PDA

View Full Version : To keep hair less tangled during belly dance?



blue_nant
May 3rd, 2009, 09:41 PM
I've started a belly dance class, and I see women leaving their hair loose while performing, and I'm jealous. Mine is nearly knee length and gets caught in my dance attire.

My instructor said You could cut it! I just laughed: I'm not cutting it.

I'm looking for ways to leave in down during a performance, but for one: I have already gotten it caught on my hip scarf once, and had to have help to get loose. I don't like that much!

I don't have a huge problem with the prospect of it getting very tangled, but I know some of you are also belly dancers, so how do you prevent tangles? or do you?

Is applying hairspray before an event a useful way to keep it ... safe? less tangled?

We are starting the choreography for a zar dance, and even in a braid, my hair is officious and pesky. But it could be neat/fun, not to mention hot as hell. What do y'all think?

joyjoy
May 3rd, 2009, 10:06 PM
How about shortening it by bunning it, but leaving the length hanging to about waist or BSL length?

Tornerose
May 3rd, 2009, 10:13 PM
Halfway-updo could probably shorten it a bit.

I've been watching alot of bellydancevideos on youtube, none of the seem to go much past hip-lenght hair and I guess that's the reason why.
Some of them also seem to hold their head a bit away from their body, if you know what I mean? Maybe it's so the hair won't get caught in their costumes...

Then again, if it's only for perforamnces, maybe you could apply some sort of slippery spray, so the hair will just glide out if it gets caught?

ravenreed
May 4th, 2009, 02:34 AM
I am at waist and things are fine so far. I am growing towards tb and may have issues at that point. I don't perform in a coin belt, but I practice in one. I tend to put my hair up for practice though, because it gets hot and sweaty really quickly. For performances, I have a fringe belt and my hair doesn't tangle in that, at least not yet!

Queenie
May 4th, 2009, 02:44 AM
I'm at classic. I keep my hair up all the time for class and practice. The coins and beads are just too damaging. And if it's down my students have difficulty seeing the moves properly anyway.
I only dance with it down for gigs. I try to put a lot of leave-in on the length so it's protected at least a little, and to make combing out somewhat easier. I'll only practice khaleegy and zar tosses a couple of times, not more than necessary.
There's no way I'll cut it, so I just try to deal with it :?

Periwinkle
May 4th, 2009, 04:46 AM
Maybe you could have it down but not all the way down? You could put some of it into mini-braids, just scattered throughout your hair, which would keep those parts from tangling, and maybe try putting some bands down the length of other parts. You could make it look quite exotic with ribbons and things, and everyone would still be able to see the length of your hair and the rest of it which would still be totally down.

ilovelonghair
May 4th, 2009, 04:59 AM
Half buns are great, one or two (one on each side), just leave a bit of hair out (as much lenght as you want to) and be very careful with hairtossing stuff!

Jessica Trapp
May 4th, 2009, 07:45 AM
I've seen ladies tie a loose knot in their hair to shorten it but still have it down. Another woman I know picks hers up as part of the dance and tucks her wonderful cloud of knee length hair into her dance belt. :crush:

blue_nant
May 4th, 2009, 08:45 AM
I try to put a lot of leave-in on the length so it's protected at least a little, and to make combing out somewhat easier. I'll only practice khaleegy and zar tosses a couple of times, not more than necessary.
There's no way I'll cut it, so I just try to deal with it :?

I agree on tossing hair only a couple times. ... What type of product to you use as a leave-in?


Another woman I know picks hers up as part of the dance and tucks her wonderful cloud of knee length hair into her dance belt. :crush:

She tucks it in? like a veil? I don't have a wonderful cloud, but I'm way curious! lol

Magdalene
May 4th, 2009, 08:48 AM
What about a high pony with something ( a bun or a scrunchie or some sort of ring) that would push your hair a few inches away from your body? Kind of an "I dream of Jeannie" effect?

Or, maybe wear a veil or mini-cape under your hair, but over your costume, so your hair is only rubbing against silk? I'm picturing something possibly attached to a headband under your hair or to the base of your pony, or to your shoulders in back (you wouldn't probably see much of it from the front.

