New Pants!

I now make sure to nicely point my toes even when taking sloppy pictures at home.

This blog hadn't really been living up to its name lately, so here's a picture of some new dance pants! I actually bought these primarily for costuming my steampunk persona, a saloon girl turned world traveler, but I have a feeling they'll make it into my dance costuming rotation too, even if only for wearing to Ren Faire on a warm day or to a workshop when I feel like being cute. For that matter, they might come with me to Tribal Fest, they'd easily go from workshop to hanging out, especially paired with some over-the-knee socks and a pair of cool boots.

I don't buy dance pants as often as I used to, now that I'm no longer taking weekly classes at Plaza de Anaya, where I was constantly tempted by new arrivals. I do spend a lot of time looking at pants on places like Etsy, and I found these cuties on Dahlal while I was looking for something to go with a troupe costume. Lately I try to only buy something if I need it for a specific performance or if it fills a gaping hole in my wardrobe. In this case, I needed some more things to mix and match for steampunk and these fit my character and were a good price, so I let myself indulge.

And with all the cleaning I've done, I might even be able to fit them in the costume closet!

So far...

Pretty picture by Liora K Photography

So, here we are, one week into the new year. How are things going so far? Not too bad. I don't think I'm quite up to full-time yet, but I am definitely doing more dance stuff, and better dance stuff. I'm thinking actively about why I do the things I do, examining my motivations and seeing what benefit I get from doing things. I'm writing this stuff down, so that when I get into a "Why bother?" sort of funk, I can remind myself. Of course, I can't take full credit for these ideas, Jolie told me to write that stuff down, and I had a good conversation with Mahin about always knowing why you are doing what you're doing (whether it's going to class or accepting a gig). I am really fortunate to have more experienced dancers share their hard-earned wisdom with me!

I've also been examining the stuff that I own. Later this month I will be hauling a bunch of my old costumes up to Phoenix for Yasmina's Bellydance Swap Meet. I've been pretty mercenary in choosing things to sell. Originally it was just going to be stuff that didn't fit or didn't really suit my style of dance, but I'm also selling some things that I genuinely like but haven't worn in two or more years. And I'm going to be cutting apart some things that I don't wear and don't think are worth selling either. It will be nice to have more room in my dance closet, and more money to buy things at Tribal Fest. The two may seem mutually exclusive, but if I sell TEN things at the swap meet and use that money to buy TWO really nice things at TF, I still end up with more room. Especially if I buy jewelry instead of costumes!

Yesterday was my first chance to actually do some bellydance drills and it felt great. Of course, I had to deal with the fact that I wanted to practice everything and didn't have enough time. The fact that I wanted to do so many more things makes me confident that as I get my schedule ironed out, I will have no problem filling hours with dance practice.

I also went back to Ballet class yesterday. I've been going sporadically over the holidays, but I really enjoy it. The class is small enough that I get individual, hands-on corrections, and the other dancers are really friendly. I'm hoping to take ballet at least two times a week and I think once I'm attending regularly, I will see a lot of improvement. 

It's time for another talk about bras

Let's talk about bras, shall we? Over a year ago I wrote this post about my love-hate relationship with bras. But I'm not here today to discuss whether or not bras should remain part of the bellydance costuming wardrobe (I have a feeling they're hear to stay, you can't fight decades of tradition), but instead to talk about how if you're going to do something, you should do it right.

I spend a lot of time on Pinterest and Etsy, and that means I have seen a lot of downright lousy bellydance bras up for sale. I'm willing to forgive a newbie for performing in a crappy-looking bra, because we all had to start somewhere and heavens know my first two tribal bras were nothing to be proud of but at the time I thought they were amazing. But if you're going to try to sell your handiwork, you should take the time and effort to make sure that you're offering up a good product. Here's a list of DOs and DON'Ts:

-DO use a good bra with sturdy, structured cups.

-DON'T use a cheap, floppy bra or a bathing suit top.

-DO replace the existing straps with something attractive, strong and adjustable.

