Thread: Modesty wrap?

I just took a wonderful Mayla Lef workshop with Zahra Zuhair in Rochester, NY! My students attended and would like to do the number she taught, it is so darn cute!
Here is my question, should have asked it to her (if you are out there Zahra?) does the modesty wrap in Mayla Lef (sp?) need to be black fabric by tradition? Or can it be any color.
So sorry for my ignorance, this was my first training with Mayla Lef. I love it and want to do (with my performance group) what is proper to do by tradition.
Thanks for any info. Of course you ladies are so amazing with info, you could go to town and just give me as much info as you have..g.: on the dance in general!
THANKS!!!!!

My understanding is that the wrap is always black. Although I did see one theatrical one which was royal blue. The real ones I have seen have been wool. The theatrical ones are not, and have beading or palliettes in the crocheted middle part.

I think that part of the fun is this dark, non descript wrap with the fun and flirty dress underneath!

Hope that helps.

{{{HUGS}}}

to be honest, i think the traditional one is plain black. however for performances i've seen various styles and colors with lots of palliettes...so depending on your venue and audience, you'll have to choose the right style
hope this helped a tad
xx
Athena

The real life melaya would have been black. And wouldn't have sequins.

For stage, they tend to be black, but I've also seen them in other colours, red, blue, hot pink. They will usually be decorated with sequins, but again, I've seen dancers using very plain melayas, though thinking about it, I only remember seeing those plain melayas in group numbers.

I think in real life the melayas are/were black.

And I remember reading from somewhere (might have also been an article by one of the Bhuzzers) that Mahmoud Reda, the guy who "designed" the dance and put it on stage suggested a dark colour for melaya, so there would be good contrast with the colourful dress underneath.

Thanks everyone! I will go with black. I don't want the cost of a coined fancy one so I think we will go for plain black!

My understanding is that "Melaya Lef" translates as "Black veil" so yeah, go with black.

Originally Posted by Hala Jamal

My understanding is that "Melaya Lef" translates as "Black veil" so yeah, go with black.

It translates more like "wrapped sheet" but as others have said, the real-world melaya leff was black.

Originally Posted by Hala Jamal

My understanding is that "Melaya Lef" translates as "Black veil" so yeah, go with black.

No,it translates as winding sheet!

The traditional modesty wrap garment is called "malaya". It is a large piece of cloth and could be called a "sheet". The "lef" part can refer to "turned" "wrapped" etc.

Originally Posted by kashmir

No,it translates as winding sheet!

Just FWIW - a winding sheet is a shroud.

{{{HUGS}}}

Thank you all so much for the input on malaya lef--I've recently discovered this style of belly dance and will be attending a local workshop in March where one of the instructors will be teaching malaya lef and I'm really excited about learning this style of belly dancing!

For a troupe milaya dance several years ago, I found some very heavy black poly crepe at JoAnn's -- like a veil but much heavier and not see-through. This fabric works really well for a group and the milayas are actually easier to manipulate than the Egyptian ones with the glittery sequins and/or paillettes.

Originally Posted by leylalanty

The traditional modesty wrap garment is called "malaya". It is a large piece of cloth and could be called a "sheet". The "lef" part can refer to "turned" "wrapped" etc.

Also description give by Lala Hakim, who is from Egypt.