Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Frequently asked questions "What materials should I use in my hip belt? any suggestions?"

When asked to do custom orders I get this question frequently. "I want to have a custom hip hei (hip belt) done, Do you have any suggestions on what I should choose to have in it? I want it to be original."

The answer to this question will differ from one person to the next, But I will say this if you are dancing to a particular song and you know the songs meaning try to have your costume match it. For example: if you are dancing an aparima about the Ocean "Te Tai" you'd might want to embellish your costume with mother of pearl shells, dovetail shells, Nassa shells ,etc. Things representing the sea if you do not have access to these items choose ocean colors blues, greens and white.

If you are dancing an Otea and your hura tau or your group is going with a theme, For example "celebrating life" what items or colors do you think about when you imagine life? Now this will also differ from person to person so I'll give you my opinion on what items I would use if I used "celebrating life" as a theme for a costume. When I think about life I think of the land, trees, earth when choosing your costumes components I would use ti leafs, coconut leaves, real flowers, etc. The possibilities are endless.

As far as being original, If you like a design that's great take that design and make it your own. Switch thing's around use different materials experiment. Don't be afraid to try something new or different being original means thinking outside of the box, If your having trouble designing something and your stuck, Step away from your work, Take a walk, go to the beach, drive to get a snack to help you relax. Some of my best ideas come to me when I'm in my most relaxed state you'll find you'll never get any where if you just stress over it.

A good thing to remember is when your dancing your usually telling a story let your costume help you tell that story.

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