Thread: how many costumes do non-pro dancers own?

I'm curious, for the non-working, non-teaching dancers out there, how much do you spend on belly dance? How many costumes do you own? Do you do week longs in Egypt? How much do you spend on classes and workshops?

Just curious.

I've wondered this too, but also wondered how many performances you have to do a month to be considered "pro" ? :)

I have
1. Long purple gown for Sharqi
2. a green bedleh
3. a turquoise bedleh
4. a hot pink fringe dress for kids events
5. a red bedleh that I'm dieting down into. :)

and a boatload of ethnic dance costumes and khaliji gowns, since that's mainly what we used to always perform.

Most of my $ is spent on workshops (travel expenses) and CDs. Actually most is CDs. My husband would probably be shocked if he saw the whole collection and added up the pricetags. I used to buy a lot of dvds, but I've got a wide variety now and pretty much only buy the new ones from dancers I really like. There haven't been that many performance dvds released in the last couple of years, so that's saved me some money :/

I do teach, but that money goes to the business account, which pays all the biz expenses and class fees/books for my training and continuing education.

It will be difficult for me to say exactly how much I spend on bellydance because of the currency exchange rate (the Icelandic currency is fluctuating so much these days) but I will try to give you an idea.

On regular classes with my teacher I spend around 80 USD (depending on xchange rate) a month. Last year, when the currency was more stable, the price in USD was about 40. This may sound much but it is normal price here in Iceland and similar to what other health/fitness/dance clubs charge.

I have 4 professional bellydance costumes. 1 I'm trying to sell and 1 I got last year, 'by accident' of course The plan was not to have more than 2.

Then I have a whole bunch of veils, both Akai and Shibori. I love veil dancing and I love my veils. I bought alot of veils when the xchange rate was favorable, but it isn't anymore. Some of them I have sold on to my fellow classmates.

We don't get many opportunities to study with other teachers, unless we travel abroad and I try to find a teacher or a workshop if I'm traveling.

Basically, If I had the opportunity, I would spend as much as I could on workshops. I plan to go to Stockholm next year and taking workshops in Egypt is a dream, hopefully not too distant.

So yeah, I mostly only spend on classes these days, around 80 USD a month. Given that my income continue to be stable, I would be willing to spend more, up to 200 USD a month

I consider myself Semi-Pro. I have about 6 costumes (almost all bought in Egypt so not too expensive.) I perform about once a month. I teach 3 times a week. I usually take a workshop every few months and I used to take one class a week and spend $40 a month on that. I also sell hip scarves to my students for extra money. Really, most times, I break even.

I have 6, all used purchased used and cheap except for my yellow bedlah, which I could not resist (my favorite color), and even that was on sale for less than $250.

One was a gift from my teacher (an amazing one) and that is black lycra mermaid type.

Another was a gift from my boyfriend, and that is a cool bedlah I call my "Van Gogh" because of the design.

A third was a tiger design fixer upper that I'm making look FABULOUS! All it needs is some more lining work and fringe

And then the others are lucky swapmeet buys. I do constantly buy and resell for reasons I don't even know, lol, looking for "perfection" I guess. Then I have a small variety of skirts, veils, etc. Some of those I make myself. :)

how much do you spend on belly dance?

It varies. I allocate a small percentage of my earnings to BD and I let it pile up until I have enough to buy whatever it is that I want, but sometimes I justify buying a DVD before then by sliding it over to the "Entertainment" section of my budget. Mind you, most of what I want is either books, cd or DVD. I did splurge on some trim and beads recently, that was 60$.

How many costumes do you own?

LOL, a bunch (mostly funky stuff for class). But I make them from the boatload of materials I already own or the gems I find in thrift stores. If I need fabric, the local ethnic fabric stores usually have what I need at a reasonable price. (China silk 2$/yard for example).

Do you do week longs in Egypt?

No, but I'm considering doing four day camps happening on long week ends. Better if they are local so I don't have to waste my few vacation days on transiting to and from the event.

How much do you spend on classes and workshops?