-DON'T leave the original straps in place. Note: If you only have photos of the front of the bra, with the straps tucked inside the cups, I'm going to automatically assume that you're doing this to hide the fact that you used the original straps and didn't cover the back strap.

-DON'T use something flimsy for the straps like thin ribbon, shoe laces or puny elastic.

-DO cover the bra with beautiful fabrics like stretch velvet, embroidered brocades and vintage assuit.

-DON'T cover the bra with t-shirt material or that really cheap, nasty panne velvet from JoAnn's.

-DO drape the fabric nicely or get really professional and actually do it right by cutting out a proper pattern for covering a bra.

-DON'T just drape it every-which way, with weird darts at random places.

-DO embellish it with an exciting variety of real coins, vintage lace, cool charms, textured chains and other awesome finds.

-DON'T use nothing but beads and charms from Michael's. Sure, every now and then you can sneak in a cool piece you found at the craft store, but you've got to have some high-quality things around it.

-DON'T use those cheap Mardi Gras beads. Gross.

-DON'T make embellishments that look like nipples.

-DO provide accurate sizing information.

-DO line it, preferably with something that can be easily removed and replaced when it gets gross.

-DON'T glue everything together. Use a needle and thread like a grown-up seamstress.

-DON'T make the mistake of thinking you can use your sewing machine.

Are there any points you'd like to add to this list? Any exceptions you think should be made?

A Raging Case of the Wants

I want this vest by Kathleen Crowley, among other things. Lots of other things.

Here's a normal exchange between my husband and I while running errands:

Me: "Anyplace else we should go while we're out?"

Him: "No, there's nothing I really need or want."

I just don't understand that. I mean yeah, my needs are pretty well-met, I have everything necessary to lead a cozy life and all I have to do is go out to replace things as they get used up or worn out. But wants? Man oh man, there's always something I want. Many things that I want, actually.

That vest up there is just one piece of costuming that I want. Never mind that most of my performances are with Fire & Gold Bellydance, so I have to wear my troupe costumes. There's always a new pair of dance pants or a new skirt catching my eye, causing me to daydream about what I would wear it with. Sometimes it wouldn't even go with anything I already have.

And then there's makeup. I can't go into Sephora or Ulta without seeing some new palette or color of lip tar that I want. Even walking by the cosmetics department at Target causes me to hone in on new colors of nail polish, despite the fact that I haven't even worn most of the colors I already have.

Supplies? Well, let's see, I've been doing beadwork for over 15 years. I have a decade and a half worth of indulgences piled up in my collection, beads I HAD to have and still haven't figured out a use for. Before I even started sewing, I'd go out for fabric to cover a bra and buy things for future sewing projects.

Jewelry is a big downfall. If I added up all the money I spent on cheap bangles, rings and earrings in my first couple of years as a dancer, it would definitely be enough to have purchased a couple of high-quality pieces instead. Now most of it goes unworn because it looks tawdry against my more professional costumes.

Lately I've been trying to keep myself under control. No more nail polish until I throw out some of my old stuff. No cheap jewelry unless it's something I'll actually wear in normal life. No beads until gem show in February. No fabric unless I need it for a troupe costume. But that doesn't stop me from wanting. And it doesn't stop me from buying things that aren't on the forbidden list (hello, new eye palettes and sweaters).

I'm not greedy, by the way. My list of wants includes things that I want to buy for other people. I always see things and think "Oh, that would be perfect for so-and-so." I start bookmarking things well in advance of birthdays and holidays, so that when the time comes I can choose between them and then use the rest as recommendations for people who come to me for ideas.

How about you? Are you content with what you have, or do you have an Etsy favorites list a mile long, just waiting for the day you win the lottery?

Happy Halloween!

My costume from 2011

 

Happy Halloween! I love Halloween because it's an excuse to dress up, which is also one of the reasons why I love to be a bellydancer. Tucson is a pretty casual town so there's not a lot of chance to really dress up. You can go to some of the best restaurants in the city and still find people in shorts and a t-shirt. How boring is that? Give me a chance to wear something other than my usual clothes and I jump at it.

