Tribal Costume Inspirations

-By Stefanie Kalmakoff

This costume is eclectic, inspired by artistic elements from many different cultures. The classic ATS look has been called an 'anachronistic' one. It evokes a historic look and feel. The fabrics are mainly natural fibres; the colours, earthy and somewhat muted, (not pastel or fluorescent); the texture sometimes heavily embroidered and adorned with mirrors and shells to give an overall impression of being "out of time". We are often asked, "Where are you from?" When dancers come into a room, the audience is instantly struck with a feeling that these women are "not from here" - either this time or this place

However, the classic ATS costume is historically highly inaccurate in the sense that it is derived from many different cultures which span different continents. It has an 'ethnic' appearance and reflects many cultures and influences, layer upon layer.

Tribal dancers talk of being transformed when putting on their costumes. Getting dressed becomes a ritual and once you ritualize something it easily takes on a "sacred" feel physically as well as emotionally. The ritual of gettting dressed which can easily take 1 ½ hrs is a bonding time with the troupe sisters. Jewellery items are often shared and the owner often gets more pleasure of seeing her favourite piece on her fellow troupe member than on herself!

In New Zealand it would seem the classic ATS look is still the most popular. We often have to create our own costumes from scratch as the imported textiles are not always readily available. We often use what is available locally to decorate the pieces which has given us a slightly different "Kiwi" look, incorporating items such as paua shells and felted wool.

Likewise in Australia, local materials are incorporated as seen in this belt of Sandy Burrow from 'Ghawazi Caravan' which uses seed pods which make a beautiful noise. The colours are often more vibrant and tropical than what we use in NZ:

However, as in America, the "urban" look is gaining favour. Urban Tribal dancers wear fewer layers, and the turban is ditched in favour of hair adornments, braids, dreadlocks, feathers, cowrie shell hair falls, and brighter colours. Urban costuming is usually simplified and practical leaving the body more exposed. Some think the urban look suits the young Tribal dancer as it is not too far removed from what she might wear while out clubbing. However one cannot generalise:

Rave from Massechusetts: "And I think the idea of Tribal Fusion costumes being something that the modern club-goer can really connect with is a really vague concept. Just by searching through pictures from Tribal Fusion groups, it's obvious that the costumes cover such a great scale. You've got everything from melodia pants and coined bras to fringe belts over massive skirts and a decorative bra over a mesh shirt to cholis and pants with an azuit belt to corsets and skirts to mass amounts of vinal and PVC. I've even seen a costume with a bright flamenco style skirt and a choli-like top that ties in front. There's such a wide scale and half of it really isn't all that modern. It also depends on what types of clubs you go to and where you live."

Melodia pants are very popular in the US. These are snug fitting stretch knit leggings with wide, wide flares at the bottom and have a hankercheif-cut skirt-like attachment at the top. The top is often very simple, less adorned, with or without a coin bra, and no turban. These costumes suit the style of dance and the more "urban" moves which often incorporate "hip hop" inspired movements with fast floorwork such as knee spins which cannot easily be done in a ten metre skirt!

Heather Stants from 'Urban Tribal': "Ive been thinking about my own personal philosophy of costuming and how it relates to my dance. I have done all styles of costume in the last ten years. I started with a costume very much modeled after and mostly purchased from FatChance. This definitely suited the ATS style that my company in Chicago was learning and performing. As I developed my own company my dance and my costuming has gotten closer and closer to my own personal vision and style of movement. I definitely have spent a lot of time in my life free style dancing in clubs and no matter how much technique I study, my own personal movement style is in me and becomes mixed with it all. For me the costume has to match the dance. Doing a bunch of knee spins and jumps up from the floor is difficult in a bigger costume. I am a very simple girl. In general I like clean lines and minimal ornamentation since I feel that my dance is such an extension of my personal experience it doesn't feel right for me to wear a more ornate ensemble. So, for me, to put on a pair of black pants, a slip dress and put my hair in a bun is as much a preparation and ritual of getting ready to perform as putting on a turban, choli, pantaloons and skirt is to another dancer. As my dance style has become what it has over the years my costume has become scaled down. I like when the costume fits the dance style, whatever that style may be. I definitely have had company members who have been sad to not be able to wear their cowrie falls and yarn belts because I did not feel they matched the piece we were doing. It didn't fit the vision and intent."

