Pleasant Gehman's Blog, page 4

SALLY FORTH! SELECTING, CARING FOR, WORKING WITH AND TRANSPORTING SALLY RAND FANS

  Photo by Lapis
Sally Rand Fans are an amazing prop for dancers- they’re gorgeous, lush, theatrical fans, made of ostrich plumes, and they look simply incredible onstage. They convey the glamour of a bygone era, and wow audiences with their stately, sensuous beauty. They’ve been a staple in burlesque and showgirl performances for decades, and have also become hugely popular with belly dancers in the last decade or so. Mounted on strong plastic, Lucite, wooden or bamboo staves, these fans will open and close fairly easily, but still will not snap open the way smaller fans do because of the bulk of the feathers plumes.
 For beginners, using Sally Rand fans will take a bit of getting used to because on the type with Lucite or plastic staves, the butt-end of the fan is very thick. The staves are usually divided by metal or plastic washers, which enable the staves- mounted with bulky feather plumes- to open and close properly.
 These beauties can have a single row of feathers, or can be layered with up to four or five rows of large ostrich plumes.  Because of the relative heaviness of the staves themselves, the large circumference (or “wing span”) plus the bulk and weight of the plumes, these fans can be difficult to handle at first, and you will definitely have to build up strength in your arms and shoulders.
If you’re new to working with Sally Rand fans, there are many on the market to choose from. All sorts of  Sally Rand fans can be purchased on eBay, and lots of them are from China. The quality of the Chinese fans is usually very good, and the prices are amazing.  I got a few sets when I was performing in Hong Kong, and they’re all amazing.
However…The less expensive fans might be very costly to ship for Asia- makes sure to read the fine print…  And also be sure that the price includes a pair of fans, not just a single fan!
 While professional  or experienced dancers usually agree that “bigger is better”, if you’re just starting out with Sally Rand fans, the larger ones might be almost overwhelming to you, size-wise and strength-wise.  Even for taller gals, the smaller or “petite sized” Sally Rand fans still look impressive; they’re a lot easier to handle and they are much more convenient to store and travel with!
Speaking of travel, a good way to transport your fans to gigs , or even  for checked luggage on a plane, is to use a  sturdy, large document tube. These can be purchased at office or art supply stores, and will protect your fans in transit. I use them all the time, and  have never had to replace even one of them. The document tubes, depending on circumference, will hold a pair of fans easily, and the smaller  sizes will fit into most standard suitcases ( though not  carry-on sized) as well.
To store ostrich plume fans, I use a large, tight-locking  plastic container, wrap the fans in plastic dry cleaning bags, and throw in a handful of cedar chips to keep the moths away.
 Also, it’s really worth spending the extra money that may be charged for male plumes. As with most species of birds, the male ostrich plumes are far more lush and thick than the female plumes.  Even if you’re using smaller-sized Sally Rand fans, the thicker male plumage will make the fans look rich and impressive.
 Before you purchase your fans, check the sizes of the height and spread. If the sizes aren’t listed on the website, don’t bother purchasing- you don’t want to wind up with a tiny set of hand fans! 
Another good thing to know is that your computer monitor might display the color of the feathers significantly darker or lighter than the way they will appear in person.
 Making your own Sally Rand fans from a kit  might seem  more cost-effective, but if you're not a crafty type  gal,  spending a few extra bucks on already assembled fans will probably be worth the money...and the hours  you spend getting frustrated  trying to put the fans together on your own!
And again, whether you’re purchasing fans domestically or from overseas, check on the prices for shipping!  As I said before, even the smaller fans   are still pretty large, and no matter what size you get, the shipping package will notbe a standard size!

Before you practice or perform with any sort of fans – but especially Sally Rand fans--make sure to do a complete warm up of the hands, wrists, arms and shoulders, along with the rest of your warm up.
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 Purchase my FAN-Tastic: Fabulous Fan Dancing With Princess Farhana DVD here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN: RETURNING TO DANCE AFTER TAKING A BREAK

