Butler University Digitl Commons @ Butler University Scholrship nd Professionl Work - LAS College of Liberl Arts & Sciences 2006 Whether it s coins, fringe, or just stuff tht s sprkly': Aesthetics nd Utility in Tribl Fusion Belly Dnce Troupe s Costumes Jen Jorgensen Butler University, jsjorgen@butler.edu Follow this nd dditionl works t: http://digitlcommons.butler.edu/fcsch_ppers Prt of the Dnce Commons, Feminist, Gender, nd Sexulity Studies Commons, Folklore Commons, nd the Socil nd Culturl Anthropology Commons Recommended Cittion Jorgensen, Jen, "Whether it s coins, fringe, or just stuff tht s sprkly': Aesthetics nd Utility in Tribl Fusion Belly Dnce Troupe s Costumes" Midwestern Folklore / (2006): 83-97. Avilble t http://digitlcommons.butler.edu/fcsch_ppers/673 This Article is brought to you for free nd open ccess by the College of Liberl Arts & Sciences t Digitl Commons @ Butler University. It hs been ccepted for inclusion in Scholrship nd Professionl Work - LAS by n uthorized dministrtor of Digitl Commons @ Butler University. For more informtion, plese contct omcis@butler.edu.
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Jen Jorgensen "Whether it's coins, or fringe, or just stuff tht's sprkly:" Aesthetics nd Utility in the Costumes of Tribl Belly dnce Troupe Generted on 2015-07-10 17:32 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 As both scholr nd belly dncer, I believe tht belly dnce is recognizble on esthetic grounds. In ddition to the movements tht belly dncers typiclly perform muscle isoltions, undultions, grceful hnd motions nd turns, nd lots of hip work belly dncers wer costumes tht re visully identifible s belly dnce costumes. While this description my seem tutologicl, there re recognizble stndrds both in the public sphere nd mong dncers for wht constitutes the belly dnce imge or imges, s belly dnce is diverse phenomenon socilizing, nd costuming. tht encompsses teching, lerning, performing, wtching, Though its origins re in the Middle Est nd Mediterrnen (including influences from Indi, North Afric, Spin, nd nomdic cultures such s Rom peoples), hs chieved belly dnce specil sttus in Americ s fusion form of dnce. Indeed, the nme belly dnce is used only in English-speking regions (Djoumhn 2000:10). The term belly dnce is lso very generl; mny belly dncers identify themselves s prcticing subctegory of the dnce, pprent not only in the types of movements nd music they prefer but lso in their costuming choices. Some divisions in Americn styles of belly dnce include cbret, folkloric, nd tribl. Brief definitions of these divisions will help provide context for this rticle's specific study of tribl belly dnce costumes. Cbret in Americ pproximtes styles prcticed in clubs in the Middle Est tody. It is mostly solo performnce style, with wide rnge of vilble movements tht my be either choreogrphed or improvised; if cbret group performs (s opposed to n individul), the choreogrphy is fixed. In n rticle, Din, cbret belly dncer nd costumer, ddresses the question of wht cbret costume is: "A mgicl vision of the glmorous, exotic belly dncer ws populrized by Hollywood decdes go. In glittering br nd belly-bring skirt, drped with diphnous veils, she undulted nd shimmied to the ccompniment of her jingling finger cymbls. This cbret style of costume nd dnce is flshier, more thetricl nd more reveling thn the mny historic nd ethnic styles of Middle Estern cultures." Din defines in structurl terms the costume pieces tht compose cbret outfit: "The cbret costume usully consists of fringed hip-belt, ornte br, skirt nd/or hrem pnts, nd one or more veils. A fitted gown sometimes replces br nd skirt. Decortive rm coverings, hedpieces, nd shoes re optionl. Jewelry completes the ensemble" (2000: 108). The cbret style llows for individul touches of glmour nd glitz s desired by dncers. More thn cbret dnce, folkloric belly dnce in Americ vlues uthenticity trditionlity. Kjir Djoumhn, uthor of The Tribl Bible: Exploring the Phenomenon Tht is Americn Tribl Style Bellydnce, touches on folkloric styles in the U.S. in her definition of terms: "These groups lern s much s they cn of ctul folkloric dnces of vrious countries in the Middle Est, nd then they chnge them if needed to suit their performnce venues here in the U.S. These groups nd my or my not include completely uthentic costuming, though their costumes do reflect n effort to pper trditionl"
84 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE (2003:iii). The emphsis on "trditionl" dnces nd costumes is one reson why folkloric belly dnce is often seen t Renissnce Fires nd other culturl events tht vlue uthenticity nd trditionlity. As in cbret, group performnces tend to be strictly choreogrphed. In contrst to cbret nd folkloric styles, tribl belly dnce origintes entirely in Americ nd is collective improvistionl style. Both the costuming style nd the dnce movements re syncretic (or fusionl). The belly dncers tht hve written bout tribl belly dnce re divided s to whether they identify the dnce style or the costumes s the defining fctor of tribl belly dnce. Relevnt to their discussion is n importnt distinction between generl tribl style nd the Americn Tribl Style (ATS).1 To some troupes the criteri tht define ATS re movement-bsed. According to these dncers, for performnce to be deemed ATS, the following stndrds must be met: 1. There must be interction between the dncers. This mens no solo expressions unless t lest one other dncer is present on the stge with you. Even then, the solo is not ment to be the focus of ny Tribl performnce. Working together in troupes of two or more dncers for the mjority of the show is impertive for wht you re doing to be clled "Tribl." 