Thread: Tribal gals: Request for input from Costume Goddess

Hi everyone,
Forgive me if this reads like an advert – actually, I’m asking for advice and input in my ongoing Tribal costume project. My self-imposed deadline is coming up FAST!

You may know, I'm the author of seven BD costume books - The Costume Goddess Tells All.
By popular demand, I am updating my 2003 Tribal costume book, which has been out of print for awhile.

I am NOT a Tribal dancer; I took several classes and workshops awhile back (and struggled terribly!). So I ask for input from REAL Tribal and fusion dancers.
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I used to be an active Bhuz member on the “old” site. Political and neighborhood commitments took over my life. But...reviewing recent threads here makes me miss this wonderful, creative community.
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Tribal costume trends have changed a lot since 02 when I researched. I want to include all of these! So if you think you have something to contribute - please let me know. I may quote you in the book; I may include your troupe's picture, if it's very high quality.

So far I am keeping these parts of the original book:

• Cholis (with and without a back and gusset) and every type of short top
• Ghawazee vests, jackets, coats
• Making coin bras from scratch, and attaching coin bra covers
• Tribaret fusion
• Ethnic influences: Middle Eastern, Spanish, Turkish, etc.
• Creating a pleasing group look for a troupe
• Tips for flattering larger figure types

I got some flak from that last; one reader asserted that Tribal dancers are never concerned with figure size, and was in fact insulted! But others appreciated the tips, which I have in all my books.

The new book will have examples of current trends:

• The netted (cobwebby) look for arm and middle coverings
• Pants - bellbottom and stretch, plain and decorated
• Layered skirts of several types
• Accessories, such as long metal fingertips and fan-veils
• Feathery and furry costume pieces
• "Steampunk" 19th century look (seems very open to interpretation)
• Heavy metal
• Goth
• Vintage-silent film (that’s what I call it anyway)
• Retro "circus" or burlesque (not sure what to call this)
• Eclectic
  

The dancers who are contributing or maybe contributing include:
Sharon Kihara
Gypsy Caravan, Circle Dance Company
Rachel Brice and Mardi Love from Indigo
Ansuya and her troupe
From Seattle: Twilight, Anwaar, InFusion, Troupe Hipnotica, Veils of the Nile, Skin Deep, Elizabeth Dennis, Habib

I'd appreciate your input!

Who are the originators of the above trends, if it’s possible to determine that?

Although the emphasis is on making your own costume pieces, who are your favorite vendors of costume pieces?

What do you find the biggest Tribal costume challenges? The most fun?

Do you have any suggestions or requests?

~Dina Lydia

Originally Posted by dinalydia

*Tips for flattering larger figure types*

I got some flak from that last; one reader asserted that Tribal dancers are never concerned with figure size, and was in fact insulted! But others appreciated the tips, which I have in all my books.
~Dina Lydia

Please don't leave this part out. I'm not a tribal dancer; I hope to be one day. I do have a fuller figure, and despite a pretty good attitude about it, I can't believe that the *expectation* or *assertion* that any set of dancers are not being concerned with figure size translates into the *fact* that said dancers are not concerned with figure size.

Originally Posted by nadyasidhe

Please don't leave this part out. I'm not a tribal dancer; I hope to be one day. I do have a fuller figure, and despite a pretty good attitude about it, I can't believe that the *expectation* or *assertion* that any set of dancers are not being concerned with figure size translates into the *fact* that said dancers are not concerned with figure size.

Thanks, that's useful feedback.

Originally Posted by dinalydia

Hi everyone,[*]Tips for flattering larger figure types[/LIST]I got some flak from that last; one reader asserted that Tribal dancers are never concerned with figure size, and was in fact insulted! But others appreciated the tips, which I have in all my books.

That bothers me (that you received flak for that!).

Someone who is not concerned with their size should still know what looks flattering on them REGARDLESS of what size they are or what type of clothing.

Sheesh.

Retro Circus - I think that's more Vaudeville with a dash of Pirate.

Hi Dinalydia, I'm not a tribal/fusion dancer (yet, I've dabbled though *g*) but I've got some costuming experience. If it may be of help to you, here are my comments.

• The netted (cobwebby) look for arm and middle coverings (not sure, but this may originate from anywhere as lots of dancers are making shebakas from fishnet stockings, if you do a searc on here for body stockings/shebakas you'll find at least two very useful threads)
  
• Pants - bellbottom and stretch, plain and decorated (seems like the originator of the trend is Melodias pants, but there are several people/suppliers making similar pants. In the "Tribal Fusion Fundamentals" dvd, they are cited as the official pants of TF.)
  