Happy New Year!
Since many of us have taken a holiday break, I thought the first post of 2015 ought to be about getting back into the swing of things dance-wise. Sure, many dancers work during the holidays- and I am one of them- but still, all that un-structured downtime, studio holiday closures and…well, yeah… all those sweet treats we’ve indulged in do take their toll! You show up for class, rehearsal or a show and mentally, you’re rarin’ to go, but the next day you feel like you’ve been run over by a truck.  Why? It’s because you’re a dancer living in a body that- even if it’s only been a few days- has gotten used to sitting at a table swathed in a cozy fleece onsie munching on leftovers and drinking booze!
Of course, this doesn’t onlyapply to the holidays… you could be getting over an injury, illness, or maybe you’ve had a surgery- or a child! In any case, bouncing back after being sidelined for a while( even a little while) might not be as easy as you thought it was going to be.
 Here are some ideas that might make the transition a little easier for you.
  Go Easy At First  By that, I mean cut you some slack… but I don’t mean slacking off! Acknowledge the fact that you haven’t trained for a while and   take things slowly.   Whether you’ve been gone for a few days or a few weeks, ease   back into dancing.   You’re brain thinks it can do what you were capable of, and your muscle memory probably does too- but your physical body might not exactly be down with that concept…yet.  Test the waters a little you definitely don’t want to be so gung-ho that you injure yourself in the process of trying to prove yourself.
If you’ve been out because of an injury, make sure you’ve followed your doctor’s orders to the letter.  If you were prescribed physical therapy, make sure you’ve completed   your course before you even think of returning to class or performing.
 Any medical restrictions that have been placed on your dancing due to injury are there for a reason, and that reason is to insure you are healthy enough to continue   your dance practice!
Prepare Yourself Physically…And EmotionallyBe sure to warm up completely- this should be your regular M. O. anyway, but many of us just kinda skip over this process, because it seems so tedious.
 It’s not.
Warming up is integral to being a healthy dancer, as is cooling down- especially after you’ve taken a break!  Maybe   you need a longer warm up than you did previously.  If so, go with it.  Remember, even a scant few days out of the game can make a big difference, so do some light cardio before stretching- your tight tendons and lazy, underworked muscles will thank you profusely!
Emotional preparation is in order right now too. That means accepting your situation- no guilt, no shame, no little inner voice cutting you down cause you can shimmy or turn or   gained a few pounds or don’t have the stamina to last as long as you did before you took some time off.  Now’s the time to be your own cheerleader, not your worst critic.  You want to motivate- not denigrate- yourself  back to work.
 Remind yourself that it can often be frustrating as you return to peak condition, so be    gentle on yourself emotionally.  Whose the meanest boss in the world? You are. Fire that slave driver and have your own personal Human Resource Department hire a compassionate coach who can see your potential and help you get back into fighting shape in a positive way ok?
Work Hard…But Work Safe When you return to your “regularly scheduled program”, do the absolute best that you can, but do it safely.   It’s always better to err on the side of caution than push your boundaries a little too far.Remind yourself that this situation is temporary, it will pass. Allow your body to re-familiarize itself with your dance practice.  Remember, our muscles don’t listen to reason. If you over-do it, the only way they know how to protest is by shutting down…going into spasm, or (yikes) getting strained or torn.  Let them know whose boss, but baby them! Soon, they’ll once again be your obedient servants.
 Last but definitely not least, remind yourself that situation is temporary, it willpass…and you’ll be back to where you were sooner than you thought you’d be!

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Back by popular demand! The  outrageous “One Zill Up”  tee  features  a universally understood symbol…driving the point home with a  finger cymbal!  The black short-sleeved shirts are 100% soft ring-spun cotton jersey , with a slim fit for a feminine silhouette and a tear-away tag. Available in women’s MEDIUM, LARGE & X-LARGE.$20.00 plus postage & handling here: www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm


 …And while you’re at it, get your signed copy of  The Belly Dance Handbook: A Companion For The Serious Dancer 
Photo  & graphics by Maharet Hughes

SETTING DANCE GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

 With 2015 looming on the horizon, most of us are in a flurry of wrapping up our un-finished business of the past year, while at the same time making New Years Resolutions. Setting goals, and putting them down on paper- or on your computer screen- is definitely a way of making them real.
Take a few minutes to sit down and have a heart-to-heart talk with yourself, deciding upon exactly what you want to accomplish in the next year- and how to go about getting it!  What you want is clarity in your desires, permission to achieve them, and allowing the time to make them real.
 Here’s a few ideas I’ve used when making dance-oriented…or any kind… of New Year’s Resolutions.
 Take A Personal InventoryHave a stroll down Memory Lane, and   see what you accomplished. Seeing what has worked for you in past year. Did you accomplish everything that you wanted to?
 If not, whynot?
 Looking at what you did in 2014 will help you to define and refine what you want to do in the coming year. Avoid making the same mistakes!
Write It Down, Say It Out LoudOnce you decide on what goals you’d like to work on, say it out loud-to yourself and others, and write them down!
  These former thoughts are now no longer just free-floating ideas in your head…and that’s a good thing!
 But remember, now that they’re tangible, there needs to be follow-through, and that’s where most of us hit stumbling blocks: the goals aren’t going to manifest themselves- you have to help them along their path to becoming reality!

  Take Baby Steps Break up all of your long-term goals into specific, shorter, bite-sized tasks, so they won’t be as daunting.
Were your goals and resolutions from last year a little too gung-ho, or maybe a tad lofty?
 Dreaming big has always been a personal mantra of mine… but then I have to step back and remind myself that if I’m reaching for the stars, I’m the one who needs to build the spaceship!
There are many ways of building your personal rocket to the stars- it starts with an idea, the idea gets fleshed out, and then put into action.   Know that any stage of this process might have to go back to the drawing board. Taking baby steps is the key here, and so is giving yourself some wiggle room- allow yourself the kindness of putting your dreams into action without abandoning your plans if they don’t go exactly the way you wanted them to. You can always re-evaluate your goals and go to Plan B- or Plan S, if need be!
On a personal note, writing The Belly Dance Handbook was actually a New Year’s Resolution that I made in 2007, for the New Year of 2008… and, of course it didn’t come out that year!  The idea had been floating around in my head already for years, but that’s all it was until I put it into action, and took the appropriate baby steps  to get it done.  2008 was the year I started this blog, and it was all about testing the waters and laying the frame work  for actually writing- and finishing- my book.  The book took a good six and a half years  to finish,  but I kept adding it onto my resolutions for the next step, the next phase, the next year. As of  January 11,  2015, it’s been out for a year!



