DANCING THROUGH PAIN AND PHYSICAL LIMITATION PART TWO: OVERUSE INJURIES

Because of their very nature, overuse injuries sometimes known as RS or Repetitive Stress injuries end to creep up; you might not even notice you’re until you’ve already been injured for quite some time. This type of injury can affect almost any area of the body. Overuse injuries are cumulative, occurring when a certain part of your body gets tired and over-worked from constantly functioning at a certain level of physical stress. Because of the number of repetitive moves dancers make (Hello…Technique drills?) we are quite vulnerable to overuse injuries.

Examples of non-dance related overuse injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow, but for dancers, the majority of our injuries tend to occur in the hips or lower back, the knees, ankles and feet.

Many overuse injuries arise from improper posture and body alignment- most dancers typically have one side that is stronger than the other. Having a history of past injuries that weren’t rehabilitated correctly is another culprit. Other causes of overuse injuries are the frequency and duration of classes, rehearsals and shows, inadequate warm-ups and cool downs, or environmental factors such as dancing on concrete floors or in chilly studios. For belly dancers, typical overuse injures include- but is not limited to- tendonitis (inflammation of the tendons) bursitis (inflammation of the bursa, the small fluid-filled sacs which cushion and lubricate tendons, ligaments and joints) muscle strains and tears and sprains. There is even a possibility that you could get carpal tunnel syndrome or tendonitis in the wrists from playing finger cymbals! Burlesque dancers are at risk for most of the same injuries, but might be more at risk from tendon or muscle strain due to wearing high heels which don't offer a lot of support.

If you suspect you may have an overuse injury, look for these factors:

Constant, low-grade pain that gets worse during classes, rehearsals and performances

A sense of physical discomfort that persists even when you are fully rested

A postural change such as favoring one side of the body

Loss of stamina or endurance

Strength and flexibility issues

Intermittent pain in just one area

Numbness and tingling that comes and goes after certain movements are made

Overuse injuries can be treated in a variety of ways. To start off with, you will want to employ R. I.C.E ( which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) and take an over-the counter anti-inflammatory medication, such as aspirin or ibuprophen. Massage may help, too.

If a few days of rest don’t seem to lessen your symptoms, make an appointment with sports medicine doctor or chiropractor and get an evaluation. Depending on the outcome of the examination you may be ordered to rest further, and/or receive a prescription for physical therapy, which will strengthen the area around your injury and help prevent recurrence.

If your pain is extreme, you may be given a course of steroid pills to take, or be given a local injection to reduce swelling and inflammation. If nothing else works, surgery might have to be considered. If this is the case, find out as much as you possibly can about your injury and get a second opinion! If surgery is absolutely necessary, ask your physician if you are a candidate for a minimally invasive laparoscopic procedure.

Tips For Avoiding Dance Injuries

Focus on proper posture and technique at all times. If you aren’t at the point where you can tell what safe posture feels like, check yourself in the mirror or request that your instructor to watch and correct you. If you aren’t sure of the way a movement should be executed, ask your instructor.

Warm up and cool down properly. Before you start dancing in earnest, do a few minutes of light dancing or aerobic activity, then some light stretching. After you dance, take some time to cool down and then stretch a little more intensely, to prevent lactic acid build-up.

Allow your body ample time to rest after classes, rehearsals and shows. Your body needs to repair and recover from your intense activity.

Stay well hydrated, eat properly, and get enough sleep. Injuries often occur when a dancer is exhausted.

Don’t make dance your only activity. Many injuries can be prevented if you are strong and flexible. Cross training with something that compliments your dancing, like yoga, Pilates or strength training will work different muscle groups and reduce the risk of overuse injury.

Wear shoes during class, rehearsals and at your gigs. Proper foot wear will support and protect your precious feet. Burlesque dancers should consider wearing ballroom or character shoes instead of "off-the-rack " high heels. Also, in the case of belly dancers - you may not like wearing shoes because it doesn't look “traditional”, but it sure beats picking glass out of your feet!

Dance overuse injuries can be daunting and evening frightening, but if you take care of them as close to the onset as possible by getting rest and following your doctor’s instructions to the letter you, should either be able to make a full recovery, or recover sufficiently to be able to resume dancing with a few modifications.

Protect and care for your body vigilantly, and you ought to be able to have a healthy dance practice for years.