• Layered skirts of several types (again, look at the dvd above. Moria has a very nice cage skirt made of ruffles. As far as where it originated, that will be hard to assess. Even in the Egyptian, Turkish and cabaret styles, the skirt is the one item where most ladies like to experiment, be it from necessity or creativity. Look at the threads titled "What are you working on", you'll see lots of eye popping designs, unique and gorgeous. One example that comes to mind is Sophie's skirt decorated with ribbons, but there are a lot of awesome examples by many dancers.)
  
• Accessories, such as long metal fingertips and fan-veils (the Thai nails I have seen only on Geneviva in the Gothic Bellydance dvd, so I'm not sure how much of a trend it is. Try the tribal and fusion related forums on Tribe as they don't don't seem *that* popular around here. Fan veils I've seen on Fantasy Bellydance dvd, done by Tanna Valentine and a few youtube performances. There are some threads here on how to make them, but I don't know where the trend might have originated. My guess would be that ppl that have easy access to silk and that have a passion for its look and feel (tossing my hat towards Jessenia and her gorgeous silk dyeing work here, I know she posted about making fan veils too.) Moondance.com have been selling them for a while... perhaps inquire with them/Jessenia to see what they have to say about that trend?
  
• Feathery and furry costume pieces
• "Steampunk" 19th century look (seems very open to interpretation)
• Heavy metal
• Goth
• Vintage-silent film (that’s what I call it anyway)
• Retro "circus" or burlesque (not sure what to call this)
• Eclectic

These last I will group together because they all seem (to me) to originate/be in use in Fusion. For example, Tempest wears fascinators (makes them too, I think) in her vintage-silent film type performances (as per your desc. above).

cont...

As well, I think Tempest is pretty much your go-to person to find out more about trend origins in Goth, Steampunk, retro and vintage stuff. She cites Ruth St-Denis as one of her influences, so that may be the origin point you're wondering about, but I would def. recommend reading her posts. In Gothic/Dark Fusion, Ariellah is also inspiring a lot of ppl. Mardi Love created the yarn belt (or so I've read). In terms of "circus" trends, perhaps take a look at the "Le Serpent Rouge" dvd and also Katy Kay's performance in Tribal Revolution. Ultra Gypsy and UnMata also have some unique pieces.

A few websites/items:

Silk Products
Welcome to Med'Devi Ink
Ariellah Tribal Fusion and Dark Fusion Belly Dance
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Tribal-Fusion-Fundamentals-Bellydance-Superstars/dp/B001HL75PY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1252770397&sr=1-7]Amazon.com: Tribal Fusion Fundamentals: Bellydance Superstars, -: Movies & TV[/ame]
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Tribal-Revolution-Fusion-Bellydance-Performances/dp/B000WYMS2W/ref=sr_1_25?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1252770505&sr=1-25]Amazon.com: Tribal Revolution: Tribal Fusion Bellydance Performances: Various Artists: Movies & TV[/ame]
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Bellydance-Underworld-Various-Artists/dp/B000OPVPHS/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1252770565&sr=1-22]Amazon.com: Bellydance Underworld: Various Artists: Movies & TV[/ame]

I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that you know already, and ppl like the Indigo, Fat Chance/Carolena, etc... so I'm not going into all that to try and keep that post manageable. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, ppl are very helpful and knowledgeable around here. (I'll address your other questions in a separate post -word limit.)

Although the emphasis is on making your own costume pieces, who are your favorite vendors of costume pieces? What do you find the biggest Tribal costume challenges? The most fun? Do you have any suggestions or requests?

Sharifwear, Melodia, L. Rose, Geisha Moth, Magidah and a few others that slip my mind right now all make good basic pieces like pants and tops. Price point for those vendors is on the higher side, but the quality is also high. Other vendors offer lower priced items, but the quality seems lower as well. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground, perhaps because these items are not mass produced. For ppl who do this for a living, I suppose that paying 80$ for a pair of pants, but for hobbyists that either go to school or have bills to pay, it is hard to justify. A good pattern for a comfortable pair of flare pants/ crop top would be welcome, along with a list of fabric that withstand washing/wearing well.

Challenges? Finding jewelry that won't break the bank. Metal prices are going up and authentic pieces are not mass produced (which may or may not be a bad thing). I'd like to see a tutorial to make coin belts from my pocket change instead of paying 1$ per Indian/Nepali/Raj coin. (After all, if tribal ppl used to decorate their clothing with their own coins, wouldn't it make sense that “tribes” from here would do the same with their own coins?) So tips on cleaning coin, giving them a patina, how to affix them without slicing through thread etc... would all be useful.

