Costumes and Make Up - A Belly Dancers Delight

One of the reasons I love being a belly dancer is the dressing up element, so I had to write a post about costumes and make up.

Materials for my next belt projectGetting ready for a performance brings about a certain nostalgia like when you were a child rummaging through your mothers glad rags and stilettos imagining yourself in a fantastical land with fairies and wizards (or was that just me?).

With belly dance costumes the possibilities and characters are endless whether your style is geek chic or demure there is no such thing as too much glitter or sequins. When watching different belly dance artists you realise that no two costumes are the same, each dancer has the opportunity to be as adventurous as they want to be.  You can create a glamorous 1940s diva, a mystical tribal goddess or a sassy saidi village girl. Before I started performing as an adult I used to be a bit of a tom boy but experimenting with costumes and make up for performances has definitely opened my eyes to a whole new world of femininity. 
My virtually non-existent make up skills are now considered acceptable and I even find myself watching YouTube tutorials and searching for the latest make up look; I would never have done that before. However, that being said, I will always struggle with fake eyelashes; the amount of times I've performed with those little fluttering things only for them to start falling off mid-performance....grrrrrrrr.

You quickly learn to become creative with your costume too. Due to the cost of professional costumes I tend to make my own bedlah (bra and belt) sets and skirts. Also being a UK size 6 I struggle to find costumes that actually fit and look good on a petite young lady.  

Even though it can be a long process making your own costume can be fun and very individual.  At the moment I am making a belt for the Aladdin Dance Theatre Production taking place in February. I'm working on a theatrical and magical Sorcerers Assistant belt with lots of layers and tassels. It will have a lot of sheen, bling and detail so that it can stand out within a stage setting. I can't wait to post a picture of it when it's finished and ready to wear. 


V.I.B TIP: A very important tip for my fellow performers, what can sometimes look garish on the street will look normal or even plain on stage so don't be afraid to add extra bling, jewelry or a touch more lipstick to help you stand out.

+Belly Dance with Tevec Dance


One of my hand-made costumes