2. This interction between dncers during performnce must be, t lest primrily, improvistionl. (Djoumhn 2003:i) Different tribl troupes negotite this need for collective improvistion in different wys, but most follow or dpt the ATS system of cues, creting shred vocbulry of dnce movements tht the dncers use to communicte with ech other to fcilitte improvising on stge. In contrst, the following definition focuses on costumes: "The most instntly recognizble spect of ATS is the elborte costume, with n orntely wrpped hedpiece nd multiple lyers of fbric nd ntique jewelry" (Zenub 2000:38).2 Generted on 2015-07-10 17:32 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 Regrdless of the precise definitionl blnce of movement nd costume, I would rgue tht costume is n importnt component not only in how tribl belly dnce is defined but lso in how it is performed nd perceived. Additionlly, costumes re n integrl prt of ll belly dnce due to the fct tht it is dnce t its most bsic, "the body mking ptterns in time nd spce" (Royce 2002:3). But the body never dnces undorned in belly dnce, so embellishments to the body must be tken into ccount when studying the dnce. As Sheil Bock points out in her thesis on belly dnce, "In dnce performnces, the viewer's ttention is drwn to the movements of the body, nd the body is used to communicte to the udience" (2005:50). Wht the body reltes during belly dnce performnce is especilly importnt due to discourses of power nd control ffecting women in the United Sttes. Belly dncers prticipte in these discourses not only by dncing but lso by tking on identities nd creting communities relted to the dnce; they lso, through their motions nd body modifictions, necessrily mke sttements bout issues such s ethnicity nd femininity (Bock 2005:5 1). In ddition to negotiting culturl issues, belly dncers express their esthetic preferences nd group memberships through bodily communictions nd clothing.
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 85 Different Drummer t Gencon, August 2005. Front row: Hether nd Dvid. Bck row, from left to right: Ann L., Ann S., Mrgret, nd Molly. The hirpieces Hether, Molly, nd Ann S. re wering re mde of tubulr crin; the hirpieces Dvid nd Mrgret re wering re mde of fom n other components. Photo by Libby Bulloff. Generted on 2015-07-10 17:32 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 The Different Drummer Belly Dncers The sme tension between individul cretivity nd group constrints tht drws me to folklore ttrcted me to the study of belly dnce costumes in tribl troupes. I chose to focus on one tribl troupe, Different Drummer Belly Dncers,3 for severl resons. First, they re esily ccessible, mening both tht they re bsed where I live (in Bloomington, Indin) nd tht they re friendly people. Next, their sttus s tribl troupe is mbiguous, which interests me. Strictly following the definition of ATS given by Djoumhn, Different Drummer is not tribl troupe becuse they do not collectively improvise during ll of their shows. However, becuse the troupe emphsizes the group spect of performnce (for instnce, everyone remins on stge when one member does solo dnce) nd becuse the troupe conforms to mny fetures of tribl belly dnce costuming, I believe tht this troupe fits brod definition of tribl belly dnce, if not ATS specificlly. Different Drummer incorportes some key elements of ATS costumes nd cues while deviting from ATS in other res. Different Drummer's costuming choices re mong the most distinctive nd fscinting chrcteristics of the troupe, nother reson I chose to study them. Different Drummer ws founded in the fll of 2003 by Mrgret, the rtistic director of the troupe. The three other founding members re Molly, Ann L, nd Hether.4 In July of 2005, the troupe gined two new members: Dvid nd Ann S.5 1 hve intercted with the
86 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 members of Different Drummer informlly for over yer, s I m lso member of the belly dnce community in Bloomington. I hve observed the troupe members dnce together nd individully t vrious events, rnging from belly-dnce-specific prties nd benefit shows to themed nights t clubs. For this project, I conducted individul interviews with troupe members, ech interview lsting bout n hour. These interviews took plce t troupe members' workplces or cfes, whichever ws most convenient for the troupe members. I lso sked their permission to use photogrphs of them tht re posted online. There re mny perspectives from which to study Different Drummer's costuming techniques; few of these perspectives re exclusive to single re of study like body rt, folk costume, or dnce. Lurel Horton nd Pul Jordn-Smith's rticle "Deciphering Folk Costume: Dress Codes mong Contr Dncers" provides useful model (2004). Contr dncers, like belly dncers, must mke dress choices relted to their dnce movements, nd Horton nd Jordn-Smith llow for motion in their study. Tking semiotic pproch, Horton nd Jordn-Smith describe three functions of clothing in Western society: "(1) prcticlity, which includes considertions of protection, cost; (2) self-concept, which includes self-presenttion physicl comfort, vilbility, nd nd self-expression within the public sphere; nd (3) group identity, which includes public issues of group membership nd identity" (2004:42 1 ). Ech of these functions is emphsized or de-emphsized reltive to the others depending on circumstnces. This model is good strt, though due to the prominence of everydy dress in contr dnce ttire, the uthors' discussion of functions does not ddress issues relted to stge performnce. Similrly, while their discussion of culturlly defined body-segmenttion does not rely enough on insider voices. systems is useful, I feel tht it is overly semiotic nd Thus, bsed on my fieldwork with the members of Different Drummer Belly Dncers, I would like to ddress emic ctegories of esthetics nd function in belly dnce, while recognizing tht one spect of the dnce costume is often inseprble from other spects such s music nd performnce contexts. I wrote my interview questions with the im of ccessing s much of my informnts' perspectives s possible, bsed on the belief tht they re rtionl, rticulte people nd hence quite cpble of telling me why they do wht they do. As it turned out, I ws right. Their voices re present in this study wherever possible, nd it is in prt through my converstions with them tht I devised my ctegories of nlysis: segmenttion of the body, function of costume pieces in motion, obtining nd putting together costumes, individul esthetic expression, group costuming concerns, udience, nd music. Segmenttion of the Body The Tribl Bible contins chpter on costume nd dornment, interspersed with pictures of Americn performers, people of different cultures, costume pieces, nd digrms nd instructions for constructing one's own costume pieces; the text rnges from personl opinions bout dnce ttire to n expliction of the mjor components of tribl belly dnce costuming. Those mjor components re heddresses, torso wer, skirts, pntloons, hip ger, tssel belts, footwer, jewelry, mkeup, nd both fce nd body tttoos (including drwn-on fcil tttoos, permnent body tttoos, nd nonpermnent body rt like henn).