 

I have dance class tonight, and I'm going to dress as a skeleton. Not very clever, but I already had the bone-print leggings and I felt like I couldn't get away with being some sort of dryad or fairy for the third year in a row. I hope that others show up to class in costume, too!

LVBDI Performance Video

I have to tell you all, I am really excited about this video! My first out of state performance, my first solo at a bellydance festival, and my first time investing in a professional video! It makes me feel really good about where I am in my dance journey.

I always hesitate to say that I feel good about my dance, because I worry that people will see it as bragging and use it as an excuse to try to tear me down. Believe me, I know I have room for improvement, there are a couple of things in this video that I wish I hadn't done. But I feel like I am where I should be right now. I am neither lagging behind, nor rushing ahead blindly. I am making clear progress, and that is a really good feeling.

Oh yeah, and I made my bra and belt! I'm pretty happy about that too :) I used pre-made beaded fringe because doing that much fringe manually would drive me crazy, but I added some extra fringe dangles made from genuine freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals, and Czech glass beads. It's nice to be able to raid my bead stash to add some special touches to my costuming.

Do It Yourself

Purty close-up of one of my first bra projects

 

When I was first thinking of trying bellydance back in the late 90s, I remember that my Mom found a website called "Learn to Dance, Learn to Sew." As far as I can tell, it doesn't exist anymore, but that catchy and accurate title has stuck in my head for all these years. The two really do go hand-in-hand.

 

Of course, you don't have to sew as a dancer. I know plenty of dancers who buy all of their costumes, either off-the-rack or paying a designer to make it for them. But there's a certain satisfaction that comes from making something yourself. The bra above is very distinctly "me", from the brown and green color scheme to the trim that I bought on vacation in NY to the coins given to me by my first dance teacher. The Swarovski sequins on the trim? I added those myself. I bought the sequins at my gem show job. The green stone dangles? From a necklace I cut apart.

 

Doing it yourself is not without its hazards, however. For instance, I poke myself with needles and pins quite a bit. And while before, I just hoarded beads and jewelry making supplies, now I'm amassing piles of fabric, saris, trim, appliques, Turkoman buttons and whatever else I think I can work into a costume. I have a backlog of costuming projects that will keep me busy for the rest of the year, and only one of them is a troupe project, the rest is just stuff that I want to make.

I'm working on a gorgeous olivine bra and belt set now... I'll post some in-progress pictures soon!

Dress For The Job You Want

They say dress for the job you want, not the job you have, so I dress like a faerie whenever I can.

I think one of the hardest parts of transitioning from amateur to pro is investing in good, professional costuming. Although it's more important to be a highly skilled dancer with great performance skills, audiences and clients are still going to expect you to look the part as well, and that means retiring your student recital clothes and dressing up a bit more.

It's especially hard for a Tribal Fusion dancer to know what to buy. The internet has plenty of advice for Egyptian-style dancers looking to start restaurant gigs -- buy a silver or gold bedlah and a couple different colored skirts, then as you make more money buy a second bedlah, now you have tons of mix and match options -- but Tribal costuming is a little less straight-forward. You have to find something that fits your style of dance, your personality, and your budget.

This costume by Anaya Tribal is a pretty good example of a good investment for a pro just starting out. I can wear the bra/belt set and skirt together, or I can pair the set with a green skirt or pants, put them over a 25 yard skirt to go old school, wear them with a bustle for steampunk, or throw on those wings and be a faerie. Likewise, since the skirt is a nice neutral brown, I could wear it with various green tops, or something in ivory or turquoise.

So here's my hard-earned tips, from one budding pro to those who come after me:

1. Quality over quantity. I have piles and piles of cheap bangles and huge earrings. If I had saved that money instead, I could invest in some gorgeous Taureg jewelry. Once you decide to go pro, stop buying the cheap stuff and set your dollars aside to buy something nice at the next festival.

