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The following costume/make up tips
are not necessarily our own
but ones that have been told to us by other
dancers etc.
Where applicable (and memory allows) the dancer's name
has
been credited beside her tip.
If you have a costume / make
up tip that you would like
to pass on, we'd be pleased to hear from you.
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the top means they won't pop open at a critical moment and stab you! Make sure to keep some in your Little Beaded Bag. (Why have I made this one the Golden Rule? It was the first tip given by nearly every dancer who contributed to this list.) |
- Always "road test" a new costume before a performance. It may look fine to stand in but how is it to perform in?
- Don't be limited by the name of an item. A necklace, small belt or anklet can look great in a turban (tribal style) or attached to a top etc. I had a belt that I wanted to use to decorate a turban, however I found that the whole belt was too heavy. The belt was separated into halves. One half I use for my turban, the other half had both the hooks attached to it so that another troupe member now wears it as a necklace.
- Always have extra nappy pins on hand. Mending tape (a double sided tape) can prove indispensable also.
- Don't use velcro! I've seen too much of it come undone at the wrong moments. Nadira, Perth WA
- When making a costume from a material that has the potential to be hot or scratchy (lame', some laces etc), attach a small piece to the part of the body to be covered with the material and wear it for an hour. If it feels too uncomfortable, you may want to consider lining it or using another material.
- Strands of Christmas beads are an inexpensive and effective adornment for a costume (especially a bra). They look no different to the strands of beads available in craft shops.
- When tying a turban, try using a towelling shower cap instead of a scarf to tuck your other scarves into. Don't use a plastic one though - your head will get uncomfortably hot.
- When making a bra, consider a halter neck, as straps can sometimes fall off the shoulders while dancing.
- You can put colour back into your old metal belts, necklaces etc with a bit of Rub'n' Buff.
- Need some armbands? Use a pair of coloured stockings. Trim to your required length and add some sequins or edging. Instant armbands! Saghirah, Sydney NSW
- Wear *two* layers of pantyhose on your arms (arm stockings) to give a deeper colour. This also means that if one lot starts getting small ladders, you can keep wearing them longer. Nadira, Perth WA
- "Grip Rite"! The rubberised stuff you usually see on trays in restaurants to stop the glasses sliding around on it, or are sold to put under your rug to stop it slipping ..... you can buy it in pre-cut lengths or by the metre. Sew a 2" wide strip inside your belt and it stops it slipping around while you're dancing. A skinny piece on the underside of a headscarf keeps it in place. For dancers with long, straight hair that most headdresses slip right off, "Grip Rite" can help keep them on. A friend of mine ties a strip of it around her head, like a headband, to help keep her wig on. Nadira. Perth WA
- An easy way to keep hip wraps from shimmying south is to take a piece of 3/4" or 1" no roll elastic and sew or pin it to fit snuggly around your hip wrap. Put the shawl on and tie the ends once (half the square knot) put the elastic on over the wrap, letting the top of the wrap hang over the elastic concealing the elatic. Now tie the remaining half of the squareknot over the elastic. You can also use a Tassel Ring (TM) instead of tying the shawl to hold it together. The tassels will add additional movement and you won't have a knot in the front of your costume. Alia Michele
- I wouldn't recommend a halter style bra for beaded or heavily coined tops as the weight resting on the delicate bones and spine at the back of the neck can cause injury. Try a mock halter. The straps go over the shouder and attach to the back of the bra, but there is a cross piece, at the back of the neck, that goes around both straps pulling them together and creating a halter look from the front. The weight is not resting on the neck but the shoulders and back. Alia Michele
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I've found a way to stop serpent arm bands from slipping off the arm is to 'squeeze' them to that point where they are a bit too small, and then put them in the fridge over night. This seems to set the metal into shape a little firmer - I don't know how (and it's a shocker putting them on!!!) but it does seem to work, though it needs re-fridging before each show.
Charlotte Da-Silveira, UK
- Even darker skin tones wash out under decent stage light. You want to pick a foundation at least 2 shades darker than your actual skin tone. Don't stop at the chin when applying foundation. The effect on stage is that your head is floating apart from the rest of your body. Schelli Nimz
- Facial continuity - if you are wearing a blush that is in the red/blue family and a lipstick in the orange/red family, it will look garish on stage, even if it seems to look okay on the streets.Schelli Nimz
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A caution on eye shadow - generally matte eyeshadow works best. Glossy eyeshadow under stagelight will wash your eyes out. If you are going to use gold metallics or glossy colours, limit them to the eyelid only and keep them off the brow area.
Schelli Nimz
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Wig holding tip (takes two people).
Make a tight, small french braid crossways (from ear to ear over the top) and another if you need it from ear to ear across the nape of the neck. These braids should be as close to the scalp as you can make them. Secure these tightly with hair bands, also close to the scalp. Then tie up the rest of your hair to tuck under the wig. Once the wig is on, you can bobbie pin the wig into these braids and it will hold VERY securely... no matter how fine or slick your hair. Aziza Sa'id
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The most beautiful costume can be ruined by untended feet and untrimmed
hair. If you are going to dance barefoot give your feet some beauty
attention. And do something, anything with your hair.
Hair, long or short, with frazzled uneven ends will detract from the length
you're trying to show off.
Sharifa Asmar
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Follow this link to Kashmir's
Safe Dancing Tips.
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