DANCING UNDER THE SUN: TIPS FOR PERFORMING IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS

 

Photo by Maharet Hughes

It’s Memorial Day Weekend- officially known as the first weekend of summer!

For some people, this weekend marks the beginning of beaches, barbeques and Day Drinking. But for us dancers, it also marks Open Season on Daytime Dancing…are you ready for all the outdoor gigs that are coming your way?

 Here are some ideas to keep you looking and feeling cool as you perform in the heat.

First of all, it’s imperative to stay hydrated. Bring along extra water, even if you think you might not need it.  Dancing outdoors in directly sunlight can really sap your H2O reserves, and water is way better  for you and your energy than guzzling sugary sports drinks.  Coconut water tastes yummy and is extremely hydrating, too.

 Remember to apply sun block…. and to reapply it as needed. You’re definitely going to need it, and should be using it every day, anyway. There are many non-greasy formulas on the market today made for babies and small children- those are great, but there’s also a plethora of products made expressly for use on the face, so invest in one of them.  And a word to the wise: make sure to cover – at the very least- your arms, neck, chest, torso and legs with sunblock, too, cause sunburn blisters and tan-lines in the pattern of your costume are not attractive!

 If you use perfume, go with natural essential oils rather than a regular scent, because once in a while, regular perfumes can have a chemical reaction under the strong  sun rays and actually stain your skin.

Bring some dance shoes even if you prefer going barefoot. If you normally dance in heels or ballroom shoes, make sure to have some flat slippers with you as well... there could be a possibility you might be dancing on grass at a private party or outdoor festival, and if you wear heels, they will sink into the turf!  Plus, at many outside events such as Ren Faires and neighborhood festivals, the pavement, stages, sand, the grass and especially Astro Turf get very hot when direct sun has been shining on them for hours, and you could literally get burned.  Shoes are mandatory!

Also, make sure to bring something light and airy to wear after your gig- you definitely do not want to be standing around for hours in your costume!

 For performing during the day, you’ll need less make up than you would use for a large stage or a dark nightclub, but you still need to apply more – and different- makeup than you’d wear on the street. This could, of course, mean using more liner or applying powder shadow a little darker and a vivid shade of shade of lipstick… but there’s also more to consider. Go over the perimeters of your face- forehead, cheekbones, and jawline- with a matte bronzing powder, both to contour and to make your face look healthy and glowing. Iridescent, sparkly or glittery bronzers are best saved for evening.

For daytime gigs, because of the “sweat factor" I stick with powders and gel eye liners only.  I never use cream blush or eye shadow, and I skip any sort of pencil, because all of these formulas tend to melt, smear and crease in summer sunlight.  I don’t even use eyebrow pencils- too waxy. I fill in my brows with powder, using a small slanted brush.  As for lips, matte formula lipsticks are much better for day work than shiny ones like slick glosses or softer, more easy-to-melt products. Select a lip color in a bright “natural” shade, like a blue red (makes the teeth appear whiter) a youthful rose pink or a nice peachy-coral tone. Even if you’re dark skinned, stay away from anything too dark, like burgundy, brown or taupe. Apply the lipstick, blot your lips on a tissue, powder over your lips with a translucent powder, re-apply the color and blot again for maximum staying power. If you want to give the illusion of lustrous lip gloss, dip the pad of your finger into the same pearly white eye shadow you used as a brow highlighter, and apply a dot of it to the center of your lower lip, which will mimic the pretty sheen of lip gloss, but will stay in place, and won’t be greasy.

 Far be it from me to not want to be as risqué with my costuming as possible- but I always tone things down a few notches for my daytime gigs. Remember that there will probably be kinder present and that many of them will want to be photographed with you, so err a little bit on the conservative side costume-wise…. even I do that!  Also, since you’ll be outside, fun accessories like big   blingy earrings, glittery bindis and rhinestones around the eyes really catch the sunlight, so pile them on! But it's not like I have to tell any of you readers to wear more bling, right?

