Thread: With zills on her fingers and bells on her toes...

...she will have music wherever she goes!

But my question is this (inspired by the double veil thread)...

If you are entering to a non-zilling dance but playing them later, do you enter with your zills on, or do you place them somewhere and put them on part-way through? I always feel that the act of putting zills on is a bit fiddly and messy, but I also feel self-conscious wearing them while not using them. Especially if I'm dancing for a good 5 minutes before they are in use. I wonder if the audience is thinking, "Why is she wearing those silly things on her hands if she can't even play them?" or "They look goofy."

Thoughts?

As an audience member, I can't remember ever wondering why the dancer was wearing zills but not playing them, if that helps. I don't usually notice them until I hear them -- and then I'm surprised! I guess it's a certain skill, though, to not let them clank together and to still keep a graceful line through the hand with them on so they're not noticeable.

My teachers taught me to hold them closed while not playing to accomplish the above, but I don't know if that's the only/best method.

In "Amani", one of the videos from performances at the International Conference on Middle Eastern Dance produced by Turquoise International (1997), Amani pauses between dances and, with her back to the audience, slips on the zills given to her by one of the musicians. Yes, it does look a bit fiddly, but it's a good example of a dancer taking her time and remaining perfectly poised until her zills are securely in place.

Personally, I'd prefer this option over wearing zills when I don't need them, but certain constraints such as performance time limits, venue, and stage set-up, amongst others, would also factor into my decision.



Khalida

I wear them from beginning to end, even during songs in which I'm not playing them.

You could use a short taqsim piece to put on your zills--some shimmies, hip circles, undulations to distract the audience.

Souzan

I wear them until I am done with them. ie: if the song I am zilling to is that second one, after that - if appropriate - I will take off my zills. But not always.

For the entrance I have seen people wear the zills backwards. then when they start the piece they are using them for, turn them. It's a personal choice and personal comfort level thing.

{{{{HUGS}}}

Bells on the toes? Now THAT's an idea. Could be a tremendous success among the navel gazers and foot fetishists, alike.

Miles, are you taking this down?

..l;,

Seriously, though. I love these strategic, sequential questions.

Personally, as with any of my props, I prefer to leave the zills aside, in the trust of an audience member, either my agent, a friend, or a family member of the G.O.H. I enter with my veil or wings or whatever, and then, when the song is done, retrieve the zils and put 'em on as swiftly as possible at the beginning of the zil routine.

Usually, while I'm getting myself situated with my zills, I kind of like to make a little playful affair of it. Grin like you are cooking up a fun scheme. (Zills ARE a fun scheme, are they not?) I like to do a little shimmy or mark time with small hip drops as I'm putting on the zills. And then jump right into the game. All sounds silly, but if you make it look purposeful and cute, nobody will ever think you're fumbling. And it totally works, seeing that zill music is usually upbeat and celebratory.

This, unlike double veil, is a comparatively simple transition! Can't wait to read all the suggestions.

Lisa

I try to enter with them, and leave them on until I'm done with them OR done with the show.

This said, I say "I try" as if I'm doing cane or double veil or "heavy duty single veil" I'll take them off/put them on as needed. I'm slowly working my way towards having them on all the time (Hi Cory! ..l;, ) but am not there yet - probably won't be for double veil ever...

I enter with them and leave them on until it's time for my sword, because I had it happen one time that I gripped my sword through the handle and my zill got stuck. I had to unbalance the sword, remove my hand from the handle and then rebalance. It was embarrasing!

But I was taught to keep them on from beginning to end. I personally really dislike watching dancers put them on while performing.

*Worships everyone who can keep 'em on throughout an entire set*

I'm so prone to klutzy mistakes, they would undoubtedly get stuck in my veil, my costume, my hair or my sword by the end of the set.

I guess this is why I usually enter with them, or attempt to make the brief moment of fidgeting as quick and aesthetically pleasing as possible. One of these days, I'll master the art of seamlessness. 'Til then, I try not to sweat the minutiae TOO much: general public audiences are amazed in the first place that we can dance and play zills at the same time. I doubt the 15 seconds of putting the darn things on count against our magic in the grander scheme of things. As long as you've got the best unicorn money can buy, I'd say you're golden goose

After all these questions myself and others have raised about sequences, I can see why the standard AmCab set is such an enduring and successful format. It's klutzproof and requires minimal amounts of fidgeting!

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

I enter with them and leave them on until it's time for my sword, because I had it happen one time that I gripped my sword through the handle and my zill got stuck. I had to unbalance the sword, remove my hand from the handle and then rebalance. It was embarrasing!

Ha ha ha! Classic.

I think the 'on's' have it...though I like Satinworships idea of the 'cooking up something' grin. I think Lauren's tip of keeping the zills together while not playing is a good one - or at least, cupping the hand around them so as to keep a nice line.

By the way teachers, have you ever put your zills on in class, only to discover that you now can't get your CD out of it's case and put it on?!!

One of the fabulous dancers in my area puts the zills on "magically"...i.e., she has them tucked somehow in the back of her bedlah. She starts spinning, swishes her hands behind her back, and suddenly is wearing and playing zills.

Its really quite amazing. I'm still to scared to zill other than when doing ghawazee....

Originally Posted by elljay

One of the fabulous dancers in my area puts the zills on "magically"...i.e., she has them tucked somehow in the back of her bedlah. She starts spinning, swishes her hands behind her back, and suddenly is wearing and playing zills.

Wow!

Put me in the --on all the time is best--camp.

A lot of people don't even play zills these days.