 Get Specific Were your resolutions too vague? “Practice more” is a great goal, but it’s kinda broad. Setting a more specific goal– and allowing yourself to re-consider and re-set it as needed might be easier to make that goal a reality.
 For instance, instead of “Practice More”, you might want to decide to drill on your own for at least fifteen minutes a day…only for the month of January. Put this into your calendar, and just do it. It’s only thirty-one days, after all.  If this idea is working well   for you at the end of January, then by all means continue it through February…and if it works well in February, continue it through March.
  Some things work better on paper than they do in real life. If your goal is not working for you, don’t beat yourself up, just re-define it. Don’t abandon it, amend it! Pick something do-able, something that will work with your schedule.  You’re not going to get penalized for being unable to commit to your original goal, you simply want to make it something you can do!
  Maybe your goal needs to become “Practice Fifteen Minutes A Day, Three Times A Week” or “Home Drilling Sunday Mornings, 10am-11am”.  Perhaps   an every day practice won’t work with your life- it was a good idea, but many of us are not full time dancers; we’re college students, moms, or career women in addition to being dancers.  In order to fulfill your goals on practice, make those sessions something special, not   drudgery, cause you’ll only wind up putting it off. Make your practice like a hot date…with yourself! Soon, you’ll find out that your “relationship” with dance is blooming, because it was allowed to grow naturally, over a period of time.
 Reward Yourself I’m a damn champion at holding personal contests (with prizes, of course) or dangling a carrot in front of myself so I can get a reward for something I wasn’t all that crazy about doing.  Maybe I’m easily duped, but it seems to work every time!  That’s how I finished   The Belly Dance Handbook.   I’d give myself a small reward every time I completed a chapter…or an entire book edit.
 I make “deals” with myself constantly on a smaller level to help stick to my every day goals as well.  Sometimes they’re pretty crazy, but that’s how I move forward.  My life is constantly all about small challenges and rewards.  I’m always   holding self-imposed   mini-challenges like “If I sew all the elastic onto these ten sets of finger cymbals for my class, then I can get that new MAC lipstick!”  Or  “ If I walk twenty minutes a day, every day, after three months, I’m allowed to not walk for a week!” But the thing is, by the time I had walked every day for three months, it was a habit, not a burden… and if I didn’t walk for a day, I actually missed it!

Believe In Yourself New Years Resolutions and goals in general are about figuring out- with your mind, body and soul- what is best for you as a dancer.  They’re optimistic and they often seem far-fetched.  But, as they say, if you’re gonna dream, dream big!
Perhaps for 2015, your first Resolution should believe in yourself as a dancer. If you give yourself permission to do that, then everything else you decide to achieve will fall into place easily.  
 I believe in you…you can do it!
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 Get a signed copy of The Belly Dance Handbook: A Companion For The Serious Dancer here: www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm

 Photo & Graphics: Maharet Hughes

TIPS FOR MIND-BENDING BELLY FLUTTERS

Photo by Maharet Hughes
The question I  probably get asked most frequently is how I get my abdominal flutters so strong, even, sustained and large enough to see from the back of the room- no matter what size the venue is. First of all, my flutters do not come from an ability to move my abdominal muscles in and out quickly.  I could definitely do that… but if I was engaging my abs by pulling them in and out super-fast, then I wouldn’t be able to layer belly rolls with my flutters, a movement that I call the  “flundulation”.I’m going to share a few tips to my super-human flutters with you.  With a little ok, a lot- of practice, you’ll be able to achieve mind-bending flutters yourself.The main secret for  "alien belly",wild-looking flutters is to keep your  abdominal muscles soft and relaxed, while your skeleton remains in standard dance posture- pelvis neutral with the tailbone tucked slightly towards the floor, ribcage lifted, and shoulders back and down. This sounds a lot easier than it actually is! Think about it: our abdominal muscles are constantly engaged, whether we’re conscious of it or not.  When enter in performance, our abs are always engaged- we’ve been trained to do that!  When we walk into a party or social gathering, we automatically pull up into a regal posture, without even thinking about it. Trying on a costume or an item in a store’s dressing room, we immediately suck in our stomachs.  Letting our bellies remain relaxed is completely conditioned out of us by society, so it might take you a while to get the hang of keeping your skeleton engaged and your abdominal muscles soft. When I was training to do this- and I taught myself, no one showed me- I’d place my hands on my sides, actually hooking my fingers just under my top ribs, so I could really feel my ribcage staying lifted as I let my belly go soft.  It looks kinda dorky, but try it- it works!After you’ve gotten comfortable with that, it’s time to discover your diaphragm, which is the place of initiation for all my flutters.  The diaphragm, the large, major muscle that controls our breathing, is strong and kinda dome-shaped, sitting in the lower middle of your torso. Though we’re usually not aware of it, the diaphragm contracts rhythmically as we breathe as we breathe in and out. But if you concentrate, you can control the diaphragm- like when you breathe in deeply, holding your breath before diving into water. Think of your diaphragm as an inflatable ball. It fills up as you inhale and deflates when you exhale.   So you can feel it in motion, place your hand on your diaphragm and breath slowly and deeply.  Once you’ve located your diaphragm and felt it moving naturally, try it a few times with conscious control, breathing in and out slowly and deeply as you keep your skeleton lifted and your abdominal muscles soft and un-engaged.  Now, try exhaling sharply, cutting the diaphragm’s muscle movement off. You’ve done this correctly if you feel a little clutch or catch.  Repeat this a few times, allowing yourself a couple of moments of regular breathing in between so you don’t get all light-headed and dizzy. A word to the wise: while many people advocate catching your breath and “cutting it off” at the throat, I don’t advocate this practice. Not only are the little “catches” you make while doing that visible to the audience, the movements also can cause the tendons in the neck to pop out and look sort of stringy and ugly…even on younger dancers! Instead, try to visualize that little clutch or catch staying  just at the top of your ribs, directly under your cleavage…or, if you're a guy, directly under and between your man-candy pectoral muscles. Remember, the diaphragm is one of the strongest muscles in our body; it’s in constant use as we breathe. If you repeat these practice movements even just a few times a day, the strength in your diaphragm will build up at lightening speed…and soon, you will have a flutter that the audience can see from the back of the room!#

 If you liked finding out a bit about abdominal technique here, then you’ll LOVE my instructional DVD, “ABS-olutely Fabulous”- it’s packed with info on flutters, belly rolls, and undulations!  Get it here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm

AVERAGE HUMAN...OR DANCER? TAKE THE QUIZ!