Or wrap your braid in a gorgeous fabric- I did this for a show once.

JamieLeigh
May 4th, 2009, 09:00 AM
I also wear mine up during practice, down during performances. I've been told that the longer my hair gets, the sexier it looks loose during the dance. So even if it gets caught in your costume during the performance, as long as it's not tugging at your head or bothering you, the audience will probably be that much more appreciative.

I tried a style where I braided a scarf into my bun, and let the end of the scarf dangle to midback. I got a lot of compliments on that too, as it was flashy enough to catch attention during the dance. :)

RedStripe
May 4th, 2009, 10:21 AM
What about a high pony with something ( a bun or a scrunchie or some sort of ring) that would push your hair a few inches away from your body? Kind of an "I dream of Jeannie" effect?


I saw Ava Fleming perform with her hair like this once, and during a couple of points in her drum solo she reached under the hair near the pony and gave it a little bounce with one hand as an accent to match the accent it the drumming. It was unbelievably cute.

spidermom
May 4th, 2009, 10:37 AM
Instead of coin belts and the like, wear something with long fringe so you still have the movement but your hair doesn't get damaged (though it will probably still tangle). I remember seeing a performing who had her hair mostly tied up in a scarf, though the ends came out near the top and was quite long, but since it was tied up it didn't cling to her body and didn't get tangled up in anything.

zift
May 4th, 2009, 01:43 PM
Once I've watched a video on youtube of a bellydancer with floor length hair. Her dance is rather less energetic and less tangling but it looked AMAZING! I think using hair is important in bellydancing, there are special movements involving the tossing of hair if I'm not wrong. Knee length must be a challenge though, especially the belt would pick up lots of hair but I've seen a couple girls dancing with scarfs tied to their back and it might prevent some of the tangles.

Tornerose
May 4th, 2009, 08:19 PM
I just saw an amazng video on youtube with dancers using headcoverings/veils, completely covering their hair while dancing, and using the veil itself as "hair" istead of real hair. Looked very cool, oldfashioned India-style. And then you could have a secure updo too.

Hang on, I'll find it for you.

Here's the video (¨http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C3nXEGYsS4)

UncommonTart
May 4th, 2009, 09:02 PM
This is not what you're looking for, but I wish I could help.

I've only been belly dancing for just under a year now. My hair is just at classic, and I pretty much only wear my hair in a bun for dance. I'd love to wear it down, as I love the way it looks, but the only times I've ever tried it it was just too hot and it got in the way too much. (And forget veil dancing with it down, I tried that at practice last week and I could not do it. Every three or four beats it seemed, my hair was tangled in my veil again. I've seen ladies do it and look amazing, but they are much more skilled than I.)

Still, I'll be watching this thread eagerly for any ideas.

ravenreed
May 5th, 2009, 03:48 AM
I dance a more eclectic tribal style, and usually have so much stuff on my head that I wouldn't dream of throwing my hair around anyway. I would kill audience members with stuff flying everywhere!

Sarahmoon
May 5th, 2009, 06:10 AM
I agree with the rest, make a half up or do a sock bun and keep the length hanging loose.
Or, if you want to consider it... get rid of the idea bellydancers must have their hair loose at all times :oops: I mean, look how lovely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05waCGHTXoI&feature=channel_page

RedStripe
May 5th, 2009, 10:23 AM
I agree with the rest, make a half up or do a sock bun and keep the length hanging loose.
Or, if you want to consider it... get rid of the idea bellydancers must have their hair loose at all times :oops: I mean, look how lovely: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05waCGHTXoI&feature=channel_page

Great vid! It certainly is true that you don't need to have your hair loose. I showed up in the dressing room at an event one time with my hair in a bun with two hair sticks, and one of the other dancers said, "Oh, I like the chopsticks -- nice touch." I hadn't been planning to wear the bun onstage, but this made me decide to leave it in. I liked the result because I was dancing with fan veils, and having my hair in a compact style rather than flowing didn't distract from the veil movement.