Thread: Dancing with Veil Fans

Is there a good instructional for dancing with veil fans?

Does anyone know of any good youtube clips of bellydancers using veil fans?

I'm still waiting for video of my performances so far with them, but I love them. I treat them like something between double veils and fans, so the moves range from flowing to sharp. I don't think there is an instructional video out there yet because I have been approached by a couple of vendors about putting one together, but if you find one - let me know!

youtubes I have seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-dhyQIsY9Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXM3rxLqJP4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVltzdJFMA8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25IunFE91YI

and here are some pictures of me dancing with them recently: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mahjan/...7600228557652/

None of the dancers in these videos uses the quite the same way I do...so I would say play with them a lot and see what style you develop! :)

Hi there,

Meleea has an instructional video that has just come out called "Super Fans" that teaches dancing with the fan veils - her website is www.beledi.com - I've seen it - she teaches poses, and fan combinations and there is some of her performances on there too. I love her videos - they are home made with a camera on tripod but are packed full of useful information and are inexpensive. On the video she also shows how to make your own fan veils.

You can view her fan veil videos on youtube here:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=meleea

Hope this helps!

ooooooo, thanks ladies!!

so, has anyone made their own fans?

any advice?

I am an advanced silk dyer so I want to make some of these for myself and for a couple of friends.

specifically, what measurement for the silk and where is a good place to get the staves for the fan?

oh, I just saw the Meelea teaches how to make them also!!

but I would love to hear any comments from people on this board who have made them also.

Mahsai;
Please post when you get your video of your fan dance!

p.s. gorgeous pics!

Shimmies,

Audra

Originally Posted by mahsati

I'm still waiting for video of my performances so far with them, but I love them. I treat them like something between double veils and fans, so the moves range from flowing to sharp. I don't think there is an instructional video out there yet because I have been approached by a couple of vendors about putting one together, but if you find one - let me know!

youtubes I have seen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-dhyQIsY9Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXM3rxLqJP4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVltzdJFMA8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25IunFE91YI

and here are some pictures of me dancing with them recently: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mahjan/...7600228557652/

None of the dancers in these videos uses the quite the same way I do...so I would say play with them a lot and see what style you develop! :)

Hi again,

I forgot to say that Meleea includes measurement information and other notes on making the fan veils as well as notes on dancing with them in with the video. I can't remember off hand what the measurements are - she also sells the bamboo staves for those who want to make her own, they're $10 for a pair - http://www.beledi.com/proddetail.php?prod=405

If you need to know more, then let me know and I'll find the notes and have a look at them.

All the best,

This looks so cool! I want to make some too. Love to dye fabric....love anything silk!

Oooooh, I'm so glad this thread started. Veil fans are something I've just become interested in, after seeing a pair for sale last week at Desert Dance (which someone else snapped up quickly) and starting to fantasize about how I would dance with them.

All the questions that I would have asked are already answered -- except one: Anybody have any recommendations for vendors who sell them? Unfortunately I didn't take note of who was the vendor selling them at the festival. (If not, making my own might be fun anyway.)

Hey Mahsati, you have some gorgeous photos.

I've seen them on E-bay fairly cheaply, but I don't know what they're like - there is another thread somewhere of a decent vendor that is recommended by happy customers - I can't remember the name, but I can tell you it wasn't Jenna Francis from JHIP designs - it might be worth searching for fan veils here on Bhuz to find out who was recommended, unless anyone else reading these thread can remember.

I did see on Meleea's website that's she's selling some unique, one of a kind fan veils, but there aren't any pictures yet - she says for pics e-mail her at meleea@beledi.com - she's excellent for anything to do with any type of fans, really knowledgeable!

All the best,

Thanks, Nikki; that's helpful.

Originally Posted by auraevans

Mahsai;
Please post when you get your video of your fan dance!

p.s. gorgeous pics!

Shimmies,

Audra

Thank you! I'll definitely post as soon as I have it in hand. :)

Originally Posted by JeanneLF

Oooooh, I'm so glad this thread started. Veil fans are something I've just become interested in, after seeing a pair for sale last week at Desert Dance (which someone else snapped up quickly) and starting to fantasize about how I would dance with them.

All the questions that I would have asked are already answered -- except one: Anybody have any recommendations for vendors who sell them? Unfortunately I didn't take note of who was the vendor selling them at the festival. (If not, making my own might be fun anyway.)

Hey Mahsati, you have some gorgeous photos.

Thank you! I bought mine from Originals by Faye with Faye@faye4u.com - I really enjoy them. I joke around it is like having double veils that never collapse on me :)

go Afra, go Afra..its your birthday..lalalala ..g.:

I'm sold on the fans and want to learn to dance with them once i'm dancing again... I second Nikki for buying the bamboo staves from Meleea but if you need a full set, Faye is awesome. She is a great vendor (and personal friend).

Audra for making them you may try a store that sells things to strippers..if you find a fan base you like, it may be worth it to remove whatever else is on it and cover it with the silk. In Hawaii at the swap meet they sell these big fans..super super big ones that are used to decorate people's houses..I found the guy who does some work locally and he can make them a bit smaller as well..they may end up being too heavy..I haven't worked with them yet ..but just an idea to try swap meets, art stores, craft supplies, etc. Dharma trading carries some silk fans (without the veils attached) but they are kinda small.

