Costume/prop induced performance mishaps...

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
The costume thread with the "cool but dangerous chain" got me to thinking...

What about performance mishaps caused by costuming or props? We've all had a few, let's share!

My favorite among many - I was doing a Sa'idi cane dance once upon a time where I was wearing one of those super long fringe/string skirts. Twirl the cane, smack the floor, rear foot comes up. Toes get majorly tangled in the strings. Hop around on one foot dis-entangling myself. Just on the off chance that someone in the audience missed this wondrous display of skill and grace, I did it again a couple of minutes later facing the other way with the other foot! I haven't worn one of those infernal string belts since then!
 

Shanazel

Moderator
I stepped on my veil, slipped, and fell flat on my dear little butt during a class demonstration several years ago. I claimed I was demonstrating what not to do, but my class didn't go for that explanation. (Why are they called "props" if they trip you up?:confused:)
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
I stepped on my veil, slipped, and fell flat on my dear little butt during a class demonstration several years ago. I claimed I was demonstrating what not to do, but my class didn't go for that explanation. (Why are they called "props" if they trip you up?:confused:)

Don't feel bad - my teacher had called a break just after explaining to the class about how dangerous a veil can be if it (or part of it) is on the floor. I had turned around to talk to "Rosie" who was behind me, when a very loud WHUMP!! occurred behind me. It was my teacher, she had managed to slip on her veil somehow. She was OK, but I know she didn't intend that particular demonstration. That's why I emphasize veil safety in my one-and-only veil workshop I occasionally teach. When you discard your veil in performance, get the &^$%&^*#$ away from it and STAY away from it (unless your name is Adore')! If you dance too close to that discarded veil, your audience will stop watching your dance and watch your veil instead - they instinctively know the danger. I've seen it (audiences watching the veil-on-the-floor) many times...
 
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Daimona

Moderator
What a funny topic. Slipping on veil is a classic mishap.
I've slipped on somebody else's discarded veil on stage, but never on my own during performances.

A couple of my costume mishaps:
  • Halter neck bra strap failure during performance in a restaurant. I kept on dancing while I tried to explain to the only female waiter to please try to fasten it. She did not understand and thought it was going to be like this. I finished the dance holding the halter neck strap behind my neck. Not sure if the audience understood what was going on.
  • Bra not properly adjusted to my body (one size do NOT fit all) and dancing causing boobs to peak out during a group number (thank God nobody else noticeyd as I managed to put them back on place before any damage was done).
  • The classic hip belt knot/belt hooks loosened up and the belt dropped to floor happened a couple of times, but no big deal. Just keep on dancing, sometimes just making a point out of it and put it back on.
  • A good one was loosing my wig in a comedy piece during a forward bend. It sort of fit in and the audience had a great laugh of it.

My favourite costume mishap was when I lost my skirt during a spin while I was dancing with double veils. From the video it sort of look like part of the choreography as I was properly dressed under the skirt (so no big deal). When I realized what had happened I stepped gracefully (at least in my mind) out of it and continued as if nothing had happened.
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
What a funny topic. Slipping on veil is a classic mishap.
I've slipped on somebody else's discarded veil on stage, but never on my own during performances.

A couple of my costume mishaps:
  • Halter neck bra strap failure during performance in a restaurant. I kept on dancing while I tried to explain to the only female waiter to please try to fasten it. She did not understand and thought it was going to be like this. I finished the dance holding the halter neck strap behind my neck. Not sure if the audience understood what was going on.
  • Bra not properly adjusted to my body (one size do NOT fit all) and dancing causing boobs to peak out during a group number (thank God nobody else noticeyd as I managed to put them back on place before any damage was done).
  • The classic hip belt knot/belt hooks loosened up and the belt dropped to floor happened a couple of times, but no big deal. Just keep on dancing, sometimes just making a point out of it and put it back on.
  • A good one was loosing my wig in a comedy piece during a forward bend. It sort of fit in and the audience had a great laugh of it.

My favourite costume mishap was when I lost my skirt during a spin while I was dancing with double veils. From the video it sort of look like part of the choreography as I was properly dressed under the skirt (so no big deal). When I realized what had happened I stepped gracefully (at least in my mind) out of it and continued as if nothing had happened.

Goddess knows we've all seen enough accidents with bras! One of the few hazards I don't have to worry about.

When a dancer suddenly streaks off stage, you know what just happened. I once had a large (make that HUGE) tassel belt virtually explode off of me in a big stage show with a folkloric troupe I'm in. Never saw anything like it! Fortunately, it was at the end of our first of three dances - I scooped up the errant belt and exited the stage, let my dance sisters do the second piece without me and rejoined them for the third. As the belt had once belonged to a deceased troupe member who had had QUITE the sense of humor, the troupe leader is convinced to this day that said deceased troupe member had something to do with this as the number of hooks and snaps on this thing is very impressive - there should have been NO WAY for this to happen! I think my troupe leader is right...

I haven't had huge problems with skirts (which means I'm overdue for one), but have shimmied all kinds of other stuff off - including the above tassel belt.
 
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Daimona

Moderator
When a dancer suddenly streaks off stage, you know what just happened. I once had a large (make that HUGE) tassel belt virtually explode off of me in a big stage show with a folkloric troupe I'm in. Never saw anything like it!

One of those epice costume/prop mishaps in other words. :lol:

I haven't had huge problems with skirts (which means I'm overdue for one), but have shimmied all kinds of other stuff off - including the above tassel belt.