Finding good quality trims that don't cost an arm and a leg is another. My area has lots of ethnic fabrric stores, but others might not be so lucky, so tips on finding/making trims could be an idea. (There's a lady on here that makes beaded trim on a Turkish loom, for example. Sorry I forget the name, but please put your hand up if it's you!)

Belt patterns, making the patterns and which one is the most flattering.

Mechanics of the bra: straps, anchor points, angle of cups, fastenings, what's most flattering, supportive etc... Specific models of bra to use for the base.

The two main issues I see are: 1- how to make a comprehensive book without turning it into a sewing/beading/metalworking/knitting/leatherwork encyclopedia? 2-most TF costuming advice revolves around Tribal costuming basics, but if you look at the actual TF garb, there's not a lot of it in the average costume.

Also, (and this is my personal opinion) I find that in an effort to be unique, a lot of TF costumes end up reading the same: Melos, funky belt, bra, ton of jewelry, hair flowers. While all the pieces in a costume are meaningful to the dancer and probably one of a kind in the case of some ethnic jewelry, the overall look reads a lot alike. I wish that more “pro” fusion dancers would have more unique looks. Why yarn, why not ribbons? Why ethnic coins, why not local change or even chainmail? cont...

Why bras and not cute twisted/lace up/ funkyfied tops? Why always huge bracelets and not chains/fabric cuffs/recycled broken rosaries? (BTW, I have yet to see a Gothic costume with crosses, but maybe I just live a sheltered life *grin*) To me, fusion means license to create an image, a moment, that will evoke something in ppl, something that is uniquely mine, something that *I* can communicate to an audience. If I don't have a distinctively unique dance style, then why would I replicate a costuming formula that many have already used before? (I honestly don't know, not be facetious here. Like, is it a convention of Fusion? You can't dance fusion without dressing like this? Inquiring minds want to know.)

[And before I get lambasted by anyone: just talking costuming here, ok? *g* I'm not discussing merits of one style over another and not interested in opening that can of worms either. Please forgive?]

HTH some,

Kem

Thanks everyone - very useful suggestions! Keep them coming!

I will spend today going through those threads you mention and contacting those dancers you mentioned that I haven't yet.

I thought this 09 Tribal update would be a matter of a few extra pages of photos and costume pieces, but it's turning out to be a major rewrite, cause Tribal now overlaps with theatricality of many kinds.

I can write, illustrate, photograph, retouch, and layout, but need the help with content cause I Am NOT immersed in the Tribal dance community. In recent years I'm a spectator. So I'm picking everyone's brain and soliciting useful quotes. All with proper credit of course!

I'm doing my own photo shoot with local troupes Hands of Kali & Twilight in the next week. ~ Dina

Our local tribal groups are doing a lot of Indian fusion into our costuming - a new thing that one of our bigger groups in Salt Lake (Kashmir Dance Company) is wearing is the Brolie and you can only get it from GypsyRedTribalThread on Etsy - Gypsy Red Tribal Threads - and when they do their funkier fusion pieces, they are layering tutus with funky pants for a sort of punk ballerina look. I like that they are standing apart from what they used to do, which was clone the Indigo's style.

My troupe(Gypsy Melody of Desert Gypsy Dance Company) is wearing intricately embroidered mirror skirts from India, coin bras, and everyone has the option of wearing a custom vest or one of their own choosing, all in black for a uniform look, hip sashes, and belts of all kinds. A lot of our accessorizing is Indigo inspired.

We also have a gal from Atash Maya who moved out here to Utah a couple years ago and had brought in some of their gothier influences to our local dance fashions. (Lara of Barefoot Bellydance - her trio is now wearing jaipur skirts and lots of ivory/white, which is a nice change from the past few years of blacklblackblack on everyone doing fusion!)

Etsy is becoming a HUGE resource for a lot of the tribal fusion people I know and dance with. For example, Kathleen Crowley and her Sampants, Fluffie Rufflies - KathleenCrowley on Etsy - KathleenCrowleyCostumeCouture

Also, there's a big costuming network on tribe.net - over there you can learn about monsterloons (pantaloon/harem pants with mucho yardage), frankencholi, and just about every trendy tribal clothier has a community on there (melodia, geishamoth, etc)

And a big yes yes to Tempest - a little while back her corset bras were all the rage, gals around here still wear them for the sort of circus/burlesque/gothic flavored tribal fusion. And her corset belts are still super popular - I've had requests from some of my gals for me to make them (I only sew for friends right now, maybe someday, more?) - anyhow, the 2 styles of belts I get the most questions/requests on are the multi-panel corset kind (tempest) and the 2 panel tie on the side kind (mardi love).