Classes around here are 80$ per term (10 classes/term) at the rec center, 100$ for 8 classes at the yoga/gym place (privately owned). I do 2-3 classes a week whenever possible. I haven't done workshops yet bc once I factor in transportation/accomodation costs, they usually end up out of my price range. I'd consider something like Triboriginal even though I'm studying Egyptian because the event is affordable (accomodations and classes are included in the price) and there is lots of different classes without too much overlap (so you don't miss out too much on stuff you wanna see). Mind you, this is still quite the trek for me and that involves two full days in transit. Since splitting my vacation days between family obligations and stuff I really want to do is quite the juggling act, I don't think I'd be doing it, sadly bc it seems like it would be a blast.

How much do you spend on belly dance?
I more or less spend all of my disposable income on things that are dance related.
How many costumes do you own?
4, soon to be 5.
Do you do week longs in Egypt?
One day! I wish I could do them.
How much do you spend on classes and workshops?
I take classes every week, and I try to attend workshops at least once or twice a month, I go to dance camp and weekend workshops, and I take private lessons with instructors in and out of town. (A lot)

I definitely spend more on education than costumes and I think thats the way it should be. I'm only 18 and I've been dancing for fours years and I am really committed to eventually becoming an excellent professional dancer.

Oh wow. I just noticed you said non pro. I thought you said pro.

I am the skew data point when it comes to costumes. I don't do a lot of performing that would require a high-end costume, so I spend as little as possible on dressing that way. I buy plenty of supplies to make my own (and shop more than I actually sew...), but in a typical year, I might not buy anything from dance vendors. Seriously, I do not have the magpie gene. In ten years, I've bought three coin scarves, and two of them were required for troupe costumes, and in class I wear a fringed shawl that I bought off the last-resort clearance table at TJMaxx for $5. I do invest a lot in local classes and workshops. For me, it's all about technique. A great dancer is a great dancer in jeans and a tee shirt. A bad dancer still looks like crap in a custom Bella.

I haven't gone to an overseas dance festival, but I have family obligations that would make it difficult to justify that kind of expense for a hobby. My main non-educational money suck is music. I spend a couple of hundred dollars a year on CDs, mostly regular imported Middle Eastern music (not specifically for dancers).

How much do you spend on bellydance?
Much less in the past year than I did previously, but more than I probably should considering my lack of employment & the fact that I don't perform. ..l;,

How many costumes do you own?
Currently just two. I did one at time have as many as 5-6, but I was part of a troupe at the time, and a couple of them needed altering so I never did get to wear them before having to sell them. All but one of my costumes over the past 4 yrs has been purchased second-hand & relatively cheap. Even the one brand new cossie was under $200 including skirt & veil purchased separately.

Weeklongs in Egypt?
Don't I wish! I'd be thrilled just to be able to do a weekend-long workshop here in MI.

How much do you spend on classes/workshops?
I'd guess about $400 a year. Most instructors in the area offer 6-wk sessions and I continue to attend additional sessions as they come available.

I had about 20 costumes last year. Now I am down to about 12 -15. I actually don't even know anymore! And I just bought one and am trading for 3 so.... guess I'll be back up to 20. I used to perform several times a month but now not at all after my restaurant discrimination debacle. I will probably start my own showcase up again somewhere. And I do dance once a month at a private hafla. But I teach 4 classes a week at least so that takes up some time. And since about 80% of my income comes from dance related activities I can't really say how much I spend. I have been to egypt to study and am chomping at the bit to go again.

How much do you spend on belly dance?
Probably too much!

How many costumes do you own?
The short answer is I have way more than I need. I have 4 bedlahs, a bunch of circle skirts, even more harem pants, a few tiered skirts, a galabeya, a red beaded dress, a few cholis, a coin bra, various vests, and a few tassel belts. I made most of these pieces, which helps keep the cost down. I've never worn the same tribal getup more than once. Considering that I only perform a few times a year most of my costumes are unnecessary

Do you do week longs in Egypt?
I wish! Who has a Karnak-size suitcase with air holes?

