With the numerous Belly Dance styles, how do dancers assemble their performance attire?  Are they guided by authenticity or do they explore their creativity, finding usefulness in pieces of any origin?

To help dancers understand the varying processes/rationale of costuming, I surveyed approximately 250 belly dance instructors and six Belly Dance Yahoo groups.  Fifty one responses were returned, most of which were from dance instructors.  Here are the survey’s questions:

How important is the origin of your costume/costume design?
a. Do you simply put together a dancing outfit that looks good?
b. Do you match your outfit's origin with the style of dance and music that you are portraying?
c. Do match your music and dance with the same dance style, but are more relaxed about the costume you wear?
d. Do you take great strides to match dance, music, and costume, but are more liberal with your pick of
jewelry?
e. What is your main dance style?
f. With which dance styles are you most strict in your appearance?

Summary of Responses
The percentages are based upon the number of responses for each question.  Examples of the responses are provided to illustrate and clarify the intentions of the respondents.

How important is the origin of your costume/costume design?

Very important - 59%

It is very important!  I like to look authentic…

It must be authentic to the region I am representing and the music must be correct.

It is absolutely important!  If I wear a Kuchi necklace with an Egyptian costume and do an Egyptian dance, my American audience won't know the difference but a few Arabs (or others in the know) that are also in the audience WILL know and they would find this offensive not to mention silly looking.

It is very important and the costume must be directly related to function!  For example, folk costumes "fit" with the folk dance movements.  It's not only an important part of the learning process, but very "cool" to experience how the two work together.  It is much the same with other genres of dance.  (Imagine performing belly rolls in a tutu).  Costume and dance are meant to facilitate and to compliment one another.

Somewhat important/ It depends – 24%

It depends on the dance I am doing.  Costume has a lot to do with how an audience sees your dance.  Costume design is as important as makeup & staging.

The importance depends on the performance…  A lot of people here have no idea of the music or costumes origins.

Depends on the dance I am doing, but I try to be culturally sensitive.

Not important – 17%

Not at all important -- What matters is the quality and care that went into the making of it, especially if it was custom made for me and not for bulk production!

I have had costumes from Spain, Turkey, Egypt, and my favorite right now is one from Cedar Crest, New Mexico.  My costumes mostly come from my mind, my creativity…

The important thing is that it functions well to enhance the movement and the 'line' of the dance, that it does not detract from the dancer's own individual beauty by 'wearing' her instead of her wearing 'it' but rather that it enhances her own best features.

a. Do you simply put together an outfit that looks good?

Yes – 34%

It had BETTER look good!

Bellydancing makes me feel very graceful and beautiful and that is the look (my costume, jewelry, shoes, makeup, music) I want to portray.

It is important to me to have my outfits always look good, whether they are for practice or performance.

No – 37%

All outfits should look good! However, they need to be in context for the type of music, type of dance, setting, and audience.

The most important things are authenticity in appearance & appropriateness to the particular dance.

Certainly being attractive has its appeal but not at the expense of the piece portrayal…cabaret costumes are not appropriate for all dances as pretty as they may be.  When dealing in ancient stylings, modern stylings, Flamenco Moro, Tribal or the many others, I try to costume as appropriately as possible.

Looking good?  Crucial!!!  But at the same time, the process is not that simple.  Some folks are VERY discerning about what they like to see/wear.  If the wearer is not happy, then everyone is disappointed. Simple construction and/or limited layers are good for - reduced fuss of getting into and out of the costume, reduced risk of slippage, gappage, or "peek-a-boob," reduced discomfort from overheating and perspiration.

I put it together for my body type and my movements.

No, it must move well with my body [be comfortable on], be durable and easy to maintain.

I put together a costume for different reasons.  Some costumes do not actually "look good,” but are what should be worn for the dance. The 1980’s Ghawazee costume is a case in point!

Sometimes/ It depends – 29%

Sometimes, but then I still only wear it with the correct music and dance style.

It depends on the venue.  If it is with close friends, I'll probably wear something quick and comfortable.  If it is a formal venue, I will adhere to the clientele's show.

