Time to Set a Stage . . .

Here it is – the first show YOU are helping to put on!  You may be a teacher, part of a troupe, or just hosting an event for the first time.  And, just as you may fret over what costume you should wear, you are probably fretting over what costume your STAGE should wear!  After all, it may not be a “stage” at all.  If it is, you are lucky, because it has lighting (of some sort) and a back drop.

If it is not, you may be staring at a cinderblock wall and a gymnasium floor.

So, how to dress it up?

Regarding the gym floor, please resist the temptation to put down rugs, veils, etc.  Your dancers WILL slip.  It is dangerous.  Draw the eye up instead with a backdrop.  We’ll talk a little more about floor options later.

So, how do I make a backdrop?

•         EASY WAY: Drape veils behind the dancers, using whatever ledge, window, or trim you can.  Use pretty, but not valuable veils.  Secure with thumbtacks.

o   Pros: Fast, simple, reusable, no storage needed

o   Cons: veil damage, wall damage (Do check with your venue to ensure thumbtacks are OK!), sudden veil failure behind someone’s otherwise perfect performance . . .

• SLIGHTLY HARDER, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE: Use a portable clothing rack and your speakers.  Place the rack in between the speakers.  Drape pretty fabric over them to cover.  Use LOTS of safety pins to secure it in place. IF your fabric is NOT flammable, drape some Christmas lights behind for sparkle. 

o   Pros: Good for venues that do not allow thumbtacks.  Good if you have vending in the day, hafla at night.  (You were using that clothes rack to vend anyway, right?!?)

o   Cons: LOTS of safety pins, like 5 per yard.  LOTS of fabric.  Some storage needed.  And, time to assemble and disassemble.

•         REQUIRES PLANNING AHEAD AND COMMITMENT TO A VENUE: Removable, reusable backdrop based on your location.  When I was in a troupe, we held several events at the church I attended, which, while it had a good space, also had windows that distracted behind the dancers.  Cars’ lights would shine in, the sun would muck with the camera’s focus, etc.  So, I measured the windows (which conveniently had a ledge over the wall between the windows) and use some skills learned by ripping apart custom window treatments to make matching skirts for me and a friend [yes, we called them the Scarlet O’Hara skirts!) to make a very simple swag and drape backdrop. The vertical panels were wrapped over boards, which lay on the ledge.  A staple gun secured the fabric to the board.  (BTW, you should be thinking, “So THAT is what I do with those ten yards of [whatever] I bought [whenever] and didn’t make a costume from it!” Use that fabric for backdrops!)  Then, I used about 1.5 the length of the verticals to drape fabric in between as a swag, again stapling the ends.

o   Pros: Planning around your venue allows you to “solve” problems with it.  But, you have to both plan well and have the skills to build what you need.

o   Cons: Storage of backdrop between shows.  And, what if you never use that venue again???

•          PIPE AND DRAPE: The classic pipe and drape (best how-to I could find is here: http://www.smittenby.net/2012/04/06/1832/) is a theatrical staple.  You can build the frame and then reuse it time and again with different backdrop fabrics.

o   Pros: looks great, converts any space.

o   Cons: Requires measuring, cutting, thinking about parts.  And storage.  For the committed event producer or the completely insane (like me).

Now that you have a backdrop (and, stick with neutral colors, as too dark or too busy will drown out the dancer), you need to light the stage.  There are how-to’s for making stage lights; but, I found using a portable work light such as http://www.lowes.com/pd_394369-40642-UT-1002_0__?productId=3699586&Ntt=work+light&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dwork%2Blight&facetInfo= worked just fine.  You can even get ones on stands, for which your videographer will thank you.

•         Pros: Inexpensive, practical, and reusable around the house.
•      Cons: Any stage light will get HOT.  Keep away from costumes, spins, and children.  Bulbs do not last more than 5-8 hours and shatter when touched.

And, as a videographer, I can say that there is no challenge greater than an undefined dance space.  Dancers will go on safari after the one smile or cute kid in the audience, leaving the video full of the backs of heads and chairs.  How can you solve this?  Define the dance space by laying out some kind of frame – but, make it dancer friendly.  After seeing a few youtube videos with Christmas lights around the stage, I tried that.  A few dancers, including myself, came dangerously close to stepping on  the bulbs.  Plan B: back to Lowes, where I found the 8 foot long clear plastic tubes used to cover florescent bulbs. I got about 4 of them and wrangled them into the cart.  (This may be a good time to go measure your car and find out if you can get them in there, too.)  Then, I went to the plumbing section and got 2 right angle connectors that fit over the tubes (I think they were 2 inch) and one straight connector, same size.  Then, I went to a store that had the white rope lights on sale (I LOVE after Christmas sales) and got enough rope lights to fill the tubes.  Some snaking and cussing later, and I had a nice “frame” for my stage that shouldn’t hurt a dancer if she stepped on it.  Some dancers complained; but, some dancers will ALWAYS complain.  Oh, and I will spare you the lecture on electrical resistance by saying that if you are framing 3 sides of a stage like I did, plan on having the cord of the stage come out both sides, so the non-corded ends meet in the middle.  (This avoids having the lights get dimmer as you look from one side of the stage to the other.

