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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.
DANCING WITH TWO LEFT FEET |
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I was wondering about a common piece of folk dance attire that disappeared from the folk dance scene. It is the belt.
In the past, no self-respecting folk dancer would be caught dead dancing without the extra loose belt dangling over the T-shirt. Not having the belt relegated you to the end of the line or worse, to the no–belt line. The person who showed up most times without the belt was automatically eligible for the "No-belt Prize."
So why the belt?
It is not really a part of the attire; it is part of the dance. It is a connection between the dancers. The dancers on each side of you connect through your belt and make the whole line one common moving unit.
The etiquette of belt requires that the belt be made of sturdy leather with a good buckle. The belt should be turned so the buckle is in the back. It should not be too tight so as to stop the circulation of the dancers holding it. It should not be too loose, so that it slips down to your knees. The best way to adjust your belt for comfortable dancing is the place your fist on your belly and adjust the belt for that space. And most important of all, the dancers on each side of you should hold the belt toward the middle of your belly with the hands almost touching. Holding the belt at your hips will totally defeat the purpose of the belt.
I recall my wife going to the store to buy the proper belt. The sales lady indicated that the one she chose was too loose for her. My wife explained, "Oh, but it is okay for folk dancing." "What is folk dancing?" the lady inquired. "Well, we do Balkan dancing where we hold each other's belts," my wife said. Eyes rolling, the sales lady said, "Oh!"
Anyhow, let's see if we can resurrect this important part of the Balkan dances. Let's bring our old belts out out of the mothballs and wear them for the next Bulgarian dance.
I guarantee that you will enjoy the dances more if you follow my belt etiquette recipe.
Printed in Folk Dance Scene, "DANCING WITH TWO LEFT FEET (16), August 2006.