It is dependent on the culture, people, time, and place.

b.  Do you match your outfit's origin with the style of dance and music that you are portraying?

Yes/Almost Always – 83%

It doesn't necessarily have to come from the place (which is not always feasible: how many costumes can you get out of Afghanistan or Iran right now?!?), but it MUST look authentic from the stage.

While the costume may not be 100 percent true to the origin of the dance, I try to make it as much so that it would be recognizable as such.  Still, I would make adjustments to make it more visually appealing as well as complimentary to my body style.

Yes, though I often make them myself and to sell.

Yes, but I may take the same liberties that I see on videos.  For example, I might not have a problem doing Raqs Assaya in a man’s white thobe, skullcap and a tiny black scarf, because I have seen this done.  However, I try very hard to be respectful of the various cultures and not take too much liberty.

Almost always, there are exceptions for creative interpretations.  I think the costume matches the style, but not always the music.  For example, you can dance folkloric style to modern music.

I am never relaxed about the costume I wear.  I feel costuming is a very important part of the overall look and dance.  Let's face it; it's the first thing the audience sees.  I do try to match the music and dance style when possible.

Can you imagine wearing the Moroccan Guedra and dancing to Karsilama?  I would faint.  Cabaret can very easily move from the traditional to eclectic.

Yes, more so than not, but with ATS that is not as much a consideration. It is not bound by the same type of criteria.  If I'm performing a traditional dance from another country, then yes, absolutely.

Yes, as much as possible. For a unified performance design, I think it's important to give this some thought.  A tribal look needs different music than a bugle-bead bedleh look.  If you're wearing Saiidi dress, find some Saiidi music, etc.  I like to use more straight acoustic "live" sounding music for historical or tribal costuming.  For modern nightclub style costuming, I'll use something more orchestral, studio-recorded, or just "modern" sounding.

No -12%

Not necessarily, but it always turns out matching with everything.

Rarely, I have a hard enough time finding music that I really like to worry about costuming for it. The only exception is if I will be dancing in a country-specific club (i.e. I will try not to dance to Egyptian pop in a strict Turkish restaurant).

Not really.  If I were dancing for a particular audience that was of one ethnicity, then I would gear my dress, music and dance style to that crowd.  Most audiences, like my country of origin, are mixed.

Sometimes/ It depends – 5%

Only when I perform a folkloric dance.

Somewhat, I no longer do restaurants and parties so I prefer dresses now-- even for Raqs Sharqi.

c.  Do you match your music and dance with the same dance style, but are more relaxed about the costume you wear?

Yes – 15%

Yes, for folkloric, Turkish, tribal SCA, etc. One time for Halloween, I danced to 'I put a spell on you' and wore black gauzy bat-wing sleeves with sequins.  So, I even get into 'dramatics' of a performance for the contemporary pieces.

Yes, the two really "want" to harmonize, the look describing the sound, and the sound describing the look, the textiles and construction displaying and accentuating the movements.  Even with a minimally educated audience, or new dancers/students, it makes sense to try.

I use style/country appropriate music-dance and am somewhat more relaxed about the costume.  However, I would not do Tunisian dance to Tunisian music in an Oriental costume.

No - 67%

I like it to be consistent.  I wear oriental for my oriental pieces, folkloric for folkloric pieces.

Not specifically, belly dance in America is really a mixed bag. I wear bindis with my cabaret, which is Turkish, but I've performed to Egyptian music while wearing my 'classic' set.

Personally, I match my costume and music to what I am doing as much as possible.  If I am dancing Egyptian, I use Egyptian costuming and music.  If I am doing Saudi, I use Saudi costume and music.  If I do a Saidi dance and don't use Saidi Music, this just makes me appear to be stupid in the eyes of my audience.

No, I do feel that certain costumes work better for certain music and dance styles.  Also the 'feel' of the performance piece requires a costume that reflects it best.

Every dance needs to be practiced, and every costume piece needs to be "test driven."  Experiencing a dance with the "wrong" kind of costume will educate the dancer as to why we don't do tabla solo in a thobe, or kaleegy with a hat or head gear, etc.