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 87 When I sked the Different Drummer dncers whether they could tell me how they would clssify the types of costume pieces they wore, s though their bodies were segmented in mix-nd-mtch fshion-plte scenrio, their nswers for the most prt corresponded the components given in The Tribl Bible. Common ctegories identified by the dncers included torso pieces, skirts nd/or pntloons, hip dornments, jewelry, hir/hed dornments, nd mkeup. There ws enough vriety in their nswers to give the impression tht even these bsic ctegories were open to individul interprettion. For instnce, Hether told me tht the components of tribl costume were big pnts, "big, big, big" skirt, midriff-bring top, tons of jewelry, fcil drwings nd mkeup, with "something on your hed, nd bout eighty more pounds of jewelry on top of tht," nd hip belts decorted with "fringe... or tssels... or coins... or bbies!" (As she sid tht, she lughed.) Dvid described his mentl belly- dnce-costume pltes s hedpiece, something worn on the torso, pnts, something on the hips, optionl footwer, jewelry, nd mkeup. Although these descriptions re miniml, they re representtive of the nswers I received in tht they describe system of segmenting the body through costume. Ech individul dncer cn elborte upon the bsic segmented res. One interesting spect of the tribl belly dnce method of segmenttion, in contrst to the contr dnce method described by Horton nd Jordn-Smith, is tht no prt of the body is considered peripherl in the tribl belly dnce system except, perhps, the legs nd feet. While belly dncer's legs nd feet ply n integrl role in dncing, they re less visible thn other body prts during performnce. The mjority of the Different Drummer dncers wer shoes only when performing outdoors, in nightclub, or nywhere with rough nd potentilly dngerous surfce. Similrly, most of the dncers do not seem to give much thought to how their legs look while dncing, since only the vguest outline of their legs shows through the voluminous skirts tht so often chrcterize tribl costumes. There re two exceptions to this: when Ann S. nd Molly wer flred jzz pnts to dnce in wht Ann S. describes s Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 the more "slinky" urbn tribl style, which demnds stremlined costumes; nd when Dvid describes ctully liking the wy his legs look while dncing nd wishing to crete costume tht would show more of his legs. These exmples show tht while there is generl consensus individul vrition. bout the prts of the body tht tribl dncers costume, there is lso room for Function of Costume Pieces in Motion Hether's fcetious remrk bout hnging bbies from tribl belt reflects common ttitude I noticed: the bigger, the better, especilly when it comes to the hips. This is due to the nture of belly dncing, which incorportes numerous hip movements. The costumes re consciously designed to emphsize hip movements both visully nd uditorily. As Ann S. sys, "A lot of the stuff on the lower body, well, everything tht we put on our hips is designed to ccent the movement tht we're doing with our hips. Whether it's coins, or fringe, or just stuff tht's sprkly, it's gott be something tht movement, tht moves nd drws the eye to nd then it mkes it look like you're working lot hrder thn you re becuse it gives the udience something functions of hip dornment: to focus on." This sttement ddresses the dul to highlight the movements nd be interesting to the udience.
