Thread: Cane dance costume choice

Hello! I want to try Raks al Assaya for a performance in June. I've never performed it before so it will be a fun adventure! ..g.:

However, I do not have enough money or time to get a saidi costume. I have two choices that I think would work. Opinions please!

i like the 2nd look for cane, but i've seen cane performed in cabaret costumes and it still looked cute. :)

I think it depends on your music choice. If it's more folky, go with the red. If it's more Sharqi, go with the pink dress.

For raks assaya, the red.
(Oooo, kin I have that fuschia dress when you're done with it?)
Rosette

I like the second one - and I think in part, I react to the headband, which looks more "caney".

Red one (though I love the fushia one too!).

For me it would be a question of what kind of gig it is. The pink costume just looks more professional to me. The red is nice, but I'd see it more as a student costume. A higher end student costume, but still not a pro costume. I'm afraid I always associate that style of top with student level costuming.

So if it was a show where I was showcasing and promoting myself, I'd be going for the pink (which is perfectly acceptable for a stick piece, though as Shahla said, if your music is mizmar heavy it might not work quite as well). It presents you in a better, more professional way. But if it was, for example a student level haflah and I didn't want to look like the big I Am, then I'd go for the red.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

For me it would be a question of what kind of gig it is. The pink costume just looks more professional to me. The red is nice, but I'd see it more as a student costume. A higher end student costume, but still not a pro costume. I'm afraid I always associate that style of top with student level costuming.

So if it was a show where I was showcasing and promoting myself, I'd be going for the pink (which is perfectly acceptable for a stick piece, though as Shahla said, if your music is mizmar heavy it might not work quite as well). It presents you in a better, more professional way. But if it was, for example a student level haflah and I didn't want to look like the big I Am, then I'd go for the red.

Yup. Neither one is inappropriate, in my eyes. It depends on the audience and the music and the goal of the performance.

I agree with Bea. If it a professional performance, wear the pink. But make sure you have a glittery cane rather than a folkloric wooden one. A silver foil or a pink or silver sequin one would be pretty. What music were you thinking about.

Souzan

Thanks Y'all. This is for a gala associated with a workshop, so I probably want to go pro. ;-) I do like the red, but it is less professional.

I am pretty sure I am dancing to this song:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Saidi-Cane/dp/B0014BVGIO/ref=sr_f2_12?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1242918233&sr=10 2-12]Amazon.com: Saidi Cane: MP3 Downloads: The Henkesh Brothers[/ame]

I think that sounds folky. I'd go with the red.

The red for sure.

I vote red, too.

I like the song!

I would wear the one with the tighter skirt. I agree the red looks a bit more folky but nothing like your cane getting caught in your skirt. And I can't see the skirt on the red one.
You look great in both of them!!

hmm i would go with the fuschia one because of the stomach covering. i always associate one piece dresses with saidi stuff. and that fuschia looks more pro like the others said. do u have a headband for the fuschia costume? that might make it look more saidi too (since people commented on the red one having a headband)

Thats a fairly folky music choice. Can you afford $109 to get one of those great Hanan saidi dresses from the Bellydancestore.com? A great look for little money.

Originally Posted by shaabichic

do u have a headband for the fuschia costume? that might make it look more saidi too (since people commented on the red one having a headband)

Nope, it's on the top of the bra cup. I might be able to make one.

Originally Posted by Souzan

Thats a fairly folky music choice. Can you afford $109 to get one of those great Hanan saidi dresses from the Bellydancestore.com? A great look for little money.

I probably could, but I didn't see any that I like. L Rose would be better, but it would cost more and take longer!

Dahlal just listed a bunch more new saidi dresses in some really pretty colors.

You can also get away with Saidi in a Nancy Ajram galabya. They're cute and fitted with pailettes. I've seen that a lot. They're fun and only cost about $50 where I am.