2. But you don't have to buy the most expensive thing. One of the things that I wanted when I went to Tribal Fest was a spiky bracelet that actually fit. There were gorgeous antique real-silver ones for hundreds and hundreds of dollars... and a cheap white metal one that fit perfectly and was only $30something. Guess what? Most people in the audience won't know the difference. Someday when I'm a big shot I'll invest in the real thing, but this one will serve me well for now.

3. Before you buy something, think of what it will go with. Do you already have something at home that it will match? Does it fit in with the mental image of the next costume you want to make? It doesn't matter how awesome a pair of dance pants is if you have nothing to wear them with (I'm hoping this one will sink in for me eventually).

4. Make whatever you can. I already know how to make bras and belts and I'm learning to sew with an actual machine now, too. Doing your own sewing will save you some money and also allow you to have more customization in your look.

5. Look for luxurious and awesome materials. Velvet and lace are elegant. Metallics are hot right now. Vintage pieces and things that look vintage automatically make you look fancier. Put out the word that you want peoples' old costume jewelry. You'll got a lot of junk but also a lot of nifty stuff that can be repurposed. Necklaces can easily become belly-drapes. Brooches can be pinned onto a bra or belt. Cut things up for their beads. Speaking of cutting things up, you can cut up tacky old dresses and use the beaded fabric for decorating your bras. Go forth and hit the thrift stores.

6. Buy versatile basics. While we may not be able to fall back on a metallic bedleh and colorful chiffon skirts, we can buy good basics that can be accessorized for different looks. For instance, I bought a pair of velvet and lace pants in teal and emerald. Depending on how I accessorize them, they can either be plain ol' Tribal Fusion-y, faeriesque or mermaidish. A basic black skirt could go vampy, Victorian Goth, elegant and modern, or serve as the base for bright colors.

7. Get a second opinion. Sometimes it's good to consult with your teacher/mentor, or a dance friend, or a random person who's in the booth with you. They can give you an idea of how flattering, practical, or awesome something is before you buy.

8. Watch out for dated looks. Fringe belts and yarn dreads are mostly out. Almost no one performs in Melos and a crop-top anymore. Like all fashion, bellydance styles come and go, and while an audience of the General Public might not know the difference, the audience at a bellydance festival will.

Do you have any other tips you'd like to share for building a good Tribal Fusion wardrobe? Share it in the comments!

A Feminist Message from Liora K and Sophia Ravenna

While I was at Liora K Photography's studio on Saturday she asked if I would like to pose for a feminist photo too, and I said yes! It was something I'd wanted to do for a while, because I really love what she's doing, but I also wasn't sure what I wanted to say. She'd already covered a lot of my hot-button issues, but she came up with a new twist for me. Hooray! Here's what she said about it on her Facebook page:

Wait, aren't all the feminist photos naked?

Not this one. Sophia Ravenna is a good friend and talented dancer. I used to dance with her in Skirt Full of Fire Dance Company and Fire & Gold Belly Dance. As a bellydancer, she and her peers frequently have to correct the misconception that during their performances, key parts of their costumes will be removed, and that this is done for the purpose of pleasing an adult male audience.

Stripping and Burlesque are amazing forms of performance. It's entirely possible that in those acts, performers may draw on bellydance moves. Fusion dance is amazing, and it's great to watch!

This should not give anyone permission though, to assume that they have the right to see a performer take their clothes off, or ask a performer at an event advertised as "Bellydance" if they will take their clothes off while they perform. It's disrespectful to their craft, and can make performers worried for their personal safety.

Admire the hard work that goes into costumes - many are made by the dancers themselves! Ask questions about the craft, learn, educate yourself. Enjoy the performance! But never assume, and never approach, that a dance is always done to titillate.

#teardownthepatriarchy

Even with that comment in the middle about stripping and burlesque being amazing, at least one person still thought we were trying to slut-shame strippers, which was absolutely not our aim, so I'd like to reiterate: I am 100% cool with stripping, burlesque, and pole. I know lots of great ladies who perform in those styles and I love what they do. But it is not what I do, anymore than I do tap, line dancing or traditional Israeli folk dance. I am a belly dancer and I do belly dance, which happens to not involve taking my clothes off. I don't leave my clothes on because I think it's wrong for other women to take theirs off, I leave them on because they are part of my dance. I am not ashamed of my body, but I am proud of my handmade velvet bra adorned with Afghani coins and Turkoman buttons.