88 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 Two more exmples of hip dornment further demonstrte how the components of just one re of costuming the hips cn ccomplish multiple gols. Fringe, often worn on belt round the hips, serves first to highlight hip movements, s Molly demonstrtes when she sttes tht she usully tries to wer combintion of long nd short fringe: the short shows off tight hip-moves like shimmies, nd the long ccentutes spins (since the fringe flies up). Also, wering different colors of fringe dds vriety to bsic skirt. The costuming element of fringe, found in mny but not ll tribl costumes, thus serves vriety of purposes in emphsizing different movements nd diversifying costumes. Coins or bells cn lso be n importnt prt of tribl costumes, s Mrgret shows when she sys of hip dornments tht "some kind of noise is relly, relly good." This, she sys, is becuse the udience enjoys the uditory experience of coins nd the dncer cn her wht she is doing (since specific movements will cuse coins to mke certin noises). While the tribl dncers I interviewed tend to py lot of ttention to the functions of their hip dornments, they py less ttention to wht they wer on their torsos. Hether sid tht she tends to think the most bout wht is going on below her wist while dncing. Consequently, she prefers utilitrin pproch from the wist up, such s putting on choli tht stys put: "This is here, I don't hve to worry bout it." She described the choli, the bsic tribl costuming component of the torso, thus: "A choli is tight-fitting, midriffbring top tht ws originlly designed brests, generlly to wer under sri. It stops right under your hs n open bck tht's tied, nd long or short sleeves... It's very comfortble to wer, it's designed to be worn without br." Not only is the choli designed to be worn without br, in Indi (especilly in the northwestern sttes of Rjsthn nd Gujrt) the choli functions s brssier: it is grment tht contours nd supports the brests (Bhndri 2005:78-79). Mrgret, Ann L., Ann S., nd Molly ll mentioned cholis to me s well while describing their costumes, to vrying degrees discussing how comfortble cholis re. (Ann S. dded tht open-bcked cholis provide good ventiltion.) The other torso options they listed, such s coin brs (worn lone or over choli), vests, nd tunics, re worn becuse they llow lrge rnge of motion. member of the troupe, sid tht he either dnces bre-chested which he noted is not suitble for more trditionl tribl look. Dvid, the only mle or wers cropped T-shirt, Cholis nd other torso ger, however, provide positive function by bring the dncer' s midriff so certin movements re clerly visible. By contrst, some spects of tribl costumes re noteworthy becuse of their potentil not to enhnce the dnce but rther to impede it. All of the dncers in Different Drummer own synthetic hirpieces, do not lwys wer them to perform, though they nd mny of them remrked during interviews tht wering fke dredlocks or dredflls cn complicte certin moves like hir tosses. Molly's experience wering metl body-dornments nd fishnet sleeves provides nother striking exmple of impediment: "I've gotten my rms stuck to my hip before in choreogrphy... With the fishnets, you hve to wtch getting your hnds close to your body becuse they'll get stuck on things, I've lerned tht from experience." Ann S. hd similr experience dncers s stndrd:6 Dncing with props cn definitely while dncing with cne, one of the props ccepted mong belly cne solo with Pnge [nother tribl troupe in Bloomington], nd wering fringe were definitely ffect wht I decide to wer. There ws while when I ws doing nd I found tht wering the big skirt not good things when I ws doing the cne dnce, becuse if you
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 89 hve it down by the side of your body lot, I do lot of things where I rest it on the floor or kick it up or dnce round it or twirl it it, nd there ws one gig where ws not good! So in tht cse usully try to go with I it got horribly tngled up in my fringe, nd little bit less stuff round my hips. Thus belly dncers must tke into ccount not only how their costume pieces will interct with everything else they wer, but lso how their costumes will interct with props. Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 Molly dncing t the 4lh Street Festivl of the Arts, Bloomington, 2004. Some of the lyers Molly wering include red pntloons under blck skirt, blue fringed scrf on her hips with coin belt over is blck choli, nd fishnet sleeves. Photo by Clinton Wolfe. it,
90 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE The troupe tends to use props in group choreogrphy only occsionlly, nd then usully veils. For solos, however, the dncer is free to use ny kind of prop; in ddition to cne nd veil, Molly nd Ann S. ech mentioned dncing with sword. Molly noted tht when she dnces with sword, one of her biggest considertions is her legwer, becuse she often does floorwork nd needs to be ble to lower herself to the ground nd rise without using her hnds to rerrnge her costume. For such dnces, she will usully wer scrf on her hed becuse when she blnces sword there, it tends to feel like its weight is crushing her skull: the scrf provides smll but welcome lyer of cushioning. Ann S. greed with this costume choice, dding tht becuse hir is slippery, wering scrf or turbn helps keep the sword from sliding. In regrd to veil, Ann S. noted tht she's gotten her veil cught in hirsticks in the pst, so she hs lerned to modify her heddress to ccount for the motions involved in directing veil which usully exceeds two yrds in length round her body while dncing. The veil more thn ny other prop hs n dditionl function outside of the performnce context: it cn be used s n ccessory, especilly s cover-up. I hve observed some of the Different Drummer dncers wering their