How much do you spend on classes and workshops?
I spend $65 a month for classes. I went to 5 workshops last year, and I've only been to one so far this year. I think I spent about $100 a day for the classes. I try to make sure I can come home the same day as the classes so I don't have to pay for a hotel. I try to carpool as well to cut down on gas expenses.

I'm a dedicated hobbyist, though this year I've doing much less solo dancing than usual due to work insanity and some other major unexpected expenses/life stuff that's happened. I've been keeping myself amused with troupe stuff.

I have a LOT of pro-quality costumes and a giant music/DVD library. Are they necessary- no. But, they make me happy.

I have not been to Egypt yet. Maybe next year though, money/vacation time depending.

Classes and workshops: Due to my work schedule and commute, getting to a weekly weeknight class is very difficult. However, I attend a lot of workshops. I probably spend $500+ a year on those in an ordinary year? I've travelled to attend workshops, too. Two years ago I did Shareen el Safy's weeklong, I went to Fifi's in Dallas, etc.

Let's just say, recently my husband made a remark stating that I own more bellydance items of clothing than I do regular clothes. Sadly, no bedlah sets yet, but I'm rubbing my pennies together hoping the sound draws more...

Out of all the stuff I own, I only have 2 skirts I wear to do my actual performances in my troupe, and they are variations of the same thing. Pretty much everything else I own is for halflas, less structured performances, and workshops/rehearsals/home practice.

I plead the 5th.

Originally Posted by shems

how much do you spend on belly dance?

Um. too much, sometimes!

Originally Posted by shems

How many costumes do you own?

2 dresses
2 tunics
2 skirt/veil sets
1 turkish hearts skirt/vest/veil set
2 panel skirts
1 cabaret skirt
1 polysatin ruffle skirt/top set
4 "big ol" skirts for ITS
many pairs of pants, both harem and side-split
three tie-front tops
three tie-back velvet tops
2 tribaret velvet tops
Prolly some other stuff I'm overlooking...

So yeah, no bedlah to go with my skirt/veil sets yet...I find it easier to pick up floofy skirts and pants.

Originally Posted by shems

Do you do week longs in Egypt?

Nope.

Originally Posted by shems

How much do you spend on classes and workshops?

Classes, $50/month when I can make full months. Workshops, maybe $130, I go to mini workshops. Want to go to big ones, but money always seems to be an issue around the time of registration. Maybe if I stopped buying costume stuff lol!

I am most decidedly not pro!

I'm not pro, but I'm in a troupe who performs a lot for various shows, so I have lots of costumes. At the moment I have about 3 workhorse bedlahs, a cabaret dress, 4 baladi/saidi dresses, a melaya dress, plus a Sim and two Bellas that I just couldn't resist! (and another two in the mail). I generally buy bedlahs and make skirts, tops, gauntlets, dresses etc to go with them to reduce cost. I generally rotate two costumes a year.

Ongoing, I spend about $100/month on classes and workshops etc.

I don't make nearly enough from dance-related activities to pay for costumes, classes etc, but that's what my non-dance income is for!

One more than 2 hours ago!