•          Pros: Relatively easy, looks cool
•       Cons: Measure your car and the storage space.  Not recommended with stick shifts. ;)

Best of luck with your own events!

Bra Padding 101 (with bonus strap modification!)

I am a "petite" woman, which has nothing to do with my weight and EVERYTHING to do with my frame and proportions.  Translation: all my bras need padding and my straps will do everything in their power to try and slide off of my shoulders!

I thought I would share how I cope with these things, based on a few years of experience.

First, the bra padding.

There are many schools of bra padding methodology.  Each has their pros and cons.  I go for ease of adding and subtracting padding -- because when I decide I want to sell a costume, I want to RIP the padding out and get it sellable as fast as possible.  There, I said it: I am lazy.  I have elevated lazy to an art form.  (proud smile)

One key thing that you will have to figure out on your own is padding placement.  That is, in general, you need to either pad from the bottom (pushing flesh UP) or the side (pushing flesh IN).  I need the latter; this explanation works for dancers with that figure.

I buy bra pads whenever they go on sale, and I buy them in various shapes and sizes.  (Some bras need more, or differently shaped "oomph.")  This bra is a "classical" egyptian (slightly pointy, hard shell) cup seen here. The pad that provided the right lift was a tad too big.  So, I pushed it as deep into the cup that I could, saw that it fell over the armpit slightly (see #1) and then trimmed off the corner of the teardrop so that it would sit nicely in the cup.  (Do be careful if using gel filled pads, as you need to be sure not to nick the gel pouch with the scissors!  Big Mess ensues!)

After trimming the cup, the next step (#2) is to tack the pad first at the center where the cups meet, then (#3) where the strap falls.  Next, I sew along the curve of the cup, inside by about a 1/4 to 2/5 of an inch (#4).  This is so that the padding does not peek out of the cup -- if any gapping occurs when dancing, I want the liner to show, not the pad.  Now -- let's talk about color choices:  I use black pads for dark bras and lighter for lighter bras.  A gold bra gets a "nude" (beige) pad; a silver or white bra gets a white pad.  Red, orange, pink, blue -- those colors really need the pad to be tucked under the liner fabric.  But, if the pad is close to the color of the bra, then I sew it right over the liner to save time and reduce the risk of nicking the stitches that hold beads.  (Face it, the more surgery you do to a costume, the greater the risk of cutting THE WRONG THREAD.)  I also have started using contrasting thread so that I can be sure I am cutting the correct thread, and not the wrong one.  (See lazy comment, above.)  And, I use a heavy upholstery or button thread or dental floss to reduce the risk of getting severed when randomly safety-pinning other bits to the costume.  (In my case, "lazy" means putting some small effort in one place to reduce significant efforts elsewhere.)

After ensuring the top of the pad doesn't sneak out of the cup (#4), I start forcing the pad as deep into the cup as possible, tacking at the armpit (#5), then roughly the center bottom of the cup (#6).  This is a Push and sew technique -- the pad needs to be deep into the cup to keep from gapping and peeking out the bottom or the sides.  Since the sides and bottom band of this bra fit well, I didn't need to sew the cup the rest of the way.

Repeat on the other side.

More notes: you can either pad first, then fit the back, or fit the back and then pad.  For a better, more natural fit, I strongly, strongly recommend fitting the back first.  That is, get the bra to hook around the chest so that it does not gap and stays put (does not ride up, does not pop loose) FIRST, then pad.  Too much padding causes the bra to "stand away from" (gap) the body and may cause unexpected results (boob fallout, hook popping) in performance.  Fit the bra band first, then use less padding to fill.  Test the bra by wearing it and reaching up as if to hug a tall person.  If the back stays put, you have done your job right.  (The "hug test" is also how to test turkish vests, beledi dresses, and jackets, coats, etc.)  AFTER fitting the bra band and the cup pads, adjust the straps (or, measure straps if you are making your own costume).  this is the voice of experience . . .

BONUS:  strap fixes for the narrow shouldered!

"Petite" means I have no shoulders to speak of.  Posture correction exercises help; but, I can never keep a purse strap on a shoulder, bateau neck shirts fall off my shoulders, and bra straps always head south.  I have a LOT of cross strap, halter strap, and modified halter bras as a result.  This costume, though, came with "standard" straps with a epaulet design.  So, how to get the straps to stay . . .