Originally Posted by yaalini

Retro Circus - I think that's more Vaudeville with a dash of Pirate.

I think the Pirate is optional ..g.:. A lot of this also stems from working with Balkan influences, particularly in terms of music. So the more ethnic tribal look doesn't fit with that music the way the 19th Century cabaret/Moulin Rouge looks do.

We got our current look initially based of an Indigo performance we saw at the BDSS several years ago, with big tucked skirts and shoes. ("Vintage" Znama looked very tribal fusion, with lots of black and coins). Our founder Severina has also been dancing with a lot of local balkan bands for a while, so this look clicked for us. We all got tired of the black and gothiness and wanted something more cheerful.

We now mostly dance in more evening/night clubby places, where neither the traditional ethic tribal look nor the gothy tribal fusion look is right. We've felt the need to glam it up a bit and so old cabaret and burlesque looks have been a big factor in costuming for us. We've also been really trying to break away from dark/black costuming and use bright, saturated colors. Our next project is try and not use any black whatsoever.

We raid Forever 21 and Claire' Boutique for cheap accessories, then we usually work with local seamstresses on bigger projects like skirts. We've gotten pretty skilled with covering and making bras and belts.

OT - Dina, I am so glad to see you here! You have been away too long! I can't contribute too much here as I am not a tribal girl, although I do tribaret. It really kinda looks like old school Vintage Orientale / American Cab.

back to your regularly scheduled thread. . .

{{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by raniraqs

Our local tribal groups are doing a lot of Indian fusion into our costuming - a new thing that one of our bigger groups in Salt Lake (Kashmir Dance Company) is wearing is the Brolie and you can only get it from GypsyRedTribalThread on Etsy - Gypsy Red Tribal Threads - and when they do their funkier fusion pieces, they are layering tutus with funky pants for a sort of punk ballerina look. I like that they are standing apart from what they used to do, which was clone the Indigo's style...

And a big yes yes to Tempest - a little while back her corset bras were all the rage, gals around here still wear them for the sort of circus/burlesque/gothic flavored tribal fusion. And her corset belts are still super popular - I've had requests from some of my gals for me to make them (I only sew for friends right now, maybe someday, more?) - anyhow, the 2 styles of belts I get the most questions/requests on are the multi-panel corset kind (tempest) and the 2 panel tie on the side kind (mardi love).

Thanks for all this info..."punk ballerina," okay that's a new one on me.....c::

East Indian is one of the influences I illustrate in the ethnic section of the book. This "brolie", I've seen the picture, what is distinctive that appeals to you? The stripes, or the way it fits?

The laced "corset belt" in several pieces- one advantage I see is the ability to conform to various hip shapes. The one-piece wide hip belt was always tricky to fit perfectly and difficult to alter.

Originally Posted by mathkitty

A lot of this also stems from working with Balkan influences, particularly in terms of music. So the more ethnic tribal look doesn't fit with that music the way the 19th Century cabaret/Moulin Rouge looks do....

I saw your act at MedFest, loved it!

I've already sent the photos to one of you (Emilie) and told her I'd like to include one in the book.

Your quote would be vey enlightening too!

This brings up a question: At what point is it no longer Tribal, or even Tribal fusion? Do you still ATS use improvisation?

~Dina

Originally Posted by kemintiri

Also, (and this is my personal opinion) I find that in an effort to be unique, a lot of TF costumes end up reading the same: Melos, funky belt, bra, ton of jewelry, hair flowers. While all the pieces in a costume are meaningful to the dancer and probably one of a kind in the case of some ethnic jewelry, the overall look reads a lot alike. I wish that more “pro” fusion dancers would have more unique looks. Why yarn, why not ribbons? Why ethnic coins, why not local change or even chainmail? cont...

*g* My next bedlah I'm making is putting all my pennies lying around to good use.

Tahira, thanks for the kind words.

Originally Posted by dinalydia

I saw your act at MedFest, loved it!

I've already sent the photos to one of you (Emilie) and told her I'd like to include one in the book.

Your quote would be vey enlightening too!

This brings up a question: At what point is it no longer Tribal, or even Tribal fusion? Do you still ATS use improvisation?

