How to wash your belly dance costume!

Do you know you need to wash your belly dance costumes?

Dancing every night you need to have many costumes. But it is comum you repeat your costumes from one week to other. When the costume is new, the fabric and beats are so shiny but it never smells good, even when just come from the designers. A mix with incense, shisha and cigaret makes even a brand new costume smells HORRIBLE!!! So what you do? Perfume... :-) and you keep using it adding make up and sweaty. GOSH!!! 

Because is new costume we refuse to wash, as it looks clean. But trust me, it is not clean.

Fresh air or bacterial spray helps for a little while till the day you go to work and you can smell your colleagues costumes, so you realise that we all should wash more frequently. I was thinking, make up, shisha, food smells, sweaty and sometime liquids on the floor that your costume wiped up. Gosh, time to wash all my costumes!

But how is the best way to wash? My friends wash on the wash machine, that I have tried and I confess that is scared when you have a pretty expensive costume. So I washed by hand, one by one and it was a good experience. 

See below how I did. so you can wash your costumes too and won't smell like my friend ;-))))

I washed all inside a plastic box in the bathroom, but you can also wash on the sink or bath.

1- Fill the sink or bath with clean warm water. Cold won't take all stain off and too hot can damage fine fabrics and crystals. 

2- Add soap or wash capsules. I used Surf with essential oils capsules. It is small plastic capsules filled with a liquid to wash your cloths in the wash machine but once you sink it in the water it melts and mix with the water. I liked the work it did and its smells sooo good and fresh.

 3- Sink your costume in the water and start to wash by hand paying more attention where you have make up and stains. Allow the product clean your costume at the same time use your hands to help the stains off. Always very delicate moves.

 4- You are going to see the water very dirty, that is a mix with dirty and fabric colour. Change with clean water as many times as necessary. Just use soap in the first wash afterwards just clean water to take the soap off. You might need to change about 3 times with clean water. Don't worry if still after 3 washes the water is still a bit coloured, it might be the fabric colour.

 4- It will be very wet, so just hang somewhere in the bath and allow it dry a bit, naturally.

5- Once it dropped all water you can hang your costume close to a open window and allow it dry naturally with fresh air. It might take 3 days to dry completely but I am planning to leave it drying for 5 days. If you store your costume still a bit wet it will create mold, you might don't see but certainly will smell.

 6- When you hang your costume also check if you need to fix anything. Always is necessary some sewing or replacements. So before use again make sure you fix all necessary.

Remember that using perfume every night also make your costume smells bad after long time. So I strongly suggest you all to wash your costumes every 3 month or less, if you use regularly certain costumes. 

I hope this help you to keep your costumes clean and smelling like flower flowers. 

PS. I hope my colleague read this :-/ 

Wonderful Greek Night

Who said belly dancing can only be danced by Middle Eastern songs? Well, I also thought that before meet Galu Restaurant in Sutton. A few months ago I first danced at Galu restaurant and for my surprise was with live band, which I love. But for one more surprise, was with Greek live band! Well, never tried before. When I first started I felt sooo stif, gosh! I didn't know the songs and was worried being dancing funny. But the music was so good to dance that I would stay there for all my life. Tonight was the second time I danced with Greek live band at the same venue. Tonight was much more relax and I could enjoy even more. Lovely people, great management, spectacular band, what I wanted more? So I would say to you that we can belly dance even chines music if we truly enjoys it and let the rhythm takes us. A big smile and connection with the audience is the key don't let the night die. For now I suggest everyone interested in Greek food to visit Galu, you will absolutely adore the environment. Www.galu.co.uk

The campaign "Stop Ballet within Bellydance"

This image was the most popular in the last months against Ballet within Bellydance.
One of the most polemic subject in the last years. There was no group, forums and groups of friends that wouldn't talk about this polemic mix of styles.

Ballet is part of bellydance since 1930's when Europeans influenced Bellydance adding Classic Ballet technique into this tribal and street style. The idea in that period was to professionalise the dance to be seen in theatres and musicals. Badia Bassabai, the dancer who opened the first Cassino in Cairo with public shows of Bellydance, also had added ballet into bellydance to be able to choreograph peaces to the public and make it more sellable.

Ballet for long time was necessary to develop technique, posture and add professionalism in belly dancing. Nowadays everyone is noticing there are too much ballet into Oriental Dance and even Folkloric styles, which most professionals don't agree. We can see some dancers, with ballet background with stiff arms and strong moves from ballet. But we also have to agree that these elements might be bringing more ideas, new steps and another way to bellydance. It worked in early 1930's why won't work now?

