Beledi m'Lady?

I am excited this week, as next weekend my dance teacher Kashmir (with me below) and a band of other teachers from around NZ are coming to town to do workshops. That's my weekend sorted! In honour of this event which I hope will re kick start my passion for beledi (that's belly dancing to the prols) I thought I'd post a couple of shots of costumes in action.

Kashmir and I in our thobes doing shoulder shimmies.
A dramatic moment in "Even the Tears"

Being a woman of substance makes costuming for belly dancing challenging. To be of moderate substance is a bonus, but my kind of substance, tricky! This outfit comprises a tie top heavily beaded and sequinned, and a skirt made of silver and black lace lined with purple. The lace I chose because its patterniness and weight is more flattering than the chiffony stuff others use. It was also useful to decorate the top - I cut out motifs , appliqued them and sequinned them heavily. I wear this outfit with a black body shaper for folk pieces like this one was as a dress is the acceptable outfit, and with a skin coloured one for cabaret. No way am I wearing it without coverup!