Thread: how to work a silk veil in the wind

i'm sure this video has been posted before somewhere, but i had to revisit it tonight after battling the silk veil while performing on a windy veranda.
what are your best tricks for handling veil in sudden wind?
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc16m2B2K1g]YouTube - Singin in the rain.Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse[/ame]

Sigh, look how much more fun things were before CGI

That is not real wind!

beautiful! that's one huge veil. I'm sure it helps when you know where the wind is coming from.
I'm also pretty certain she got it in her face a few times during rehearsal.

I try not to use a veil outdoors!!

But when it's happened, I tried to figure out how to keep my body between my veil and the wind, exactly as Cyd is doing here, and use the wind rather than working against it.

If you're doing a choreographed solo, you just have to drop the choreo and improvise (or drop the veil)

If you're doing a group choreo, your only option (if it's very windy) is probably to ditch the silk and 'air veil.' Boy, that's the test of a good veil choreo, isn't it? Still looks like a dance without the veil.

here's my students doing their best; poor girls. they "fought" bravely, and luckily managed not to get too nervous and continue more or less relaxed after the veil bit ended.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlQ_nuP8f8U]YouTube - (e)motion dancers dance 1 @ Hapje Tapje 2009[/ame]

that being said, there are a few "techniques"

- i hold it "shorter" than usual, so a little less slack. you cant do everything that neatly that way, you loose some of the "flowiness" of silk, but it increases control

- use chiffon rather than silk. because of the weight. you will need strooong muscles for this against the wind though to have it looking at all elegant still.

- i bring the veil in a little more over my fingers/hands, rather than behind them. hard to explain. also more control.

- be carefull about movements that go against the natural "direction" of the other tricks you have done, and the "energy" or direction the veil already has from them...

- avoid any and all tosses.

- avoid costumes where the veil can get caught on your costume. this is true always but more outdoors.

- and yes, have choreo's where you can continue without... improvise, have fun

- if the wind causes a smalll mistake, just ignore it and dance on. if the wind causes a HUGE mistake (the thing gets caught on your costume, flies in your face, etc)... as a group dancer just continue as swiftly and gracefully as possible. as a solo dancer, i like to acknowledge what happened in my face, as it allows the audience to giggle, rather than feel sorry for you. i'd prefer they get a little laught, and project that "i'm ok with this", rather than having thme thing "ooh dearie me".

beautiful clips you guys

i used to dance outdoors at concerts and found it was nearly impossible to ever choreograph or plan things..just let the wind toss the veil and went with the flow but then i wasn't really 'belly' dancing

Miss Sonya Blacker has a video somewhere of her dancing in the Chicago with a veil and it was quite windy outside.

Can't seem to find it though, but it looks like she could totally answer this question.

What Lauren said...