Thread: How do you do this veil wrap?

Can anyone give me a breakdown of exactly how to wrap a veil around you like this?:

http://www.bhuz.com/forum/rest-belly...tube-clip.html

I mean like how/where exactly do you tuck it into your costume? I know its probably simple but I'm the sort of person who'd end up tying myself in a gigantic knot if I just improvised or had a go

And how do you get out of it elegantly?

I've seen this done a few times on YouTube but its not on any of my instructional DVDs and I haven't, to my knowledge, met anyone 'in the flesh' who actually uses it.

If I'm not mistaken, that's the World's Easiest Veil Wrap, that even I can get out of. It's a cinch.

All you do is drape your veil over one extended arm, making sure both ends are even, and take the two loose corners closest to your body across your body and into your belt - one in back, one in front. (ie if you have your left arm out, tuck into your right hip) It looks like Shems has a semicircle there which is why it looks so nice and sleek, but a rectangle works well too. You can just catch the veil under your left bra strap if you're worried about slippage.

To get out, the easiest escape I know is to discreetly pluck the front end out of your belt with the same hand as hip, then as you turn away from it (so if that was your right hand, you're turning anticlockwise) bring the arm over your head and around. Now the veil is in front of you, tucked into your back hip. Grab the veil with your left hand, slide your right hand down the edge of the veil, pulling a little to release the veil, and you now have a loose veil in front of you in both hands. Do your usual veil thing.

ETA: this isn't what Shems does, but it's similar.

Thanks Zum

I will try this out at home. It looked like it was easy but I never underestimate my ability to get the wrong end of the stick (or veil!)

I think I've also heard it called a toga wrap, if it is what I think it is.
veil is folded in half, and angled 45 degrees, and the dancer is inside.
I usually on tuck the "top left" corners in my belt, but the "top right fold" in the bra strap can also make it more secure.

Originally Posted by khadiya

Thanks Zum

I will try this out at home. It looked like it was easy but I never underestimate my ability to get the wrong end of the stick (or veil!)

I am really quite remedial with veil myself. Oh, and if you have a really long veil, you don't have to tuck the *very* ends of the veil, just tuck in some of the edge and allow the rest to bouff over the top. Arrange it so it sits smoothly on your body.

i have 3 dvd's on 3 diff wraps...we call ties
we have 6 that we use
my instruction includes keeping zillls on.sorry for the blantent plug, but THIS is what i do, and dancers come from al over to learn this from me.

Zamora - do you have a link to your videos?

Sadie also does this wrap on one of the IAMED Ultimate Combos DVDs. I think it's the first one - I'll have to check for sure.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

If I'm not mistaken, that's the World's Easiest Veil Wrap, that even I can get out of. It's a cinch.

All you do is drape your veil over one extended arm, making sure both ends are even, and take the two loose corners closest to your body across your body and into your belt - one in back, one in front. (ie if you have your left arm out, tuck into your right hip) It looks like Shems has a semicircle there which is why it looks so nice and sleek, but a rectangle works well too. You can just catch the veil under your left bra strap if you're worried about slippage.

To get out, the easiest escape I know is to discreetly pluck the front end out of your belt with the same hand as hip, then as you turn away from it (so if that was your right hand, you're turning anticlockwise) bring the arm over your head and around. Now the veil is in front of you, tucked into your back hip. Grab the veil with your left hand, slide your right hand down the edge of the veil, pulling a little to release the veil, and you now have a loose veil in front of you in both hands. Do your usual veil thing.

ETA: this isn't what Shems does, but it's similar.

That's my default wrap! I do it just as zumarrad described, and also tuck it deeply into the bra strap of the arm it's draped over.

I learned it from The Ancient Art of Oriental Belly Dancing Volume 1 with Alexandra King. She covers how to wrap it, how to get out of it, and a lot of stuff to do in partially-wrapped positions.

I got a lot out of this series, but I always hesitate to recommend it to others. It covers very basic material, so it may bore an intermediate+ dancer, but a beginner might have a hard time learning from it because she doesn't break down the movements in a lot of detail. However, I find that I use her material a lot, because it's simple, elegant, and versatile.

I'm having trouble explaining this. The best way I can put it is that it develops variety in my "core" movement vocabulary, rather than expanding my repertoire with new skills. Does that make any sense?