to laugh so often that way.

01-26-2008, 01:06 AM	#34 (permalink)
Farasha Hanem Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the heartland of the USA Posts: 615	smiles Thank you, Shanazel. In my short 46 years, I've learned that it's always best to admit when you make a mistake, and if it wasn't a seriously bad mistake that has hurt yourself or someone else, try to find the humor in the situation, and have a good laugh. We all do things to embarrass ourselves from time to time (I'll probably embarrass myself BIG time tomorrow! oO; ), but if we can just laugh and not take ourselves so seriously, others will see it and remember that we're all human. I can hardly wait to wear my new costume tomorrow at our first performance! I'll try and post pics (hope someone gets our performance on video). Oh, gee, I just thought; what am I gonna do with all those bindi? o_O;

01-26-2008, 04:54 AM	#35 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,654	Put 'em all over your arms and legs and pretend to have chicken pox?

01-27-2008, 01:37 AM	#36 (permalink)
Farasha Hanem Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: In the heartland of the USA Posts: 615	Sparkly chicken pox!! I just came back from my first public performance; I'm so excited (more about it in another thread)! The ladies from the other two troupes who danced with us were wonderful. Most of them have been dancing for like 5-10 years, but some of them were wearing bendi! scratches head I did have the passing thought, "Gee, if I'd worn my bendi, I wouldn't have been an oddball," but I guess the situation kind of reminds me of what my grandmother used to ask me: "If all your friends were jumping off a cliff, would you do it, too?"

01-31-2008, 03:54 PM	#40 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 4,654	If that picture was taken at Marjorie's studio in Cheyenne, I do believe we have met, Rio Dancer- that was one of the coolest costumes I'd seen in a long time.