Veil Basics
Below you will find some basic tips and tricks for using veils in belly dance.
Holding a Veil
You should hold the veil however it feels most comfortable for you. Below are two common ways to hold the veil.
These two holds are the best because they allow your hands to look elegant yet hold the veil firmly so it won't slip out
of your hands.
Veil Hold 1 (two fingers)
To hold the veil first pick it up in both hands and hold the veil behind you.
Hold your arms straight out to the side and allow your hands to slide under
the veil. The veil should be fairly straight behind you, so it won't sag or droop
in the middle. Look at how much veil is left between your hands and the edge
of the veil. For most people this will be about a foot, make a mental note so
you can easily find this place again. Now starting with one hand hold the veil
according to the picture on your right. Hold the veil firmly between your
thumb and palm. Wrap the veil around the front of your pointer and middle
finger. Pull the rest of the veil end around behind your ring and pinky fingers.
The veil can now be held firmly but elegantly.
Veil Hold 2 (one finger)
To hold the veil first pick it up in both hands and hold the veil behind you.
Hold your arms straight out to the side and allow your hands to slide under
the veil. The veil should be fairly straight behind you, so it won't sag or droop
in the middle. Look at how much veil is left between your hands and the edge
of the veil. For most people this will be about a foot, make a mental note so
you can easily find this place again. Now starting with one hand hold the veil
according to the picture on your right. Hold the veil firmly between your
thumb and palm. Wrap the veil around the front of your pointer finger. Pull
the rest of the veil end around behind your middle, ring, and pinky fingers.
The veil can now be held firmly but elegantly. Although this is not quite as firm of a hold as the first it still
will work about the same. Additionally, this particular hold works well for holding your veil and zills at the
Recovering a Veil after it's slipped out of your hand
No matter how hard you practice, no matter how seasoned a dancer you are, there is always going to be a point when
you accidentally lose your veil. That doesn't need to be a big deal though. If it happens don't stop dancing, don't look
at it with horror, simply make it part of your dance. You can throw it off to the side and continue dancing. You can
grab the edge by your other hand and pull it back up by sliding it through your fingers (this would be a great time to
hold it over your face letting your eyes peek out and maybe do a head slide or two). Or you could even do a large hip
circle and bend forward to discreetly pick it up. If your drop it mid spin the veil will continue to fly out to the side and
you can usually just reach out and grab it or continue on holding it in just one hand. Use your imagination and
remember the trick is to make it look as thought that's what you had planed all along so just improvise.
Weighted VS. Un-weighted
Everyone has a preference as to what type of veil their going to use some prefer weighted veils, which are the veils
with a fairly heavy sequin and bead trim, and some prefer the un-weighted veils which have little to no trim. Both are
good choices for different reasons. Un-weighted veils are easier to swing around slowly because they require less
force and float in the air. They also have a softer more willowy look to them. However, they are harder to use in fast
pieces because, when you need to move them quickly or throw them they have no weight to help them move.
Weighted veils are easier to use for fast pieces in which the veil is thrown or swung around quickly because the weight
helps to pull it around. But they require more force to do so, which can cause it to be more difficult when trying to
look elegant and soft. Both have their pros and cons but neither is better than the other.
Play around with them and see which you like better.
Rectangular VS. Circular
Everyone has a preference as to what type of veil their going to use some prefer to use circular some prefer to use
rectangular and some like me prefer one or the other depending on the circumstances. Circular veils are great for
pieces which use a lot of turning because they make the turns look more circular and fluid. They also in my opinion
are better for restaurants (especially ones where the tables are close to the stage or dancing area) because you don't
have to worry as much about the ends thwacking your audience. Rectangular veils are better for large spaces where
the ends are free to move wherever. They also work better for doing some of the moves like a teardrop, because the
ends follow along and accentuate the move. Both are equally good and can be used in the same way, but you should
play around with them and the different moves and try to determine for yourself what moves work best with which
veil.
Double Veil
Double veil is a specialty style that essentially uses the same movement vocabulary as a single veil dance but is done
with two veils at the same time. With the double veil you usually use two of the same type of veil. Usually the are
circular but rectangular veils can be used as well. Usually a double veil segment starts with both veils held together as
if they were one often looking as if the veil is dual colored (ie one side is say gold while the other is silver). From here
the dancer can utilize any of the traditional single veil movements. At some point the dancer must separate the veils.
This can be done by dropping opposite ends (often just before or during a spin) in which you would for example, drop
the gold veil from the right but hold onto the silver and drop the silver from the left but hold onto the gold. Or you can
hold both veils in one hand and then, usually mid-spin, bring your free hand over to the other and simply grab one veil
and separate. Another common thing to do with double veil is to end up with one veil in front and the other veil
behind you. Holding both veils behind you bring one arm around as if your doing a basic circle and when your at the
side slip your hand through the middle of the veils and when you pull it round you can then manuver yourself into the
middle. It takes some getting used to to be able to do fast but once you get it it will seem so easy. Practice slowly at
first then speed it up and then try doing it for example while spinning. One of the most common and impressive
double veil movements is the airplane (also called a barrel) spin in which there is one veil in each hand,