Melissa from 'The Lost Tribe', Dunedin: "The clothes are one of the most immediately striking aspects of Tribal belly dance. Tribal costumes aren't designed to expose a dancer, but to strengthen, empower and embellish her with layers of lush textiles, mirrors, fringes, tassels, turbans, body art and heavy jewellery in many complementary (but rarely matching!) colours. As I dress for a performance, with each layer I wear, I feel stronger, more powerful and more fabulous.

We blend styles of clothing and jewellery from around the world to create a look that is often earthy and reminiscent of folk art traditions, while rich and festive.

Sometimes dancers choose jewellery or body art for its spiritual or historical significance. For example, henna for celebration, turquoise for healing, coins to display our riches, spiky Ouled Nail bracelets for defence against over-zealous fans, that lucky Goddess pin that your teacher gave you when you first started dancing, or Grandma's silver-and-paua pendant.

We also choose costumes to display our dance, as all dancers do. Coins and short tassels accentuate shimmies, while long tassels or super-long fringes show off larger hip swings. Our tiered skirts with 11-metre hems sure look great spinning! Practical aspects of the Tribal style also dictate costume choice: turbans and richly accessorized updos are often chosen over loose hair, so that other dancers in the tribe can see which way we are turning our head when we cue the next step."

Margy Morris of Akaroa: "It was the costuming which held me in awe - drawn to it's regal richness and how it enhanced any woman's body. Being in the jewellery business, I already had a swag of fabulous tribal pieces I'd gathered on overseas trips, but put me in front of a sewing machine - just doesn't do it for me. My then gracious teacher, Susan Brown, had a belt for sale; along with a couple of performance cholis and she kindly offered to make my pantaloons and skirt. A big fat cheque later, I adorned my first costume and happily pivot bumped and shimmied around the lounge. I continued to build on my tribal wardrobe by including different coloured pantaloons, skirts and accent scarves. I spent 3 weeks with Susan and watched how she made my 2nd belt - a wonderful work of love with tiered tassels, mirrored Indian fabric and I remember how she painstakingly re-positioned the tassels for days to get just the right colour combination. I still really love the original FatChanceBellyDance costuming with it's textural richness, jewellery adornment and regal head-dress - it was the original impact of this costuming that ignited my passion for tribal style dance. It still does and I've never felt drawn to want anything else - it's what I've always worn, am still wearing now and loving it . . . as for the future . . . a few more cholis perhaps . . ."

Pip Bennington of 'Kiwi Iwi', Christchurch: "Our 'Pacifica' costuming has taken elements from the New Zealand countryside and the dancer's individual nature. The paua theme is strong. We base our colour choice on paua and peacock feathers, using a base of black and then adding in strong greens and blues, highlighting with silver, pink and purple. Rather than ethnic jewellery we wear jewellery that incorporates paua, peacock feathers, cowrie shells and the colours of these elements.

The belts we wear come in three styles, a natural felt belt, hand-made from dyed wool, with the traditional tassels, a paua belt made from stringing pieces of paua shell together and a cowrie shell belt from a similar concept.

A vibrant white fringing is also worn with some variations of our costuming; this is similar to the Maori piu piu worn with traditional attire. Another form of Kiwi Iwi's costuming contains the traditional full skirt, but again it retains the colour palette of paua and peacock.

Makeup and hair features the concept of a masquerade mask, comprising 'wild hair', feathers, fantasy eye makeup and a 'moko' or chin tattoo. Our moko is a full chin design as opposed to the more regular line or series of dots. The moko is representative of each dancer's theme and individuality within the group.

Kiwi Iwi also incorporate things they have shared amongst each other, shells from Rarotonga bought back by one of the girls, obsidian from Mexico and other items brought to the group after travels around New Zealand and the world. However the core elements remain the same, pantaloons, choli and headgear."

Kate Olsen of Nelson: "I began with wearing a costume based more or less exactly on FCBD, because I thought their costume was the most beautiful I had ever seen, and I was a purist in terms of dancing their particular style.

I am experimenting with other ideas, but still wear the same style of costume, although I have several different colours to choose from now! The picture is of my very first costume."