Thread: Costuming Shaabi for the stage

I did a Shaabi piece at a hafla a couple of months ago. It was a really casual sort of thing, so I just wore jeans and a top and added a hip scarf. I'll be doing it on a stage soon, and now I'm questioning what to wear. Bedlah doesn't fit the relaxed style, and a galabya doesn't fit the urban aspect.

I'm heavy and don't want to show my legs so a melaya style dress is out. Will the jeans & top thing float on a stage? Would a dress be better? I'm getting more worked up about waht to wear than I am the choreography! I need to be comfortable in whatever I choose so I don't lose the sass (but I wouldn't mind losing this a$$). Any thoughts?

Nanda did a great one earlier this year where IIRC the troupe were wearing longish, fitted-ish tops with sparkly fabric accents, and a sparkly panel stitched down the side of the jeans. Created a theatrical version of the casual look. Looked utterly fab.

You mention melaya style, my troupe has done a melaya dance wearing jeans, we made fitted tops with a big off-one-shoulder ruffle which paid homage to the traditional melaya dress. I liked how it looked but I'm biassed ;-). You could hear the audience gasping "jeans!!"

I think sparkly top and jeans is great for shaabi.

One of the coolest shaabi routines I´ve seen was a choreo by Lena Helt,
where the dancers were totally blinged out in "streetwise wear"-
including un-matching clip-on ponytails!:D


Adding appliques(sp?)around the hips and along the leg lines of the jeans,sparkly headwear(headband,bandana or clips),
bangles and blingy earrings would finish the look:)

I´ve linked to this before,but if you haven´t seen it yet:
Outi of Cairo - Part VIII

I think it describes the female egyptian current style so well!

loved that link emma-bessa! thanks for sharing

what a great article

I'd probably wear yoga/jazz pants with a wide swishy flair (like the ones you were selling, maybe). I *happen* to own a pair of yoga pants that are made to look like jeans, but plain ones would work, too.

I'd wear them with a simple top and a costume belt or hipscarf. Maybe one of your fuzzy triangles with another scarf or belt tied over that!

Emma-Bessa, was it me and my buddies at Nybrokajen? Man, that was so much fun!

I don´t remember where the show was right now?
Anyway the shaabi dancers came in with a bouncy walk and just blew me awayyy!

It was so cool:)

Well it was probably then, we had a blast. I think we also chewed gum???

Yes!I remember the gumchewing and confident bouncy walk-
if someone of you smoked,
you could easily pulled a cigarette off too:D

(quitted smoking 3 days ago myself...)