A DANCER IN GOOD STANDING: CHECKING YOUR POSTURE

Correct posture is just as important for belly dancing as it is any other form of dance. The right posture will not only create the illusion that you look longer and leaner onstage, but will enable a greater range of motion in your hips, make your isolations look cleaner and more distinct, and prevent knee and back pain. Because of the many movements of the pelvis and torso, it’s imperative that your posture is correct and safe so that you protect your lower back.

These basic rules for posture apply to any type of belly dancing, so let’s start from the bottom up:

Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, or just under your shoulders. Your toes should be facing forward, and you should have an even weight distribution on both feet, from the balls to the heels.

Keep your knees soft and pliable, they will function as shock absorbers, and the knees are also the place where many of the movements of the hips are initiated. Never lock your knees back, and don’t force them into a squat either. Aim for your knees to feel a little springy. Keep the glutes and quads relaxed.

For safe belly dance posture, your pelvis needs to be in a neutral position. This is achieved by pulling your tailbone down ever so slightly towards the floor, lengthening the spine. Let your pelvic bone lift just a little bit towards your navel, which will draw your tailbone downwards. It is important not to let the back arch, and also not to over-tuck your pelvis, tilting it too far forward. The neutral position will protect your spine.

Once you have achieved a neutral pelvis, make sure the muscles in your abdomen are engaged. Lift your ribcage up, using your abs and the muscles in your back to keep this area lifted. Your ribcage should be positioned very slightly forward from your hips. The muscles in your upper back should feel engaged, but not clenched. Your chest should be open.

Keep your shoulders level, and pulled ever so slightly back and down. The back of your neck will be elongated, and your chin will be level with the floor.

This is safe and correct posture for belly dance. Notice that your center of gravity is fairly low, that the lower body is flexible, soft and almost bouncy, and that your upper body is elegant and uplifted.

Now that your body is aligned, extend your arms to the sides, with your hands on the same plane as the lower portion of your ribcage. Your arms should have energy in them, but not tension.

The elbows will be rotated ever so slightly towards the back of the room, so that your arms appear curved and rounded but not and sharply bent.

The wrists will be flat but have some play in them, the palms of your hands will be facing downwards, with the fingers arranged in a relaxed, aesthetically pleasing position.

For beginners, this entire set of mechanics may seem like an awful lot to keep track of… and it is, but over time, your posture will become instinctual. In class, your instructor should be monitoring your posture and reminding you to keep it correct.

If you have been studying for a while and are practicing on your own, continually check all these posture points and body alignment in the mirror. Initially, it is most important to remember to keep the knees soft and the pelvis neutral.

In the recent past, many dancers were taught to perform with knees that were overly bent, and an over-tucked pelvis- this position is not safe for your body!

Another thing to remember is that most people hold a vast amount of tension in their shoulders, so even if you have been dancing for a while, you may have to remind yourself over and over to stop hunching and to bring your shoulders down, which will also improve your arm carriage and your body lines in general.

Your hands may need a lot of work- most beginner’s hands do- and Lord knows mine did at first... but this is more a stylistic issue and much less critical than keeping your body alignment safe and neutral…pretty hands will come with time and practice!

Above all, your goal should be to keep your entire body aligned and ready to dance in the safest manner, protecting yourself from potential injury!

****

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CAIRO CARAVAN 2012: Dancers And Sailors And Ghosts...Oh, My!

Cairo Caravan is one of the largest- and oldest -belly dance festivals in America. For the past thirty five years, The Middle East Culture And Dance Association (known as MECDA) throws the gigantic party every year on the first weekend of June, with non-stop performances, workshops and a gala show… and over four thousand belly dancers, drummers, fans and aficionados in attendance.

Personally, I hold a large and very mushy soft spot in my heart for this event… back in the days when it was called Cairo Carnival, it was the first belly dance festival I ever attended.

The festival has taken place at many different venues over the decades, but for the past few years, thanks to MECDA president Blume Bauer, Cairo Caravan has made it’s home on board the grand ocean liner The Queen Mary, which is permanently at port in Long Beach, California. This unique location is perfect; not only are there plenty of ballrooms on board for the workshops and stages for the performances, there is the added advantage of participants being able to stay on board in the darling Art Deco cabins, many of them furnished with the ship’s original accoutrements. This adds a whole new dimension - or shall we say “ another dimension”- to the festivities, because The Queen Mary is seriously haunted! But more on that later…

The theme for Cairo Caravan 2012 was “ A Moment In Time”, which was just a teensy bit ironic, because this year, there was so much to do during the festival, I seriously doubt anyone had a free moment! I know I didn’t- and neither did any of the other headliners. In fact, some of them, I didn’t even get to see, on or off stage!