I match my music and dance. As a faculty member at a major university teaching Middle Eastern dance, I am obliged to represent the art as authentically as possible, especially in venues where I am an ambassador of the university.  I rarely use avant garde work/costuming/music. However, I have been know to "stray" into gray areas of creativity using music, costuming and dance technique that is strictly speaking not peculiar to any region.

The costume will determine if I am relaxed or not.  I feel very relaxed dancing in my Moroccan Shikhat, Guedra, Egyptian Ghawazee and Afghani costumes.  They are more folkloric and authentic, and I dance the appropriate music that goes with those costumes.  I am very self-conscience when I dance in a cabaret style-bra, belt, skirt (because of my age).

No, if I match one element then I usually go for the whole package.  If I don't want to do that, then I perform an American fusion dance and do NOT misrepresent another country's dance, music or costume.

I match music to the costume and dance style.  In fusion, I will dance to contemporary music, with variation of moves.  That is what fusion is. Turkish-gypsy -- with big skirts (I do 'broader' movements with the skirts); Classical – with smaller movements (outfits don't allow for big, flairy turn-kicks like in Turkish).

Sometimes/It depends - 9%

I match the music, dance, and costume together, but it also depends if it is for an SCA, pennsic, wedding, entertainment company, agency gig, or for a club.

It depends on the venue and the show.  If it is "alternative" or "creative," then the costume might not match the music.  I am never relaxed about costumes.

The setting and audience can influence the costume style.  The costume I wear in a family restaurant may be different that the one I wear in a club, even when using the same music.

I feel free with what I wear at the moment.  I believe in the art of dance, not the art of costuming (with all respect to costuming).  A good dancer will make the inspiration with a poor costume.  It is dependent on the audience, time and place.

Neither/ Not applicable - 9%

I wear what I like and dance to what I like with little regards to country-specific music or dance style. I will try to hold the more "ethnic" moves to the ethnic music though.

I have not been doing this long enough to put all of those components together.  My mission is to be tasteful and elegant.

I am quite relaxed about costume style. I wear what feels right for me. My music is often fusion or modern with Middle Eastern undertones.  It's whatever strikes me.  I also look for something different that the masses haven't discovered yet, or have discarded long ago.

My costume will match the music; however, I am more relaxed about the dance style.  I could use Brazilian music, choreograph a belly dance routine, and match the costume.  However, if I wear a Brazilian costume, the results are spectacular.

d. Do you take great strides to match dance, music, and costume, but are more liberal with your pick of jewelry?

Yes-29%

Yes, but only because I can't find the exact jewelry.  For example, I might mix a Turkish necklace with a Persian/Central Asian style dress because to me it still looks good and close enough to the design.

Yes, it is not always possible to find the right jewelry.  For example, with Tunisian I wear a necklace of fake amber, not the real stuff

Yes, jewelry has never been a focus for our dancing…

I generally stay away from traditional jewelry. I think I go for more of the cabaret glitter and flash; rhinestones for example.

The jewelry that I own is very limited. I am unsure of its origin.

No - 58%

The jewelry I wear with it is authentic.  I have friends who travel and bring me pieces back from Egypt and Morocco or wherever.

No, the wrong jewelry can ruin the total effect if authenticity or appropriateness is the goal.

Jewelry needs to match with the costume.  For tribal, jewelry is usually Afghani, for Egyptian, contemporary jewelry works, but should match with the costume style.  For American Cabaret, often my jewelry is specifically made for the costume.

Not really, if I wear jewelry, I try to have it be in keeping with the costume I TRY to match my dance, costume AND jewelry to the style of music I choose for a particular performance.  I did once wear a somewhat tribal earring and necklace set with a completely Egyptian style costume.  When it was pointed out to me (very kindly), I never wore them together again.

Jewelry usually matches the genre of the costume.  For example I would not wear a sequin night club dress with Tribal Jewelry.  In the same way, I would not wear a rhinestone necklace with a Tunisian Folk costume.  I think that would look mismatched.

Jewelry is the one aspect I DO make efforts to match, at least with my costume. You will never see me in Kuchi jewelry and a cabaret or Egyptian costume. If nothing else, it does not match the general 'look' (Kuchi jewelry is very 'dull' compared to cabaret and Egyptian costumes).