One last thought- undoubtedly  you will be  wearing sunglass to and from, as well as before and after your shows- so make sure that any pigment or congealed foundation that has collected under your sunnies before you go onstage!  If it has, try to spot-check it with a make up wipe (keep some in your dance bag) and just powder over the area tapping on the powder lightly to camouflage the area. Wiping the pigment off may result in streaky lines under your eyes, and you don’t want to hit the stage looking like a Picasso painting!

Have fun, and Happy Summer everyone!
 
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 Get an autographed copy of The Belly Dance Handbook here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm

Photo and Graphics: Maharet Hughes

STAGE MAKE UP FOR OUTDOOR AND DAY TIME GIGS

Impersonating a mermaid at White Sands National Park, New Mexico, using the make up  concepts mentioned below

Stage makeup for dance needs to be powerful, bright and heavy, so the audience can see your features clearly.  But now that summer is here, many of us are performing outdoors, and that’s a whole different animal!

 I’ve gotten many requests lately asking for a guideline to daytime gigs where you will be performing up close or in the sunlight, like at an afternoon party, a fair or a street festival…so here are my tips for looking your best before dark.

 During the day, you’ll need less make up than for a large stage or a dark nightclub, but   you still need to apply more – and different- makeup than you’d wear on the street. This could, of course, mean using more liner or applying powder shadow a little darker and a vivid shade of shade of lipstick… but there’s also more to consider.

Begin your make up application with sunblock.

 You’ll definitely need it, and should be using it every day, anyway. There are many non-greasy formulas on the market today made just for use on the face, so invest in one of them. I like to use sun products formulated for babies, because they are the least irritating, but I also like Neutrogena’s sunblock, too.  And a word to the wise: make sure to cover – at the very least- your arms, neck, chest and torso with sunblock, too, cause sunburn and tan-lines in the pattern of your costume are not attractive!

After your sunblock has dried, you need to apply foundation-even if you don’t wear it in real life- because it will make your complexion appear poreless and perfect.  Since you won’t be on a theatrical stage, you could use a sheer formula or a tinted beauty balm or BB cream, but in either case, you’ll need to powder over it, to set it, cause you’ll be sweating a lot at an outdoor gig! For work onstage, many performers like to use a foundation that is a shade or two darker than their natural skin tone, because it makes their face appear brighter, more robust and healthy under the harsh stage lights.  I would definitely suggest this for an outdoor gig as well, because the sun can wash out your features just as much as stage lighting does!

 Go over the perimeters of your face- forehead, cheekbones, and jawline- with a matte bronzing powder, both to contour and to make your face look healthy and glowing. Iridescent, sparkly or glittery bronzers are best saved for evening.

Color in the apples of your cheeks  (only) with a vivid color: rose or berry tones for fair skin, coral or reds with an orange undertone for olive or darker skinned performers.

As for your eyes, you’ll need them to be really deeply colored and noticeable, but you’ll also want to stay away from flat black or muddy browns that will make you look haggard under direct sunlight.  Nice russet tones and rich, chocolate browns look pretty on everybody. Again, steer away from pearly or irridescent  hues,  go for matte shades. A great option is to line your eyes with navy blue. It looks good on everything and makes the whites of the eyes appear brighter.  Then do your lids in the brown shades, and don’t forget a thin pearly white highlight just under your brows.

For daytime gigs, I stick with powders and gel liners only.  I never use cream blush or eye shadow, and I skip any sort of pencil, because all of these formulas tend to melt, smear and crease in summer sunlight.  I don’t even use eyebrow pencils- too waxy. I fill in my brows with powder, using a small slanted brush.  And as for brows: since I am dark haired, I use black onstage, but for day time gigs I use a much lighter brown, because in direct sunlight, black brows say “Groucho Marx”, not beautiful dancer!

  If you don’t like wearing false eyelashes, then  you must use waterproof mascara…or you’ll wind up looking like Alice Cooper!   Pile on a few coats of it, leaving ample time for each layer to dry. But false eyelashes are way more foolproof for outdoors gigs. I use what I call my “daytime audition lashes”. They’re short but thick, and define the eyes really well, making harsh, heavy liner way less necessary.

