Oriental Belly Dance Costumes

The seductive swaying of the hips, wave-like movements of the abdomen, a mysterious look, grace and plasticity - all this is about the belly dance, popular all over the world. A special role in this emotional and vivid spectacle is played by the oriental costume of the dancer.

The spectacular outfit of the dancer determines half the success of oriental dance. It favorably presents the advantages of the figure and disguises flaws, visually increases the amplitude of movements and emphasizes all the bends of the body. Oriental costume always looks luxurious, bright, sparkles with a lot of brilliant decoration.

The skirt style has different options: wide (cut “sun” or “half-sun”) or straight model (silhouette “fish” or with cuts), with low or high waist. This part of the dress is sewn of light flowing material. During the dance, she creates a loop effect.

You can choose harem pants as the bottom of the suitthat emphasize the roundness of the hips. Classical harem pants for oriental dance are wide, have a landing on the hips, they are seated on the ankle.

The upper part of the dancer's outfit is a bodice, usually quite open, often with a push-up effect. He fits the female body tightly, so that the movements of the chest attracted the attention of the audience during the dance. As a rule, bodices are decorated with various decorations: rhinestones, sequins, sequins, beads. An elegant fringe is often sewn to this part of the costume.

The belly in a classic oriental costume remains open, because the dance demonstrates it. But there are options for attire with a veil covering this part of the body, especially designed for performances in front of a conservative audience.

A necessary piece of clothing for the dancer is a belt or shawl, decorated with monists and other rich decor. During the movements of the oriental beauty, these pieces of clothing, tied on the hips, ring melodically, enhancing the rhythm of the dance. A tight belt is usually sewn to a wide elastic band to sit well on your hips and not to move. The scarf has a rectangular or triangular forum, decorated with beautiful fringe.

As for stage costume shoes, most dancing involves barefoot performance. Although today some modern oriental dances even allow high-heeled shoes.

An integral part of the belly dance is its attributes, or accessories that give it a special unique piquancy. These are fans, canes, feathers, candelabra, a cascade of bracelets and much more. All these things fascinate the viewer, convey the characteristic meditative oriental flavor and have their own symbolism. For example, an attribute such as a saber represents the rebellion of a woman. An unforgettable sight - dance with a snake.

It should be noted that the chic seductive costumes of oriental dancers that we see on the stage cannot be called traditional. They arose as a result of the popularity of belly dancing in European countries and the USA and created the image of a passionate seducer. For women of the East, such clothes are unacceptable, their ethnic costumes are much more modest. Performances of the dance, they sometimes simply tie a scarf on the hips, emphasizing the movement of the body.

Often, an oriental choreographic number is performed collectively, in which case the outfits of all participants must be coordinated, performed in the same style.

A chic performance is the result of the work of a professional dancer. But in order to master all the intricacies of belly dancing, of course, you need to train for a very long time. And here a comfortable and functional training suit will help you. These clothes are a simplified version of the stage outfit, but not of such a presentable appearance. In the classroom, a scarf (belt) is especially necessary in order to work out the rhythmicity of movements. During rehearsals, the dancer can put on soft ballet shoes or Czech shoes, although their color does not always match the clothes.

The Egyptian school is characterized by a more chaste version of dance. Traditional dancer outfits are usually closed - a long dress with an accessory in the form of a shawl tied to the hips. The modern version of the Egyptian outfit is more extravagant, emphasizes the curves of the figure, has cuts and an open neckline.

Turkish version of choreography is much more sensual, dancing on tables and contact with the viewer during the performance are common. Today, a typical Turkish oriental dance for us is a seductive composition with a pole. The outfits of the dancers in the Turkish style, of course, are very frank.

A feature of the Arab school - it is called Khalidzhi (this word translates as “Gulf”, the Persian Gulf countries are meant) are certain movements with loose hair (spins, waved hair, their bewitching shifts), pops, shaking with breasts, special steps. Initially, women performed such a dance for each other. And the traditional clothes for him are a rather loose dress, which has traditionally wide sleeves and rich decor.

A separate choreographic direction today is art east, in which oriental motifs intertwine with the characteristic rhythms of other countries (Latin America, Spain, Africa and many others). As for music, traditional oriental rhythms recede into the background, often overshadowed by musical electronic processing in a club style. Costumes for such dances are very bold, they use a number of traditional and unusual accessories.This modern European invention was created for its own viewer. But recently, this boom has affected our country.

Consider briefly the popular fabrics that are used when sewing oriental costumes:

• Light transparent chiffon is used for sewing wide flying skirts (for example, double or triple or “sun” style), veils on the face. As an option - chiffon, having a spraying of sparkles (only one side glistens) or crepe-chiffon, more dense.
• Satin crepe is an opaque material resembling satin. Suitable for the scene because of its splendor in the light of bright spotlights. However, its lack is a tendency to puffs.
• A catchy sequin fabric, similar in appearance to scales, is used in the decoration of bodices and belts. The cheapest option is hard and hot for the body, the expensive one is equipped with a knitted mesh.
• Velvet (the best option is also on a knitted mesh or stretch), which tightens bodices and belts. Chiffon wedges look spectacular on a soft velvet skirt.
• Biflex is a fairly dense knitted material that stretches well in all directions. Designed for the same purpose as velvet.
• Light transparent organza, smooth or embossed, meets the 3D effect. This material is not suitable for a one-piece skirt because it does not have softness.
• Sparkling brocade (hard or soft), suitable mainly for dressing.

If the performance is planned on the street, do not wear synthetic materials - the skin will not breathe. Keep in mind that even small spots will be noticeable on a light outfit. Choose a material that can withstand handwashing.

The color scheme of oriental costumes is rich and diverse. Always a win-win option - solid colors: especially if it is a chic gold, silver, emerald, pink, bright red color. A black outfit with a golden decor looks luxurious and fascinating. Various floral patterns look equally impressive.

In online stores you can also buy handmade outfits sewn in the best ateliers of the East - these are Yasser, Ahmed Omar, Mahmoud Abd el Ghaffar.

Noteworthy are models made in the USA and Great Britain (for example, the British company Bristol Novelty Ltd.

Charming costumes for oriental dances are also offered by Russian manufacturers: Balagan, Vestifika, Karnavalof. Stage clothes from the designer Polina Polinadcd are noteworthy.

It is impossible not to mention the only male designer of oriental costumes in our country. This is Henri Buryninhaving a stage name Khalif - the head of Amrita, a famous school of oriental dance, teacher and choreographer. In just three years of work, he created about 40 exclusive models of different styles. His outfits are distinguished by complex embroidery techniques, often decorated with semiprecious stones (for example, turquoise, coral) and rhinestones (Swarovski crystals). In general, the designer’s outfits are made in a classic style.

Note that the outfit for oriental dance is most convenient not to buy, but to rent. This diversifies the performances, you can choose a suit for each specific image (a fatal woman or a mysterious stranger), while saving money. In addition, if your skin color changes as a result of tanning, then a rental suit will help you too, because pale and tanned young ladies come in different shades.

Provide such a service in special salons, and at a reasonable price (approximately 1000 rubles for several days).In addition, a huge plus - you do not have to look after the stage costume, and in view of its specifics, this is a very time-consuming work.