Cairo Caravan always offers a wide range of workshop instructors, from cabaret to tribal, from dancers and musicians extremely traditional to envelope-pushing postmodern. This year, CC featured cabaret artists Zahra Zuhair, DeVilla, Amara from Texas, Sandra (who was seven months pregnant) Penny Collins, and yogi/masseuse/dancer Lori Edwards. Fusionistas included Onca O’Leary and The Mezmer Society, Samantha Riggs, Marjahni Bella Morte, Sooz, and from Mexico, up and coming star Alejandra Escarcega, who dazzled everyone. Rounding out the line up were musician Raquy Danziger and Liron Peled of Raquy and The Cavemen, deejay Amar, and musician/dancer Karim Nagi, who doesn’t really fit into any genre unless you count “exceptionally talented” as a category.

Backstage, things were incredibly hectic and silly as usual; that’s always where the real show is. Liron from Raquy & The Cavemen warmed up his throat for singing by bellowing into a drum case while DeVilla tried not to get gold body paint all over her fellow performers. But, depending on how you look at it, things either rose- or sank- to a new level when all the lights went out backstage in the middle of the show. As volunteers valiantly tried to get the power back on, Karim somehow started everyone singing a rousing a Capella version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the pitch black, substituting the Arabic word “gallibaya” for “Galileo”. The song, getting so loud that it’s shocking the audience didn’t hear it, got almost to the end before the lights came back on! The unanimous vote backstage was that Karim needs to include this as a cover version on his next CD.

The parts of the “Moment In Time” gala show on Saturday that I did get to see were spectacular, what a display of amazing talent, all in a gorgeous Art Deco ballroom. Each act was so different; it was hard to look away. Zahra Zuhair was elegant, fluid and classical; Alejandra staggered the crowd with her power and flexibility, and Karim Nagi brought the house down with his outrageously fun stage presence and tireless, energetic dancing…all while playing spot-on tabla! DeVilla and her Isis-Siren-Sekhmet troupe did a really cool 1960’s period piece. The gals in her troupe completely hid her with their gold Isis wings, then revealed her, completely covered in metallic gold as she danced on top of a tabla, as a statue of Isis come to life! Sam Riggs is one of my favorite Bollywood dancers; she almost looks animatronic as she hops up and down, with incredible stage presence. Amara did a fusion piece with pre-planned audience participation: she got on social media and had a number of people bring flashlight to artistically light up the audience as she danced her way to the stage. My piece was a tribute to Egyptian Golden Age cinema, and also included a pre-planned surprise… to the delight of the crowd Karim joined me onstage for a live drum solo. Our rehearsal that morning had been fun, but onstage it felt electric. As a baby dancer, I cut my teeth dancing to live music in Arabic clubs, and I have to say that there’s still absolutely nothing like dancing live to a great drummer!

Cairo Caravan also featured non-stop free lectures and seminars on a wide range of dance –related topics, including everything from injury prevention to embroidering sheesha mirrors, to Arabic culture to reading Tarot cards. There were continuous shows on The World Of Wonders sideshow stage, the ShimmyThon competition (won by Turkish dancer Nilay Elgin) a Friday evening concert, and of course dozens of vendors.

A cool feature just started recently is Cairo Kids, an entire area deep in the ship's belly that was full of children’s activities, like arts and crafts and tyke-centric dance classes, all run by MECDA’s amazing staff of volunteers. I wandered through Cairo Kids a couple of times and the tots were having a blast- it seems so logical to have a safe and fun place for children to go to at a festival where ninety-five percent of the participants are female, but I think Cairo Caravan is the only festival to offer this!

Another thing MECDA offers is full and partial scholarships to their events, which is magnificent not just for those wishing to attend but being short on dollars, but also for building a healthy dance community. Again, more festivals should take a cue from this.

In sync with the “Moment In Time” theme, there were some spectacular highlights which focused on the history of Oriental dance in America.

First off, Los Angles-based dancer Suzanne McNeil - aka Jenza- organized an incredible Vintage Costume Fashion Show, which featured gorgeous hand-made creations created by dancers “back in the day” and modeled on a runway, to retro music. I had the pleasure of shimmying down the catwalk for this event, but also got a close-up view of these stunning works of art backstage…legendary dancer Helena Vlahos, who also modeled one of the costumes she made, constructed my two favorites, a golden serpent -embellished costume and a stunning blue and silver masterpiece. The intricate beadwork and attention to the tiniest details on her costumes was seriously mind-blowing: I have always bowed down to her as a performer, but she is a true artist in the design department as well!