How much do you spend on belly dance?
Too much, of course.
How many costumes do you own?
I think I have 4 bedlahs (1 grey/blue with gold beads--my 1st (I may sell this soon), 1 silver, 1 raspberry with silver, 1 purple & gold (which I've never worn--it's a project). I also have a gold coin bra that I made. I have a Bella costume (fuschia with a touch of green). I have 2 lycra dresses (one orange & one blue). I have a velvet dress that I bought at a big sale in June, so I haven't worn it yet. It's navy blue with silver sequined moons and stars and a carwash bottom. (I'll probably sell my blue lycra dress, since this dress fits me better.) I have a silver skirt (bought to wear under this dress, when I don't want to show so much leg, but I can also wear it with my silver & my raspberry bedlahs). I have a blue chiffon skirt & veil & a lilac chiffon skirt & veil. I have three silk veils (& one on the way that I think will match my Bella, after which I'm going to sell one of my veils to a troupemate who wants it). I have a black velvet bedlah and sparkly skirt. I love this set, but it smells (from previous owner), so I've worn it only 2x. I have black pants & a tie top that I wear with my silver bra & a black & silver coin hip scarf for sword. I have 3 or 4 other coin scarfs. I have a couple of galabeyas that I wear for folkloric (or fakeloric) stuff. I have a pink thobe. I have an El Haggalah costume that I made. I have a few other homemade dresses or skirts/tops that were troupe costumes. I don't use most of them anymore. I have 2 tribal bras (homemade), a homemade tassel belt (matches one of the bras), 2 purchased belts (one tassel & one fringe), a couple of cholis (but I prefer to wear homemade cholis from cutup tights now), a pair of black bloomers, & a black tiered cotton skirt. All my costumes, except the blue velvet dress & the thobe, are 2nd-hand or homemade.
Do you do week longs in Egypt?
I've been overseas just once in my life--this past winter, on a family trip to Hong Kong & Tokyo. If I were to go to Egypt, it would be on a trip with my husband & kids, so I wouldn't be able to do a "week long" anything while I was there.
How much do you spend on classes and workshops?
I do 3 classes/week, so about $40/week, I guess. (It's hard to say, exactly, because I pay by the session.) I rarely do workshops, because I need more repetition of a concept than I get from a workshop, & I find them too crowded & too expensive. For the cost of 1 workshop, I can do 8-10 classes. I am trying a workshop again (this fall--Mira Betz). If I like it, I may try more. If I dislike it as much as I disliked the other big name one I did, I'll probably never do another. I sometimes do mini-workshops offered by local instructors. These usually focus on one area or skill--zills, shimmies, arms, etc. I'll usually do one or two of these per year, & they typically cost around $30 or $40.

Originally Posted by raniraqs

Let's just say, recently my husband made a remark stating that I own more bellydance items of clothing than I do regular clothes.

My husband has noticed the same trend with my clothing. I have one closet just for costumes, but I'd like to point out that many of those costumes are from Halloween! Half of the Halloween costumes are my husband's as well, so I don't feel so bad.

Originally Posted by anala

I plead the 5th.

what does this mean?

i have
red eman (bought new from festival)
black eman (bought new from festival)
blue cristiano (bought from dancer i met in bahrain)
purple hoda (bought new from bhuzzer)
green pharaonics (bought new from bhuzzer)
and a fushia bella (third hand from bhuzzer) flying to me right now

i wore the black eman for a 6 mins song in a student show. blue cristiano for 2x15 mins show. i have pictures taken in the purple hoda. i try on my costumes every now and then to admire them and think should i sell them and then fall in love with them again and again and again. i feel guilty having costumes but then again i used to spend a lot of money buying fancy dresses and now am not interested in fancy dresses and at least costumes i can always sell them

the class i go to is about 320USD for 10 classes. i take 2 classes per week. i haven't gone to egypt because i spend all my holiday flying to boyfriend in london. i go to workshops in hong kong and in the U.K. when i get married and live in london then i'll fly to egypt with my best dance friend to do the weeklong

Okay, scary question! I discovered the joy of belly dance about 8 months ago. I discovered Bhuz about 2 months ago and am very much a beginner, non-pro.

How much do you spend on belly dance?
Since discovering Bhuz and swap meet I've spent a SCARY amount. My teacher is £40 a week (about $70 I guess?). I have a few DVDs and CDs. And I am utterly addicted. I think I have spent ALL my disposable income on bellydance in the last three months and I am aware I have to calm it down!


How many costumes do you own?
Six hipscarves (one from turkey, rest from Bhuzzers)
4 practice skirts (one from Turkey, one from Bhuzzer, 2 from charity shops)
7 practice tops (some charity shop, some high street)
Red chiffon veil and skirt set (from Bhuz)
Pink chiffon veil and skirt set (from Bhuz)
(also got a baby pink set, and emerald skirt and a white skirt coming from other Bhuzzers)
Multi petal skirt (from Bhuz)
three Akai Silk veils (from Bhuz)
two rectangular silk veils (one from Ebay, one from charity shop)
One Red velvet and silver sequin top and skirt set (Bhuz purchase)
One Red Metalskin L Rose set (Bhuz purchase)
One Blue Johara costume (Ebay purchase)
One Wildcat Johara costume (Bhuz purchase)
One Silver Great Loop Pharonics set (Bhuz purchase)
One Fuschia Pharonics (trading with Estha for a custom)
One Green Workhorse Bedlah (selling on Ebay just now)
One Pink Workhorse Bedlah (selling on Ebay just now)
And a Fuschia Hawaiian coming from another Bhuzer too

Actually seeing it written down is obscene! Am just so addicted to the sparkles!


