One of the main reasons one decides to perform in the dance world, and the world of belly dance is no different, is for the opportunity of wearing beautiful costumes. How many times I find my students more concerned with what they’re going to wear than what they’re going to dance to!
So I decided to write my first blog (I think that’s what I’m doing here!) about what you should get/have when you first start taking belly dance classes and are invited to perform. I’ll also talk about how costume shopping progresses when you start to learn more styles and learn more props. There are no rules or only one way to do it. I’m just sharing what has worked for me and for my students/dancers during my last 18 years performing belly dance and Folk dances from the Middle East.
When you’re going for your first belly dance performance chances are you’re going to wear that nice coined hip scarf you bought for class and will “make it” match the other costume items specified by your teacher, saving a bit on the entire outfit. Yes, most of us are budget-conscious when we’re beginners and there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, at that moment you might be wondering if you’ll end up wearing that outfit ever again! And that’s fine. A shiny top, harem pants or a satin/chiffon skirt, a coined hip scarf and lots of jewelry will do wonderfully well for your first performance!
Another important item not to be forgotten during a performance is a cover-up aka caftan. (sometimes a galabeya – pictured on the right – might also be worn as a cover-up) . Once you have a show and you’re all set to show off that beautiful costume of yours the last thing you want is for your audience to see all that sparkle before you’re actually on stage. The performance includes the setting, lights, music, your beautiful self, the dance and your costume! It’s a magical package that carry powerful elements such as surprise, mystery, expectation, and we don’t want to rob it from our audience. Gotta it?!!
Buying your first Bedlah
As you continue to study belly dance the natural progression is to learn a few props such as finger cymbals, veil, cane, sword or wings of Isis. The number of performances grow and now you need new costumes, right?!! Then the time comes when your teacher tells you to get your first sequined bra/belt set, also known as bedlah, the Arabic word for suit.
I usually recommend my students get a silver or gold plain bedlah so they can create a larger variety of outfits by switching the colors of their skirts and harem pants. Bedlahs are pricey and starting with color tones that are easier to mix and match gives you a larger number of outfits and a larger room for creativity too!
Eventually you’ll be purchasing that bra & belt you couldn’t live without, maybe a couple of them, or a new style from a famous designer (yes, there are a lot of costume designers for belly dance out there), double-chiffon, full circle and mermaid style skirts, etc. Or maybe a new silk veil that doesn’t match any of your costumes and now you must purchase everything else to match that new veil! Do I hear a giggle?!! “Been there, done that” kind of thing?!! And all of a sudden your closet is not big enough to keep your day-by-day clothes in addition to your dance costumes anymore! Hehehe!
So thinking of you, my dear reader, who might be starting this journey right now or might need some tips/updates on what to get and where, I’ve listed a few websites where I have purchased costumes in the past and/or where I still continue to shop. Lucky for us there are so many choices online nowadays and I’m pretty sure you can help me grow this list, which I hope you will do by adding your 2 cents below.
Also before we dive into the fun of costume shopping I wanted to warn you of an important check list I do every time I shop online, mainly when it’s a new website/store. Before falling in love with whatever they offer go look for the following and read it carefully: shipping methods/time/cost, exchange and return policies, about us, contact information and payment methods. Last thing you need is to see something you can’t live without only to find out it’s not what you expected and now you can’t return or exchange the item.
Alright! Onto the fun now! You might wanna time yourself, just saying… 🙂
Beginner Costumes & Accessories
- All About Dance (great for dance shoes)
- Artemis Import
- Belly Dance
- Dahlal
- Dancing Rahana
- Diamond Pyramid (also great to buy drums)
- Discount Dance (great for dance shoes)
- Isis Exchange
- Jorjana’s Glitter World (skirts, harem pants and tops for cabaret/gypsy/folkloric styles)
- LRose Designs (awesome for customization)
- Miss BellyDance
- Simply Stylish (great for harem pants)
- Tribal Bazaar (mostly tribal style but great for Folk dance accessories)
- Turquoise International
Enjoyed reading this. I would like to add “skirts, harem pants and tops for cabaret/gypsy/folkloric styles” for a description of my shop. It would be so much appreciated
Done and done. 🙂 Thanks much for reading it, Jorjana, and for your helpful addition!
Love love love! Can’t wait to hear more. And I can’t wait to purchase my first bedlah!