Thread: Egyptian-Style Dancers--How Much Does Music Choice Influence Costuming?

Hi Dancers!

For those of you who do Egyptian-style bellydance, does the music you are dancing to influence what costuming you are going to wear when you perform?

I don't mean if you are specificially doing a folkloric dance like malaya leff, sai'idi or beladi for example or songs that have an obvious theme. I am also barring when you are performing before a more conservative audience.

I guess what I am asking is if any of you feel like certain costumes are more appropriate for certain music styles (i.e. dancing to a set of orchestral songs, recorded or live vs. a set of Egyptian pop songs.

Do you wear certain kinds of costuming when you are dancing to classical or pop or do you wear whatever you think looks good at any given performance?

Am I making sense? lol

Excluding dancing to specific folkloric styles of music such as Sa'idi, etc., and audience appropriateness, I would wear any non-folk-specific costume in my closet for the types of music you mention. In other words, for the types of music you mention, I would wear nightclub style (glamorous, glitzy) dresses or bedlas. I would wear balady dresses, Sa'idi dresses for dancing to sets that feature balady or Sa'idi music.

I do try to match the costume to my music -- but sometimes I have to wear what fits me best that day!

For romantic, dreamy music I like to wear something soft and flowing, with a full fluffy skirt -- white or blue.

For elegant, dramatic music, I like a sleek dress or trumpet skirt, maybe in a dark color or jeweltone.

For happy, lively music, bright colors in any shape.

I probably wouldn't pull out my full skirted white and gold vintage Pharonics to dance to Saad, for instance. And I wouldn't reach for my sexy cutout skirt for Enta Omri.

Sometimes I also choose the costume that will best show off what I'm doing. A full skirt for dramatic spins. Lots of short fringe and paillettes if I'm doing tiny layered shimmies that might not show up otherwise. Long skirt with no splits if I want to hide legwork for a float, lots of leg showing if I want to be sexxxy.

Tonight I'm doing high drama in a dark club, so I'll wear something bright and sleek.

For me, there are some songs that when I picture myself dancing to them, I see a specific costume in my mind. I have a black faux leather and rhinestone studded costume that I'd feel weird dancing to Om Kalthoum in, and an extravagant Pharonics that seems like too much for a simple pop song.

I'm also more likely to wear a full chiffon skirt or trumpet skirt if I'm planning on doing a lot of spinning and arabesques.

But it's personal to me - I've rarely if ever been distracted by another dancer's costume not "matching" her song, except for the reasons already pointed out in the OP.

Would it be inappropriate to wear a sai'idi dress simply because you want a covered look?

Originally Posted by saheli

Would it be inappropriate to wear a sai'idi dress simply because you want a covered look?

Depends on what you are dancing to and what kind of saidi dress. If you are talking about a really folkloric dress with classical Egyptian music probably not a great idea. If you are talking about one of those slinky "saidi jewels" dresses Dahlal sells dancing to shaabi or some cute Egyptian pop, you are probably okay. They would be fine for a baladi taqsim too.

Souzan

Originally Posted by Souzan

Depends on what you are dancing to and what kind of saidi dress. If you are talking about a really folkloric dress with classical Egyptian music probably not a great idea. If you are talking about one of those slinky "saidi jewels" dresses Dahlal sells dancing to shaabi or some cute Egyptian pop, you are probably okay. They would be fine for a baladi taqsim too.

Souzan

I don't feel comfortable wearing a behdlah. I finally have my first "bellydance only" show coming up in a couple of months. I've been doing bellydance/Indian fusion stuff in the Indian community for the last few years so I've never had the need to wear a bedlah. Even so, I've never felt comfortable with the idea of me wearing a bedlah.

I know that whenever we perform we need to make sure our costuming is appropriate for the style of music we are dancing to. I wanted make sure I don't pick the wrong costuming since I don't want to wear a bedlah and I don't want putting a costume together to be a lot of trouble. I just want to wear a nice dress, slap a hip scarf on with it and accessorize it nicely but I don't want to look too crazy doing it lol.

I will be dancing to a bouncy shaabi piece. The dress I am considering wearing isn't one of Dahlal's Saiidi Jewels. The dress I want to get isn't too folkloric-looking. It's long-sleeved, fitted and has a more slinky look. Kind of like an evening gown but not one of those heavily ebroidered glitzy ones. I guess if were a regular dress, it would fit into the semi-formal or party category.

It sounds just fine to me!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

It sounds just fine to me!

I agree, sounds good. I don't wear bedlah as two pieces either. But I do have an L Rose beledi dress cut under the bust and I wear a bedlah with it. The dress is plain velvet and wearing the bra and belt with it realloy glams it up without revealing anytihing. And it is very comfy.

When I'm doing my saidi or shaabi I wear a trouser costume. This seems to be a new trend in Egypt. I noticed it the last few times I went with such as Randa and others. I love it because I look nothing in a galabeya but a funky trouser costume I can do.
I also find that the big floaty skirts-Abla, Pharaonics etc cover up too much of my hard practiced accents. I like the pared down costumes of Eman etc- they don't cover up my hard work or weigh me down.

I think the mood of the music, etc. influences my color choices as well..

Apart from mood and personal taste, if the music lends itself to lots of turns I'd use a fuller skirt - maybe even a circle skirt. For twists - long fringe. For shimmy short fringe. For modern Egyptian I'd probably go with the fashion of a tight cut lyrca skirt - because the older style costumes hide some of the movements.

i wear the slim skirts for more modern stuf and the chiffon when i want to feel vintage

Originally Posted by saheli

Hi Dancers!

For those of you who do Egyptian-style bellydance, does the music you are dancing to influence what costuming you are going to wear when you perform?

I don't mean if you are specificially doing a folkloric dance like malaya leff, sai'idi or beladi for example or songs that have an obvious theme. I am also barring when you are performing before a more conservative audience.

I guess what I am asking is if any of you feel like certain costumes are more appropriate for certain music styles (i.e. dancing to a set of orchestral songs, recorded or live vs. a set of Egyptian pop songs.

Do you wear certain kinds of costuming when you are dancing to classical or pop or do you wear whatever you think looks good at any given performance?

Am I making sense? lol

I frankly look for versatility in my costumes these days. My "fully covering" costumes are actually sexier than the ones that are not, so I dont really take ithe type of audience VS costume into concideration as much as I take the style of dancing I present into consideration. I typically will dance folk dances for more conservative crowds.

I typically keep the sexiest/more creatively designed costumes for dancer-related events, to be honest :)

I rather look at what style of music and what style of dance I am doing rather than look at what costume fits the venue/audience best. Folk dance will get more folky costumes (not necessarily conservative even though they are folky)...

Uh, hope that helps :),r:;..g.:

I own exactly one Egyptian gown. It is absolutely gorgeous. I get so many compliments when I wear it.

That said, it is so beautiful and elegant that I can't seem to get my head around wearing for a set that is very heavy on pop music -- it just doesn't seem to fit, as it were. A pop number or two in an otherwise lush orchestral music performance? Yeah, I can do that. But all pop? Probably not.

Deborah

The music and the dance requests. If I am asked to do something with sword, a dress is probably out. Unless it is a Galabaya type and then it's if-y. Not that sword is "Egyptian" per se, but you get the point.

I then to let the EVENT dictate both the music and the costume.

{{{HUGS}}}