As for lips, matte formula lipsticks are much better for day work than shiny ones like slick glosses or softer, more easy-to-melt products. Select a lip color in a bright “natural” shade, like a blue red (makes the teeth appear whiter) a youthful rose pink or a nice peachy-coral tone. Even if you’re dark skinned, stay away from anything too dark, like burgundy, brown or taupe. Apply the lipstick, blot your lips on a tissue, powder over your lips with a translucent powder, re-apply the color and blot again for maximum staying power. If you want to give the illusion of lustrous lip gloss, dip the pad of your finger into the same pearly white eye shadow you used as a brow highlighter, and apply a dot of it to the center of your lower lip, which will mimic the pretty sheen of lip gloss, but will stay in place, and won’t be greasy.

Since you’ll be outside,  fun accessories like big   blingy earrings, glittery bindis and rhinestones around the eyes all look completely fabulous sparkling in the sun.  But it's not like I have to tell any of you readers to wear more bling, right?

One last  thought-  Remember to keep  your costumes  for daytime and  outdoor gigs family friendly.

Remember to bring  some dancing shoes… because pavement, stages , sand and even  the grass and especially Astro Turf  get very hot when  direct sun has been shining on them for hours, and you could literally get burned.  Shoes are mandatory.

 Have fun  Day Dancing in the great outdoors!

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  For more tips on make up, costuming, gigging and dance in general, get an autographed copy of the Belly Dance Handbook here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm

 

Photo & Design by Maharet Hughes, GraphicVibeLA

GIVING THANKS FOR DANCE

It’s the end of November: do you know where the year has  gone?

 On these oh-so-long  autumn and winter nights, I tend to feel somewhat disoriented. Though my clock says it’s 6:30, because it gets dark so quickly, I feel like it’s already 10:00pm! I feel all paranoid, like I’m gonna get into full-on hibernation mode, and just eat and sleep my nights away. To avoid that, I start looking for “year end” tasks to tackle.

Usually, these are little things I’ve let slide during the past months, and haven’t been able to get to during the commotion-and constant travel- of spring and summer Dance Festival Season. Things like finally unpacking and cleaning out all my gig bags, organizing a CD shelf, throwing away outdated  make-up, sewing hooks and making alterations on costumes, and getting a jump on sorting my tax receipts. Feeling a mild sense of accomplishment, I then move onto lists… holiday card lists, lists of presents, and lists of things I want to accomplish in the next year.

Though it may sound a little overly sentimental, since Thanksgiving is approaching, I made a Dance List of everything I am thankful for.

Dancing literally changed my life. On top of the “usual” benefits, like giving me a strong, toned, flexible body, the emotional and spiritual impact dancing has had upon me is so significant, I can hardly put it into words. In my writing, I am usually a confirmed abuser of the exclamation point, but the amount of punctuation I would need to apply in this case is boundless, so I will spare you.

From the age of three, I wanted to dance, but for many reasons (the foremost being a ballet teacher who rejected me at an early age because my feet were flat ) dancing wasn’t in the cards for me until  well after I had already reached adulthood.

Maybe I had a karmic debt to pay, maybe my life just unfolded the way it was supposed to, but I came to belly dancing fairly late in life, after the age of thirty. Though I still sometimes wish I had been able to study dance since childhood, I no longer feel robbed, or the regret I used to experience about not having been a life-long dancer; now I am just thrilled with the way things turned out!

Mere months after I began belly dancing-almost as a lark- my life did a full 360 degree turn-around. Instead of picking my body (and all the individual parts) to pieces by visually and physically comparing myself to unrealistic and “ideal” images in the media, I began to love my body for the way it looked while I was dancing. Soon, that sentiment morphed into simply loving my body. As I developed more skill, I began to be grateful for what my body could do.

Dancing also helped me quit some very self-destructive behaviors I had for decades: substance abuse and an eating disorder. A hardcore bulimic for years, my love of dancing helped me cultivate a healthy relationship with food…and need I tell you that it’s impossible to dance for hours with a hangover or while high? Suddenly, I had a choice to make and I picked dancing over controlled substances and being unhealthy.