veils wrpped round their costumed bodies before nd fter they pper on stge. Dvid's perspective is interesting: he noted tht he hs customized his veil use such tht insted of drping the veil round his torso s most dncers do, he knots it tightly round his rm or wist, leding to unique look tht hs become prt of his costume. Obtining nd Putting Together Costumes Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 Assembling tribl belly dnce costumes ccording to both the system of body segmenttion described bove nd the functions of costume pieces is complex ctivity. Some of the fctors tht dncers must consider re whether they will purchse or mke the item, how much the item or its prts will cost, nd how much use they will be ble to get out of Of my informnts, Hether, Molly, nd Ann S. sew mny of their pieces, while Dvid's prtner sews for him, Ann L.'s mother sews for her, nd Mrgret's friends sew for her on commission. The most commonly sewn costume pieces re pntloons, skirts, cholis, nd belts, since ll these cn be mde ccording to ptterns nd then customized to individul tstes. Hether mkes those bsic pieces but she doesn't mke jewelry, so she purchses it. Ann S. lso purchses her jewelry. Molly remrked tht in ddition to sewing bsic costume pieces, she enjoys mking coin brs nd tssel belts becuse they're very expensive to purchse, nd she cn personlize them; she does not mke her jewelry, though, becuse her mother mkes jewelry for her. Regrdless of whether they sew or purchse their costumes, the dncers of Different Drummer py close ttention to the fbric. Hether likes fbrics tht re hevy nd "firly indestructible" due both to her personl esthetic of liking costumes tht hve it. weighty look nd to the utility of hving costumes tht will lst. Mrgret likes mchine-wshble fbrics tht re lso ffordble. Ann S. notes tht when she's doing trditionl-style tribl costume, she tends to use nturl fibers like cotton, silk, nd linen, though for ccent pieces, she might use something synthetic, shiny, or textured. She dded tht nything tht's going to be ginst the skin should be nturl fiber so tht it cn brethe. On the sme
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 91 theme, Mrgret told story bout pir of stin pnts tht cused her to overhet so much tht she hd to hve them ltered to include cotton crotch nd lce side pnels. Ann L., who does not sew, still puts lot of thought into the fbrics she prefers for her costumes: I relly like softer mterils, like chiffon, becuse chiffon is the chep lterntive to silk [lughs]. I love silk, nd prt of tht is just becuse I'm in love with Dli [ well-known belly dncer], nd Dli loves silk. Silk is relly beutiful, I love silk veils, I only hve couple of silk skirts. And lot of my stuff is lining mteril, which you wouldn't think would be good but it's relly chep becuse it's only, like, dollr-fifty yrd nd it's very light; nd it's, like, silky-stiny, so it's this very light, flowy mteril tht looks gret, nd it's chep, nd I love it. And then I lso hve severl skirts tht hve bunch of different lyers, nd so it's got, like, two lyers of chiffon, nd then lyer of hevy knit, not super hevy, but hevy-for-dnce-costume-hevy, nd the reson do tht becuse chiffon, where it's very pretty nd flows, it's not hevy enough to fly up, so did severl lyers of chiffon over it hevy lyer, so tht the hevy lyer when pretty, flowy, ngelic thing, but it's high. I I spin will push the chiffon up, so tht you still get tht is I Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 In tht sttement, Ann L. mentions these crucil points: how dncers dpt mterils to their own ends even though the mterils my be mrketed nd priced ccording to other, perceived functions; how dncers my be influenced or inspired by the costumes of dncers they dmire; nd how, gin, movement is prime function of costume. Ann S. ddresses cost when she discusses her wys of selecting fbric to sew skirts (see bove). She chooses simpler fbrics so they will be ffordble; she points out tht becuse skirts tend to be covered by fringe nd re not ginst the skin, the ppernce nd brethbility of their fbric re not s importnt s they might otherwise be. Since tribl belly dnce costumes re lrgely ssembled prt by prt ccording to the segmenttion system, the components cn be cquired t different times nd combined in different wys. Costume pieces cn be purchsed through specilty vendors (for instnce, Mrgret mentioned the belly dnce costume compny L. Rose Designs, whose stretchvelvet cholis she likes), or other kinds of clothing cn be dpted for use s belly dnce costumes. Dvid, for exmple, purchsed store; he expects to incorporte the pnts into pir of sleek, blck linen pnts in deprtment belly dnce costume. Similrly, Ann L. sid tht she buys chep glitzy jewelry t Clire's (n inexpensive chin store) but lso commissions ethnic-looking pieces from which kinds of jewelry to wer depending bed specilist she knows. She then decides on the "look" she iming for with the rest of her costume, which cn rnge from trditionl tribl style to more glmorous. The mix-nd-mtch spect of tribl belly dnce costumes, however, mens tht there re multiple potentil costume combintions. The dncers view this in positive light. Mrgret remrked tht she loved the "verstile style" of tribl costuming nd chuckled, "I msh everything, Imodify everything!" One deeper impliction of tribl costuming, especilly when one considers hir, jewelry, nd mkeup in ddition to clothing, ech performnce nd fcil decortions costume is is is tht ephemerl. The dncers purchse different kinds of mkeup (such s liquid eyeliner, powder, glitter, bindis, nd stick-on jewels) following guidelines similr to those tht govern clothing purchses (such s cost, inspirtion from dncers they dmire including fellow troupe members nd esthetic ppel). Wht is interesting bout pplying mkeup s opposed to donning clothing while one cn wer the sme choli for different dnces, one cnnot lwys is tht gurntee consistent results with mkeup or hirstyle. The dncers often find something they like nd
