Recently, the former editor, Sula, received a letter which contained the following remarks:
"I think your costumes are not the type which I could use, and I would be embarrassed to show them to my students. I’m not a prude, by any means, but if I wanted to see weird costumes, or very abbreviated costumes, I could go to a local burlesque house. How about something "AUTHENTIC?"
Najia answers:
Your letter raises several issues in my mind, the first of which can be cleared away easily by asking you if you said what you really intended. The tone of you comment leads me to believe that you, and you are not alone, have confused the term authentic with ethnic. Is ethnic costuming always authentic? Not necessarily! If we take you at your written word, then I have to insist that Sula’s costumes ARE authentic! They are as close to current trends in the Middle East today as one could hope for with the obvious exception of the nude-color fishnet body-stocking usually omitted here.
However, Sula’s Super-star Originals are not ethnic as I think you may mean. Please forgive if I have made the wrong assumption. The Tribal Look as it is used in the United States today is unheard of currently in the Mid-East and would be considered lowly and laughable-especially when done by an American dancer. Coin costumes are an "Americanism" which does not imply bad, just not representative of current performers in the Middle East.
Your comment about the burlesque house interests me. If you had ever carefully and thoughtfully examined photographs of early day burlesque stars or read a history of such, you might have become aware of just who is copying whom. In the early days of Western show biz, the Oriental dancer was the most risque and exotic performer available. Remember, we are talking about Victorian times. Western performers put together their version of the hareem dancer costume. Since then we have had a ping pong effect influencing each other, West to East and back again. So you are correct in your observation of the present, but remiss in your understanding of the past.
Finally, not all human figures are meant for the modern cabaret costume--costuming, like make-up, is individualistic. It is my hope the in the future we can offer ideas for a more ethnic looking costume which would still be considered professional looking by agents and other employers, for an unemployed dancer is a sad waste to talent and training. The truth of it is, you may never get the public recognition of your dancing prowess if you are not hired in the first place. There is not much of a market for pseudo-ethnics. If I seem to suggest compromise, the we understand each other.
Signed, Najia Marlyz
Najia's update to this article