A Veiled question :-D

[Chantal]

Hi,

I am vertically challendged individual, 5"1(1.54cm) tall. I have a veil which I feel might be too big for me, when i hold it in front of me it takes me from the shoulders to just above my ankles. I have asked my teacher if my veil's width should not be adjusted and she said that i am not working the veil properly, i.e. I am not letting the air catch the veil.

So i just wanted to check if one veil does fit all? Or is there different widths to accomodate your height?

 

[alosha]

I think when you are first learning, you should be using a veil that is smaller. After much practice and experience the size of the veil won't matter so much, but in the beginning to get the techniques down a smaller veil will probably work better for you. That's why I offer many different widths of veils, to accommodate different sized dancers.

 

[shiradotnet]

I tell my students that those who are 5'6" or taller should use veils that are 3 yards, with a width of either 45 or 54 inches. I say that those who are shorter than that should use veils that are 2 1/2 yards, with a width of either 36 or 45 inches.

Of course, those guidelines apply to students who are brand-new to dancing with veils. I agree with Alosha that a dancer who is more experienced in using veils should be capable of handling larger ones.

 

[Eshta]

I didn't feel comfortable with a veil until I purchased a narrow silk one - by narrow I mean when I hold my arms out with the veil, it just covers my butt. Lengthwise, it is pretty standard. After I got comfy with that I was able to use 'grown up' size ones. I strongly recommend it!

 

[Seshat]

I find the semicircle veils better. I was standing on the full size rectangle ones.

 

[alosha]

That's a really good tip Seshat!

 

[Eshta]

I find the semicircle veils better. I was standing on the full size rectangle ones.

True, although if you drop it you need to make sure you pick it up from the right side...!

Much prefer semicircular though!

 

[Chantal]

That is a good idea using a semi circular veil, i find it so fustrating when i end up stepping on the corners of my rectangular veil in the middle of a choreography

Using a semi circular should solve that...and i could put trimming on the straight edge so that it will make it easier to pick up the right side.

I am also going to shorten the width on my rectangular silk veil until i graduate to the 'grown up' veil.

Thanks

 

[Tezirah]

I am 5'2 and I have had the same problem with standard veils. I recently bought one which is 2.25 metres long and 1 metre wide and it is perfect. Before that I was using semi-circular silk ones, which do look pretty and float beautifully but they are a nightmare to pick up again if you have put them down/draped them round your neck etc. My only complaint about the new georgette one is that it creases so easily (just folding it up and putting in dance bag will have it looking like an elephant trampled it) so I'm hopefully going to get some silk ones made to my size specifications.

 

[alosha]

I think part of the floor problem would be solved by going with a shorter veil, so the ends don't drape so much... Same benefit of the semi-circle without the issues of finding the edge.

 

[Daimona]

I use this rule of thumb when buying georgette/chiffon for my rectangular veils:
Width/height: Somewhere between 0.9 m and 1.3 m wide.
Length: App. 30-40 cm more than your height.

The veil should also be wide enough to cover the butt, i.e. the distance from the top of your shoulders to the bottom of your butt. If the veil is wider than the distance from the top of your shoulders to below your knees, it would be more difficult to dance with for an inexperienced dancer.

Tips: If the fabric is 1.5m wide, cutting off app. 40 cm would give a nice piece for a matching scarf to tie around your hips or your hair. I've even decorated some of these scarfs with beads to match some of my costumes.

When the veil is app. 30-40 cm longer than your height (or distance between your fingertips), it is still easy to work with without stepping on the corners.

Edit: Your height + 30-40 cm is ok for your standard Egyptian veil work, but this may be too short if you are doing American style cabaret wrapping yourself in the veils etc. Then I'd say add at least 1 m to your height.