[Adishakti]

Well, to each their own... but I live a more modest look, myself. I have a gorgeous royal blue costume I bought last summer, and I still haven't worn it. I can't bring myself to wear it with the cutouts on each hip. They're not even that big, really...

There's sexy and then there's sleazy, yanno? A LOT of these costumes push the brink, and we need to sit back and think about whether or not they "really" do look good on us, and whether or not we would feel comfortable performing in these costumes in front of our families, children, seniors, priests, etc... because they're out there watching you and dancing half naked DOES offend a lot of people. That said, you can usually get away with a little more for a staged belly dance event for other dancers than you could say, at a wedding...

You don't have to show skin to be sexy! Too much skin just distracts from your dancing.

We've grown used to seeing these little costumes... but we have to remember that the general public, by and large... isn't quite prepared to appreciate Middle Eastern Dance for the beautiful art form it is, if we're up there half naked.