~Dina

You sent the fab photos to me...I'm Emilie, should have introduced myself.

Your question is a good one and tough to answer. I'm not exactly sure which category we fall into. We don't use ATS-style group improvisation. We mostly choreograph, but we typically leave space in our pieces for solo improvisation. In just about everything we've done, there's always a spot for one soloist or multiple soloists to improvise. Some of this stems from all of having busy day jobs and thus not having enough time to choreograph every note of the music. But it also helps keep stuff fresh, give us new ideas and keep us in touch with the music as opposed to just memorizing the choreography. And improv is still an important skill for us since we often perform to live music, and things don't always go as planned...

Perhaps staple pieces would be a good idea. With the trends, I imagine that it would be easy to invest lots and end up looking dated very quickly. A section on how to incorporate a trend may be nice.

IMO, I see more shifts in tribal fusion than in other forms of belly dance. I would love to know where people get the inspiration.

Don't know how you can cover it, but the use of boots became popular with tribal fusion. Ideas on what to look for and incorporating that may be helpful.

Oh yeah, big stompy boots! I'm guilty, I've done that before.

As for the brolie, the construction on it is fairly unique - the gal who created them makes them from strips of trims from India, and each one is different depending on shape and measurments. The striped pattern is a side effect of the way the strips of trim are pieced. I'm particularly interested in them as a very busty dancer, because the way they are sewn allows for almost an infinite variation in breast size, as long as you've got enough strips to mold into the center of the cup. So it's not just the appearance, but also the unique fit.

I don't know if you plan on a section - Tribal For The Boobiful, but maybe a small blurb on how you can wear a bra with your choli if you cut off the back strap, or fold it back, and pin/sew the bra inside the choli, which allows for support and shaping - I'm a 36 H and there is NOOOO way I can wear any choli, stretch or woven without a bra - but if the brolie I mentioned above is properly fitted, you can go without. The troupes I've seen who wear them, they have gals of every size, and the gals who met with the seamstress to be fitted, those tops are like stripety lovely gloves! Skinny gals, chubby gals, flat, flapjacked - I am really impressed with how nice they look with just minor differences. Maybe note that certain styles like the tie front tops (like Sharifwear, et al) are very flattering and wearable with a bra, or for those who don't mind showing back, but want to cover cleavage, they can be worn backwards - I saw someone wear a short sleeved and a 3/4 sleeved one together once, one frontwards and one backwards. Very cute, I wish I could remember who did it!

My current troupe has been very AmCab in the past, and is now moving more towards tribal - right now it's mostly choreographed, but includes more tribal arms (barbie arms) when in neutral positions, and even though we don't cue, we do use tribal moves in unison at times. So my current group is in a bit of flux - but the other groups I've danced with tend to do maybe 80% FCBD style ATS, with 20% choreographed fusion (say, a 5 song set, 4 would be ultra traditional tribal, with one super-funky fusion). And then there are other gals who are stereotypical tribal fusion, Melo pants and flower in the hair and spitcurls galore, who are almost always doing the "ooey gooey" pop n lock style that is almost more hip-hop than ATS(also choreographed). But all 3 groups are tribal fusion.

Anyhow, I agree with the previous post - certain staples for the tribal dancer are going to be the 25 yd skirt, a black belly cover, either of mesh or fishnet, if the belly is left bare, the other staple is sleeves/crop top made of upside down tights/fishnets. Basic pants that never seem to go out of style are the Melodias, harem pants in less glitzy fabrics (more cotton, less tissue lame!), and plain old yoga style boot cut pants. Another good basic is the Rosehips overskirt/hip accent - it's a really simple element of costuming that can be worn with just about every tribal fusion style, depending on the fabric they are made from.

All of these are often put with a coordinating skirt of either another solid color or a print, a belt of varying types, more funky pants, and something up top - anything from coin bras to wrap tops to halters in a myriad of fabrics and colors and treatments. Kuchi is still in, tassels are still in, but I see a lot more long lines in design now, as opposed to big fat clusters of camel tassels. A lot more creativity in color and fabric choices, not just cotton and stretch velvet. I've been seeing assuit, but less black and silver, and more creams and the newer colored assuit making their way into costume pieces.

I almost never see anyone wearing a plain stretch velvet choli by itself as a top, anymore - only in practice, or maybe a workshop. But they are still a layering staple.

A lot of it feels like we're coming full circle, back to a unique vintage look from before the super-uniform ATS costuming of the past decade.