If the costume and dance calls for a certain kind of jewelry, I try very hard to be correct in what I wear. If it does not matter, then I am more liberal. I have not performed Tunisian dance, for example, because I can not find the ankle bracelets that are necessary to the original costume. However, I now have videos that show Tunisian dancers in a modern nightclub setting doing the dance in very sparkly meleas. In the future, I may emulate this....

Rhinestones are going to look funky with an ATS look!

No mixing.  If it is not the correct jewelry and other accessories, then it   stays in the drawer until the right costume comes along.

It Depends -10%

Yes, but only if it is not folkloric/authentic specific.

I guess I am a bit more flexible with jewelry, but always try to keep the feel of everything together.  If it is a folk costume, I am stricter with jewelry choices.

Not Applicable - 2%

Liberal all around.

e.  What is your main dance style?  (Some chose two or more styles.)

American Cabaret with Egyptian Influence-3
American Cabaret with Turkish Influence-1
American Raqs Sharki 1
Amercian Tribal Style -2
Arabic/Middle Eastern-3
Cabaret-6
Egyptian Cabaret, Classical, & Folkloric - 9
Egyptian Lebanese Mix 6
Egyptian, Lebanese, Turkish Mix 1
Egyptian Turkish Mix 2
Folkloric-5
Fusion-7
Gypsy Turkish Mix 1
Tribal-2
Traditional-3
Turkish-1
Personal-4
Tunisian-1
More than three styles-3

Egyptian, Turkish, Romani, Tribal
All styles except Amer. Tribal.
Arabic Cabaret, Egyptian Cabaret, Folkloric, Tribal, Khaleegy, Turkish, Tunisian, etc.

f.. With which dance styles are you most strict in your appearance?

All – 20%
American Tribal Style/Troupe Pieces - 4%

Being ATS dancers, our primary concern is with putting on a good show and not being terribly concerned with authenticity, a tradition begun with Mahsa Archer and continued by Carolena Nerricio of Fat Chance Belly Dance.  ATS dancers dress in an eclectic mix of ethnic styles that come together to form a unified look.  The dance is wholly American so the only culture we have to be true to is ourselves. The music we pick is often ethnic or just ethnic influenced and is selected for it's dance-ability and sound and not because it is authentic.

Cabaret or Lebanese Cabaret – 4%
Egyptian (including Beledi & Saidi) - 6%
Ethnic/Folkloric (including Shaabi, Assaya, Ghawazee, Tanoura Samri, Nejdi Hadith) – 30%
Flamenco Moro - 2%
Hawaiian - 2%
Historical -2%
Moroccan & Moroccan Guedra- 8%
N/A - 8%

I am only strict when I am concerned about the props I am using, such as using straight skirts or harem pants with the stick and flowing styles with the veils.

Persian-2%
Rajasthani-2%

For the Rajasthani pieces, everything is vintage Northern Indian or an excellent reproduction.

Saudi -2%
Tunisian-4%
Turkish-2%
Turkish Romani-2%

One dancer summed up her costuming process well:

My costumes are very ornate, with flashy fabric, sequins, beads, etc.  I mix coins with sequins at times.  The style of dance I do has many different styles of costumes, and I design my own, which a professional costumer makes for me.  I'm influenced by my Egyptian dance videos and get ideas from what the Egyptian dancers wear.  I like very fluid fabric when I do Classical style, especially if I dance to music by Om Kalsoum.  I will even add a veil to illustrate the fluidity of the music.  All the fabric I use is very lush and rich, with deep, elegant colors.  I nearly always wear matching gauntlets (or above the elbow gloves) in the same fabric as my skirt or bra.  Also, I have a matching band or something in my hair.  If I do folkloric, such as cane, I may wear my Saidi dress, but not  always.  I wear more coins with this style.  I also do sword, so I wear different styles for that: sometimes American Tribal Style, sometimes a modern blend -- whatever suits the mood of the music.  I take great strides to match music, style, dance, and jewelry.  Now, if I could only figure out what to do with my hair...

Blessings,
Nadiyah

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