Costumes for SCA and Renaissance Faires - Page 2

This is a delicate question, and it's somewhat political because the Tribal community has a passion for its flavor of Oriental dance. Everything depends on the expectations of your local group with respect to historical accuracy.

If historical accuracy is deemed important, then the American Tribal look is wrong because it consists of mixing costume items from assorted cultures (cholis from India, turbans from Middle Eastern men, Spanish-influenced flamenco skirts, tulle bi telli tunics or dresses from Egypt) with 20th-century invented-in-the-U.S. items such as tassel belts and coin bras.

Still, I'm acquainted with many dancers who wear American Tribal costuming for SCA and Renaissance Fairs. So far as I know, the very first belly dance troupe to perform as a Renaissance Faire act was San Francisco-based Bal Anat, and they were also the pioneers who created the foundation that today's American Tribal style of costuming has been built upon. To members of the public who attend these events, the full skirts, bouncing tassels, and jingling coins look convincingly ethnic.

If you have a passion for coin bras and tassel belts, check with your local historical re-enactment community to find out whether they expect attempted realistic portrayals of what people actually wore in that part of the world at that period of time, or whether they find the American tribal look acceptable. Different groups will have different attitudes on this subject, and you'll want to be compatible with your local organization.

ARTWORK CREDIT: Drawing by Julie Anne Elliot, copyright 2002, all rights reserved. You may not use this image on your web site, flyers, or other uses without written permission. Used here on Suite101 by permission.

So What Would Be Appropriate?

The first thing to remember about dance costuming for historical depictions is that Oriental dance originated as a social dance. People did it in the normal clothes they might wear to visit their neighbors or attend wedding festivities, and they still do today. Before the 20th century, there was no such thing as a separate "dance costume" because Oriental dance had not yet become a "performing art". So when researching historical dance costumes, just research what women actually used to wear for everyday use and model your costume on that.