92 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE use it for while, but becuse skin nd hir re vrible surfces, the body rt ssocited with belly dnce performnces necessrily chnges from one occsion to the next. Hether t the Allerton Bellydnce Festivl, summer 2005. Hether is wering fcil tttoos nd bindi, fke Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 dredlocks nd cowrie shells in her hir, scrf nd flowers (obscured by the veil drped over her hed), nd choker. Photo by Libby Bulloff. Individul Aesthetic Expressions When I questioned the dncers of Different Drummer bout wht they liked to wer nd why, they were rticulte bout their costume choices. The topic of color provides them focus for discussing personl esthetics. For exmple, Mrgret likes colors tht contrst with her fir skin, so she tends to wer drk, rich, jewel tones like blues, purples, nd reds. On the other hnd, Dvid is drwn to bright colors, especilly ornge, so he tries to incorporte those colors in his costumes. Such preferences, bsed on wht ppels to the individul s well s wht the individul considers flttering, lso chnge over time. Ann S. noted tht she likes erth tones nd jewel tones; she used to hte red but recently went through red-nd-blck phse. She found one red piece of clothing tht ppeled to her nd subsequently creted n entire outfit round it. She joked tht every belly dncer she met hs gone through red-nd-blck phse. Color phses mong belly dncers re common;
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 93 Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 Mrgret hs been in red phse for while, ccording to her own dmission nd the sttements of her troupemtes. In ddition to fvorite colors nd color combintions, ech dncer hs fvorite clothing combintions. These choices re bsed on the dncer's comfort levels nd personlity. Ann L. sid tht she likes to wer smller tops, wheres Hether prefers cholis with more coverge (e.g., piece of fbric drped over her belly). Dvid lwys dnces with something on his hed, either fke hir or turbn, nd he further ornments his white dredflls with pir of fke horns nd hedbnd decorted with mirrors, coins, nd embroidery. He is cler bout his resons for choosing these items: the horns hve " Ntive Americn feel," he sys, explining tht the big white puff of hir nd horns resemble white bufflo, while the mirrored hedbnd suggests trditionl Orientl ssocitions of belly dnce. Yet dncers lso mke esthetic choices tht re privtely meningful to them since the signs re not directed t, visible to, or comprehensible to nybody else. Dvid wers n nklet with chrms on it tht re meningful to him, but it does not lwys show beneth the hem of his pnts; Hether wers her grndmother's ntique jewelry becuse she likes the sense of connection it imprts to her; nd Ann L. is drwn to chunky, ethnic-looking jewelry becuse she is metlsmith look hndcrfted. nd likes things tht Yet s Mrgret pointed out when I inquired specificlly bout costumes s personl expressions, mening extends beyond codified signs nd symbols: "I men, nything tht you buy, tht you like, is in wy reflecting you." One spect of tribl costuming tht seemed to resonte with these dncers flttering the clothing is. Mrgret sttes, "The costumes is how re pretty. The costumes look good on ny womn. They lso look good on ny guy. They're very flttering clothes, it's very flttering look." Molly chrcterizes cn gin or lose weight nd the costumes remin flttering. tribl costumes s "forgiving," sying tht one Additionlly, one cn mix nd mtch the tops nd skirts for numerous rrngements; there re mny wys to recombine tribl pieces, sys Molly, "so they cn suit pretty much nybody's body type." The potentil to individulize the tribl belly dnce costume is one of the resons for its ppel, but costuming choices often simply reduce to wht looks good. As Dvid sys, "Relly, I think I mke the finl decision bsed on wht I think looks good on me." In this wy, choosing tribl costuming is like choosing clothing for ny occsion: the werer's ultimte gol is esthetic. Group Costuming Concerns With such diversity of personl tstes, the dncers of Different Drummer fce chllenges every time they costume for n event. Mrgret stted: "As the troupe director, I feel tht people should wer costumes tht they wnt to wer, nd tht we don't hve to spend lot of money on... The reson I clled the troupe Different Drummer is tht I wnt everyone to be different; I don't wnt everyone result, Mrgret noted, "When we first dnced together, to be the sme becuse we're not the sme." As we wore ll kinds of bizrre different things, nd then we relized... it's good to hve some kind of uniform look." This "uniform look" cn be chieved in vrious wys. Dvid remrked tht before he joined Different Drummer, he lwys noticed "the crzy dreded hir" tht some or ll of the dncers wore, nd he felt tht it gve the troupe n edge. Hether concurred; she feels tht