The important thing is, a woman should never be asked or told to take her clothes off just because she is dancing. It is our choice whether or not we strip, not yours. Even in arts like burlesque and pole, there's no guarantee of a "reveal." Many pole performers choose to stay fully clothed. Many burlesque acts only do a partial reveal, or no reveal, instead focusing on a cheeky sense of humor. Even some performers who do strip may not do so at all events, if it's not appropriate for the audience or they just don't feel like it.

So in conclusion, the only people who I want to shame are the people who think they deserve more control over my body than I have. I won't take it off, and you just have to live with that.

Pretty pictures

I'm happy to say that there were some really beautiful photos of me taken at the Legends of the Labyrinth variety show! Above and directly below are images by Kelly Bender.

 And this shot by Jake DeBruyckere is pretty much the best picture that has ever been taken of me on stage:

Wow!

Wear Your Cover-Ups!

It was really hard for me to find a photo of me in a cover-up! Everyone wants costume pictures.

 

Many better, more famous dancers have already written about the importance of wearing cover-ups, but I've been asked to do so as well, so here's my thoughts. Wear your cover-ups. Ok, now that I've gotten that out of the way, time for tea and chocolate!

 

Ok, ok, I guess I can say a little more than that. Cover-ups are important for many reasons. They give you an aura of mystery. They keep you from drawing attention from the other acts on stage. If it's cold, they keep you warm. They help protect your costume from stains and other damage. They keep your back from sticking to the car seat on long, hot drives to gigs in Phoenix. They allow you to look a little less strange when you go grab a quick bite on the way home from your show.

 

With all those reasons to cover up your costume, it would be silly not to. But maybe you're new to dance and you have no idea what to wear, or your favorite cover-up just bit the dust and you're at a loss for what to replace it with. With that in mind, here's my handy list of tips for choosing a cover-up.

 

1. Whatever it is, make sure it either wraps or fastens in the front. Even if you don't wear a lot of ornaments in your hair like I do, you don't want to mess your hair up or get lipstick on your cover-up when changing. You also want it to be easy to get in and out of, because sure enough, you'll be chilling back-stage and the organizer will want a quick group shot of everyone in costume before they let the audience in, or you'll be relaxing after the show and your friends will want to take pictures with you in your costume. Make all those quick changes easy on yourself!

 

2. Try to get a fabric that breathes well and can be washed. You're going to wear this for every gig, so you want to be comfortable and you want to keep it nice and clean.

 

3. But with that in mind, make sure it's not too loosely woven, or else it will catch on chain, jewelry, beads, sequins, hang-nails, scenery, props...

 

4. You may want one light-weight cover for summer and a heavier one for winter, especially if you're doing a lot of outdoor gigs.

 

5. As you can see, it's pretty hard to cover up a huge 25 yard tribal skirt. Just make sure you've got your bra and belt areas covered and that will preserve most of your mystery. Of course, sometimes you can luck out and find an awesome long garment with slits that will mostly cover you while still having room for your skirt. Treasure that!

 

6. Check the swim section for awesome bathing suit cover-ups. You can even use a sarong, I often do and it's an especially great affordable, easy option for a newbie dancer.

 

7. A veil may seem like the obvious answer because it is a large piece of fabric. And you can use a veil that is dedicated to life as a cover-up, but please don't use a veil you plan to dance with. What if it gets damaged while you're wearing it?

 

8. Always have at least two cover-up options available, just in case when you're packing for your gig you realize that your usual cover-up has a tear or the top button came off last time and now it shows off your bra. 

 

9. Try your cover-up on over your costume! Something that fits fine over your street clothes might not fasten across your heavily decorated and padded dance bra. Or it might snag constantly on everything. Or the sleeves might be too tight to go over your bracelets.