I've been dyeing some this weekend that are 35 inch wide silk..so they are not as wide as the standard veil size silk. I'm dyeing this size since they can work for veil fan dance or veil poi dance.

good luck..its sooooo pretty

Originally Posted by jesennia

go Afra, go Afra..its your birthday..lalalala ..g.:

I'm sold on the fans and want to learn to dance with them once i'm dancing again... I second Nikki for buying the bamboo staves from Meleea but if you need a full set, Faye is awesome. She is a great vendor (and personal friend).

Audra for making them you may try a store that sells things to strippers..if you find a fan base you like, it may be worth it to remove whatever else is on it and cover it with the silk. In Hawaii at the swap meet they sell these big fans..super super big ones that are used to decorate people's houses..I found the guy who does some work locally and he can make them a bit smaller as well..they may end up being too heavy..I haven't worked with them yet ..but just an idea to try swap meets, art stores, craft supplies, etc. Dharma trading carries some silk fans (without the veils attached) but they are kinda small.

I've been dyeing some this weekend that are 35 inch wide silk..so they are not as wide as the standard veil size silk. I'm dyeing this size since they can work for veil fan dance or veil poi dance.

good luck..its sooooo pretty

He he - thanks Jes! ..l;, I'm in the US next January if anyone wants to book workshops. . . ..l;,

Fans in general are something of a speciality of mine. One of the things I can strongly recommend is learning how to dance with an ordinary fan. This will boost your confidence when working with a veil fan or fans and will help you to develop all the basic skills needed to manipulate your fan to its best advantage. I will hopefully have a better video of that number on youtube soon - I danced it in NYC back in the summer and it was filmed at a closer angle than the current one. I love playing with this prop - it has the potential to look so beautiful if you take the time to learn how to use it properly.

Thanks Jesennia! Good ideas!

I also was thinking of buying some cheap fans and taking the stuff off to use the staves.

I am looking for resource on the web for plastic, light, colored staves. If anybody knows of one please post!!

I did my first veil fan performance tonight, instead of doing a veil in my usual spot, I ditched my zills and picked up my new fans!! It was fun, challenging, your hands start to cramp from forcing them to stay open during barrel turns, spins etc. The Egyptian waiters went nuts for them, and our Moroccan chef said it fits perfect in a Moroccan restaurant since they are so close to Spain, that there are Spanish influences, I guess it reminded her of Flamenco rather than Chinese fan.

I bought mine on ebay, they were very inexpensive, get the 1.5 meter veil, the other ones I think are too short and don't give the flowing veil effect.

Woo-hoo! Aradia, I'm thrilled at your success with fans, and I can't wait to try them myself. After the dozen or so other things I'm also getting ready to try ...

I found some fans with "tails" on a site that sells Chinese dance props. It doesn't say whether the fabric is silk, and they only have solid colors, but it is one possible source for anyone looking to buy some already made up instead of making them.
http://www.china-central.net/servlet/Detail?no=366

I just bought a set of staves and the video from Meleea. Depending on how it works out, we might just coordinate on creating sets of finished fans (I'd be dyeing the silk).

Originally Posted by NajlaHalem

I just bought a set of staves and the video from Meleea. Depending on how it works out, we might just coordinate on creating sets of finished fans (I'd be dyeing the silk).

Woo hoo! I looked on ebay yesterday and didn't see any listings for fans, I almost broke down and bought Meleea's video, but I need to get the poi materials in and work with those before I buy anything else. I would definitely be interested in getting a set of fans soon, though.

Princess Farhana now has a new video out for Fans too.http://www.princessfarhana.com/video_fantastic.htm
I love dancing with mine, but I had to start lifting small weights before I could really get good with them. Now I can't get enough!

Oh good! I went to a workshop by the Princess on dancing with fans, which was a lot of fun, but it was about a year ago and I haven't started fanning it up yet, so I need to be refreshed on what I learned.

That sounds great Aradia. Don't you just love it when the people who see you every night rave about something you do? You know that you are doing well when that happens!!

Well, goodness, please post a video!!! Pleeeeze?!!!

Love and Shimmies,

Audra

Originally Posted by Aradia

I did my first veil fan performance tonight, instead of doing a veil in my usual spot, I ditched my zills and picked up my new fans!! It was fun, challenging, your hands start to cramp from forcing them to stay open during barrel turns, spins etc. The Egyptian waiters went nuts for them, and our Moroccan chef said it fits perfect in a Moroccan restaurant since they are so close to Spain, that there are Spanish influences, I guess it reminded her of Flamenco rather than Chinese fan.

I bought mine on ebay, they were very inexpensive, get the 1.5 meter veil, the other ones I think are too short and don't give the flowing veil effect.

Well, I just ordered Meelea's video and some staves and I have spent some time today dying and cutting silk and making plans for some fabulous veil fans. I am very excited!

can you post how you attach the silk to the staves? i'm interested to see how everyone does this..i also want to try it with one big fan :)

I will post photos and what I figure out on how to attach the silk.

Another question for veil fan dancers...........

is it best to keep the fan so it can be open and closed?

Is it OK if the fan is fixed so that it stays open?

What do all of you do? Do you start with the fan closed and open it up?

I'm watching Meleeas dvd right now. It's really good, lots of info. She has some fans fixed open and some not. It depends on what you like, I guess. She says she prefers them open.