Tribal Costuming

-By Stefanie Kalmakoff

In this article I will focus on the classic ATS costuming developed by Carolena Nericcio of FatChanceBellyDance in the 1980's. Many Tribal troupes still wear this costume, especially in New Zealand and Australia. In America, however, there are now so many Tribal, Urban Tribal, Gothic Tribal, Tribal Fusion, even 'Tribaret' troupes all wanting a slightly different look. In these cases the look has evolved from the classic ATS, as has the dance. Although it has become quite different it is worth a mention here too. I have included comments made from other Tribal dancers on this topic.

How to Make and Wear Tribal Costumes

The traditional ATS costume was designed to flatter the female form and indeed suits a wide range of body types. Importantly, it very much enhances the movements of this dance.

Pantaloons.

These are wide - up to a metre, elasticised at the ankle and pleated at the top into a cottony elasticised waistband to reduce bulk. They can be made of a slippery or smooth fabric such as lining, satin, silk or rayon, so as not to catch in the skirt.

Skirt.

This is optional but adds another dimension as it floats up dramatically during spins. It should be as full as possible; ours are 11-12 metres at the hem edge. They can be tiered - consisting of 3-8 tiers in various colours, black with a coloured tier at the bottom edge or all black. Rayon is a favourite fabric for the skirt as it hangs nicely and is heavy enough to spin out to horizontal during a spin.

Instructions for a multi-tiered skirt:

Fabric shopping. Most of the fabric we use comes from op shopping, old dresses and skirts and even shirts in rayon or viscose or satin and some heavier chiffon or georgette have the drape and are heavier than cotton giving you the weight you need to get the flare-out in the spin. A patterned piece is nice for around the bottom or the second to last layer with the last layer being a plain colour in a satiny fabric is nice. Shaped garments are ok but don't use ones cut completely on the bias.

Determine your finished length. The finished length from top to bottom is between 84-90cm or so depending on your height. You then need to figure out how many layers you want. The top layer is between 18-28cm deep and 2m wide (if you get my drift) then each following layer is 6-12 cm deep and increasing in width by 1-2 m each layer.

Make a drawing. Start from the bottom. You need 10-12m around the bottom layer. If say, each layer was 10 cm then you can have 6-8 layers. Selecting the fabrics is fun; you can go for a gradation from dark at the top to lighter at the bottom or a random colourful look. We have used black at the top for ours so we can still show off our belts. Sometimes it's nice to dye the fabrics to make them more subtle. The patterned rayons dye moderately. Sometimes you need a thinner layer of 6 cm between 2 other layers just so the colours blend well from one to another or to sneak in a lovely piece you don't quite have enough of. Work out on your drawing how long each layer will be. If the bottom is 11m the next 9m, then 7-8m then 6m then 5m then 4m then 3m and the top has to be 2m minimum. If you can find some black crinkle rayon it is fantastic as it lies quite flat while giving you the width you need.

Cutting the strips. Some skirts or dresses you will be cutting up will have some shaping like A shape, don't worry about straightening them they will be fine, they add interest. Start from the bottom and cut your strips whatever width you choose, with 1cm seam allowance on each edge.

Sewing. Start from the bottom, sew the hem; this is the most time consuming so get it over and done with. Don't sew the ends together yet, leave it as a strip. Then sew the gathering thread. My secret is to use the tension tightened on the top thread so it sews and gathers slightly and quite evenly, you might need to fiddle around before you get this right. Remember that over 11m, you only want to gather it so it is 2m shorter, not much really. Lay it down in your hallway if you have one and see if you have gathered it to about 9m. Check the gathers are reasonably even. Next sew up the next layer. Sew it up to the bottom layer. Don't worry if it doesn't fit exactly, just chop off the excess, you have heaps to play with Gather it in the same way. Lay it out and measure it to make sure you are in the right ballpark of 7m. Continue until you get to the top. Before cutting the top layer, measure the finished length of the skirt; you may have to make adjustments at this stage to get the right length from hip to floor. Sew up the side seam and gather the top layer onto wide, firm elastic. Voila!!

Hip Scarf

These are triangular scarves with a lush long fringe, which swishes with the movement of the dance. Carolena talks about Russian floral scarves with added fringe but I haven't seen any in NZ. Sometimes this is replaced with a fringe belt, a fringe on an elastic band which fits around the hips. This can be nearly as long as the skirt, and sometimes even replaces the skirt. The hip scarf can also be sewn onto the hip belt or omitted if the belt has a lot of long tassels.

Afghani dresses are loaded with amazing embroidery, mirrors, coins and beadwork which can be fashioned into beautiful belts.

Indian mirror belts can sometimes be found. These are straight and don't fit the curve of the hips, but extensions can be added to the ends at an angle to make a good fit.

Torans -Indian door hangings- can be easily adapted to make good hip belts as they have lovely embroidery often with the mirrors.

To give a New Zealand flavour, some Tribal groups here have used paua shell on their belts to great effect.

The tassels are usually made of wool. Homespun looks more authentic but there is a huge range of interesting, textured wools available. There is a common misconception that the tassel belt is only worn by camels in the Middle East. This is not true - there are many examples of people from many different cultures wearing tassels on their clothing.

Choli

This is an adaptation of a top worn in India underneath the sari. It is snug- fitting with long or short sleeves and an underarm gusset for free movement. It has a vee neck and the back is bare with ties at bra-strap level and at the shoulders. The bare back is flattering and keeps the dancer cool and allows fellow dancers to read your back. Embroidered, mirrored cholis can be obtained from Northern India. These usually have to be altered to fit the western female body. It is more practical to make a choli out of panne velvet, without adornments and decorate it with a coin bra over top as the choli can then be easily washed. A great choli pattern in 5 sizes is available on-line at: http://www.annabella.net/costume.html

Coin Bra

A modification of the cabaret bra. A firm, well-padded bra is needed to support the weight of the coins. The bra can first be covered in a decorative fabric or left plain, usually black. The straps should be removed and replaced with sturdy ties as the elastic soon perishes. Coins, pieces of jewellery, shells, textiles or anything that takes your fancy can be sewn on. Instructions on how to make a coin bra are available on http://www.annabella.net/costume.html

Turban, Headgear.

The turban is made from a series of scarves wrapped around the head. The hair, if long, is tied up and put in a bun to provide an anchoring point which stops the turban from shifting. The first piece of fabric should be cottony to absorb sweat, non-slippery to provide grip for the subsequent layer, and long enough that it can be wrapped around the head twice and tied firmly. Add as many other layers as you like. The turban balances out the layered look of the rest of the costume. Without it you can look naked from the neck up and your head can look too small! For this reason many groups have developed alternatives to the turban. Headdresses of colourful braids, hair falls, hair-sticks, 'fluffy buns', shells and jewellery look gorgeous.

Jewellery

The most popular pieces come from Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Africa, and India. It is worn on the hip belt, turban and coin bra; as well as around the neck, wrists and ears. Several necklaces can be layered to suit the look. In NZ many troupes use paua and pounamu to give that Pacifica feel.

Body Art

Tattoos seem to be popular with Tribal dancers. This probably says more about the type of women who are attracted to Tribal style than it being a requirement of the dance troupe. Non-permanent forms of body art such as designs in eye-liner bindis, henna or marker pen art on the face, hands, feet and other areas are fun and effective.