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To what extent do you costume as a troupe?
We have finally worked up to enough dancers to actually start a troupe. Most of us have tribal basics. We have skirts in fabulous jewel-tone colors that just happen to coordinate! And we all have choli tops and coins bras. So, already we're looking okay.
I have one student who built a bra top out of junk jewelry and it looks great, however it looks very out-of-place with all of our plain coins bras. (We can't decide if we should make her conform - she's a very independent and slightly rebellious dancer, anyway; but that's an entirely different topic.)
I'm sure it's mostly based on troupe preference but how much effort do you put into costuming as a way of helping your group to look united. Does it matter to you if your group matches, coordinates or somehow looks like they belong together?
When you see other troupes perform does it matter if they look "together" costuming-wise?
-just looking for opinions.
Thanks!
We have finally worked up to enough dancers to actually start a troupe. Most of us have tribal basics. We have skirts in fabulous jewel-tone colors that just happen to coordinate! And we all have choli tops and coins bras. So, already we're looking okay.
I have one student who built a bra top out of junk jewelry and it looks great, however it looks very out-of-place with all of our plain coins bras. (We can't decide if we should make her conform - she's a very independent and slightly rebellious dancer, anyway; but that's an entirely different topic.)
I'm sure it's mostly based on troupe preference but how much effort do you put into costuming as a way of helping your group to look united. Does it matter to you if your group matches, coordinates or somehow looks like they belong together?
When you see other troupes perform does it matter if they look "together" costuming-wise?
-just looking for opinions.
Thanks!
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North Carolina
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Tue, August 25, 2009 - 1:47 PMwe are going through the same thing haven't just gotten together enough girls to form a troupe and perform. as the troupe director i feel that there needs to be certain coordination of the costumes within the group because this is about the "tribe" not the person. on the other hand don't want to lose a sense of individuality. For instance we all have the exact same black skirt and we will all weart that but with different tops and pantaloon. We recently got together and pooled our odds and ends and from the pool picked four specific items, for instance matching braid. Then each member made their own tribal bra incorporating those four common items, but putting it together anyway they wanted and adding to the four items other things that appealed to them personally. They pull together without being identical. it's sort of a fine line between group cohesion and individual expression and we just work at it a little at a time.
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Tue, August 25, 2009 - 1:57 PMWe generally don't plan our costumes to match exactly unless we decide as a group that we want a certain look. Like the Banjara look is quite different and so is the pared down look. So we discuss beforehand if we all want to wear a particular style for a particular show. Otherwise, we wear what we want, as long it involves a full skirt, choli, pantaloons and adornment. -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Tue, August 25, 2009 - 11:39 PMYep pretty much the same as Sandi. We did try all going for the same but we now have got down to whatever we like. Has worked fine with us and we are troupe of 7-8 girls. For instance all black basics, or all coloured basics. Everyone then adds on their own embellishments....your basics are what ties it all in I think. That said though sometimes need to be aware of venue - ie for festivals we like bright colours etc.
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Wed, August 26, 2009 - 8:44 AMBesides, its the dancing that ties us all together, right? We could look identical in costuming, but if our movements aren't cohesive enough, it will stand out. -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, August 27, 2009 - 12:33 PMAgreed Sandi....
and when I personally think of a "tribe" people are of a group or family, not what they wear. Each individual wears what appeals to them or what is important in their personal representation.
So, for me, the variety in the costuming makes it more interesting, just during those times when "cohesiveness" based on the dance or the theme etc is when more matching costumes seem to fit.
ymmv
icy :) -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, August 27, 2009 - 1:01 PMThanks for your replies!
A similar question, then:
I have multiple cholis: blue, purple, black, red, lace; you name it! I LOVE my cholis.
The girls I dance with only own black ones. All of 'em; only black.
So, when we perform I wear my black one.
If I showed up in a bright purple choli would it matter, visually? Is it okay to have a single odd-ball in the group?
I'm assuming that as we accumulate more costuming pieces this won't be a concern. Hopefully we will end up with a rainbow of choli tops and harem pants and look fabulous! In the meantime, will one "different" dancer stand out? -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, August 27, 2009 - 1:08 PMOne different dancer does generally stand out, but a bunch of different costumes blend well. If you can introduce more variance elsewhere (some black & some colorful skirts, for instance), the choli can work. -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, August 27, 2009 - 5:32 PMMy issue with both of your questions is that if it's only ONE dancer is slightly different then she might come off looking like the "Star". The way that Suhaila often has a similar but slightly different costume from her troupe. She IS the center of attention when she enters the stage but with tribal you don't want one person to stand out from the rest.
If oneor two other dancers got a colored choli and one or two others made a bra that wasn't "plain coins" it might blend a little better so that everyone is the Star. -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Fri, August 28, 2009 - 10:09 AMBeka...I totally agree with the "star" concept. My only addition to this is that when it comes to costuming specifics, to please discuss them thoroughly.
Scenario:
A panel skirt was opted to be used as a new costume piece, and the treatments on panel for addition detail explicitly decided etc., but fabric options were up to the individual dancers. Then once the panels were made to specifications, something occurred that apparently the fabric should have been sari fabric, but one person choice a more solid fabric instead of sari style (similar shine etc, just plain). Now, unintentionally this person has that "star" stand out thing going on....
So, does this person now have to remake their panel skirt to match the rest? or what? It may become very awkward for all involved even under the surface when one person has something different..
It is a fine line we walk when coming up with coordinated costuming, ever detail needs to be covered or let people do their thing within a "structure" of what is acceptable costuming for the troupe.
just my ten cents again LOL
nanc
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, September 3, 2009 - 11:07 AMoooo, good point.
I didn't even think about the "star" thing happening.
Thanks for that!
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, September 3, 2009 - 11:56 PMI am also in complete agreement with your "star" statement. We have a member of our studio who intentionally wears one item of costuming that is different in order to stand out from all the rest of the troupe and to be able to upstage the other performers on stage. At the outset our troupe director decided that we would be unified by our pants that form part of our costume, so last year we had harem pants with an overskirt made that were all exactly alike. This dancer then proceded to add sequins and jewels to hers and so stood out from the rest and did look like the "star". Thankfully she has left the troupe subsequently. -
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Fri, September 4, 2009 - 4:00 PMLeslie..I was having the same problems with Banjara skirts not fitting my full frame. So I decided to "improvise" the skirt (no pun intended)
You can see it here.
tribes.tribe.net/tsingani/...0f7ec1a00d
I will tell you it was a very hard decision to make...cutting these fabulous skirts was heartbreaking...But it was better than not being able to wear them at all!
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Re: costuming as a troupe
Thu, August 27, 2009 - 9:50 PMOur group does pretty much exactly what Sandi describes she and FCBD do. We do sometimes plan, for example, we danced at the Albright Knox Art Gallery recently, so we all wore red and black with white accents. But usually, we stick to a very "traditional" ATS look. We're working on the banjara set, and will eventually have that down. It just seems to cost a lot more and is a bit harder to find for gals who aren't small. So we're working on finding that all. I have my set, and can't wait to wear it.
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