Photo by Maharet Hughes


 Some people say dancing is just “a lifestyle”…I say it’s more than that...it's life itself!  It's in the DNA! We  dancers are a distinctly different breed.  We are dancers foremost, and human beings  second. Sure, Whether you’re a performing professional , instructor or student,  dancers are not like everyone else!
In order to more fully research the “dance genome”, I’ve created a quiz. Get a pen and paper, and mark down the letter of the answer that best describes you:
1. You have a tough time differentiating between stage make up and every day make up. You use an inordinate amount of cosmetics no matter what, and frequently have to “tone it down” for daily  wear.…but you’re uncertain what that means or how to go about it! a)  Every day make up? b) This has never been a problem
2.You refuse to listen to music during a massage, because you start counting the beats and phrasesa) Huge problem…and I only listen to talk radio for the same reason!b) What do you mean?
3. You seem to have pulled a network of muscles in your leg, shoulder or back… do you:a) Ice the injury down for a few minutes, pop an anti-inflammatory and carry on with your dayb) Schedule a doctor visit immediately
4. You just met a new Special Someone… but  finding the  actual time to date is becoming frustrating.a) What is this thing you call “dating”?b) Are you crazy?
5. By some  sublime miracle of fate, you  have a gap in your weekend schedule; do you think to yourself: a)  Ahhh… so this is how the other half lives…uh, what should I do?b) We all need some downtime!
6. Holidays mean nothing to you, because you’re always working or in class.a) What, exactly, is a holiday?b) Holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends
7. You own costumes and  ratty sweats… nothing in between!a)  Sometimes I dream about going shopping for a cute little dress, but then I get my act together and go to class.b) I practically live at the mall!
8.You can never find a bobby pin or safety pin, no matter how many packages you buy.a) I know, right?b) WTF is up with that?
9. You always wondered  what that phrase “dance like no one is watching” was supposed to  mean…a) What does that mean?b) I wish!
10. Your feet are constantly dirty and calloused:a)  In another life, my feet will be pampered and perfectb) Eeeew, gross!
11. Your  purse is always filled with essentials like band-aids, ibuprophen, Top-Stik, and false eyelashesa) Oh, and  hair spray,  an Ace bandage, sewing kit, extra jewelry, and five lipsticks!b) What the hell is Top-Stik?
12. You can always be located: just follow the trail of glitter!a)  So true!b) Isn’t glitter just…like… a “thing” for an eight-year-old girl’s  birthday party?

 Ok, time to total up the score: If you got mostly A answers- and I’m sure you did-  it’s clear you are one of us with the Super Powers!
If you got mostly B answers: Not sure how it’s possible you read this far…but thanks! See you at my next gig, I’ll come on out after the show and say hi!

# Purchase a  signed copy of my books “The Belly Dance Handbook: A  Companion For The Serious Dancer”  or my memoir “Showgirl Confidential: My Life Onstage, Backstage And On The Road” here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm


 Both books are available wholesale for teachers or studios- to make an inquiry, visit this link and click on  “email” in the top right hand corner: http://www.princessfarhana.com/index.html

THE ASSIUT QUEEN

 Assiut Queen Dawn Devine aka Davina: Photo by Alisha Westerfield

Quite a few dancers can brag about having a career  that spans a quarter of a century, but not that many of them can also claim concurrent and wildly  successful careers  as costumers,  art historians and  authors! The multi-talented  Davina, aka Dawn Devine  can…only thing is, she doesn’t gloat about it, she’s  much too  nice – and busy- for that sort of thing. Easy-going, sweet and funny, Davina is so understated about her vast accomplishments, that even if you know her, they might surprise you!
Dawn has so many college degrees, they practically form their own alphabet, and in addition to performing and teaching belly dancing and costuming classes throughout the USA, she also has numerous museums show credits.  She is an expert on antique textiles  (especially Assiut, but more on that in a minute!)  Victorian clothing, and vintage couture, with many lecturing engagements under her tasseled hip belt.  She also   a slew of informative, instructional   costuming books to her credit, including Embellished Bras, Costuming from the Hip, From Turban to Toe Ring, Bedlah, Baubles and Beads and Style File.
Rayah wears a vintage assiut shawl from the collection of Judeen Esau.  This gorgeous piece has a rich blue groundcloth and a golden hue to the metal.  Photo by Alisha Westerfeld As anyone who knows her can attest, Dawn is a walking encyclopedia on anything concerning belly dance costuming, but her favorite subject, and most enduring obsession is Assiut, the gorgeous traditional net and metal fabric named for the    Egyptian city of the same name.  All belly dancers, no matter what their preferred style, are in love with Assiut.  Spotting a vintage piece of Assiut on eBay causes dancers to bid like maniacs, eager to  part with their rent money. Merely mentioning it  on social media causes comments like “I’m drooling all over my keyboard!”  And in real life, a shawl of vintage Assuit at a flea market has been known to induce catfights.
 Davina’s  own Assiut mania began this way:
“My love story began in a crowded antique store, filled with dusty cases holding tumults of vintage items. I turned and looked across a crowded room and my life changed.  In an instant the rest of the world disappeared and I only had eyes for one thing. My love story began in a crowded antique store, filled with dusty cases holding tumults of vintage items.  There were jewelry pieces and objects d’art. There were trinkets and baubles, the day-to-day objects that populated the lives of our ancestors, 60, 80, 100 years ago.  But there, draped gently over the edge of a photo frame, and laid delicately across a shelf was my beauty.  She was creamy and soft, with pewter-toned metal stitches.  It was Assiut, and it was going to be mine!”                          1920's French silent screen actress Stacia Napierkowska in Assiut

 Since that fateful moment, she’s been hooked on Assiut, also known as tulle bi telli.  It became a hobby, moved into a personal mania phase, and then, it took over her life! Now, she’s spreading the love- and her vast knowledge.