...

Originally Posted by elljay

One of the fabulous dancers in my area puts the zills on "magically"...i.e., she has them tucked somehow in the back of her bedlah. She starts spinning, swishes her hands behind her back, and suddenly is wearing and playing zills.

Its really quite amazing. I'm still to scared to zill other than when doing ghawazee....

Maybe she has magnetic fingers??? Sounds simply amazing.

If I tried this I'm sure I'd throw a zill, landing right in the performance blunder's thread!

Originally Posted by *Shira*

I wear them from beginning to end, even during songs in which I'm not playing them.

Me too, I also do double veil with zills on, only take them off to use my veil fans because I haven't figured out how to make them snap open without my zills going flying, but I'm working on finding a way!!!!!

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Ha ha ha! Classic.


By the way teachers, have you ever put your zills on in class, only to discover that you now can't get your CD out of it's case and put it on?!!

I'm in the on-all-the-time camp.

And, JewelBD -- that's why I never use the "original" cd in class, always a copy (and more often a compilation I cooked up myself), cause it's so hard on them handling them with my zills on!,r:; My summer 'project' is to learn to use my iPod better (yes, I'm tech challenged), so I can just plug it in to my class boombox and use playlists rather than CDs!

Originally Posted by elljay

One of the fabulous dancers in my area puts the zills on "magically"...i.e., she has them tucked somehow in the back of her bedlah. She starts spinning, swishes her hands behind her back, and suddenly is wearing and playing zills.

Oh....my....godddddd....

If I did that, I'd be fumbling with my hands down my belt for about 15 minutes and it would look like I was picking at a big, fat wedgie. So NOT sexy.

How does she do it?????

Originally Posted by Aradia

Me too, I also do double veil with zills on...

Sigh....

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Oh....my....godddddd....

If I did that, I'd be fumbling with my hands down my belt for about 15 minutes and it would look like I was picking at a big, fat wedgie. So NOT sexy.

How does she do it?????

I have absolutely NO idea. Whenever I see her dance I want to shout "DO IT AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN!!!". Alas, she will never give out her secret. Heh. Mind you, if I could do something that cool, I don't think I'd be telling people how I do it either.....g.: It is entirely possible that she just has them on all the time and hides them SO well that nobody notices? Its a total mystery to me.

I like playing zils to some music (baladi, mostly) but I hate wearing them if I'm not using them. The ideal solution would be the big Egyptian star method of designating a guy in your band to be responsible for handing them to you when you want them and taking them from you when you are done. A girl can dream, can't she... Generally, I scout out the performance area, and if there's somewhere I can put them down that seems relatively secure and won't require me to bend over (i.e., I won't put them on the floor), I'll put them there when I'm done with them. With luck, a venue has somewhere I can stash them in or near the performance area so that they're ready when I need them. Putting them on is fast enough that I don't think it's that disturbing.

I have to take you all down memory lane!

Years ago (like more than 20!) I went to a Sergio workshop in Boston. If you never heard of Sergio, he was Morocco's protege. And he was gorgeous! Quite muscular, but very graceful and strong. He was performing in the show, and at some point he slipped his zills into his waistband and dropped to the floor. He then did a full floor routine that was knock your eyes out.

Then, he got up and paused to take his zills out. He slipped on them on, then slowly dragged the edge of one up his tight, flat, very sweaty stomach. He then upended the zill so that the sweat dripped off. ooooh!

Yes, it sounds gross. But, I'm here to tell you, there was a collective gasp of desire from every female in the room.

Until the time comes that I can do something so dramatic that it overrides the awkwardness of fiddling-I enter with zills and leave the damn things on!

Kitty

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

The ideal solution would be the big Egyptian star method of designating a guy in your band to be responsible for handing them to you when you want them and taking them from you when you are done. A girl can dream, can't she...

I have had my zills brought to me on a tray. ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, I'm a star in my head, if that counts.

Originally Posted by kahaz

Then, he got up and paused to take his zills out. He slipped on them on, then slowly dragged the edge of one up his tight, flat, very sweaty stomach. He then upended the zill so that the sweat dripped off. ooooh!

Yes, it sounds gross. But, I'm here to tell you, there was a collective gasp of desire from every female in the room.

I really don't want to rain on anyone's parade; esp. not Sergio's who was, by all accounts, an excellent dancer. But this comes under the category of "stupid male tricks" that have nothing to do with the dance (and that we still see far too much of). I'm rather surprised that Morocco would encourage/allow this in one of her students.

And I would agree if I had just read the post. But, I was there and it was astounding!

BTW, at that point he was dancing on his own and I doubt had much input from Rocky. Although I HAVE warned my students of the dire consequences that would occur if I ever caught any of them doing an open crotch back bend to the audience......

Originally Posted by CFerhat

I have had my zills brought to me on a tray. ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, I'm a star in my head, if that counts.

GREAT idea. I so need a helper monkey to do this for me. Or even just a friend.

And Hey, you gotta start somewhere. If you don't consider yourself a star first, who will? No one ever says "I love that dancer because she's humble!"..g.:

Originally Posted by CFerhat

I have had my zills brought to me on a tray. ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, I'm a star in my head, if that counts.

Yes, it counts ..g.: ..g.: ..g.:

I have seen it done both ways and the dancers that put theirs on mid-show did a good job of getting them on quickly, with their back to the audience, facing the band, doing a little hip work. If I didn't know better I would have just thought that she was dancing.

ETA: I am lucky if the 15 minutes I am wearing them I don't smack myself in the face with them since I am just a baby belly!