The second historical event was the Q & A panel entitled Tales of The Golden Age Of The Night Club Dancer, featuring dancers from the 1960’s and the 1970’s, including Kamala Almanzar, Nabila, Tonya Chianis, Lee Ali (who runs the 1970’s Belly dance page on Facebook) Marguerite, and the afore-mentioned Zahra Zuhair, Helena Vlahos and Jenza. These women- many of them still actively continuing their performance careers, were not only full of knowledge and nostalgia, but also had the audience in stitches.

Lee Ali’s tales of the Philadelphia clubs where she danced as a teenager were hilarious. One story involved drunken Greek sailors brawling and throwing rocks outside a club, another was a long-winded and hysterical epic about a famous dancer who used typically used to hide on top of the commode in the ladies room to get out of doing her last set…until the night a bit of her costume hung down below the stall door and the club owner discovered her trick!

Another thing that makes Cairo Caravan so unique is the fact that many ghosts that call the Queen Mary home. 
The Queen Mary is considered by many to be one of the world's most haunted places. Forty-nine souls died under mysterious circumstances on board, and there are allegedly over 150 spirits in residence. Full apparitions in vintage clothing, clouds of colored mist and balls of light have been reported frequently, as well as scents and sounds, including clanging metal, rushing water, muffled screams, and ringing telephones… with no one on the other end of the line.

In 2010, I lead an all-belly dancer paranormal ghost tour on the ship, and I repeated that again this year as well. Before you go thinkin’ I’m some sort of nut, there’s plenty of history, lore, legend, and confirmed eyewitness sightings- not to mention youtube.com videos to prove this point. Just ask any of the ship’s crew- there are even memorial/historical plaques placed around the winding corridors, where phenomena has occurred regularly, and been witness often, on many occasions. The ship’s staff used to keep it quiet, but more recently, have been prominently featuring the paranormal aspect as part of The Queen Mary's appeal and charm.

The ghost tour itself was cool, and a wonderful way to explore the creepiest parts of the grand ship- of which there are many. My two co-leaders were Samantha Riggs, a tall-ship sailor as well as dancer, who recited interesting historical maritime facts, and dancer Crystal Ravenwolf, who is a paranormal investigator in addition to her dancing- and she brought all her equipment along.

But the stuff that happened to me personally, at random times during my stay on the ship – all witnessed by other people- was what really blew my mind.

As Crystal and I rehearsed the ghost tour route during the daytime by ourselves, her equipment picked up numerous entities and an EVP recording of a voice saying “Major”- which was apropos considering that The Queen Mary had served as a troupe ship during World War Two.

That evening, as I prepared for the ghost tour, I was in my cabin by myself running the facts and anecdotes out loud, and as soon as I got to the part about a brutal wartime incident (where the ship’s cook had been stuffed into an oven in the galley and literally burned alive) the fire alarm went off! I almost hit the ceiling before dutifully leaving my cabin and filing outside, the way everyone else on board did. False alarm…. But for me, anyway, the timing was extremely odd.

Later on, when I finished the ghost tour, I tried to call my boyfriend since I hadn’t spoken to him all day. I dialed and it started to ring, then the screen on my iPhone came up like this:

PRINCESS FARHANA AND TWO OTHERS ARE CALLING HOME

What?!

I’d never seen any message like that before, and I’d had the phone for over a year. I showed it to the gals standing near me, and they too stared in disbelief.

As I was getting ready to turn in for the night, I saw a gigantic pearl on the floor of my cabin… that hadn’t been there just minutes before. Mystified, I rationalized that it had probably rolled into the center of the rug, but upon closer examination, the pearl was the decoration sitting on top of a six-inch long vintage hatpin. I put it on the bureau and went to sleep. The next morning, I asked my roomie Onca O’Leary if it was hers, thinking I’d seen something similar in her bouffant nest of dreads.

“Never seen it before...though I have five that are similar,” she said casually.

I ventured that it might’ve fallen out of her hair, at which point she showed me the five she had…which were safely tucked into a make up bag in her fully zipped, not-yet-un-packed suitcase.

“Well, here’s another one for you,” I said, handing it to her as I left for my classes.

Standing at the elevator, I happened to look down…and there was another pearl hat-pin at my feet!