94 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE the hirpieces hve become symbolic of Different Drummer s troupe. They re mde loclly by grphic designer Libby Bulloff, from vrious inexpensive mterils such s felted wool nd synthetic hir, usully mde in dredlock style; other hirpieces re mde with tubulr crin (crinoline), which is more expensive, with mterils such s plstic, rubber tubing, nd fom incorported into them. "They're very big, very bright, very distinctive," Hether sys.7 Besides finnces, other limittions inform the troupe members' decisions on how to present themselves. Since the troupe' s costuming is done by consensus "considering wht people hve in their closets," s Molly sid one strtegy is to crete costume themes for the troupe using similr colors nd costume items. This could be s simple s sking ll the femle dncers to wer blck skirts. Audience One fctor tht is very importnt to the dncers in Different Drummer when deciding wht to wer for performnce is the udience for tht event. As Molly sid, "Our costume is relly venue-specific." As exmples, she noted tht the troupe tries to dress "period" for Renissnce Fires, nd "edgy" for Stimuli, n erotic event. Ann L. mentioned tht the troupe dnced t Gencon, gming nd science-fiction/fntsy convention in Indinpolis. The troupe members' costumes were, she sid, "very different [from one nother] but tht' s becuse ll the solos were very different; but tht's wht goes t tht convention nywy." Perhps one of the resons tht udience forms such significnt context for Different Drummer's costuming choices is tht belly dnce is not lwys norml prt of erotic or gming events: hence the dncers must cter to the crowd to ssert their right to be there. Music Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 The finl fctor in Different Drummer's costuming tht I will consider is music. Molly stted tht before choosing which costume she will wer for solo piece, she first decides wht her music is. Music choice my shpe n entire costume or just influence n ccessory. Hether described group performnce t the Eroticon Bll: "We did the Moulin Rouge song, so we wore fether bos... s nod towrd the piece." Ann L. likewise linked music, choreogrphy, nd costume, but more brodly, when she stted: "I try to mke my costumes fit with whtever it is tht I'm dncing." In some cses, music nd udience contexts lign so closely s to seem inseprble. Ech of the originl founders of Different Drummer (Mrgret, Ann L., Hether, nd Molly) mentioned during interviews the "goth gig" they dnced t. There, they dnced to punk rock nd hevy metl songs, nd consequently chose wht Molly described s "shredded, DIY look." (DIY stnds for "Do It Yourself," morl code nd esthetic ssocited with the punk movement.) Gothic music nd costuming hve hd brod influence on Different Drummer; ll of the members discussed the wys in which the gothic esthetic is comptible exmple of this overlp. with the tribl esthetic. Wering fishnet stockings s sleeves is one Some of the members re more personlly ttrcted to the gothic esthetic wheres others pprecite the sense of drm tht gothic dress shres with tribl costuming.8
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 95 Conclusions Costuming is n importnt prt of belly dnce not only becuse the costumes cn ccentute or hinder certin movements but lso becuse the costumes hve the potentil to express vrious spects of individul nd group identity. Moreover, inflections of identity long with gender issues color how belly dnce is performed nd perceived. Whether men cn belly dnce is still n unresolved issue in the Americn belly dnce community (despite Dvid of Different Drummer nd other mle belly dncers who clim the right to prticipte in the dnce nd its discourses). Belly dnce is not universlly ccepted s vible form of expression in Americ, to the extent tht it is sometimes perceived s hypersexul nd inpproprite in certin contexts. Most belly dncers do not pprecite the impliction tht they re doing something kin to striptese in order to plese or seduce mle udience. Hence representtions become even more importnt to contest stereotypes nd reclim Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 femle spces (see Bock 2005, chpters 2 4). Perhps most importntly, belly dnce costumes serve s vehicle of communiction nd mening-mking between dncers. The members of Different Drummer repetedly refer to one nother when discussing their inspirtion for trying new things. They lso sk one nother for help with sewing nd with pplying mkeup, nd they freely lon nd borrow costume pieces nd props mongst themselves. In this sense, the troupe's costumes crete nd mnifest system, mosic, n interlocked web of community nd friendship. The lrger community surrounding the troupe the dncers' friends, fmilies, students, techers, costume suppliers, nd photogrphers is prt of this network, s belly dnce does not hppen in socil vcuum. The dncers re literlly wering their ffilitions when they don costume pieces mde by friends nd fmily. Additionlly, s some members mentioned, they experience feeling of cmrderie when dncing together, feeling tht is in lrge prt due to the collective-improvistionl spects of tribl dnce. Belly dnce costumes connect not only the dncers nd their immedite community but lso entire regions. Approprition is n issue in tribl belly dnce, s it drws on elements from cultures round the world. Hether emphsizes the fusion spect of the dnce when she sttes: "Becuse it's Americn, we don't s group of dncers hve to step lightly, we don't hve to think 'I'm very sorry, I don't men to offend you or your culture or your people or your thousnd yers of trdition when I shimmy to this prticulr song. I hope it's oky, I don't spek Arbic, I'm sorry.' I'm white femle in Americ, I feel pologetic to peoples of other cultures... Yeh, it's sd, but there it is." Lbeling belly dnce fusion dnce llows the rtists to tke liberties with culturl mterils outside of their trditionl contexts without hving to pologize for colonizing or imperilizing discourses does in her quote bove. importnce s Hether Djoumhn sttes in The Tribl Bible: "It is of the utmost tht Tribl Bellydncers, s fusion rtists, construct their costumes to reflect s mny of the cultures nd sources of inspirtion tht we cn without ttempting to copy ny prticulr one of these sources" (2003:86, itlics in originl). This ttitude, which I find prevlent mong the dncers in Different Drummer, seems to me to be bout creting community without tking wy from nybody else. Tribl belly dncers borrow widely for their costuming influences but ttempt to do so respectfully nd cretively.