If that is your only choice - the red as it has a little more cover. (The belly cover does not make it look folkloric!!) But really, a simple dress is not expensive and would look so much better.

my worry (speaking as a fellow "busty" dancer) would be adequate chest coverage I remember some concerns I run into with more folkloric dances is more bouncing and hopping steps, and you wouldn't want the girls to distract from your performance ( or have a wardrobe malfunction XD)

I'd go with the pink as it provides the most coverage overall and looks the most proffessional. maybe make a matching headwrap/band to make it look more folkloric?

I also second the idea of getting an inexpensive folkloric dress, I think it would be a good investment in your BD wardrobe for other folkloric pieces. I love the pink one by the way! looks faaaaaabulous!

I would so advise you to get a real folkloric dress, too. Does your town have Asian districts? If only a couple of cheap shops with some Bollywood style clothes and the ultra cheap hip scarves? Often they have Arab folkloric dress (galabeya or jilbab you could ask, or a light fabric caftan) if you ask for it! In fact if there are Muslim families in your town most likely such a shop MUST exist for modesty and cultural clothing.
Oh by the way bellydance with k boutique sells pailletted somewhat transparent folkloric style dresses for 35 dollars:
Belly Dance With K Boutique - Bellydance Costumes and Supplies - Gainesville Florida - Karolinka-Karolyne

I'd like them better with a nice hip scarf than the (very beautiful!) sharki costumes!

I'd go for the red one if you have no time or money left to get something more folkloric now.
Professional is relative in Saidi style to me - if you're professional, you'll go more modest in dress for it in my opinion! No dangling pearl fringe, no bra costumes, NO raks sharki reference!!! That is so not Saidi to me!!
And yes the music is very country style folkloric to me, too!
Nice!

oops I realize with the red one you have no belly cover right? At first sight i thought they both had transparent belly covers..
well I personally do not find bare belly Saidi pretty AT ALL!
I also think a cute hipscarf with pearls or (not too many) coins, with the trianguarl part dangling on your forehead, is SO pretty and to me a must for cabaret style meets folklore. Farhana wears it this style (not with the end dangling in front though), and I find it fabulous:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftZa8e-TEcM]YouTube - Princess Farhana: cane dance[/ame]

I also think she gets away with the bare belly mostly because of the headscarf! :)

I think that costume Princess Farhana has is very similar to my red costume. Thanks for the clip. Still thinking about getting a dress.

Originally Posted by Souzan

Thats a fairly folky music choice. Can you afford $109 to get one of those great Hanan saidi dresses from the Bellydancestore.com? A great look for little money.

I bought one of those dresses for a group cane routine -it was an excellent choice. A couple of the other people that I dance with had the same dresses in different colours. I went with bright yellow which ended up being a good colour for me.

Originally Posted by etoile

I bought one of those dresses for a group cane routine -it was an excellent choice. A couple of the other people that I dance with had the same dresses in different colours. I went with bright yellow which ended up being a good colour for me.

I have two of them and get more compliments on them than just about anything else. They are light, comfortable, look great on stage and are so stretchy they glide over a myriad of figure issues. You can leave the keyhole open for great cleavage or close it for just a peek!

Yeah, Farhana's definitely is like yours! Do you have a bright red or neutral coloured little hip scarf? Coz I think her scarf is bringing a tongue-in-cheek folkloric touch to the sharki costume.. And that would be fine I guess. :)

Originally Posted by Souzan

I have two of them and get more compliments on them than just about anything else. They are light, comfortable, look great on stage and are so stretchy they glide over a myriad of figure issues. You can leave the keyhole open for great cleavage or close it for just a peek!

I love my dress, a bunch of us bought them for a troupe number and with minor alterations they were perfect. Sexy but still folky, I too always get compliments on the dress.

I made a folkloric fringe belt to wear with mine. Got 2" wide cotton webbing at Joanns. Covered it in 2" wide holographic sequin stretch band (super easy and cheap) Add 8" Egyptian fringe. Turned out to look like the belts Mona Said wore with folkloric costumes. Really glamed up the dress.