That afternoon, two strange things happened at the Vintage Costume Fashion Show. The first was a cold draft in the dressing room; something that wouldn’t seem odd except for the fact that it was just in one spot, and there was no air conditioning vent or fans anywhere nearby. Since spirits sometimes manifest as cold spots, all the gals getting into costume back there kept making jokes about the voyeuristic ghost!

After I walked the runway, I went into the crowd for photo-ops…and as I took pictures, my camera-started smoking! Everyone close to me saw it, a thin but very visible stream of smoke was steadily issuing forth from my camera…. I guess the pix I was taking were smokin’ hot! The camera itself didn’t feel hot, and it didn’t affect the pictures or the camera itself. My friend tried to take a video, but though the smoke couldn’t be seen on video, though lots of people saw it as it happened.

Later that afternoon, walking to my cabin on one of the ship’s endless corridors, I stepped through an area of the hallway that fairly reeked of tuberose perfume. Suddenly, I realized that there was no one at all in the hall ahead of me, and since I was midship, no cabins on either side where the fragrance could be coming from. Slowly I turned around, and nobody was behind me, either. I walked a few paces forward and stepped out of the scented area, then realized that I may have been experiencing another manifestation of a spirit. Like a crazy bag lady, I walked around in a small square, sniffing avidly like a bloodhound on a trail. Self-consciously, I realized that someone might be watching me, so I had a paranoid look around to make sure that no one was! The smell was contained to one area, just a few feet in diameter! Hmmmm….

Anyway, the whole festival was over way too soon, and it was time to go home. This year was the best Cairo Caravan ever, but then I say that every year!

I’m urging you to think about attending next year, from May 31-June 2, 2013. I’ll be there again, and other confirmed instructors so far are Rosa Noreen and Amani Jabril.

And of course, the ghosts (who now know every word of an Arabized “Bohemian Rhapsody”) will be very happy to see you!

For more information on Cairo Caravan or any of MECDA’s other incredible events, such as the second professional Dancers Conference and Retreat in October 2012, please visit:

http://mecda.org/

Photos:

Golden Age- Karim & me backstage; Vintage Costume Fashion Show backstage: IrinaXara & Helena Vlahos; Madame Onca and "The Queen" herself; "Hey Sailor!" emcee Laura & me on The Red carpet before the Gala

PORTABLE GLAMOUR: A DANCER'S GUIDE TO TRAVELLING IN STYLE

It's summer and the dance festival frenzy has already started...so my house is in complete chaos with a bunch of suitcases sitting around: some about to be packed, some full of stuff from my last event! My living room is like an obstacle course, there's so much crap laying around on the floor, but I just love the entire process of getting ready for dance festivals.

Since I've spent the better part of the past couple of decades jetting all over the world to perform and teach, I’ve learned to pack extremely well. Many of my sponsors have joked that I should teach a workshop on packing skills!

I used to drag “just in case” things along that never got used: extra costumes, glamorous dresses, blow-dryers, full-sized toiletries … until I wised up and realized that it wasn’t the dancing that was sending me to the chiropractor’s office, it was my heavy, unmanageable luggage!

Even if you don’t take trips at the rate that I do, packing lightly makes sense. If you are going by plane, and have your bag with you, there is zero chance of the airline losing it, and believe me, that happens way more than you would imagine! If your luggage disappears and your costume(s) and music are inside the lost bag, then you are up the creek without a paddle.

The key to a “great pack” is to determine what is absolutely necessary costume-wise, prop-wise, comfort-wise.

Usually, it’s impossible to fit everything into a carry-on bag, though I have done it pretty often! If you have multiple costume changes, are traveling with props, workshop essentials like notebooks, flyers, business cards or carrying any amount of merchandise or promo you probably WON’T fit it all into one suitcase.

In this case, make sure your essentials are in the carry-on itself; pack at least one costume, and music, so even if everything else gets lost you can still perform. You also may want to look into using door-to-door luggage services to ship an extra suitcase. These services tend to be more reliable than airlines, and guarantee delivery. They aren’t cheap, but it saves a lot of hassle and most airlines are now charging for checked bags anyway. You could also look into Fed-Exing or Priority Mailing a box of merch to yourself care of the front desk at the hotel where you will be staying. The concierge or manager at most hotel chains regularly deals with this sort of thing for their business clients.

Costumes

The first law of packing for dance events is: costumes and props take precedence over street clothes and class-wear.

