Thread: Tribal costuming envy

Don't get me wrong - I love modern Egyptian and Turkish-style bling, but are there any other "cabaret"-style dancers out there that sometimes envy tribal or fusion dancers' costumes? For example:I just love Moria's costume in her ad here on Bhuz and Rachel Brice's costume on the cover of Bellydance magazine recently!

*raises hand* Me!

Oh yea! As a Cabaret kind of guy myself, I still like the Tribal styles and sometimes incorporate elements of same in my costuming. But my wife, myself, and several of our dance sisters have recently decided that there is no reason why we can't do both Cab and Tribal - so we went and joined a Tribal class! Oh darn, guess we'll all have to make/buy/steal/borrow more costuming! ..cr.:..l;,..l;,

Rachel Brice is an institution upon herself and has heavily influenced Tribal costuming - and I personally find her look awesome. Just plain awesome!

Me too!!! I don't know even where to start with the costuming...it can be so earthy, so textured, so rich, so simple...

Definitely suffer from tribal costume envy over here!

I am not really into the fusion looks, but I LOVE traditional ATS costuming - and get to satisfy that craving by digging out my ATS gear for dancing in the evenings at Pennsic ;-)

I don't see why you can't throw in a couple of tribal elements with the right cabaret costume. One of my old teachers used to do this and I always thought it looked so hot. How 'bout a bad-ass bangle or a kuchi necklace with a vintage-inspired bedlah?

Or if this is too much work, just get a tribaret Bella!

Heck yes! I love it! Sparkles are great but man I would love all those textured layers.

I wear big ole flowers in my hair.

Oh yes - I would love me a tribaret Bella! But that's alot of little pennies in the piggy bank for an "amateur dancer" (maybe if I get alot of $ for Christmas?)! Like you all said - the textures and layers and exoticism...sigh

There is a wonderful answer: Vintage Oriental! And, with a traditional coin set, all doors are open.

I've only costumed for one season, (one costume), which took me at least 80 hrs for just the bedlah. And my heart is not in cabaret, so there were minimal sequins and much texture. Yeah, it was still fun.

I can't wait to a. learn tribal and b. costume tribal. Even though we're only in the talking stages for next year's costumes, I'm slowly gathering up a tribal costume in a half-assed, uninformed attempt to prepare for the eventuality (I hope) of dancing tribal at some point.

I have many ideas for tribal costuming and almost no desire for sparkle.

But if you'll let me dance, we can wear whatever! lol

I think a number of dancers do mix the styles well... Ansuya, Shoshanna, and some others have really nice elements from tribal in their costuming.

I miss the heavy ethnic jewelry most of all!

I agree with Steffi - Vintage Oreintal. No one frowns on bugle beads, sequence, rhinestones and a Kuchi necklace. Oh, and snake arm bands. . .

{{HUGS}}}

Just to put a word in thats different.No, definately no.I don't like that look at all for me.

Sometimes, but it's become so samey and actually sometimes tacky round here that I'm not so interested.

I like a lot of the jewellery, but I would wear that stuff normally, not necessarily with a costume. I love to wear simple, all black clothing and scads of silver. That's just normal clothes to me.

I think it's good to remember that a lot of the "new" costuming is just vintage orientale with different pants and hair.

Originally Posted by zorba

Rachel Brice is an institution upon herself and has heavily influenced Tribal costuming - and I personally find her look awesome. Just plain awesome!

Credit where credit is due: most of the RB look is created/styled by Mardi Love.

yes!!!! i am hopeless and shamelessly float over to the tribal sites and drool

love corsets and lace and tights and ruby red lipsticks and well not that those things are tribal but yea i love it

Originally Posted by zumarrad

I think it's good to remember that a lot of the "new" costuming is just vintage orientale with different pants and hair.

I LOVE this! :-)

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

I agree with Steffi - Vintage Oreintal. No one frowns on bugle beads, sequence, rhinestones and a Kuchi necklace. Oh, and snake arm bands. . .