Oh yeah, and one bit about the 2 piece belt that tie at the hips (Mardi Love style) - if the long hip sashes are done in a stretchy fabric, particularly panne velvet, they STAY. In fact, I've been losing weight, so all my pants and skirts fall off, unless I wear my belt with the stretchy ties on the sides, that belt holds everything else up! I don't know how Mardi makes hers, but I make mine nice and stiff, using the thickest, stiffest interfacing I can find, and I make the ties of a stretch velvet tube, so that every part of fabric in the knot is touching the grippy side of the velvet. That keeps the belt from buckling, and also keeps it in place with the skirt. I have a similar belt I purchased, and it's got no interfacing, and the stretchy ties are in a thick lycra, and that belt needs to be re-tied often. Just a tidbit, for people making their own 2 piece straight belts!

Thanks again everyone for all these useful suggestions!

Yes, I will be emphasizing multi-layering as the one ingredient of Tribal costume almost all the various flavors play with.

I think it will be good to make a bit of a distinction between ATS, which has fairly well-defined guidelines for the costume, and its ITS siblings vs. the many, many styles of fusion. With many of the more contemporary stylizations, I feel that the connection to the roots, ATS/ITS, is getting lost, and with that in mind, I feel that tossing "everything tribal" into one big colorful, everything-goes mish-mash may not do justice to the variety of tribal flavors.

Shay of inFusion most likely can offer a lot more advice on the topic and if she works with you, that sounds extremely promising. If you can find a way to sort this all into a few well-chosen categries, that would be add a lot of value to the book, in my opinion.

[QUOTE=steffib;506804]I think it will be good to make a bit of a distinction between ATS, which has fairly well-defined guidelines for the costume, and its ITS siblings vs. the many, many styles of fusion...QUOTE]

I will definitely categorize the styles we've discussed, starting from the standard ATS costuming - as in the first edition - proceeding to the updated ATS that Gypsy Caravan calls "Tribal Elegant", then the popular ethnic fusions like Spanish and East Indian, then proceeding to the current fantasy, vintage, and experimental offshoots. As I understand it, those acts may or may not use the Tribal cues and improvisations.

One of the things you have asked about which isn't simply a Tribal thing is how to cover bras with coins and attach bra covers. Many of us who are AmCab wear coin sets including real and Faux Costless sets. I believe there are instructions around here about how to make / attach both. Says one of the queens of the coin costume. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

Flying Skirts is defintiely worth a mention as the orginal makers of the big 25 yard skirts that FCBD wears.

Originally Posted by catwomyn

Flying Skirts is defintiely worth a mention as the orginal makers of the big 25 yard skirts that FCBD wears.

Flying Skirts is to be credited for the awesome 10 yard skirts (and the super cholis, which in my opinion put Gwen Heckenroth in the costuming pantheon), but I believe that the fluffy/25 yard skirts are not an original Flying Skirts design.

A good skill for tribal-oriented dancers (or cabaret dancers making "tribaret" looks or oriental dancer inspired by tribal items integrated into some of Bella's designs) on a budget is how to clean and repair damaged kuchi jewelry (replacing dangly bits, snipping off obviously broken bits, replacing stones or faking it with nailpolish). Damaged, less than sale-worth items are often sold on ebay at a discount for parts or fixing up.

I second contacting Tempest for information and background on gothic bellydance fashions(although she'll argue it's more of an offshoot of cabaret than tribal) and the rise of steampunk influences on costuming.

And I also second contacting Sharon "Shay" Moore, co-founder of Seattle's InFusion, for a good discussion of Tribal costuming needs and trends
Welcome to the new Mandala Tribal Website! | Mandala Tribal Bellydance - Shay Moore - Seattle

I'd like to suggest contacting Frederique about the vintage-fusion look.
She put on an AMAZING performance & workshop at the LV Intensive this past week.

Frederique's Voix de Ville...

Thanks for the props, folks!

Dina, I know we are somewhat in touch already on this project, but thought I would pop in here.

As you have already addressed a bit, it can be very hard to find out where the line is drawn between tribal and simply fusion. Looking at the list, "goth", "steampunk", "circus", and "heavy metal"...none of these are necessarily tribal specific. In fact, I know more general fusion slanted dancers who do heavy metal and goth than tribal. And in circus and steampunk I see a pretty even split. Maybe your focus on the tribal book should be more limited in scope, focusing on ATS, ITS, and related offshoots (which may encompass some overlap, but with this book focusing in its use in tribal dancing); and then with the rest you have fodder for a second book entirely about general bellydance fusion styles?