Bellyqueen: Tribal Belly Dance Flair Pants

Anybody in the tribal belly dance community has seen pants like these. They are almost a necessity, and yet, nobody knows quite what to call them. I’ve heard everything ranging from tribal pants to flair pants, and even Melodia-style pants.

These particular flair pants come in black, green, and red, and are made of 95% rayon and 5% spandex. They are right at around 38 inches in length from hip to hem, which will accompany quite a long leg.

Additionally, Bellyqueen stocks larger sizes for the taller folks – I own my own pair, as a matter of fact. The material is slightly thinner than I expected, but it has given me no trouble so far.

Overall, they are worth every penny. If you would prefer to shell out for Melodia, I understand, but that is quite the investment for some of us.

Price: $16.98

Tie Dye Costume Set: Orange with Silver

Enjoy!

Courtesy of Copeland International

Sharon Kihara’s Tribal Fusion Bellydance is a DVD dedicated to explaining and drilling basic movements used in tribal fusion and similar styles of belly dance, such as gothic belly dance or tribaret.

The DVD is a reasonable length, though not quite as long as many of the other DVDs available, such as Asharah’s Modern Tribal Bellydance. Rather, it is a quick run-down of popular movements with some simple yet challenging choreography that will provide you with many insights into Kihara’s unique style.

Overall, it is a great DVD that will provide you with a strong workout and a nice background in tribal fusion. It is definitely well worth the price, as opposed to many other DVDs out there.

Price: $14.99

Rating: 3/5

Courtesy of Cheeky Girls Productions

Michelle Joyce’s Pop, Lock & Shimmy: Drum Solo Technique & Choreography is a DVD dedicated to educating people on how to perform drum solos. As with her other DVD, Drills! Drills! Drills!, Joyce has packed a lot of information into a very small package. The DVD has a comprehensive introduction to drum solo choreography.

If you are familiar with Sonia and Issam’s The Art of the Drum Solo, you will find a lot of the movements similar and comfortable. However, this DVD goes into more complicated movements and rhythms and will leave a beginner in the dust really quickly. As such, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with drum solos before practicing using this DVD.

Overall, it is an excellent DVD chock full of information. I only wish it were a little longer.

Price: $18.99

Rating: 4/5

Courtesy of Eurotard

This choli is made of cotton and lycra. It is available in four sizes from small to extra-large and in five colors: black (shown), white, red, royal, and purple.

Keep in mind that sizes run a little small, so perhaps order one size larger than you normally would.

Price: $24.00

Courtesy of Bellyqueen

This pair of finger cymbals comes with an elastic strap attached, which makes it one-size-fits-most. They measure about two inches, with a thickness of 1 millimeter. They are made up of solid brass. I highly recommend these for any beginner who is looking to learn to play, while an advanced performer should look into a more expensive pair instead.

Price: $7.99

Courtesy of Amazon.com

Serpentine with Rachel Brice focuses on building upon the tribal fusion movements introduced in her first two DVDs, both of which are highly recommended. It comes in two discs.

Disc one begins with a yoga warm-up that focuses on preparing and conditioning the body for belly dance. After about 45 minutes, it transitions into half-an-hour of drills and isolations in order to build up the necessary muscles and memory for perfect execution. Finally, there is a back bend lecture to explain the idea behind perfect and beautiful “Rachel Brice” back bends, like the one seen on the cover.

Disc two is dedicated to learning choreography, which is done through a slow and careful explanation of every move. The first choreography is lively and fun, while the second is more typical of what everybody thinks when they hear the name Rachel Brice. The second choreography I found much more challenging because of some drop-while-bending-and-then-do-a-layback moves, which I lack the muscles for at the moment.

Overall, the DVD is packed full of interesting tidbits and is a must for anybody wanting to do tribal fusion in the style Rachel Brice introduced. Other will find the drills intimidating and challenging, and the yoga is a great way to condition your body for dance. I highly recommend it.

Price: $22.49

Rating: 5/5

Courtesy of ShimmyShimmy

This gold coin belt is made up of one long chain with dangling loops full of golden coins. The loops hang down about 4 1/2 inches, while the chain itself is around 29 inches long with 7 inches of extra chain, fitting up to around a 36-inch hip.

Also available in silver.

Price: $37.95

Bank on Reputation

The first task to shopping online is to find an actual website to purchase from. I am a huge fan of Amazon.com for belly dance gear, as you can see from the items I have reviewed in my shop. I also enjoy eBay for more expensive, performance type of gear, because eBay has some wonderful independent sellers. Additionally, Etsy is a great source of costume pieces and little bits of shininess to complete an outfit.

Read

When shopping, read reviews – all reviews – including negative ones. Read testimonials if you can find them. Read shipping policies, return policies, terms of service, etc. Find all the information about a seller you can.

When you have completed your shopping experience and received your item, it is common courtesy to review the item you purchased so that other buyers may rest assured (or be warned) about purchasing from the same seller.

Know your Terminology

Finding a product can be difficult online if you do not know what to search for. As an example, I spent about a week trying to find cowrie shell hairfalls because I had no idea what to call them other than “shells.” Know what you are looking for – from fringe belts to Banjara mirrors to costuming coins.

Know your Details

When you find a perfect coin belt, you will also need to know what kind of fabric it is and what the coins are made of. As an example, I have coin belts and hip scarves that are polyester, chiffon, and satin. These are different types of fabric and they have different qualities. The polyester belts, for example, need to be tied extra tight or they will slip off way too easily in the middle of practice or performance. You will also want to know how long the item is (to know if it will fit) or whether it is elastic.

Look for Guarantees

If possible, try to always order items from sellers who offer full refunds or item exchanges in case you are displeased with the product you settle on buying. I bought a very expensive fringe belt I was disappointed with, and the seller did not offer a return policy. As such, I ended up spending a few hours modifying it to fit my tastes and sewing pieces on with sturdier thread. I am now pleased with the belt, but I think perhaps I would have enjoyed making my own instead, since I spent so much effort on it.

Finally, the key to having a great experience shopping online is to always have patience and search for answers or ask questions directly with the seller. If you are unsure about anything, always ask before buying, or you may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

Although I have a lot of experience buying online, there are some items that are just not suited for purchasing online. Yarn is one of these. Buy yarn online only in basic, solid colors with high-quality photos. Never buy multi-colored yarn or yarn with poor-quality photos, because it will never look exactly the same as it does on your computer screen. If you must, see if the seller offers a cheaper sample first.

Good luck with all your online purchases. Remember: patience and knowledge are key!

Courtesy of ShimmyShimmy

This silver coin belt is made up of a metal chain covered in coins with dangling loops of more coins. It fastens with a clip on one side.

The decoration is around 29 inches long with an extra 7 inches of chain, so it will fit up to around a 36-inch waist. The decoration is around 4 1/2 inches wide.

Also available in gold. Also see other product for display on person.

Price: $37.95