Hints and Tips for Veil Selection, Wear and Care
Dawn Devine ~ Davina • © January, 2007
Building a veil wardrobe is like building a good stock portfolio – it needs to be diverse and really work for you! One part costume – one part prop, a fun and inexpensive way to expand your costume wardrobe is to collect and use veils. Supple and soft, or crisp and fluttering, veils come in a variety of shapes, styles and fabrications. From simple rectangles of polyester chiffon to sumptuously dyed silks and those ornately edged georgette models from Egypt and Turkey, veils can range from exquisitely expensive to dirt-cheap. Below are a handful of useful tips for you to consider while designing, selecting, making or buying your next veil.
Build a Veil Wardrobe – Veils can spice up your wardrobe by adding color, texture and pattern in coordinating, matching or even clashing colors. Veils run the gamut from an inexpensive chiffon rectangle to mega-expensive models with loaded with sequins and beads. Building a mix-and-match wardrobe of skirts and veils that can coordinate with several bedlah expands your costume potential without breaking the bank.
Make Sets – Break Sets – The classic two-piece skirt and veil set can add a lot of drama to your wardrobe and extend the life and looks of your belah sets. Having one bra and belt and selection of matching skirts and veils can create the maximum number of looks for you to perform in. However, don’t be limited to just using the “matching veil” when selecting a skirt to wear. Consider each element as a separate garment and try mix-and-matching them to further extend your number of performable costume looks.
Take Classes in “Specialty Techiniques” – Double Veil, Isis Wings, Gypsy Shawl and the Melaya Leff, are a few specialty dance techniques that use veil, or veil-like garments as props. Although various styles come and go, be sure to study with an instructor or at least view an instructional or performance video for ideas on how to use, play and really work your prop. It also goes without saying, be sure to practice with your specialty prop. Your audience will adore you for not only looking fabulous – but dancing with skill, grace and style.
Conduct Regular Inspections – Unlike your costume, or “hard props” like swords and trays, veils are relatively fragile. Because they are dropped, pulled, twisted and flung during the course of performance, it’s important to take a good look at your veil at regular intervals to catch any rips, snags, runs or pulls before they become irreparable.
Keep It Clean –Veils, because of their unique properties and myriad techniques, require more frequent cleaning than some other parts of your wardrobe. If you dramatically toss your veil onto the floor, dance in a restaurant or wrap your veil around an audience member, then you have probably discovered that your veil gets dirty faster than any other part of your costume. Use the cleaning method that’s best for your veil and keep it clean and fresh.
Think before you Toss – No matter what style of dance you perform, if your veil is important to your performance technique, or matches a special costume, take extra care during your veil dismount. Don’t randomly toss your veil onto the floor or the nearest customer, but rather, plan on where you can set it where it will be safe and out of harms way. If you are a tosser or flinger, scope the performance space out before you performance and select a location to fling to. Floors, especially in restaurant environments, can be dirty. Customers may not treat your veil with the respect it deserves, and you don’t want your veil coming back reeking of alcohol, beer or worse. Stepping on your own veil is hard on the cloth and looks less than professional, and leaving it in the wrong part of the floor could be a disaster, especially if the veil is slippery.
Be Aware of Flame – Candles on tables, cigarettes in ashtrays, or even a fabulous flaming cheese can ignite a veil faster than you can say “Opa!” Be aware of your surroundings and if you see an open flame, control your veil in your safety as well as others.
Stay on Static Alert – A clinging veil can ruin a dramatic presentation, so take care to reduce or eliminate that static charge by taking pre-performance precautions. Many dancers pack a can of static reducing spray as part of their routine dance kit. Others pack a dryer sheet in their bag to help keep static down. A fine mist of water will add moisture to the air, and reduce the potential of static cling. While performers who prefer silk often will add a touch of hair conditioner to moisturize and thus reduce the risk of static charge.
Practice-Practice-Practice – Even if you are an experienced dancer, give each new veil a practice spin to test drive the flow and aerodynamics of your particular veil. Each veil will have it’s own unique properties, and to showcase them to your best advantage, prepare with a practice session.
Hints and Tips for the Veil is pulled from the content of Dawn Devine’s next book “Veils Unveiled” which will be Unveiled in April. For more information about this new publication and other books by Dawn Devine, visit her website http://www.davina.us