You know those little ribbon or clear plastic loops they sew in clothes these days?  The ones that are designed to keep the slippery things on hangers?  They tend to be attached in the armpits on shirts, or near the waist on skirts.  I cut them off and save them.  For this!

Take one of these -- I don't know what to call them -- "annoying ribbon loop things" (ARLT's), preferably in clear plastic, and experiment with pinning it to the straps to test placement.  You want it to be high on the back, but not over the shoulders, preferably so it falls under long hair or the wig, and so that there is no slack but that it is not so taught as to rick popping or cutting into the skin.  Be sure it lays flat, not twisted.  Once placement is right, tack stitch it down.

I did this on my purple and silver costume.  A friend was standing RIGHT behind me and could NOT see it.  ;)

Enjoy!

Getting Your Act Together Means Being Able to Find Your Music!

Before, a forlorn CD bookshelf, shared with the family, and oveflowing with CD's of all types.  When I get ready for gigs, I stand there thinking, "Somewhere in there is my music.  Somewhere . . ."

After, oh, about 10 years of dancing, I have quite a few numbers I have performed.  For each, there is a single CD (labelled appropriately); but, the problem is that they were all mixed in with my "listening music."  I couldn't find them quickly.  And, when a show mandates that my music be LESS than a certain time limit, finding "just the right music" is daunting.

After, saved by a shoebox and some index cards.*  Fancy, eh?  All I did was put my music all in one spot.  They were already (mostly) in paper sleeves to ID them as show music.  A quick run through allowed me to put the ones in sleeves that were not all ready in them, sort them by duration (less than 3 minutes, less than 4 minutes, etc.)  AND, it allowed me to pull aside the ones that were actually (gasp!) ROUTINES!  Being retentive, I did put them in order of length, shortest to longest within each category.

And in front, you will find the little CD cases I made with a label on them to make transport more secure.

And yes, for all you geeks out there wondering about my sort by time method, I was, in fact, channeling this:

*Well, at least my performance music is saved.  The rest will require another day.  ;)

The Difference Between “Organized” and “Pretty”

Someday, people will begin to realize that the media distorts a healthy perspective of what it means to be “organized,” almost as badly as they distort what it means to be “healthy.”  There are entire industries around organization, who, in their attempt to turn a profit, convince you that you are NOT organized unless you buy their system, use their tools, and read their books and watch their shows.

When you don’t, for whatever reason, you may feel depressed.  That you are supposed to have things just so, photo spread ready, so that the infamous Martha Stewart looks upon your attempts and pronounces it a “Good Thing.”  (If she still does that any more.)

I had to come to my own little nirvana that says that it is NOT important if your boxes are all of the same manufacture and style, it is NOT important if they are labeled in Chancery Italic font, it DOES NOT matter if they are not the same color . . .

What matters is that you can find things, and that things have a place to go.

Let me reiterate that: The only way to declare you are organized is if you (and you are the one that matters) can find things when you need them.

When I cleaned up my craft space, I waited until I had given a LOT of thought about what was and wasn’t working for me in my “system” of finding things.  I had fabric in bins.  I had papers detailing what fabric was in each bin.  I had bins of yarn.  I had .  . . stuff everywhere.

So, after some thought, I realized how *I* thought of my fabric.  There were these few, simple categories:

• Fabric leftovers from costumes I had made
• Fabric that I knew exactly how I wanted to use in a future costume
•  Linings and filler fabrics
• Fabric that I wanted to keep, but I wasn’t exactly sure how to use
• Fabrics that I could part with

The first four types went into bins, each paired with a bin that fit the amount of fabric on hand.  (It did not matter that the color or style of bin make a theme, that is what labels are for!)  The last bit was turned into an excuse to meet up with friends, let them pick through what they wanted while we visited, and then the rest went to Goodwill.

The bins were unceremoniously moved to the unconditioned part of the attic, after being padded with silica gel packets.  I know some of you are crying out at that one, seeing as how I live in a region battered by two straight weeks of 100+ degree heat; but, you know, if the fabric suffers then it wouldn’t hold up on stage.  It was more important to be able to USE my sewing room to sew than to use if for storage.  So there. 

This theme continued.  I sort by how I think of things.

Little boxes hold groups of like items.

 Open baskets hold ribbons, vaguely organized by color.

Cabinets hold loose things that could spill out and over if not contained by doors. (Top shelf, patterns I made. Mid shelf, patterns I bought.  Bottom shelf, elastic on the left, bin of random in bags in the middle, Velcro on the right.)

Close up of the random bags, where each baggie holds trimmings that will be used in future projects.  There are bags of short bits of elastic, ribbon, cord, etc., all slightly sorted by light or dark color.