 

10. Choose something that still puts forth the image of a belly dancer. Kaftans and similar garments are popular because they are from that region. Even if you buy a sarong, choose one with a more Eastern pattern over something Hawaiian. Look for Indian-influenced paisley patterns on your scarves. Err on the side of exotic over mundane. Just be careful that you're not wearing something inappropriate -- for instance, some dancers don't like seeing a thobe (traditional Saudi garment) worn as a cover-up because it is also worn for performing kaleegi dances.

I hope this helps!

The Leanan Sidhe

Sometimes I feel a bit conflicted as a dancer. I imagine my persona of Sophia Ravenna as a film noir femme fatale. I can be sweet and flirty when I want something, cold and unattainable to those who can offer me nothing, and downright cruel to those who wrong me. You'd expect such a woman to dress in sleek 40s inspired costumes, with perfectly curled hair and ruby-red lips. And I like that look, I really do. But when it comes time to shop, I end up buying faerie-ish things, all flowers and vines and tattered lace, olive greens and earthy browns, because that is what I love and what I look amazing in.

I was thinking about this disconnect these past couple weeks, as I considered my new costumes from Tribal Fest. The only real femme fatale think I bought was a black lace choli, plus my beetle hat could easily be part of a vintage-style costume. But most of my stuff is very faerie/mermaid-y. What's a girl to do?

Then I realized that the faerie world has its own femme fatale: the Leanan Sidhe. This beautiful, otherworldly woman is a muse to poets and artists, a consummate lover, oh yes, and she slowly drains away the life force of her patrons. If she leaves them, they lose inspiration and pine away and die. She's, uh, not exactly the best role model in life, I'll admit, but she does seem to fit how I dance.

Really, there are many types of faeries which seem to fit the femme fatale mold to some extent. In general, faeries are fickle, sometimes cruel, and they have their own weird morality that humans don't always understand. They are beautiful, and can be playful and flirtatious, mysterious, alluring, or cold and distant.

If you'd like to see more of my faerie side, come to Legends of the Labyrinth where I will be performing as a half-human, half-goblin denizen of the Labyrinth. It's going to be awesome!

Tribal Fest Day 1

 I brought my laptop, so you get updates from the Fest! YEAH! So here's me all ready for the Unmata Pillow Fight choreography. I made that pillow! And since I had 6 hours of workshops with only 2 15 minute breaks, I got to rock the pajamas and pigtails look all day. Good thing I have super fashionable PJ pants with peacock feathers on them.

All of the workshops that I took were great. The pillow fight was fast-paced and fun. Western Technique for Eastern Dance with Cera Byer had me doing things I didn't know I could do and taught me so much. Bold and Sassy with Naimah was an intimate class with great combos and so much good attitude. Those latter two are teachers I'd never studied with before and I loved both of them.

I was going to be a good girl and not buy anything tonight, just pick up things I had pre-ordered. Well, that obviously didn't happen. First I found a cute beetle ring that fit me and was only $16, and since there was only one I figured I should grab it. No biggie. But then I hit the Mishu booth and there were green lacy things, and well, I blame the 6 hours of dance for my total lack of self-control. How could I say no?

But this wasn't even my big purchase. You'll have to wait on that one, the seller is putting on the finishing touches :)

Other highlights of the day: meeting and getting hugs from Blume Bauer and Dusty Paik! I love meeting people in "real life" for the first time!

Pretty Picture

The event I performed at this past weekend had a "photo booth" set up with this beautiful backdrop and a professional photographer, Pedro Romano (who also photographs a lot of the local fire dancers). I love it! The curtains and carpet really give it the look of an old timey stage from the early days of bellydance, a little bit of Orientalism. Makes me wish I had more of a vintage look going on with my costume, but I still love this picture. I'm wearing a hi-lo skirt and tie-top over my troupe costume pants and bra... I wanted a little pop of color for my solo, and this was easy enough to switch out between numbers.

I have been dancing a lot lately... Not just performing in a lot of events (I have two more this week), but doing a lot of numbers in each event. For our Mijana's troupe showcase, I was in all the troupe numbers, a duet with my troupemate Elyse, my own solo, and then Elyse asked the rest of us F&G girls to be part of her solo by standing on the sidelines and chasing her back "on stage." It was funny, you should have been there!

