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Costuming A Belly Dancing Troupe - Page 2

© Shira

Of course, some of the ideas above can have a little additional structure added to the definition. For example, a troupe director who decides to go with a color theme might further designate that the costumes must have bare midriffs.

Where Do You Start?

Let's say you've decided you want everyone to wear the same garments, made from the same fabric, for a uniform appearance. How do you come up with a specific design?

• Budget And Effort. Determine the boundaries for the price range and level of work. How much money will people be willing to pay? How much time and effort are they willing to put into making the costumes? These may set constraints on what you can do. For example, it looks great if everyone in the troupe has matching beaded bra and belt sets, but will everyone in your troupe make the commitment to acquiring them?
• Set A Mood. Decide whether you want the overall tone of the costumes to be ethnic/folkloric, tribal, glittery nightclub, Gypsy fantasy, Pharaonic, or some other mood.
• Identify Basics. Based on the mood you select, start by deciding the basics: Bare midriff or not? Full-length dress or separates? Full skirt, tiered skirt, straight skirt, or pantaloons? What kind of hip accent: shawl, rectangular scarf, beaded belt, tassel belt, or something else? What kind of chest covering: costume bra, midriff blouse, leotard, tunic?
• Refine The Design. Determine the details of cut and style for the basic items. For example, if full-length dresses will be used, what kind of neckline and sleeve style will they have?
• Plan Accessories. Choose accessories to enhance the basic look. These could include hip scarves, overskirts, stomach drapes, detached sleeves, armbands, ankle bands, gauntlets, hair accessories, headdresses, turbans, etc.

In the picture below, Troupe Wasila is shown wearing a costume consisting of tissue lamé circle skirts, costume bra/belt sets, and butterfly sleeves made of glitter scarves. Each dancer was allowed to use whatever color she chose.

Whatever you decide to do, it's best to keep the design simple. Complicated designs are more difficult to execute consistently.

Use readily-available fabrics and trims. Or, purchase enough to make a few extra costumes at the time you buy them. That way, when new members come along in a year or two, you'll still be able to get or provide the necessary materials to accommodate the additional people.

Over Time

It's a good idea to move to new costumes periodically, so that your troupe doesn't get into a rut. Plan on rotating to new costumes every 2-3 years, or more often if you think you can talk troupe members into it.

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