Do you do week longs in Egypt?
When I am more experienced and can get the benefit out of these then I will as getting to Egypt from UK is pretty cheap.

How much do you spend on classes and workshops?
I have a private teacher as my job won't let me commit to a regular class. I have two lessons a week, each for an hour and pay her £40 per week.

I plead the 5th.

The consitutional right not to give testimony against ones self in a court of law.

how much do you spend on belly dance?

Gosh, I never really added it. I guess not much. So far this year I have spent maybe $1,000.00. It will go up, since I will still pay for classes, have a few projects do to, and maybe I will attend a workshop.

How many costumes do you own?

I have bits and pieces that coordinate with each other for Group recital. Tops, skirts, hip scarves, etc. Trying to get rid of a few, but I think they are too beginner for some.

I just bought a Phaoronics from Zana, for my first solo performance this year.

Do you do week longs in Egypt?

No, I don't know if I ever will have the time to. I have a child and a career, so I focus on family vacations more than myself. Maybe someday. But, my friend's husband is Egyptian so he goes twice a year and always brings me something back. I don't dance Egyptian genre either so that is another reason behind it.

How much do you spend on classes and workshops?

$16.50 for Group and $16.50 for Private, a week.

Have yet to take a workshop. My instructor is old school. I haven't found anything by DVD or Workshop genre that she teaches. When, I talk about it moves or what I have learned in class, people don't know what I am talking about sometimes. Kind of nervous about getting out of my comfort zone of 8 years. ..c::

Currently, I don't do much spending on belly dance... I get fringe benefits bc my hubby's an instructor, lol!

I used to spend a lot on costumes, but that was when I was in the US. Since getting married and moving to Germany, I've only bought a beledi dress and melaya costume, so not a lot of output there.

Total costumes... let's see... 4 pharaonics, 2 ablas, 2 bellas, 1 eman, 1 from isis (germany), 1 custom made, 1 from turquoise, 1 from ebay.. so 13? oh, and 1 cabaret dress, so 14.

I'm in the process of unloading a whole bunch of those, so keep an eye out on the swap page!!!

I go to Ahlan Wa Sahlan with my hubby, but I really don't take any of the workshops. I do a lot of observations, though, so I see a lot of different teachers and their teaching styles.

I don't spend anything on classes or workshops currently, but when I was in the US, up towards 200 a month.

Originally Posted by anala

One more than 2 hours ago!

LMAO ..l;,..l;,

No Idea how much I've spent. More than I probably want to admit.
I've owned 2 turkish bra/belt now sold, A mid range (175) but cute velvet now sold,
An Abla which I traded, and a noussa that I sold.
Now I currently own 2 eman's (one was the traded one).
I'm making a bra/belt, and I own a nice arabic dress, plenty of extra skrits/gypsy/ren festy stuff.
I do belong to a troupe and we have a large bellydance community here in the twin cities. I dance at least once a month somewhere, sometimes up to 4 times in a month. I've taught - I also teach ballroom, so dance is a way of life.

Originally Posted by anala

I plead the 5th.

..l;,..l;,..l;,..l;,

How much do you spend on belly dance?
I probably spend about $120 (more or less) a month on belly dance related items. This includes taking a class once a week, buying DVDs/CDs, or participating in an occasional workshop. Once in a while, I may spend money on accessories like jewelry, hip scarfs, veils, etc.

How many costumes do you own?

I own 4 costumes - one of them being a true professional costume made by a well known designer.

Do you do week longs in Egypt?

Boy, I wish! However, I do have a serious goal of registering for a dancers tour to Egypt or Turkey in 2010.