We all know how insanely bulky costumes are, whether it’s a fully fringed cabaret extravaganza, a big retro evening gown or a metal-encrusted, tribal bra and belt with a zillion-yard circle skirt. Take a look at your favorite costumes and decide which ones are most portable… a few may not make the cut for use as “out of towners”.

Ideally, your travel costumes will look absolutely stunning onstage, but don’t need too much attention when pulled out of a suitcase. The newer style Egyptian and Turkish cabaret costumes perfect: they’re feather- weight, and many have built-in belts, making them less heavy, plus they’re usually made of synthetics, which are wrinkle-resistant.

Lots of costumes appropriate for burlesque or belly dance fusion are also highly packable: use bras and belts that are highly embellished, and simple pants or a flowing skirt. Tribal costumes will be more of a challenge, with the heavy jewelry and yardage involved. For traveling with these, you may want to use only your most amazing costume pieces and accessories, and concentrate on strong stage make-up and a great color palette as opposed to piling on mounds of gorgeous- but ridiculously heavy - accessories. It’s your call!

Pack your costumes cleverly then fill in around them. Roll skirts up small and tight and call or email ahead to make sure the place you’re staying has an iron. Ditto for a blow dryer. These amenities are usually standard everywhere you go.

Headpieces or hair-flowers can be packed in Tupperware or utility boxes, cushioned by bra pads, a folded or rolled veil. Wigs or falls can go in a flat disposable casserole tray; pack earrings bracelets or necklaces in plastic bags and lay them on the bottom, before you put you hairpiece in. Encase dance or street shoes in recycled grocery bags; tuck them into the corners of your bag.

I pack my costume, and all the accessories, my performance CD, veil and zills in a two-gallon plastic freezer bag. At my destination, I know all essential parts are together, not stuck into some random compartment of my suitcase, or left out where it might be forgotten in a hotel room. Plastic bags also protect your costume. As long as your costume is clean and dry before it goes into the bag, it’ll be fine.

Once I had a suitcase sit on the tarmac at London’s Heathrow Airport for 45 minutes in a raging rainstorm. By the time it got into the terminal, the whole bag was soaked through. Boy, was I glad my costumes and regular clothes were encased in plastic bags- they were fine. As for the suitcase, it took almost two days of sitting in front of an English radiator to dry out!

Props

Air travel with props can sometimes be tricky.

If you are flying with swords, know that there’s no way in hell they’ll make it into the passenger cabin.

No amount of begging (“ But it’s only a stage-prop!”) will help get it on board with you. I arrange to borrow swords for my appearances in foreign countries, it just makes things easier.

Domestically, you will want to protect your sword by putting it in a well-padded container with “FRAGILE” marked all over the outside. I use a hard guitar-case with a padded interior for sword transport; some dancers use rifle cases. I include business cards, a bio, and photocopies of myself using the sword onstage, just in case an over-zealous TSA agent who thinks my swords are actual weapons opens the case!

Though shamadans can be usually be disassembled or collapsed (always keep a screw driver and wrench with you!) they will probably still be too large to bring on board and will have to be checked. Pack it in a well-padded box, labeled “fragile”, and if it has chains with crystals attached, wrap those in bubble wrap individually before packing the rest of the candelabrum.

Canes, Isis Wings and large Sally Rand feather fans can be brought into the cabin on a plane, but call ahead to check the dimensions for the over-head storage bins, and make sure your items fit…you definitely don’t want to check these fragile things at the last minute. Many feather fans, or fan-veils or Isis Wings will fit into a carry-on bag.

I slip all my folding hand fans and even smaller Sally Rand feather fans into hard cardboard document tubes which can be purchased at an office supply store -this will keep them from getting their staves cracked or bent. When you get to your destination, open the wings or your fan veils and steam them in a bathroom with the shower running, to let wrinkles work their way out…. of course, this is not recommended for feather fans! Larger Sally Rand feather fans will fit nicely into a long mailer tube or office-store box- but again, it will need to be checked- pad it well!

Smaller brass trays and pots or jugs for folkloric dance can fit easily into a suitcase, protect them with clothes and costume pieces.

Street Clothes, Travel Togs And Classroom Wear

Dress in layers because you can be sure that planes , airports, hotel rooms and dance festival locations are either too warm or too cold. I almost always wear a tank with a light, long sleeved t-shirt over it, and a hoodie or wrap sweater. Bring a large pashmina -type wrap, which can be worn as a scarf, evening cover-up, tied over sweats as a skirt, or used in lieu of a scuzzy airline blanket. On planes I wear Ugg boots for travel because they are comfy and practical: they slip off easily for TSA security checks; they’re perfect for those mad dashes when you’re making a connection, and they are not bulky in a suitcase! I wear the same pants for travel as I do dance classes- jeans are another item that probably won’t be worn all weekend long!