And it's funny how what we call Tribaret is basically what everyone wore before the advent of Lycra

ETA: Ah, Zummarad beat me to it!

Or, to be snarky: most of Tribaret is what we 'vintage' types wore back when we had to make our own bedleh. My first troupe lived in vest/hip shawls. And, since we were/are Middle Eastern Dancers, a lot of jewelry that is now considered Tribe ended up in my jewelry box and costuming.

I love tribal costuming! Even though I'm a cabaret style dancer, the bulk of my dance wardrobe was tribal style stuff when I was just starting out, because tribal costuming is so much easier to make (and cheaper to buy) than bedlah is! I just invested in a Flying Skirts coin bra and some kuchi bling, and made myself a bunch of vests, harem pants, skirts, and hair flowers. I think a lot of people assumed I was a tribal dancer because of my costuming. I'd love to find the right occasion (besides the Ren Faire) to bust it out again.

Anjela - it's funny you say that because one time I mentally priced my costume (tribal group improv) and realized I was wearing at least $800 is clothing. Sure, I'd made the pantaloons, belt and coin bra, but after materials and time? I hadn't really saved any money (and racked up a few injuries for my troubles). I was looking at non-tribal costumes at the Bellydance Nationals last weekend, and in addition to being beautiful they looked so simple to put on and take off.

I am totally in love with the vintage Am Cab look, but do not have the body to carry it off. *sigh*

Originally Posted by kazoogrrl

.... they looked so simple to put on and take off.

..l;,..l;, I'm laughing because I'm in a troupe that has two sides/personalities: Folkloric and 70s Cabaret! I like to tease the troupe leader that the only reason our costuming is the way it is is because she couldn't find a more complicated way to do it!

If I'm dressing in my normal, more-or-less current day Cabaret costuming, I allow myself an hour to get it all on, get my makeup and hair figured out, etc. But for the above mentioned troupe(s)? AT LEAST an hour and a half, and I'd rather have 2!

Originally Posted by steffib

There is a wonderful answer: Vintage Oriental! And, with a traditional coin set, all doors are open.

Bingo! And you know who does this look really nicely? Nanna Candelaria.

Zorba - I've been at shows where I watch the other dancers perform, then pop back stage, slide out of their bedlah or dress or thobe or whatever (after unpinning themselves, of course), and slip on a post-dance cute outfit. The closest I can get is swapping my coin bra and choli for a regular bra and top because those 25 yard skirts? Are really hard to stuff into a rolling case. If I go out afterwards I always still have super performance hair because there's so much pinned to it it takes 10 minutes to get it undone and then it looks awful! So yes, I have been seen post performance in a tank top, large skirt, no jewelery, "too much" make up, and a headful of flowers, hairsticks and such.

I need a garment bag and a cute post-dancing hat.

Originally Posted by kazoogrrl

... those 25 yard skirts? Are really hard to stuff into a rolling case. ... So yes, I have been seen post performance in a tank top, large skirt, no jewelery, "too much" make up, and a headful of flowers, hairsticks and such.

I need a garment bag and a cute post dancing hat.

I stuff my 25 yard into a large fabric shopping bag if I don't wear it home, which IS easier. I think I stuffed it into my rolling case once, but the next time I tried that, I couldn't figure out how I did it.

I must have just JAMMED it in that first time, which I don't want to do to my decorated bra. My skirt (and everything else) will look fine (smashed), but the bra ... ehhhhhh ... I just don't want to smash it. ... does any one else feel that way about their decorated bras?

(We also need a pony to carry the stuff!)

Very interesting opinions voiced on this thread!

In my upcoming costume book, Tribal Vibes, I included much that will be of interest to someone wanting some of that Tribal mystique, even if they don't want to be immersed in the whole troupe thing. I think it'll have crossover appeal, with more than 200 pictures of about 50 dancers.

I've got Tribal envy myself now, but 'm too old to actually start doing it. "I play one on TV," though.