Davina’s latest book, done with  photographer and belly dancer Alisha Westerfield,  The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut was just published.  The book is gigantic, highly informative, impeccably researched, and loaded with incredible  vintage photos of Assuit, as well as step-by-step instructions  for fabricating costumes.
Even before the book was a glimmer in her eye, Davina   spent years researching Assuit, not to mention fabricating high-end, custom-made costumes for herself and many other dancers.
She says,
“I committed myself to a massive interdisciplinary research project with one simple mission, find out everything there is to know about the cloth we call Assiut or tulle bi telli.  The result of years of research, months of writing, crafting hundreds of costumes, dozens of photo shoots, is my new book “The Cloth of Egypt: All About Assiut.” 

 In honor of the book’s publication, Davina has  complied a list of facts on Assiut exclusively for this blog, here it is:

1 - Assiut is made from cotton.  Frequently, antique Assiut is labeled as silk, linen, or a blend, but the truth is that vintage Assiut cloth is made from finely spun, high-twist Egyptian cotton.  
2 - Assiut can be spelled in a myriad of ways.  Arabic cannot be easily translated, so rather, it’s transliterated by ear from spoken Arabic to written English, with British and Americans sounding out the words and writing them down phonetically.  This leads to more than 50 spelling variations.
3 - Most people know that the phrase tulle bi telli means “mesh with metal”... but few know that this is a marriage of three languages.  Tulle is from the name of the lace-making capital of France.  Telli is from Turkish word Tel, which means metal.  Bi is “with” in Arabic. 
4 - Assiut is a single-stitch embroidery technique.  The stitch is made with flattened metal wire called plate, and the stitch is made using a blunt tipped double-eyed needle. 
5 – Antique Assiut cloth was made by the thousands of yards and was considered the essential souvenir for travelers down the Nile during the British occupation of Egypt.  British, American, Russian, French, And Italian women all collected and coveted Assiut cloth for it’s supple drape and metallic gleam. 
6 - Vintage Assiut pieces come in three sizes.  Scarves, narrow enough to wrap around the neck, head or hat to keep flies, gnats and mosquitos off of the face.  Shawl sizes, which were designed to be worn as wraps about the shoulder, were wide enough to envelop the body, but short enough to be easily handled by the wearer.  Opera wrap or piano shawl size, which was the longest and widest, designed to fit over a grand piano, or to wrap around the body, and still have enough left to elegantly drag along the ground, a shimmering train of exotic abundance.
7 - Modern Assiut should be pounded or rolled to press down the individual stitches.   Machine wash on gentle and tumble dry low in a mesh lingerie bag to keep the stitches from catching, and pulling.  Vintage Assiut should always be hand washed and dried as flat as possible.
8 - Assiut is associated with weddings in Upper Egypt. Some of the most popular motifs are directly related to wedding symbology. Camel figures with plants, stars, or even stylized men, represent the groom.  The female figures, often holding hands, or with arms raised, represent the bride and her bridal party.  Other common images that appear in Assiut wedding shawls include combs, for preparing the brides hair, perfume bottles for anointing her body, and diamonds, protective shapes with talismanic properties to protect the bride on her special day.

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Purchase a copy of “The Cloth Of Egypt: All About Assiut” here:http://www.amazon.com/Cloth-Egypt-About-Assiut-Assuit/dp/069227054X/
 The book's cover: I'm wearing an Assiut bra made by Davina & a pre-1919 white Assiut shawl
Photo by Alisha Westerfield

ATTITUDE AND GRATITUDE

Baby kitty Carmen,  my little "street tiger"
I'm home from my 2014 travels, and mistakenly made the assumption that things would quiet down a  bit... WRONG!  Aside from finally unpacking my on-the-road suitcases,  my house was a wreck cause I'd been away   about four weekends a month  for the past three months.  And, unexpectedly,  after  my two beloved senior citizen kitties Smudgie ( age 21) and Ni-Ni, (age 14) passed away within a month of each other, I was blessed with two tiny baby kittens!  They are  little  feral "street tigers", a brother and a sister, who have been rescued,  tamed and are now living in the lap of luxury in the Royal Palace. Beeper and Carmen are a handful, but they are amazing!   I am so blseed to have them,  The Universe brought them to me at the most perfect time ever. And  now that I'm home for a while,  we can bond even more and  I can watch them grow. 

On one of their crazy "let's chase each other around the house" moments, they knock a diary of mine from off a shelf. I had to page through it, and was kinda amazed at what I found. The diary covered a trip to Egypt from 1991.  In addition to Arabic translation of commonly used words and glue-in tickets from Luxor Temple and The Sphinx, there was a gratitude list.  I didn't even know I was thinking that way back then, but apparently I was!

  Just some of the things included on the list were  ( obviously) colored by my trip to Egypt, like  "I am thankful I can travel", "I am grateful that I can read" "I have a  a healthy, strong body" and, funnily enough, "I am grateful for modern conveniences"... yeah, I'll say!

 But there were many, many more. And there was also a list  on how to out-flow energy  and love to  people, things like " Keep a good attitude, try to be optimistic and positive, look on the bright side" ,  "Be helpful and supportive to other people", and " Communicate  as much as possible;  if I love someone or something, I will say it. If I am not happy with someone or something,  or find anything unsatisfactory, I will say that too but in a kind  and positive way".

  Seriously, I do not remember being so enlightened... but I guess I was, even back then.  For the past   fifteen years or so,  I've made lists like this  at the year's end, or whenever I thought I needed to count my blessings.