Having lived with this for a few weeks, it is working for me.  By that, I mean I spend a LOT more time sewing because a) I don’t have to fret about the piles surrounding me, b) I can find what I need to work on any given project, and c) I have learned a very important lesson about being organized:

You don’t need fancy, color-coordinated “systems” to be organized.  You only need two things:  1) permission to put things together the way you and only you think about them, 2) containers of any variety that group them.

Now, let’s sew something pretty, ok?

For My Mom, on Mother's Day

My Mother taught me to think,

To solve a problem and sew,

She taught me how to adjust a pattern

And specific techniques to know.

My Mother taught me to be resourceful,

And repurpose things I see,

Without my Mother to guide and inspire,

I, well, just wouldn’t be ME!

Happy Mother’s Day to the Practical Mother!

Using Passwords to Make Habits

Admittedly, this is not sewing related . . .

Say you are trying to work on an aspect of your dance like posture, expression, or attitude.  Say you need a way to practice this a lot, outside of the classroom.  One small but effective way you can practice this is to make a password based on the habit you want to cultivate and use it on an application / device that you access several times a day.

Need to keep your chest lifted?
Need to smile more?
Need to keep your shoulders back?
Need to remember that one #$%@!! combo that eludes you in a choreography?
Need to bead that pesky costume? (Ah, a sewing connection!)
Need to  . . . (you get the idea)

Try making a password that recalls that thing you are working on.  Construct it so that it complies with the  security standards of a good password (hard to guess, has special characters, capitalization, a number, etc.); but, so that it also helps to remind you to work on those small but significant changes that will make your dance better.  By the time you are forced to change your password, you will be ready to take on a new habit to cultivate.

I personally have a life that requires that I log in many, many times a day.  And, I have found that this one little technique helps turn a desire into a reinforced habit.

Now, of course, never SHARE the habit you are working on, until you have moved on to the next one, which will be your little secret.

An Art Teacher Wants Your Scraps

 . .  and your stash of beads and your leftover ribbon and your extra pieces of paper and your spare sequins and . . . well, things you might throw away.

In honor of Earth Day, and because school budgets, particularly ARTS budgets are dwindling due to the recession, I have to write this post.

My daughter's art teacher knows me by name.  We email often.  Why?  Because she takes things that would be my "trash" and turns them into ingredients for treasures her students can make.  I like this arrangement because I hate throwing things away.  I would rather recycle them.  She likes this arrangement because she gets inspiring goodies that her students can use, whether it's the FOUR bags of scraps that came from cleaning my craft room, or the plastic containers that used to hold lunchmeat and can now hold craft supplies.

Costs me nothing but a few minutes.  And, when I see some pieces come home as part of art pieces, it is so worth it!

Don't have a child?  You still have an art teacher, or two.  Call your neighborhood school, daycare, or other institution of learning.

Your trash CAN become someone else's treasure.

All packed up, and ready for an art class!

Making Big Projects Seem Smaller

A while back, I wrote about some of the things my day job taught me that I wanted to apply to my costume making. At work, we use the "backlog" system to help take big projects and rationalize what needs to be done when. So, I started applying that to my projects. I made a table that looks something like this:

1. I list up to three projects that I really want to finish in the first column. More than that and anyone would go mad!

2. For each project, I list what I need to do in very simple terms. Example:

a. choose bra cups

b. build side panels

c. build straps

d. cut covering fabric

e. apply covering fabric

f. embellish cups

g. embellish side panels

f. embellish straps

g. cut lining fabric

h. line

3. Then, for each one, I GUESS how much time each task will take to actually finish each step and get to a stopping point. Note it by the item. Let's assume this is a SIMPLE, non-beaded bra, where I will sew on a few pieces to embellish, and I am sewing base pieces by machine. Times are GUESSES only.

a. choose bra cups - 10 minutes

b. build side panels - 20 minutes

c. build straps - 10 minutes

d. cut covering fabric - 5 minutes

e. apply covering fabric - 45 minutes

f. embellish cups - 20 minutes

g. embellish side panels - 20 minutes

f. embellish straps - 15 minutes

g. cut lining fabric - 5 minutes

h. line - 45 minutes

4. Now, to use this, you and I both know that there are some things that are dependent on other tasks -- you know I can't line the thing until I have finished everything else. But, I could build the side panels before I choose the cups. So, now I can say, "I have 30 minutes to sew, which task can I finish in this time?" and then I pick something that I can do in that period that is not dependent on another task. And, I can see where i can do some of these tasks in different environments, like embellishing or other hand sewing while waiting in a doctor's office (done it!), riding along on a car trip (done it!), or watching TV with your beloved (done it!).

I like this method because it makes me feel like I have accomplished something, and it really helps me to sort through which things I need to get done by X date, allowing me to re-prioritize things that are or are not important. (Do I really need to use THAT beading pattern that takes forever?)

(modified from comments on bellydanceforums.net)