I really like it this way... Sometimes it is frustrating to spend 1.5-2 hours getting ready just to dance for three minutes! Even more so if I'm driving to Phoenix (which is why I've really cut down on performances up there). Plus dancing in multiple pieces per show is building up my stamina, and allowing me to really practice switching up the mood.

Oh, and if you like those candy-apple red lips, look forward to them being part of my next makeup review later this week!

New Costume!

Another picture by Sam Supowit! So glad he was there to photograph our Mijana's showcase!

Lest you start to think this blog is going to be all opinions, all the time, here's a lighter-hearted post about my NEW COSTUME! In order to match better with Skirt Full of Fire, Fire & Gold now has a pretty black sparkly costume set. To make this, I had to learn how to make a belt, which was surprisingly not awful. You can't really see it in this picture, but that's OK. It needs more embellishments before it's done! The bra probably needs a little more, too... a belly dangle and I'm thinking Swarovski sequins for sure!

For my set I chose some fabric I already had, a beautiful black-on-black embroidered taffeta-y cloth. I added some pre-made appliques with a kind of Art Nouveau floral style to them, because that's totally what I'm in to right now and they look good with my tattoo. The bra has drapes of gunmetal chain. The belt will too, eventually, but I might need to pick up more chain at the gem show next week. Oh, and there's a vintage faceted black glass button at the center of the bra, because I have to justify my collection of glass buttons by using them occasionally.

I like this costume because each member of F&G has a little something different, but because they're all black and sparkly we look great together! Plus we have palazzo pants and a hip scarf as our bottom half, which is sooooo much less bulky than pantaloons and a 25 yard skirt and a hip scarf! It makes for a very sharp tribal fusion look.   

From the Photo Shoot

I recently had a photo shoot with Dina Farmer Photography. It was a really fun experience, despite the fact that it was outdoors on a hot, windy day. I was worried about it, but the wind actually added a fun element to a lot of the images -- I particularly like this one, it makes me feel like a fae creature who has just walked up out of the lake, bringing the storm with me.

Shooting outdoors in the Summer is tricky -- our original scheduled shoot had to be postponed when the first monsoon of the season blew into town and dumped a bunch of rain on the city. But I like the natural backdrop.

Dina was really nice to work with, she has a great attitude and some wonderful ideas of poses. She got some very cute shots of me with my parasol, and some of my feathers blowing in the wind. She's also captured some beautiful images of other local dancers -- you should really go visit her Facebook fan page to see them.

I'm really happy to have some nice photos to use for promotional materials, blog posts, and my Facebook page. So many of my current images have the door to The Luxor's kitchen as the background, which is a little distracting!

New costume!

This is a horrible picture, but hey look, I have a new costume!!! It's a hundred times prettier in person, the green is so rich and both the black and the green have gold sparkles. It's going to shimmer wonderfully under the stage lights at -- oh wait, I can't tell you yet what performance I intend to debut it at. Official announcement later ;)

I have been wanting some new costumes for the last month or so. A local photographer was offering free sessions because she had a special project to work on (more on that later, too), so I took her up on it, but then I realized I had NO idea what to wear! Most of my costuming has been for troupes, and the rest is a rather mismatched jumble. Not only that, but most of what I have is student-quality. Nice student quality, but not flashy. As I am working towards becoming a professional dancer, I need to have professional costumes. Especially now that the trend in tribal fusion is moving more and more towards luxurious layers with vintage touches. I was able to put together one nice look, but I wanted more.

However, I couldn't really justify spending a lot of money on costuming right now. I already spend a lot on classes, and on things required for my troupe costume, and on new makeup so I look good on stage. So I shelved my plans, but figured if my jewelry business picked up, I could start buying some things. Then a funny thing happened -- my jewelry business picked up! So I ordered this lovely, and if sales keep up at their current pace, I'll be ordering a custom skirt next, and then maybe a new, nicer skirt for my troupe costume. I'm so excited!