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 nevertake 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-ayabove 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 and yours!

Baby kitty Beeper helping  to organize my Belly Dance Handbook orders!

 In honor of the Holidays,  and to say  thanks toyou,  I’m having a Thanksgiving-through-Monday, Dec 1  sale…  my  books "The Belly Dance Handbook" and  "Showgirl Confidential", and the new BaLAdi Tour CD by Issam Houshan will be on sale for big  discounts here:
http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.html

LOOK GLOWING AND PRETTY: ON STAGE AND OFF STAGE…AT ANY AGE!

  I Drive Fifty-Five! Photo by Maharet Hughes, Costume: Hallah Moustafa

Just in case you didn’t realize, I am A Woman Of A Certain Age. Specifically, that age is fifty-five…and I’m really and truly proud of every damn year! I haven’t yet dabbled in “having work done”, but once in a while I think about it.  And sometimes I  miss my baby face of yore… the same face that, as a younger woman, I insanely used to think was “fat” and  puffy”.  DUH!  Believe me, now I’m eternally grateful I had all that collagen- in fact, I now wish I could’ve put it into a bank!
I’m going to share a few  of my favorite  make up and skin-care tips and products  that’ll work whether you’re performing or just on your way to dance class. These are small cosmetic tweaks  which’ll make you look refreshed and gorgeous no matter how  young or old you are!  These tricks will keep you looking dewy and  rested when you are tired…and since The Holidays are just about upon us, they’re also a great camouflage for those mornings when you’re lookin’ just a teensy bit hungover!
Eyes And Brows A super-fab trick for making your  eyes look brighter, is to use dark blue liner... as opposed to black or brown.  I use navy blue to rim my eyes both in “real life” and on the stage. Blue liner  plays an optical trick, making the whites of your eyes really alabaster-white.  For every day wear, I use a power shadow  for this, cause it also makes the eyes look softer than they do with a harsh liquid or gel liner.  For stage, I apply the dark blue powder shadow first, then go over them with a black gel liner, which adds definition while retaining the softer look of the powder.
For every day wear, I use a couple of coast of mascara- always!  I love Rimmel’s ScandalEyes Retro Glam Mascara , it’s absolutely telescopic…and my lashes need all the help they can get! For stage, of course I use false lashes, the bigger and thicker, the better!   As we age, our brows tend to thin out- or maybe you’ve just over-plucked them. Lush brows are important on stage or off… they frame our eyes, plus they make those  of us who are Of A Certain Age look younger . Right now, thicker brows are in vogue, and the best way to get them-and also have them look natural, is by using powders, as opposed to pencils.  For an every day look, I always use a matte powder. You don’t need to buy a fancy brow powder, though there are many on the market that are reasonably priced. I  use a stiff angled brush and a mix of regular matte  brown and black eyeshadow.  First, comb your brows with a spoolie brush, or an old, clean tooth brush. Then use the angled brush to apply  the powder  in short, swift strokes, going in the direction you’ve combed your brows, the way they grow-or have been trained to grow naturally. If you make a boo-boo just  take a Q-tip and erase it, and start again.
 By the way, I always do my eyes first, then clean up the migrating pigments underneath, before applying the rest of my face make up. It prevents the dreaded raccoon eyes.
Foundations And Face Make Up Because we dancers wear so much make up onstage, many of us don’t use foundation for  every day wear.   But many of us have uneven skin tones, blemishes or get chapped skin during the colder months that leads to redness or a mottled, ruddy complexion.
 Even if you prefer not to wear foundation for  every day, here’s  a little trick that will peel away the years. Dip a flat but slightly  thick  and fluffy brush into  a concealer that matches your skin tone, lightly feathering the product over all the small  lines and red  areas ( we all have them) around your nose. This one thing will make you look  at least a few years younger-guaranteed! Or if you’re in the under-thirty age bracket, it’ll just make you look more fabulous!  Do the same thing on   any red spots or pimples,  again  carefully blending it into the skin.  This will even out your complexion, without the heavy  full-foundation feeling  we sometimes get, as though we were wearing  a mask.
On stage,  no matter how young or old you are, you need to wear foundation- because it will make your complexion appear poreless and perfect.  Those sheer, “natural look” formulas aren’t strong enough- you need a very opaque, full-coverage type of foundation to get the desired effect. Choose your  foundation color by matching it as closely to your own skin tone as possible. Try foundation samples on the inside of your arm because the  skin tone there  is very close to the color of your face.
Often, performers will use a foundation that is a shade or two darkerthan their natural skin tone, because it makes their face appear brighter, more robust and healthy under the harsh stage lights.  I myself use this trick, and it works every time! And I’m never without a primer under my foundation, either!
To apply foundation, use the edge of a sponge or clean fingers to daub the make-up onto your face, blending it well, making sure to extend the shade onto the sides of the cheeks, chin, and onto the neck, so you don’t have a line where the foundation ends and your natural skin tone begins. Press a similarly toned or translucent powder onto your face to set the foundation, and then it’s time for…

CheeksWhen you do your blush, make sure to pick a color that goes with your skin tone, and won’t make you look sallow or unhealthy. Corals are great for those with olive undertones ,  and if you’re pale, a true blue-pink or berry tone will work great. For gals who are very dark, magentas or a blue red looks great, either onstage or off. A word to the wise: in order to look natural – and not look  odd in photos, always use matte- never pearly-colors for blush.