In your dance classes, no one is going to notice or care if you wear the same pair of dance pants, and you can tuck in a spare pair of stretchy leggings, they can pinch-hit as pajama bottoms, and look great under dresses or skirts. Add in a couple of tanks or crop-tops, and you’ll be good to go for your workshops.

If you need a veil and zills, or gloves, stockings or heels for your classes, use the same ones you’ll be using for your performance. A lightweight cover-up will get you to and from the stage when you are performing, and doubles as a robe in your hotel room. Bring a pair of flip-flops to use for street wear, bedroom slippers or protecting your feet backstage.

Want to look pretty for evening? Think “little black dress” preferably in a jersey or synthetic knit. They roll up small and won’t wrinkle. Add earrings, a hair flower and heels and it actually looks like you made an effort!

Before You Go

I have a special “out of town” gig checklist on my computer, with all my travel necessities, costumes and props listed on it. Make one for yourself and refer to it, checking each item off as you pack it.

A day or two before a trip, I sort through my make-up bag, whittling it down to as few items as possible. I keep all my dry items like powder shadows and pencils, false eyelashes, brushes, etc., in the make-up case and fill a snack-sized baggie with lipsticks, gloss, eyeliner, eyelash glue, mascara- any of the “no-no” TSA items. That smaller bag goes into my allotted quart baggie- along with travel-sized toothpaste, contact lens solution, and moisturizer. Body glitter and a couple of extra sets of false eyelashes go into the bag holding my costumes.

Do a “dummy check” and make sure once again that you have everything essential for your trip, then edit mercilessly.

Pack a couple of snack-baggies full of raw nuts, dried fruit, or trail mix- and a protein bar or two. The stuff available at airports, or the “food for purchase” on planes is usually over-priced not to mention salty…can you say “bloated”?

Try to get as much sleep as possible before you leave, because you probably won’t get it at your event!

Make sure to fill a pocket of your bag with travel-sized trouble –shooters: make-up remover wipes, pain relief tables, band-aids, safety pins, a small sewing kit, a set of bra pads and feminine protection.

In Transit

Obey the “quart baggie” rule- it will get you through the airport security lines much faster. On the plane, I put the liquid items I placed into the quart baggie back into my cosmetic bag where they belong.

Before entering the airport, remove any metal objects from your person- including sunglasses, belt-buckles, and jewelry or hair accessories with metal clips and put them in your carry-on. This will save you from walking through the metal detector more than once. Keep your ID and boarding pass out so you won’t have to dig for it.

Buy a couple of bottles of water after passing through security- one to drink while you’re in the air, one for when you land. Yeah, they're expensive, but flying dehydrates you- this will keep you feeling refreshed and it’s good for you! Last but not least: fly with a clean, moisturized face, and before landing, freshen up and add a little bit of blush, mascara and lip gloss.

Special Destinations

Attending a dance retreat on a tropical island? Performing somewhere very cold? Off to a festival in Las Vegas or Egypt?

Check weather reports for your destination the night before and the morning you are leaving. Look at the ten-day forecast and see what the weather will be like. Bring along appropriate articles, like coats, waterproof boots, your bikini, bug spray or an umbrella.

If you going to Egypt or any other Muslim country, bring modest clothes that pack well and will keep you cool, but will also cover you up. I have found that long cotton Indian wrap skirts are great, paper-thin, loose, long sleeved T-shirts or gauze shirts to layer over tanks, and a lightweight, non-form-fitting jacket should serve you well.

Bring sneakers or comfy walking shoes, you might feel dorky wearing them, but you'll need them.

When going to Egypt, Turkey or any exotic belly dance land of origin, do what seasoned dancers do- check an empty or almost- empty suitcase to use for bringing back costumes and souvenirs. On the way back, put as many of the costumes you bought as you can fit in your carry-on, and pack your street-clothes in the checked bag.That way, if something gets lost or stolen (this happens way more than anyone would like to think!) it will be your easily replaceable street clothes, not a custom-made stunner from Eman Zaki, Bella or Hannan!

With efficient packing, you can look amazing wherever you go…both on-and off-stage!

** This post originally appeared on June 16, 2009

DANCERS BACKSTAGE RITUALS PART ELEVEN: LEILA FARID OF CAIRO

Leila Farid is a force of nature.

