I have an old assistant who is a competitive Belly Dancer (I know what you're thinking and there really is such a thing!).

Anyway, her troupe leader has asked me to help her add some "magic" to her routine.

So, Guys and Gals, what ideas do you all have for stage magic you can do while wiggling your hips in a skimpy out-fit?

One obvious routine would be appearing cane (from silk), possibly followed by dancing cane.

Genii from a bottle:

Roll her out in the sword basket. Pull out the swords and she pops out of the basket. Let her dance. She gets back into the basket and you replace the swords and roll her off stage.

Bob
Magic By Sander

Peter's comment is actually right on the button -- in cabaret-style belly dancing (as opposed to ethnic style) there are a lot of dance moves with a cane. Incorporating a floating cane wwith an appearing or vanishing effect would fit right in.

If the cane vanishes into a silk, there are lots of potentials: maybe a silk fountain, or the color change, or the old "snap-out appearing silks" that C. Pollock used to do (I think it's in Clark's "Silks Supreme").

How the heck do I know all this? My other half Donna took belly dancing classes for a couple of years. I picked up quite a bit of trivia along the way.

Zombie might be good too: do it with an opaque silk scarf. Or, if she uses a coin skirt, the miser's dream would work.

Keep us posted!

Bob,

Thanks for the Sword Basket Idea. That sounds great for my show - but in her competition it's her solo dance and the troupe competition. I'm looking for more ideas for solo.

She does have a coin skirt, so I might be able to teach her some coin manipulations.

The Dancing Cane/Vanishing cane is a great idea. I have been using the Fantasio for about 15 years, and I just ordered the Precision model. After I see how it's made maybe we can re-theme it (paint it or add some rhinestones to it). I was also thinking of a two-ring Linking Rings routine for her.

Any more ideas out there? Keep in mind that it is a solo act.

I really appreciate the feed-back.

Fred

Okay, here's a couple of other thoughts. Belly dancing also incorporates some work with a sword (mostly balancing it on the head while dancing). Maybe a variation of the card sword, where she catches a bill tossed in the air, might work.

The other thing would be a take-off on the Dance of the Seven Veils from "Salome." She could hold a colored silk in front of her face like a veil, and then do a color change thru the hand while dancing, then hold up the changed silk.

Good luck.

You said she's an old assistant--you might perform the torn and restored Social Security Check.

Ha Ha! Not that old! She's only 38 (five years younger than me). She lives in California, and I'm in Illinois.

We arranges that I'm going to get the props she needs. And my nephew is going to video me showing her the routines followed by an explanation. Then I'm going to transfer the footage to DVD and ship that with the props to her. Then she can call me with any questions she has. Pretty cool arrangement, Huh?

These ideas are great! Please keep them coming. I want to set-her-up the best I can.

Thanks, everyone.

Fred

20th century silks, or blendo (probably Blendo would be better).
Ideally, a "battle of the dancers" between her and the dancing handkerchief.

She could use routine with a silk and kikuchi fire gimmicks, and flaming flash gun. These would be something she could introduce intermittently throughout the routine, and would not interfere with the dance moves.

The rings could be nice as well, but more difficult to learn.

Click here to view attached image.

Here's a funky one... Zombie with a brass genii lamp. Use a stick of incense inside the lamp. Maybe this can follow the blendo.

Actually, if you like the floating cane idea, buy one of those bamboo canes with the hooked top (which is what belly dancers use, as opposed to the black dress cane) and rig it as a floating cane. That way it's more in character with her and doesn't look like a magic prop.

D'Lite perhaps?

D'lites, good, silk stuff, productions... nothing you need to stop and pick up off a table. Don't stop the movement, rhythm, and don't OVER DO IT.

Pete has the best possible advice, above:

Don't overdo it.

And that means about 30 seconds AT THE MOST!

Anything longer for a trick -- dancing cane, d-lites, linking rings, etc. -- is going to seem like an eternity for the audience.

I used to be a skater... but that was BEFORE my real performing magic days... (over 50 years ago)!

Anyway, when a skater jumps in the air and rotates, I always thought it would be great when you landed to have two doves appear, one on each hand as you land and spread your arms.

ONLY one time... just at the finish of the skating.

I wonder if the Olympic Judges would take points away or add them for the "showmanship" category?

Try one of Bogunia's automated dancing hanks and program it in a way that ur assistant interacts with the silk. Also, the cane is appropriate as it is part of Belly dancing {I Live in the UAE}.

I picture those mini simbols they use in each hand leaving a trail of glitter as she dances. Kinda like Tinker Bell pixie dust. If the lighting was right could have a real magical look. While holding the simbols, squeeze bulbs could be held under the other fingers pumping out gold glitter as she dances and twirls. Or even a simple salt shaker type gimmik.

Linking Hula Hoops

My sister does belly dancing and she has worked some routines using the dlites. She is very subtle with them and does not overdo it.

An obvious suggestion would be effects with an Arabic root or appearance.

How about appearing from the Shadow Tent and continuing with the Belly Dance?