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Egyptian
Folkloric Dance Costume
Colourful folkloric dance costumes represent the variety
of Egypt's different regional dances. These cultural dance
styles from provincial areas can be identified by their
unique costume, music, rhythms and dance movements. The
costumes serve to either express the dance-story through
their character, or resemble traditional communal clothing
worn in that particular area.
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| Fellaha
- traditional farm girl costume with colourful dress and
head scarf, always with long plaits. The dance is festive and
dress full and loose fitting. |
Nubian
costume - cotton kaftan-shirts with coloured trousers and
colourful hand woven head caps. The dance is lively and entails
lots of clapping and skipping moves. |
Whirling
Derwish - multicoloured circular skirt and vest with head
wrap. The skirt is removable and doubles up when lifted over
the head, enshrouding the dancer. |
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| Saiidi
dress - fitted kaftan with detail on front resembling crescent
moon or coin design. Also a style of baladi dress always worn
with head scarf. |
Eskenderaya
- a flirty Alexandrian dress with frills and wide-net face
veil (bourka). dancer uses a thick heavy veil called a milaya. |
Shamadan
- brass candelabra worn on the head with live flame. The
dress worn during a shamadan performance is usually a fitted
baladi style outfit with hipscarf. |
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Modern
Egyptian Cabaret and Oriental Dance Costume
Cabaret
costume is designed for the solo dancer, therefore is usually
more individualised. Modern costumes can get very creative...and
as you can see, quite daring! Most of these photos were
taken within the last year in Alexandrian and Cairo nightclubs.
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| Lycra
- a favourite for tight fitting, curve-hugging, minimally
decorated costumes. Diamante design sewn onto the fabric is
often seen. |
Cut-out
costumes - have recently become popular in Cairo's cabaret
dance scene. This peek-a-boo costume is inspired by the Turkish
cabaret design. |
Bike
shorts - worn under an otherwise revealing costume keep
the Egyptian dance police happy! Western dancers have followed
this trend - however serves as more of a legal requirement in
Egypt! |
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| Mini
skirts - plus exposed side lines have become very popular
since Dina reinvented the bellydance costume in the 90's. |
Beaded
costumes - these Turkish style bra and belt set costumes
are in fact based on the more traditional style. they are still
worn by Egyptian dancers for maximum swish and movement. |
Mermaid
cut - lycra costumes with beading sewn into the design keeps
the costume line slinky with minimal bulk. The skirt is usually
fitted to the hips |
