Thread: Costuming for outdoor performances in the cold?

I have a performance coming up next week and will be performing outside and I'm suddenly re-thinking my costuming. It's getting crazy cold. I had been thinking of wearing my "wall o/ fringe" silver bedlah and a velvet trumpet skirt/accessories, but with the massive chill, I'm seriously tempted to pull out the beledi dress - it is at an international festival. On the other hand, this is the first time the location has hired a "real" oriental dancer and I want to be sure that it fulfills their expectations so much that they continue to hire quality performers.

WWBD?

What about the bedlah with a body stocking underneath for extra warmth? A fancy tie-top over the bra will cover the back and arms but still look cabaret. The velvet skirt will probably be pretty warm, but you could also try a circle skirt with harem pants underneath.

I'm in the Midwest, and we had our Renaissance Festival this month, and it was so cold! (We've already had snow this year.)

Our troupe costumes consist of a bedlah, 25 yard skirt, and harem pants. Many of us also added gauntlets/arm warmers, ghawazee jackets, leg warmers, socks, and warm shoes. Our teacher wore a velvet choli under her top. It was funny to see tennis shoes with the sparkles, but it was too cold for us to care! Any time we weren’t on stage, our cover-ups were our winter coats.

Just let me warn you that your zills will be so, so cold! I should have had someone sit on them to keep them warm, but I didn’t. My hands were freezing before I picked up the frozen metal disks of pain and torture.

I also once danced in a parade in the beginning of winter a few years ago, and I remember we wore our turbans over our ears instead of hats. We wore so many layers, plus gloves, and winter boots. I remember wearing a sparkly tank top over my long sleeved shirt, which when under my choli and vest. It was so cold, and I’ve never done a parade since.

Originally Posted by Karnak

I'm in the Midwest, and we had our Renaissance Festival this month, and it was so cold! (We've already had snow this year.)

Our troupe costumes consist of a bedlah, 25 yard skirt, and harem pants. Many of us also added gauntlets/arm warmers, ghawazee jackets, leg warmers, socks, and warm shoes. Our teacher wore a velvet choli under her top. It was funny to see tennis shoes with the sparkles, but it was too cold for us to care! Any time we weren’t on stage, our cover-ups were our winter coats.

Just let me warn you that your zills will be so, so cold! I should have had someone sit on them to keep them warm, but I didn’t. My hands were freezing before I picked up the frozen metal disks of pain and torture.

I also once danced in a parade in the beginning of winter a few years ago, and I remember we wore our turbans over our ears instead of hats. We wore so many layers, plus gloves, and winter boots. I remember wearing a sparkly tank top over my long sleeved shirt, which when under my choli and vest. It was so cold, and I’ve never done a parade since.

Wow, girl! Winter parades - that's hard core!

I saw a dancer wear something really pretty. Footless tights in a pale irridescent color with sequin trim around the ankle cuff. Kept her legs warm and peeped out of the skirt and looked lilke part of the costume. We sometimes wear silky harems with long johns underneath. Get some hand warmers to use before performing to keep your hands warm and supple. I like the idea of a top or make a shrug out of some glittery fabric. Super fast and easy and will keep your back and arms warm.

Thanks for all the input! :) It seems like sparkly with modifications is the way to go (and closer to what I think they're expecting.

I am going to take this weekend to work on making a skirt for the performance - I have one to wear, but if I make another one, I'll kind of match their school colors. I have plenty of extra fabric, so maybe I'll look at trying a shrug too.

Originally Posted by Asra*

Wow, girl! Winter parades - that's hard core!

Well, it was November, so it wasn't technically winter, but the temperature was below freezing because it was South Dakota. Some of the dancers showed up without gloves! We had to scramble before the parade to get some.

Modern galabeya with a beautiful bedlah on top?

velvet L Rose beledi dress with bedlah

I have a dress I could possibly wear with a bedlah and if not I have fabric and Saturday off to put something together. Do you think this would not be seen as "bellydancer-y" enough by a college crowd?

I feel like I'm so over-thinking this...

Mary, you can make a simple shrug with a tiny amt of fabric. Hold your arms outstretched and have hubby measure your wingspan from the point you want the shrug to come to on your arm across to the same point on the other side. Add 4 inches to that. Then cut a piece of fabric about 18 to 20" wide and as long as the arm measurement above (including the extra inches.

Turn all the edges under for narrow hem all the way around. You now have long rectangle. Pin the right sides of top and bottom edges to each other 1/3 way from one end and 1/3 way from the other end, leaving 1/3 open in the middle with tubes for sleeves at both ends. With it inside out so pins are on the outside, slide your arms into the tubes. Have someone help adjust the pins so that the arm seams come as close or as far from your armpits as feels comfortable. You can also put small darts at the back of the shoulders.

The cuffs can be finished any way your want. If you use chiffon, a pretty way to do it is to use elastic and leave a little ruffle at the end of the sleeve.

You can also put hook/eye on the shrug, bra strap to hold it nicely against your body. These are really easy and use tiny amt of left over fabric.

That sounds easy enough... I'll check the weather for next week and break out the sewing machine this weekend for something. lol

test drive first- we actually danced on an ice stage last year for the International Ice Art something or other- and got way overheated the first day. we still ended up with salwar, 2 skirts bedlah, body stocking & turkish vest, but we were working hard enough we were quite, quite toasty. Just make sure the organizers have a warm spot for you when you're done!

I danced at the Run for the Cure a couple of weeks ago, and it was snowing. I wore a velvet beledi dress with a coin hip scarf. I wore a body stocking under the dress for extra warmth, and I wore pantyhose, as well. I wore low-heeled boots. I wore gloves on my hands, along with the gauntlets that match my dress. My matching velvet headband covered my ears. I didn't wear earrings, as I knew the metal would make my earlobes feel too cold. (I frostbit my earlobes in my youth, and they are always sensitive to cold now.) My shoulders and neckline were bare. I had a veil, and that helped to keep me warm a little bit, between songs. When I got home, though, it took my about 2 hours to feel completely warm again. We were outside for just over an hour. If it had been for a shorter time (10-15 minutes), I think what I was wearing would have been adequate, but for the length of time we were outside, a choli or shrug with the dress would have helped. Other than the gloves and the little bit of boot that could be seen, I appeared to be in "normal" costume. (Matching gloves would have looked MUCH nicer, though.) I had considered wearing a bedlah and body stocking, but I'm glad I didn't, as it would have been too cold, for sure. However, with a choli, vest, or shrug, and for a shorter time period, that might be all right, depending on the temperature. It was around the freezing mark here that day, with a bit of a wind that made it feel colder. Even my teeth were shimmying. *g*

Good luck, and keep warm.

Edited to add a pic.

Originally Posted by MaryRaks

I have a dress I could possibly wear with a bedlah and if not I have fabric and Saturday off to put something together. Do you think this would not be seen as "bellydancer-y" enough by a college crowd?

I feel like I'm so over-thinking this...

as long as you have fringe or coins I think you'll be fine. Don't worry about that so much, worry about making sure you are warm enough and comfy. make sure you have a coat or warm cover up for before and after.