She’s one of the most popular belly dancers working in Cairo today… and not just to audiences, but also to those in the biz, who are taken with her exquisite technique, elegant appearance and easy-going professional demeanor.

A long, lean dancing machine, the gorgeous American ex-patriot has resided in Cairo for years. She got her dance license in 2002 and performed at the Sherton, The Pyramisa, the Nile Phaoron, and many other hotes. Currently, she performs regularly on The Nile Maxim, as well as at concerts, weddings, and cruises, and most of the other and in music videos with superstars like Hakim, Waleed Toufiq, Ahmed Fathi, and many others. She also tours from time to time, performing and teaching workshops all over the world.

Leila is the founder of the belly dance and live music retreat, Camp Negum, has starred in three instructional/performance DVDs, and produced four hugely popular CDs of incredible Egyptian music featuring her famous husband, Safaa Farid, and his band.

In addition to her dancing, she’s also well-known throughout the Middle East as an actress and model, having appeared in numerous films, commercials, and on the cover of every fashion magazine in Egypt.

In her “spare time”, she writes extremely articulate and candid, well-thought out articles about her fascinating life in Egypt, which have appeared in a number of belly dance publications, including www.gildedserpent.com and Zaghareet Magazine.

True to her American heritage, she’s a really fun and a hip chick, as well as being a great dancer and business woman, and an all-around smart cookie. In fact, while we were corresponding about this article, she mentioned that she was currently absorbed in a huge book on the Civil War- as in Yankees and Confederates,-not the Egyptian Revolution!

But while she’s on stage, she’s all Egyptian… last year at the Mena House in Cairo, Leila closed the Ahlan Wa Sahlan Closing Gala with a set that was so beautiful and powerful, I just had to get her to spill the beans on how she prepares for her show.

Here, in her own words, is what she does backstage:

“ I feel like I can get ready for a show with my eyes closed. I’ve been in Egypt now for nine years and have worked between five and seven days a week for most of those years , the only exceptions being during the ban on foreign dancers in 2004, when I was pregnant, and during the Revolution when it was not possible to work.

I have a definite routine developed over the years with my hair and make-up that I rarely vary. Some dancers in Egypt have make-up artists and hairdressers with them all the time. I don’t. I’ve been lucky to have had most of the top make-up artists in Cairo do my face on different shoots and I’ve learned so much from them.

I am a very sweaty dancer so I have to put my make-up on in specific layers so that I won’t end up with raccoon eyes at the end of the first number. They taught me how to create nice Oriental make-up that stays on under hot cinema or stage lights. I also prefer to do my own hair and leave it as natural as possible so it isn’t trashed by daily hairdressing. Hair and makeup take about an hour.

One of the best things about working in Egypt is never having to schlep anything yourself. I have three technicians that go with me to all my work and prepare everything before the show. I have a driver who carries all the bags to the car.

When I arrive at the hotel or boat there is another technician who has already discussed where the dressing room is and has ok’d it (clean, no cameras, near the stage) and also carries the bags to the dressing room.

He is also in charge of dealing with any props for me and the folklore dancers. Both of these techs also lead me to the stage and stand near it (sometimes people are dancing so closely at a weddings that the techs need to go in and fish me out) but mostly they are waiting until I finish the number to help me find the dressing room so I can change my costume.

If you do enough weddings in a night, in big enough halls, you can completely forget where the dressing room ( that you came out of fifteen minutes before) is!

The third tech is the woman in the room with me that arranges all my costumes and accessories, and helps me change. Two of these technicians have been with me since the beginning of my career and they are like family. If they are absent it feels like the show can’t go as normal.

When I arrive, my dresser has already laid out all my make-up and costumes. I check my hair and make-up, do a few warm-up stretches and wait. I don’t change into my costume until I hear the overture or until a technician tells me the music has started. I can change quickly. Egyptian costumes are not very comfortable with everything buttressed up so I spend as little time in them as possible.

When I’m dancing outside of Egypt, I try and keep my routine as close as normal as I can (doing everything myself). Sometimes I get nervous when I dance outside Egypt, especially on a theater stage (yikes), so having my daily pre-show routine helps keep me calm.”

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You can purchase some of Leila-and Safaa’s - amazing Egyptian belly dance music here:

Tarab

Sukara

Helwa

Leila’s website: www.leilainegypt.com

PHOTOS: Leila portraits by Rudi Piero; Leila live at Ahlan Wa Sahlan 2011 by Andre Elbing