I do agree that Bellydance is a cultural dance and must be performed like its origins respecting the folkloric and historical side. However I believe all these new elements from ballet can contribute positively in our dance, considering that Ballet is the first form of technical dance ever registered.

The correct I would say, everyone should learn classic music if one dance want to play rock in roll and everyone should learn ballet if one day want to dance hip hop... Does that make sense???? What I want to say is that Classical form of art is always more complex, studied and precise and YES can contribute to folklore and popular styles of music and dance.

However, I have to agree with most of Facebook and Twitter comments saying that "When is too much is too much!!!"

Are you dancing bellydance or Ballet wearing Egyptian costume?

So, I believe classical art must be studied by everyone to understand art and learn to appreciate the beauty of it. However, once you decide to do bellydance, study it with love and all your passion. Integrate in your moves the passion of this culture and the love of these songs and only Belly Dance...

About last post! Subconscious judgement.

Oh Gosh, never realised so many people would read the last post and find themselves in that situation. What a coincidence? So I suppose a lot people must study first and then find a job. Or better, take the job of other professionals instead.
Anyway, when I wrote that was inspired in daily auditions between 4 restaurants I work at and surprisingly a few dancers recognised themselves in that situation and called me to ask why write about them? What?? Wasn't exactly about them, was a general comment with something that keep happening and we want to change.

The case is that girls are impulsive and right away said: Why to write about me? I don't study because I am learning with youtube? I can't study because don't have money? I can't study but I have done a lot? bla bla bla.. What I can do with that? That is just excuses that won't help at all.

We give the job and expect improvement, however no improve no job! Because there is a lot girls out there that have been studying for at least 10 years, hardly and spent a lot money on that. So it is not fair you take the job if you have no knowledge enough and "recognise this". If you recognise yourself I suppose your subconscious is telling you the true and yourself are taking the responsibility to get off the professional works yourself! So no one has to fire you, because you did yourself.

I wish all girls starting in this business have a look at the "big picture" and not only what is around them. I hope they take the advices and improve, keep studying hardly, or honestly... get a life! don't waist your time in something is not for you.

Dancers can't stop to learn!!!!

I know this sounds just obvious but some people don't get it.
I am lucky I born in a third world country where people really take serious every single thing they do. If someone choose to do belly dance for hobbie, you can make sure from this classes will grown many potential professionals. In third world countries everything works like that, because people just choose something to do when is really engaged with that and they will give their blood to realise it.

Unfortunately living in london I've seen strange thing. Classes drop in every where, teachers that have no clue about anything what they are teaching. Girls that come to audition and have no idea what is belly dance, have never ever taken regular classes and want the job. Eventually they take the jobs because they are pretty, but trust me, it won't last long.

That is what countries with good economy makes on us. Everyone hunting for fast/shit learning just to make money, with no love and passion for anything they do.

Working for a well known restaurant in London, I've learn one dancer went for audition, didn't get trough but is still bugging for the position. Strangely is that our manager asked her if she is studying and she said is practicing at home!!! come one, this girl have ever taken any class and can't make one simple basic step properly. It is so shame!!! The most sad is that my manager told her that she should LEARN, proper learn, taking regular classes etc... But she have million excuses and bad choices.

This dancer kept saying is learning on her own trough youtube. Com'n, who can learn with theirselves when they don't know absolutely anything to start on.

We did needed this girl, she would have many shows regularly if take serious. But this girls doesn't seems to have clue the importance of learning. So the life will have to show her in a hard way.

If I could give you guys one single advice would be: Don's stop to learn!!!!!! That is you guarantee.

Beauty and lucky one day gone and the knowledge will save you.

Best of luck to all hunting for belly dance job but please don's stop to take classes ;-)