Dancing helped me get through-and over- a painful divorce. The feminine energy and sisterhood I felt with other dancers was healing and gave me hope. I see this theme repeated with many other dancers, and I hope I can pass this feeling on to others.

Belly dancing also lead me to other forms of dance, and  for that, I am eternally grateful. It’s what directly lead to my career in burlesque, not to mention studying and performing other types of dance as well, like jazz, ballet, Bollywood, samba, contemporary, hip-hop and many other genres. Whenever my schedule ( or my creaky ole body) allows, I take dance classes.

Dancing has also allowed me to meet thousands of incredible, beautiful, intelligent and talented women the world over… that I may never have met normally during the course of my everyday life. Through dancing, I have made life-long friends with many strong women of all ages, shapes and sizes who are veritable super-heroines; they are giving, driven,  talented, and usually very witty to boot.

I’ve met dancers who are emergency room nurses, teachers, criminal attorneys, children’s advocates, speech therapists, accountants, trauma counselors, ranchers, authors, film festival curators, architects, coal miners, political activists, rock stars, explosives technicians, police women, sitcom actors, college professors with PhD’s… not to mention mothers, grandmothers and even great-grandmothers…and all of them are serious dancers!

I am thankful that I live in a country where women are free to dress as they please, to dance for joy-or professionally if they choose- and where dancing is considered an art-form.

Every day I give thanks that dancing, something I have always done only for love is also what I do for work, and how I make a living. I never take this for granted, sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure my life is real. When I walked into my first belly dancing class, if anyone would have told me that within a fairly short time I was going to turn professional-not to mention have a career  over twenty years later- I would’ve laughed so uproariously, the walls of the studio would’ve blown apart!

My dance career – my performing and teaching- has taken me all over the globe and I have loved every moment of it. It was a far-fetched wish, and that wish came true. The only thing I might add here (and believe me, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek!) is the old adage about “being careful what you wish for”. Had I known that my wish was actually going to come true, I probably would’ve added in a clause allowing me to have a luggage valet and a personal massage therapist travel with me!

I am so thankful for all the wonderful women who have sponsored me to teach and perform. Sponsors are super-human, and in addition to paying for my travel, feeding me, housing me, fulfilling my backstage requests, and staying up til the wee hours talking shop, many of them have also gone wa-a-a-ay above and beyond the call of duty. They have taken me sight-seeing, brought me to amazing shows, given me gorgeous gifts, taken me hot-tubbing, booked me massages- even brought me to the emergency room, or dealt with my tearful grief when I was thousands of miles away from home and my beloved kitten disappeared. You ladies know who you are, thank you so very much! In general, my sponsors have gone so far out of their out of their way to make me feel comfortable when I am on the road, I cannot thank them enough; most of them have become life-long friends.

I am very grateful for my teachers and dance-mentors, women  ( and men!) who were dancing professionally long before I even  thought of starting to dance…all of whom were very generous with sharing their knowledge of not only technique, but also practical application, not to mention costuming ideas, crowd-control skills and career- building know-how.

My students, whether on-going pupils or one-time workshop attendees, make me feel such gratitude, I can’t even verbalize it. I learn something new from them every day!  The  drummers  and musicians I’ve worked with  are amazing and  love what they do… and  aside from learning a lot from them,   I love them for  caring, cause our shows have always been fabulous!

I would like to thank "the audience" too- where would any dancer be without you? There is almost nothing more fulfilling than hearing an appreciative audience and seeing smiling faces in a darkened theater, just ask any performer! And of course,  all the behind-the-scenes people, those who never get enough thanks, like the artful  lighting and sound technicians,  all the harried- but unbelievably competent stage managers ( many of whom  are volunteers)  the  talented photographers and graphic artists I’ve worked with….and of course,  my long-suffering  friends and my boyfriend; all patiently waiting  for me to:

  a) get off stage  b) get my bag  packed up  c) stop talking about dancing!

Last but not least, I also gotta say that I am so very grateful for having a job that has the best, most amazing “uniform” EVER- what could be better than a blinged-out costume?