96 MIDWESTERN FOLKLORE As this brief cse study of tribl belly dnce troupe's costumes hs shown, the dncers of Different Drummer encourge individul nd group expression through costuming nd relted spects of the dnce. They seemed to genuinely enjoy discussing their costume choices nd performnces, fct tht leds me to believe tht belly dnce costumes re n integrl prt of the plesure of the dnce, if not lso one of its initil ttrctions. Mny of my informnts remrked tht their first encounters with tribl belly dnce were very powerful experiences in prt due to the esthetic elements of the dnce, both in movement nd costuming. The clen, crisp lines of the tribl belly dnce costumes pired with the dnce style's strong nd grceful movements mke up n esthetic system tht ppels to people on vrious levels. Different Drummer's deprtures from stndrd (I hesitte to sy "trditionl") tribl belly dnce costumes continue to evolve, s these dncers collborte on personl nd group needs, while simultneously vlidting nd negotiting the esthetics of n Americn fusion movement. Notes Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 1. Americn Tribl Style (ATS) ws pioneered by the Sn Frncisco troupe FtChnce BellyDnce, formed in 1987. The tribl troupes tht hve followed FtChnce's innovtions vry in the degree to which they utilize FtChnce's dress code nd system of cues while dncing. 2. Zenub gives n extended definition of the ATS costume tht is interesting for its oppositionl rgument: The ATS costume cn be contrsted with the populr nd glmorous look of the Egyptin-style costume, style tht swept the country during the 1980s nd remins populr tody. This populr costume style often fetures, for exmple, beded fringe, sequins nd sequin ppliques nd costume pieces mde from iridescent or diphnous fbrics. In contrst, the ATS costume incorportes nturl fbrics, fringe scrves, nd ntique jewelry. Diverse costume elements re drwn from mny sources, including Berber culture, or from the Afghn or Moroccn peoples nd culture, nd elements from Indi nd Pkistn, such s fbric embroidered with shish mirrors. A costume often incorportes voluminous skirts, pntloons, nd choli top, nd my include tssel belts, coins, long ryon fringe, nd Turkish or Russin scrves. (2000:38) 3. The troupe's Web site cn be found t http://www.ddbd.org. 4. However, during the finl stges of this study, Hether nnounced her intention to resign from the troupe in order to pursue Americn Tribl Style exclusively (online communiction, December 16, 2005). As of the first drft of this rticle, Molly hs lso left the troupe. She, Hether, nd Ann S. (who remins member of Different Drummer) hve formed more strictly tribl-style troupe clled Drk Side Tribl. 5. Ech of the members of Different Drummer hs different bckgrounds nd gols regrding belly dnce. Briefly, Mrgret hs been dncing for eleven yers nd hs been doing tribl exclusively for the pst three yers. Hether hs been dncing off nd on for nine to ten yers, nd hs been doing tribl belly dnce for the pst three yers. Dvid strted tking belly dnce clsses one yer go. Molly hs been belly dncing for bout five yers but did other forms of dnce before tht. Ann S. hs been belly dncing for four yers but hs only been doing tribl style for three yers. Ann L. hs been belly dncing for seven yers (she did other forms of dnce before tht), nd begn doing tribl style four yers go. The dtes cn be scertined by keeping in mind tht the interviews took plce in December of 2005. 6. I bse my notions of wht is "stndrd" in belly dnce not only on seven yers of personl experience tking clsses, teching, nd performing but lso on the rticles in The Belly Dnce Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dnce (Richrds 2000). Tht book includes section on props tht lists the cne mong other props like veils, swords, finger cymbls, cndles, nd snkes.
TRIBAL BELLY DANCE COSTUMES 97 7. Libby Bulloff lso photogrphs for the troupe. The Web site where she sells her hirpieces cn be found t http://www.exoskeletoncbret.com. 8. Molly, for instnce, sid: "I tend to len little bit more towrds the drk colors nd things in dy-to-dy dress, nd my dnce person reflects my dy-to-dy person too, just the blck with certin colors' ccents, tht's pretty much how my dily wrdrobe goes s well." Ann L. stted: "I think tribl especilly lends itself to the goth look, nd the reson is tht it's so drmtic. And tht's wht I lwys think of when I think of goth is just, drm, drm, drm." She lso mentioned the drk colors nd clen, crisp lines of the goth look. Hether hd yet nother view of the overlp: Both gothic nd tribl styles, she sys, re opulent nd lush, "to the point of rotting if they were fruit!" References Cited Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0 Bhndri, Vndn. 2005. Costume, Textiles, nd Jewellery of Indi: Trditions in Rjsthn. London: Mercury Books. Bock, Sheil. 2005. From Hrem Fntsy to Femle Empowerment: Rhetoricl Strtegies Din. 2000. Style in Americn Belly Dnce. MA thesis, Ohio Stte University, Columbus. nd Dynmics of Designing Cbret Costume. In The Bellydnce Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dnce, ed. Tzz Richrds, pp. 108-127. Djoumhn, Kjir. 2000. Belly Dnce In Brief. In The Bellydnce Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dnce, ed. Tzz Richrds, pp. 9-13.. 2003. The Tribl Bible: Exploring the Phenomenon Tht is Americn Tribl Style Bellydnce. Snt Ros, Clif.: Kjir Djoumhn/BlckSheep BellyDnce. Horton, Lurel, nd Pul Jordn-Smith. 2004. Deciphering Folk Costume: Dress Codes mong Contr Dncers. Journl of Americn Folklore Richrds, Tzz, ed. 2000. Press. 1 17(466):4 15-^140. The Bellydnce Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dnce. Concord, Clif.: Bckbet Royce, Any Peterson. 2002. The Anthropology of Dnce. Hmpshire: Dnce Books Ltd. Zenub. 2000. Americn Tribl Style Belly Dnce. In The Bellydnce Book: Rediscovering the Oldest Dnce, ed. Tzz Richrds, pp. 38-41.
Generted on 2015-07-10 17:33 GMT / http://hdl.hndle.net/2027/inu.30000125293849 Cretive Commons Attribution / http://www.hthitrust.org/ccess_use#cc-by-3.0