Ya Ghaieb - Fadl Shaker

Arabic

Ya ghayeb

ya ghayeb leih ma tes2al
a7babak elly y7eboonak
ma ynamo el-leil le 3oyounak
ana bafakkar feek
teb3od 3anny w tensany
me7tajak janby ter3any
tnaseeny jrou7y w a7zany
ana moshta2 le 3eneik
ya 7abiby, la trou7 be3eed
enta naseeby w be 2lby el-wa7eed
enta elly fe alby wallah
tefdak ed-denye kella
[2x]
7obbak ghayar 7ayaty
nassany jrou7y w 2ahaty
fakkarny be kell 7kayaty
khallany doub
enta gharamy kello
ya shamsy, 3omry w dello
aslak hal 3alam kello
7obak ma toub
ya 7abiby, la trou7 be3eed
enta naseeby w be 2lby el-wa7eed
enta elly fe alby wallah
tefdak ed-denye kella
ya ghayeb leih ma tes2al
a7babak elly y7eboonak
ma ynamo el-leil le 3oyounak
ana bafakkar feek
teb3od 3anny w tensany
me7tajak janby ter3any
tnaseeny jrou7y w a7zany
ana moshta2 le 3eneik
ya 7abiby, la trou7 be3eed
enta naseeby w be 2lby el-wa7eed
enta elly fe alby wallah
tefdak ed-denye kella
ya ghayeb leih ma tes2al
a7babak elly y7eboonak
ma ynamo el-leil le 3oyounak
ana bafakkar feek
teb3od 3anny w tensany
me7tajak janby ter3any
tnaseeny jrou7y w a7zany
ana moshta2 le 3eneik

English

O Absent One

o absent one, why don't ask
your loved ones that love you
that won't sleep the night for your eyes
I'm thinking about you
you go away from me and forget me
but I need you here next to me to take care of me
to make me forget my wounds and sorrows
I miss your eyes
oh my love, don't go away
you're my destiny and the only one in my heart
you're the one in my heart, I swear
I'd sacrifice the whole world for you
[2x]
your love changed my life
it made me forget my wounds and pains
and reminded me of all my tales
and made me melt
you are all my love
my sun, my life and shadow
you are the whole world
I'll never give up on your love
oh my love, don't go away
you're my destiny and the only one in my heart
you're the one in my heart, I swear
I'd sacrifice the whole world for you
o absent one, why don't ask
your loved ones that love you
that won't sleep the night for your eyes
I'm thinking about you
you go away from me and forget me
but I need you here next to me to take care of me
to make me forget my wounds and sorrows
I miss your eyes
oh my love, don't go away
you're my destiny and the only one in my heart
you're the one in my heart, I swear
I'd sacrifice the whole world for you
o absent one, why don't ask
your loved ones that love you
that won't sleep the night for your eyes
I'm thinking about you
you go away from me and forget me
but I need you here next to me to take care of me
to make me forget my wounds and sorrows
I miss your eyes

Ottoman Empire and Turkish Style

The Ottoman Empire started in 1343 to 1922, when sultanate was abolished and Turkey become a republic.
The centre of the Empire was always the Royal Palace. The harems were part of the house where all women of the family stayed altogether. It was a place where non-family man was not allowed so they had the Eunuchs to guard the Sultan's harem. The harens was alweys huge with hundred of womend who were wives and cuncubines. Because the Ottoman Empire was muslin, music and dance was forbidden. However Rakkase is from the Ottoman Empire, they would dance in the harems women for women, they had to wear headscarves and conservative dresses. Although forbidden by religion, the government tolerate music and dance.
The females dancers would hardly apear to the public so for intertainment they had male belly dancers called Rakkas. The male would have more freedom. The history said there are two kinds of Rakkas: Kocek and Tavsan Oglan.The Tavsan Oglan would wear a hat and tight trousers and the Kocek would wear women's costume with long hair. Both use to dance in public celebrations and wedings.
Without women for these intertainments male dancers would take the post. They were dance and music trained and they dance sexy and provocative. Everything to attract the public they danced slow belly moves, acrobatics, playing metal symbals and using wooden stiks like cane. The boys ware very attractive, affeminate and they would dance as long as they can hide the beards. The boys was a good substiture for the Rakkase, women's belly dancers, however sometimes the public lost control sattering glasses, shouting and attacking the dancers.
The dancers were organised by agencies. All dancers would work to agents who find the performances and train them. The historian said there were over 3000 male dancers and 15 agencies in Turkey in that period.
In 1856 the male belly dancers were officially baned from Turkey during Mahmut II era. Many Koceks were forced to Emigrate to other countries and many went to Egypt.
There are still a lot male belly dancers in Turkey, in some areas they still dress as women. Nowadays they no longer work in agencies like in the Ottoman empire. The male belly dancers are as popular as female and they perform as part of the country folk and no as sexy as in the Ottoman Empire.
The idea of male belly dancers is purly from Turkey in the Ottoman Empire. It is still not acceptable in Middle Eastern countries to see male dancing affeminate and moving sexly their bodies. However it is acceptable folkloric dancers.