Fringe
Most belly
dancers know that fringe helps accent a great move. However what gets neglected is how different
fringe affects the accent. That is
right, different fringe acts differently.
When you stop to think about it this is a rather elementary point. Still, most dancers pick out fringe that will
look good with the costume before thinking about the actions expected of the
fringe. The actions of the fringe are
dictated by the length, materials, and placement of the fringe.
Length of fringe
dictates the action because the kinetic energy has to move down the
fringe. The longer it has to go the more
chance there is for resistance to the energy there by reducing the friction of
the materials used. This is why long
fringe skirts look great with spins but eat up almost any shimmy. Short fringe thinks all moves are big moves
as it does not take as much to get them moving.
The more force behind dance moves the longer fringe can be and still
serve its purpose.
Different material
move different ways. Chainette will give
very little resistance but also has little weight to throw around. Chunky beads have a lot of weight to throw
around but also have resistance.
Resistance can also be affected by how tightly strung fringe is. Fringe should be easily articulated around a
finger. If it cannot do this, it will
have too high a resistance to look good as fringe. All other fringe materials can be adjusted to
work for dance.
Placement of
fringe can also affect how it moves during dance. Take a straight glass beaded fringe for
instance. If placed it at the bottom of
the belt it will give a nice accent that most dancers like. If placed in angular strips in the body of
the belt, there is a much more noticeable accent because it is broken up and
uneven. By breaking up fringe or having
fringe that is uneven, the movement of the fringe is much more noticeable even
if there is not more energy going through it.
This is because there is contrast to the movement.
When using all
three of these factors, a costume can be made that will make even the smallest
movements noticeable. The belt I adore
the most was one my first teacher had.
It was simple on all accounts.
Made of black velvet, it had been machine stitched with black thread in
a diamond pattern. Cording edged the
fabric. The fringe was Chainette that
was sewn in tight groups of about 20 strands 3 inches apart, if memory serves. The fringe came down to mid-thigh even though
it was sewn in the middle of the belt.
That long thick fringe would move with every shimmy and hip drop. A good spin might have left a welt on anyone
too close.
Now for using
this information, how one dances and how one wants to be perceived as dancing
must be taken into account. Those with
smaller movement ranges that want them to be seen as bigger need; short to
medium length, medium resistance, and broken up placement. Those with large movements that want them to
be seen as smaller need; medium to long fringe, high resistance, and solid
placement.