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

 In honor of the Holidays,  and to say  thanks to you,  I’m having a Black Friday-through-Cyber Monday  sale… many of my DVD’s and my new book Showgirl Confidential will be on sale for huge discounts here:

http://www.princessfarhana.com/video.htm

GIRLS ON FILM

   Most dancers leap at the chance to get on film. We love having our performances documented for posterity, and we always need great promotional shots to get our jobs, so that means we spend a lot of time schmoozing with photographers and videographers.  But in this wonderfully symbiotic relationship between the subject and the people behind the lens, there can be a few potential bumps in the road. 

 You know how sad and short-changed you feel when your name gets left off an event poster, or you aren’t mentioned in a show program?  Or when someone uses your image, but your name isn't on it?  It feels awful!

The sad truth is that dancers commit that very same sin against the people who take their pictures all the time, by neglecting to give credit to the photographer who created their image! Read any dance magazine, check out promotional post cards, show posters or just take a look on Facebook…and what you usually won’t see is a photo credit!

Like dancers, a good-or great-photographer has spent many years honing his or her craft; there are countless hours spent learning and perfecting skills, and a sizeable investment in lights, cameras and lenses, photo-editing programs and other equipment. Many photographers started out being talented and having an aptitude for what they do, but on top of this, a lot went took classes or went to college to perfect their craft.

Though you might not realize it, many photographers feel as under-paid as dancers do!  We negotiate prices for gigs that we think are fair...and we get bummed out when someone tries to negotiate our prices down.  We reason that our prices are set because we’ve sweated for years in dance classes and rehearsals spent a small fortune on costumes, and it also takes us a long time to get ready for our gigs. 

While you might feel like paying for your photos is expensive, look at it from the photographer’s view point: sweating for years in a photo lab before there was digital photography, spending an entire evening retouching just one image, and that's not even counting all the time and money it takes to book studio time, to set up lights and backdrops…or schlepping all that equipment to a location to do pictures!

 Like any artist, a photographer needs to be credited; just like dancers, photographers need that name recognition so they can get more clients; so people who like the photo will be able to seek out more of the photographer’s work. Giving a photo credit is  a simple professional courtesy, and it’s free – it costs you nothing to take a couple of minutes to do. And with compelling images going viral all over the internet on social media like Facebook and Tumblr and every other site, leaving a photo credit off is not just a disservice to the photographer, it’s practically a crime…so please, take a moment to remember to give credit where credit is due.

 The same goes for videos, especially if they are posted on YouTube.  Even if you paid to be filmed at a dance festival, it’s just considerate and polite to credit the videographer…who needs to work as much as you do…and who loves to be recognized for their art in the same way you do! The videographers who work at dance festivals are there for many hours at a stretch filming the entire show, not just your performance. They rarely even  get a  bathroom break, even if they have an assistant.

  Something else that I see all the time at dance festivals is people talking loudly around the video camera. These thoughtless individuals are often the ones who  are asking stupid questions of the videographer while he or she is working. While you might think that the camera just needs to be set up and sit there, that is far from the truth.  As the camera person works, they are checking contrast as the stage lights change, adjusting sound levels, zooming the focus  in or out, burning the videos onto CDs or putting them on flash-drives. They are probably also  doing the paperwork  for  all the people who didn’t take advantage of the offer to pre order their videos…something that makes life easier for everyone- the videographer and the client!  So please, save your questions for a break in the performance.

 And then there are  also those who like to dissect other dancer’s performances, blow-by-blow, right next to the camera! Even if something nice is being said, if it is being said too close to the video camera, the chatter will get picked up on the soundtrack, pretty much rendering the video un-useable.  At festivals, we all get just one chance to strut our stuff on stage, and imagine what you would feel like if another performer  ruined your video by talking all the way through it!  Whoever does this is being super disrespectful of the performer and  videographer as well. Don't be that  thoughtless person.

 Ok, I’m done with my rant…but pretty please with sugar on top of it remember that photographers and videographers are artists as well, and treat them with the same respect that you would any performer, because they deserve it!

 

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