Another thing about my "skirt drop" (it was caused by bad hooks and eyes and useless elastics) which was kind of funny as the last thing I said to someone before I entered the stage was "something always happen with my costume when I'm on stage, but I never know what it is despite all my efforts to prevent mishaps." Another nice detail was that my belt stayed on! :lol:


And of course stepping on a skirt which either leads to it falling off or tearing the fabric may also happen.
 

Shanazel

Moderator
I've slipped on somebody else's discarded veil on stage, but never on my own during performances.

Not only was it my own veil, but I was still holding it!

Once upon a time, a very, very buxom dancer on stage had a hook failure on her bra. She didn't even blink; simply crossed one arm across her chest, danced toward the wings where we scrabbled to find a pin, whispered, "Pin me up!", then danced back on stage without missing a beat. Best recovery from costume failure that I ever saw.
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
My wife and I were audience at a performance - it was kind of a weird situation where we were actually seated behind the dancers. One gal in a troupe started showing some "crack" - my wife and I were the only ones who could see it. I assume/hope that the front was still ok. Fortunately, things didn't get any worse, and when they turned sideways to dance off at the end of their set, this gal simply laid a hand over the area in question and away she went! Good thinking on her part.
 

Shems

New member
hmm...

There was that one time my bra hook popped right at the dramatic moment in my set where I bent forward then tossed my hair dramatically as I stood up for a grand ta-da! And that was the day I had decided to put an extra pin in my bra and a precautionary measure. It turns out the hook was fine, but the pin had somehow managed to pull the hook open, then the pin failed! I tried to fix it quickly while I continued to dance, got a call to "take it off!" in the process, (yes sir you are very clever, everyone thinks you are hilarious), but it wasn't cooperating and I had to go back into the dressing room and get lectured by the manager while she pinned me back in. I was so traumatized I never performed in that costume again.

There was this other time when I was working at a nice lil' Turkish restaurant when one of the staff, who apparently really liked me decided to make a big fancy multi-candle structure out of a pineapple or other such non-sense and place it on a dividing barrier in this narrow section in the restaurant I'd have to dance through. He was gleaming as he told me it was just for me, so I didn't have the heart to tell him to move it. I really thought I could deftly avoid it. I thought wrong. I lost one my best veils that night. :(
 

Suzanne Azhaar

Active member
Bra tops are my nemesis. Borrowed a fabulous set from a girlfriend (short notice, no time to drive home and pick up my own). Front closure popped at wrong moment, swiftly turned back toward audience. Realize, no quick fix, did a sweeping bow and off stage. (Eeks!)

Second time, dancing at restaurant, long tables of corporate representatives. Thread gave on hooks. Elbows came down so fast bra didn't have time to shift. Graceful bow, exit to ladies room. Fast costume change. Return before next song begins. One lady said, "You're good." Meaning 'no one else at the table noticed what had happened'. :)

Something is bound to happen..... (keeps a dancer on their toes).
 

Aniseteph

New member
The worst I ever saw - descending skirt slowly revealing quite a lot of white knicker while dancer was busy with Isis wings. I think the whole audience felt for her, all the more so if she'd realised what was happening because it was practically impossible to do a sneaky fix with those wings. It wouldn't have been half as bad if the underwear hadn't been so white and sensible and everyday.

I can't think of any performance crises I've had apart from swiping hair flowers off myself on a regular basis. I've had near misses with harem pants several times though; my toes get caught in the fabric of the opposite leg.

Duet/ group cane in a small space? Consider your risk of locking hooks, it looks really silly, especially as you have to get over the "I can't believe that just happened" stage before trying to disentangle.
 

Shems

New member
Oh my gosh, you just reminded me of the time my harem pants elastic failed and those darn pants dropped down around my ankles at a performance at a party. It was under my skirt so I was able to shuffle off and kick them off in a side room quickly and return. Most folks didn't even notice, which I find ultimately surprising, people don't notice all kinds of things.
 

Asra*

New member
One time, as a baby dancer, I was wearing a very jingly anklet with bells on it. I did a level change kneeling on one leg, and when I tried to come up the anklet had gotten tangled in some part of my hip belt, so I couldn't stand up! This was during a group piece, so of course I was on one knee flailing about while the rest of the group was on to the next part of the dance. No more jingly anklets for me.

I have had a bra pop open twice in my dance career. Back hook both times. The first time I was a newbie, possibly to be forgiven for only having one hook instead of two on my bra. I felt it pop, elbows came down. Mid-set, my instinct was to seek help. I found an older lady who looked friendly and whispered "please help", knelt in front of her while doing snake arms and she hooked me back up. What an angel. For the rest of the set, I made a joke of it every time I danced near her.

I learned an important lesson from that: ALWAYS have two sets of hooks on a bra. Years later, I ignored my own advice and performed at a friend's party in a new bedlah that I hadn't fully altered. (I've practised in it, it'll be fine). It was not fine. Bra popped open, elbows came down. My friend hooked me back up and we still joke about it to this day.

All joking aside, I'm not proud of it - especially the second time when I knew better :(
 

Zorba

"The Veiled Male"
Two dance sisters got locked together at the hip when their respective hip belts got interlocked. We were doing a hip-to-hip in a line type of troupe number. When it came time to turn, the two locked dancers turned as a unit. One of them was our instructor
 

Asra*

New member
Here's a legendary one among my dance friends. I was on the stage when it happened but not part of the mishap myself:

Cane dance for six. Dancers lined up in two rows on stage from front to back like dots on a die, 3 and 3. Cane twirling overhead (like a helicopter), middle dancer in the stage right line a bit off on her timing. Front dancer's cane hooks the crook of the middle dancer's cane, twirls her cane all the way around, and the middle dancer catches her cane again as it comes around the back!

Luckiest prop malfunction ever. Not for a million dollars could you have choreographed it.
 
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