Farasha Hanem

Does a bellydance skirt or harem pants have to fit below the navel? In the first place, I'm short, and the harem pants I bought last night comes up over my navel, which I prefer, because in the second place, I have a hideous vertical scar from my C-sections. Do I have to show my bellybutton?

Shanazel

I have never seen it written in stone that one must flash one's belly button in order to dance. (Samia Gamal managed to dance beautifully in covered costumes, after all.) You have the option of wearing a powernet body stocking under your bedlah if you want to wear the lower cut and still hide the scar, or you can wear a full dress that covers everything from throat to ankle and still look beautiful. I would avoid a bunch of gathered fabric right at the waist- if you want your skirts higher, fit the top of the skirt to your hips rather than letting it bell out from the waist like a 1950's crinoline.

nightdancer

There are no hard and fast, "you MUST do this..." rules regarding costuming. However, for your isolations, etc, it may prohibit them being seen. Harem pants are easy to make shorter in the waist, and also, there are a good many ways to disguise your scar. Dermablend is a cosmetic specifically made for just that. Also, costuming is very easy to assist this. This is the top that I am remaking right now. Its really easy to use fringe and beading to help hide what we do not want noticed. Also, there are many many women out there with "tiger stripes" (my youngest called my stretch marks "tiger stripes" not too long ago", scars, etc. I promise that you are not alone in having it, nor are you alone in preferring it stay quiet *smiles* Ultimately, it is about your comfort level and what makes you feel good about dance.

Attached Thumbnails

 

janaki

Hi Farasha,
Hope this clip answers your question. Wear your costume the most comfortable way possible for yourself. Having a bare midriff shows the belly moves better and hip belt accentuates it more. But if you see Samia in these clips she is wearing both harem pants and the skirt quite high up. Turkish dancers also wear costumes very high on the waist, although many costumes are too risque!!!

nightdancer

The bracket's not closed, J.

Farasha Hanem

"Powernet body stocking"? Where do I get one of those?

I wish hiding my scar with Dermablend would be that simple. Unfortunately, the way my scar is, it wouldn't work. My scar formed...oh, what do doctors call it? A "keloid"? In other words, the scar goes deep, and the flesh around it kind of pooches out, so that my stomach looks like I have another "butt." You can't even see my navel anymore because the scar starts at the base of the navel. I'm not overweight, I know, but my belly isn't flat, hasn't been since my first C-section. I constantly have customers at work asking me if I'm pregnant, or "When are you expecting?" It happens so often that it's no longer funny, and really hurts my feelings, because I had a tubal ligation after my second child, so a person asking me if I'm pregnant is actually (if unknowingly) pointing out the fact that I look "fat." I hate having this be such a big issue with myself, and I want to improve my self-image, especially since I'll probably never have the money to get a tummy tuck.

Since I started taking bellydance classes, though, I have lost about 5 or 6 pounds, and feel better physically than I have since before having kids. I love the new costume I bought; it doesn't make me look half-bad, and covers up what I don't want to show.

Thank you, Shanazel and nghtdancer for your advice; you are both so sweet. *hugs*

Oops, hi, Janaki! I'll check out your clip right now; thank you, too! *hugs*

nightdancer

http://forum.orientaldancer.net/danc...sh-bodies.html


Hope that helps

Farasha Hanem

Thank you, nightdancer. I'm thinking about opening up a PayPal account so I can shop on-line. I put your link in my Favorites; thanks again!

Shanazel

I get my powernet from Sugarpetals, and unlike Kathy on the mesh thread, I like the denseness because I am out to conceal my own tiger stripes and bunny bulges. They are a bit pricey, but I have two and consider it money well spent. If you have a serger, they would be easy enough to copy, being only two pieces of net serged together along a couple of seams.

Farasha Hanem

Can you get the net at Hancock's?