A Newsletter dedicated to costume for Middle Eastern Dance, Danse Orientale, Raks Sharki, and Belly Dance.
 Photo of Davina by Denis Way


Spring 2002
Q & A - General Research Questions

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Spring 2002

 

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Q & A - Research Questions

Way back in October, I received a long e-mail missive from a young lady who was working on a college research paper on belly dance costuming for a fashion design course. While she asked many questions, here are the three that stood out.

How did you conduct your research for your books?

Can you recommend some resources for in depth design research?

What periodicals do you recommend?

These are the sort of general questions that were responsible for my on-line bibliography. There are even more sources in my books that target specific issues in more depth. This list of books can be an excellent starting point for your own research pursuits.

My research began the moment I started dancing back in the early 80s. I drew pictures of my favorite costumes and kept informal sketchbooks filled with notes on color and design details. I went through a fashion design program, learned to draft patterns and French draping techniques. The fashion program trained my eyes to really see the embellishment details and to analyze the construction technique of the costumes I saw.

I went to festivals and really looked at what was on the tables, models and on stage. I bought every book I could find on the subject of belly dance and they were few and far between. The most valuable information, I found, appeared in magazines. I subscribed to many of them! The List this issue is devoted to current publications in the field. With the spread of the web, there are many print publications that have a ton of info on their sites.

While I was working on my BA in costume design and art history, I started performing more detailed research. For information on folkloric costuming I learned to hit the anthropology, geography and global history portions of the library. The art sections treated embroidery like art but in the anthropology sections, I found similar pieces being worn or displayed in tribal homes. I learned to be thorough and began to really search out the primary sources, the older books listed in bibliographies of newer publications. All of this practical experience prepared me well for the in depth research projects I faced in graduate school.

Here are a few tips for conducting research on dance related topics:

Ask specific questions ­ Don't hesitate to ask questions from industry leaders. Just make sure they aren't too broad. Be as specific and focussed as possible. Generalized questions will result in generalized responses that might not help you out very much. The more specific the question, the more likely the person will respond.

Read everything you can ­ As you pursue your questions, read everything on the subject. Each author has her own point-of-view and set of theories. Each author has an agenda. So the same facts, interpreted by three historians will sound totally different. There is more than one way to sew a skirt, so read everyone techniques before settling on one method.

Cast a wide net ­ Dance researchers need to move beyond the world of dance. Cultural history, pop-cultural studies, multi-cultural studies, woman's studies are all areas where there might be interesting information on our dance form. If you only look in dance publications, you will only get a small slice of the truly useful information out there.

Learn from the best ­ It is my belief that the best information is in the heads of our industry leaders. Most dancers don't have the time or inclination to publish articles or books on the subjects that are near and dear to their hearts. Instead, the knowledge of their life experiences is locked away inside. Take workshops. Ask questions and take notes when you have the opportunity.

Go to a variety of events ­ If you are studying design, attend festivals where you can see lots of costumes. If you are interested in dance history or technique, think about attending a dance intensive with performers who teach the style you are most interested in. Take an overseas tour with a knowledgeable leader. Just taking a class with a new teacher can provide new insights and techniques.