 To  ( seriously) look five or ten years younger, apply blush to the apples of your cheeks only. If you go under the apples, you’ll look like an 80’s Nagel painting…a hawt look sometimes, but definitely  not natural and also kind of dated, at least for day-to-day wear.
 Find the apples  of your cheeks by smiling, then load  a domed blush brush up with powder, blow or tap off the excess product and  gently brush the product into the center of the apples, then  curve it slightly up, in a “C” shape towards your temples.  For stage there’s almost no such thing as too much blush,  but if you feel like you’ve applied  a bit too much color for “real life”,  gently blend the blush with a dry cosmetic sponge or just tone it down a little  with some translucent loose powder.

As for winter time make up, one of the problems most of us have is that our summer tans are fading. Check the foundation you’ve been using  to be sure that the shade still matches your skin tone. You might want to mix two colors together, so you can lighten or darken the current  color you are using to match your “new”  seasonal skin tone. For pale  or fair gals, bronzer might be in order…and you can find great, inexpensive ones at the drug store! E.L.F  Studio Contouring Blush And Bronze is only about four bucks and comes in a wide variety of shades.  If you want to go a little higher-end, MAC Bronzing Powder is the bomb. For bronzers, make sure to use them sparingly, since you are no loner tan; take a large fluffy brush , and lightly go over the outside contours of your face: cheek bones, temples, jaw line, then  fluff some across the bridge of your nose. This will give you a healthy and subtle sun-kissed glow, and extend  the remnants of your summer color.

Lips For stage, and for every day life, if I’m going with a red lipstick, I make sure it’s a blue red , not an orange red. The blue-red gives the same effect with our teeth as  the blue eyeliner I mentioned above… it makes anyone’s teeth truly appear pearly white!  And, as we age, our teeth always- no matter what our habits- tend to become a bit more yellow. This optical illusion works  wonders to counteract that dingy tone, believe me!
Onstage, I am a nut with lip-liner; I go for the full Joan Crawford Effect by over-lining my lips almost a quarter inch outside their natural  parameters.  From the stage, under hot lights, this is another very  anti-aging optical illusion, because as we get older, our lips lose collagen and become thinner and less plump.
 Of course, you can’t really get away with this  in very day life without looking like a bag lady!  For  my “off duty” look,  I  lightly line my lips just outside the natural guide-lines  with a flesh-toned pencil ( I like to use  # 666 by Wet ‘N’ Wild ) pick a subtle peach shade or light  blue-pink color  of lipstick or gloss to use inside the faint lines I’ve drawn.

Skin CareDuring the winter, our skin gets dry from  the cold and wind and also from indoor heating. Moisturizing is necessary, even more than it it is in warmer months! As for  moisturizers, I love  to go natural, and Atomic Cosmetics/ Xerion Skin Science  has  fantastic products that are all natural! The CEO- and the mad doctor behind this company- is the super-cute, super-smart Jennifer Dietrich, a gorgeous pin-up model and chemist with more  than a decade of scientific study under her patent leather waist-cinching belt!
Gorgeous Dr. Jen Dietrich of Atomic Cosmetics and Xerion Skin Science
  Along with a mind-boggling line up of  lipsticks, blushes and eye shadows, Jen has  created some incredibly terrific skin  care products too. I absolutely adore her  anti-aging eye cream The New 20, it’s so velvety and scrumptious  that I slather it all over my face!  She also makes  City Skin , an anti-aging serum,  a superb Rosewater Facial Toner and a wonderful primer that’ll keep your face looking poreless, ( with or without make up)  called  Optimus Primer.

About once or twice a week, I use  a scrub to exfoliate my face. There are tons of products you can buy, but an easy  ( and cheap!) home made scrub will do the trick, without causing irritation.
 In a bowl, combine  1 tablespoon of dry oatmeal with ¼ teaspoon of table salt- any kind will do. Add a teaspoon of water , or if your skin is very dry,  use olive oil instead. Rub it into your skin  very carefully with your fingers in circular motions, going upwards. Make sure not to drag or pull your skin. Then let the  paste sit on your face for about ten minutes, and rinse it off with tepid water.
 After this scrub, I apply  natural coconut oil  to my face.  You can purchase a large bottle of coconut oil at any health food store- it’s great for cooking too. But when used on the skin, it draws moisture to you and seals it in, without leaving you feeling greasy and gross…plus it smells nice.
Here’s another natural,  homemade skin scrub  that is super easy to make and use:
 Combine 1 cup coconut oil  or sweet almond oil, if you prefer, with one cup of sugar. Mix it well in a bowl, and scoop it out with your hands, scrubbing your  face and entire body down before you step into the shower. This stuff works like a miracle!  Trust me, your  skin will feel like a toddler’s.

   Have fun playing with  these colors, products and ideas…and looking cute to boot!
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 My instructional  make up  double-disc DVD Bombshell: Dramatic Make Up For The Stage, Photos And Glamourous  Occasions   makes a great holiday gift!  Get it – and The Belly Dance Handbook- here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm
Order Atomic Cosmetics and Xeriox Skin Science Products: www.colorsthatgoboom.com/
 Contribute to the Atomic Cosmetics  Go Fund Me Campaign  ( and get rewards!) here: http://www.gofundme.com/ftvozs

DANCERS BACKSTAGE RITUALS: KARIM NAGI

  Karim Nagi in a recent performanceKarim Nagi is a multi-talented musician, composer, folkloric dancer and deejay.  His performances are so high-energy and in the moment, and his connection to the music is so great, that he could probably   re-animate a room full of corpses. Born and raised in Egypt, he’s spent most of his life in America, though his global  travel schedule for teaching and performing is so hectic, I once heard him answer the question "Where do you live?" by saying:

  “In an airport!”
Karim in  the midst of a Saidi performanceJust in case you’re not familiar with his work, he’s released numerous instructional DVDs and a variety music CDs, both under his own name and as DJ Turbo Tabla. Since 1999, Karim has headed up the traditionally oriented Sharq Music Ensemble, and his Arab Dance Seminars routinely sell out months in advance.  He’s having one in New Mexico this November, but unless you’ve already secured your spot,  or if by come miraculous twist of fate someone drops out, there’s no way you’ll get in.
 His program Arabiqa educates   elementary school kids at over three hundred schools around the USA, but his educational efforts don’t stop there by any means.  In fact, his knowledge of his native Egyptian music dance and culture is so great, that he’s presented and lectured at many Ivy League universities, including Harvard, Princeton, MIT, Yale and many others.
We’ve performed together- in many places- for quite a few years, and in 2013, we also recorded a song “Heart Full Of Cairo” together- if you're interested in hearing it, you can find it on iTunes or Amazon.  Karim is  always a pleasure to work with because he’s so knowledgeable, and  a total perfectionist whose open to obsessive compulsive rehearsing and preparation.  But  he’s  also as much fun off stage as he is onstage… I once had the (dubious!) pleasure of hearing him  do an impromptu after-hours rendition of Ted Nugent’s hit “Cat Scratch Fever”, sung in a tongue-in-cheek Upper Egyptian Fellahin accent while he accompanied himself on the tabla !  In spite of-or maybe  because of incidents like this, I think he’s an absolute genius…though he’ll probably roll his eyes when he reads this.  Karim & me  by Maharet Hughes
 Recently, he’s started a new four-hour-long workshop,  “Music Raqs”, which is a kind of “literacy program” for dancers who want to be able to better understand- and teach- oriental dance in a comprehensive way. In addition to music theory and technical info, he also goes into cultural and linguistic details that will no doubt be illuminating to dancers of any level, from absolute beginner to seasoned pro.  He’s putting on this workshop in Los Angeles this coming Sunday, October 26, and I’m very excited about it.
  Since Karim’s shows are so entertaining and high-energy, I thought he’d be a terrific candidate for my “Dancers Backstage Rituals” series.  So here’s what he has to say about his show preparation, in his own words:
“ I shine my boots. I iron my galabaya. I tape my assaya. I test my drum microphone. I stretch my legs and arms. I wrap the kufiya. I close the phone two hours prior. I recite the Quran's Surat al-Falak. I chose which sagat goes on which finger. ‎I do one hundred jumping jacks. I eat nothing for four  hours before. I watch most of the acts before me, to get an impression of the evening's overall message. I choose a belt buckle. “
  I think he left  out one teensy thing though… the fact that he loves what he does so much, it can’t help but shine through in his performances!

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   SUNDAY OCT. 26, 2014: LOS ANGELES KARIM TEACHES MUSIC RAQS:  4 HOUR WORKSHOP ON ARABIC MUSICAL LITERACY FOR DANCERSThird Street Studio: 8558 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles California $50 before October 24: or $60 cash at the door  Info  & registration here: http://www.karimnagi.com/musicraqs/

VISIT KARIM’S WEBSITE HERE: http://www.karimnagi.com/


DOWNLOAD “HEART FULL OF CAIRO” HERE:http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Cairo-feat-Pleasant-Gehman/dp/B00BN074PU

MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK

Photo  & graphics by Maharet Hughes


  Happy  Raq-tober, and Happy Halloween Season!  This next post has become a  seasonal classic ... I wrote this in October 2010, but of course, it still applies!

If you are like me- and if you’re reading this, I’m relatively sure you are- you're already aware that this is the time of year when everyone you know hits you up about borrowing or even renting your stage costumes.
 Call me selfish, call me witchy, or just call me a “Hallo-weenie”… but I NEVER lend my costumes out for Halloween (or  for Burning Man, or any other event for that matter) unless I already know it’s something that could be replaced, or is an item  I could easily part with.
The stage costumes I own, not to mention my crazy collection of circus outfits, pirate hats, robot suits, saloon girl headdresses, feather fans, vintage corsets, kitty ears, rhinestone studded masquerade masks, wigs, super-hero boots, vampire capes, real and fake fur coats- need I go on? - are the "tricks of my trade", not a treat for someone who won't respect them. 
They took a long time and a lot of money for me to collect, not to mention the cost of  maintaining them.
My costume collection could probably have it’s own episode on the show “Hoarders”, but there’s a reason I have all this stuff around: it’s my livelihood! 
These pieces are my tools, my office supplies, and my working uniform... and in most cases, very expensive. But whether it’s an Egyptian  belly dance costume I paid $700.00 for, a vintage  burlesque outfit  or pair of  old character shoes  that I embellished myself, they are professional accoutrements that I can’t do my job properly without.

Oh, I used to be very generous about lending out costumes and costume pieces for non-dancers to use at Halloween parties, but it always ended badly.
Things would come back to me (usually months later) ripped, stained, with burn-holes from cigarettes or wax from candles, or just covered in cheap drugstore make-up or greasepaint from  Halloween Headquarters or The Spirit Store. And some things never came back at all!
Would you lend someone your laptop if you knew they were going to use it-and maybe accidentally leave it- at a club? Would you let a friend borrow an expensive camera to bring to a party where all the guests were going to be falling-down drunk? I thought not!
I think the reason most “civilians” want to borrow costumes is simply because they want to look good… and they also have nothing but the best intentions in borrowing these things.
  But the average person doesn’t realize that for their seasonal party-needs, a $30.00 costume from the toy store would be fine.
Want some help with your Halloween make-up? I’d be happy to assist you.
But don’t even think about asking to borrow my costumes… cause you’ll have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands!

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  Get  a signed  copy  of  my books  The Belly Dance Handbook   and Showgirl Confidential here :  http://www.princessfarhana.com/shop.htm