Feeling Pretty

Well, the bra may still need work, and I may still have complicated feelings about the whole issue of bras as costuming, but over all I am pretty happy with how I looked last night! Thank you to my friend Cynthia for snapping this picture. And also for coming to the Open Stage and cheering the dancers.

I have to admit that a big part of me did not want to go out and dance last night. It was a hot, humid day and it seemed like way too much effort to put on a costume and makeup and do my hair. As it is, I took some short-cuts -- I kept my makeup a little more simple than I had planned, and I went for a headband from The Gypsy Kiss as a really quick and easy way to do my hair. What a lifesaver! That reminds me, I'm really overdue to do a post gushing about my collection of Amy's work.

And speaking of awesome things that I am wearing, my necklace is really amazing! It was custom made as a holiday present from one of my Etsy friends, Gypsy Moon Art Studio. The team that we're both part of does an annual secret swap for the holidays and Shannon made me this amazing necklace which is the perfect match for the bra!

Where was I before I started waxing poetic about wonderful, creative people? Oh yes! Open Stage! It was a great time and I'm glad I went. We had a really small crowd, but everyone had a very good time. It was a very intimate vibe, with a couple of dancers spontaneously deciding to perform in their street clothes to fill out the roster, borrowing coin scarves and veils from fellow dancers.

The problem with bras

Belly dancers wear bras. Everyone knows that. It was decided way back in the day, when someone decided to paint a dancer in a bra, or cast a dancer in a movie and had her wear a bra. I could probably do some research and track it back to the exact time when someone decided that this was what belly dancers cover their chests with, but I'm writing a blog post, not an academic article, so I'm going to be lazy.

So. Bras. We wear them. It's a thing now.

I have a love-hate relationship with the whole bra thing. I love choosing adornments to put on my bras, layering this and that, dangling baubles here and there. I even enjoy the stitching, except when I stab myself in the fingers (which admittedly, happens pretty often). I love draping embellished chains across my belly to emphasize my rolls and flutters. But... I hate bras.

Bras are underwear. We do not want our costumes to look like underwear, however, because that is tacky. So we buy a bra and we cover it with fabric (even though bras are available in lots of beautiful fabrics, the bra Must Be Covered otherwise you are Cheapening Bellydance or something). Then there's the whole strap issue. You can't just use the existing straps and fasteners because then people can tell you're wearing lingerie. Because for some reason, we've decided to base one of our main costuming items on a piece of lingerie.

I LOVE the bra above. I've been working on it off and on since Decemberish, when I wore it for the holiday show. It's covered with a beautiful embroidered brown fabric, accented with lovely green trim which I purchased in NYC, which is in turn embellished with Swarovski crystals and dangles from a necklace I cut apart. There's a vintage chandelier crystal, a vintage winding key, chain, real coins, the straps are velveteen ribbon embellished with a silver and citrine necklace. It's luxurious.

I HATE the bra above. Ever since I decided that I wanted to be able to wear it without a tie-top or vest over it, I've been in a battle to properly cover the straps and back. The fabric and ribbon are not stretchy, which means carefully trying to tailor things to fit perfectly. Last night I finally got the back to fit without sagging... Now it's uncomfortable. Forget lifting with my diaphragm, I'm pretty sure that will pop some stitches.

I've been planning a bra adorned with beetle elytra, but now I'm second-guessing myself after the struggles of making this bra. Maybe it's time to try an embellished halter top or choli.

Dress Rehearsal

Day 350 of practice.

My new bra is done-ish (I may yet do more to it, but it's wearable now), so I had a quick dress rehearsal to make sure that everything would play nice together and that none of the embellishments would fly off my bra if I had a sudden shimmy attack. Everything seems great and I am extremely excited about my new costume and my solo, which is the closest I've ever come to choreographing something.

Tomorrow is the Plaza de Anaya student recital, so I should probably also practice my zills for that, as we have to do something a little new and different. I am surprisingly confident about playing zills on stage now, as long as I am not leading and zilling.

By the way... day 350! Only 15 days left in the year! Hard to believe.