What About Performing in Shoes?

Note: In "Dear Shira", city names and other details are changed to protect the privacy of the people involved.

Dear Shira,

I have been dancing for almost five years. I recently got a wonderful job traveling with a Middle Eastern band. I did my first Lebanese wedding reception last week and a few of the women asked me where my shoes were! I have seen many dancers wear them, usually character shoes. I have observed Eastern dancers even wear almost ridiculously high heels that almost seem to be an exotic dancers shoe. I love dancing in my bare feet and prefer it. I don't know if Hermes sandals would compliment a cabaret costume or setting. What is expected, or the norm at gatherings such as this?

--Content to Be Barefoot

Dear Barefoot,

Most Oriental dance artists from some parts of the Middle East do indeed wear high heels to perform, and therefore some ethnic audiences expect high heels. The Levant, which encompasses the countries (including Lebanon) on the eastern end of the Mediterranean sea, is one such area. So I'm not surprised the Lebanese women asked you about your barefoot status!

Why Do People from the Levant Expect Shoes?

According to Morocco, who is one of the world's leading authorities on the ethnic and historical aspects of dance forms from the Middle East and North Africa, Lebanese dancers wear very high heels because of Nadia Gamal. Nadia was the earliest Lebanese dancer to achieve fame, and even today she is honored as being a leader in developing the Lebanese style of Oriental dance. Nadia was extremely short, and wore very, very high heels in her shows to give herself added height and stage presence. Other dancers throughout the Levant imitated her because of her importance as a pioneer in their art form.

So, I would recommend that when you perform for a Levantine audience, it would be a good idea to wear shoes because that's what the dancers from their own countries do. If you perform barefoot for this audience, it won't quite fit in, just as wearing a Tribal-style costume with a belt of camel tassels wouldn't quite fit in for such an audience.

What About Other Places?

Photos from the Middle East in the 1800's show mostly barefoot dancers. However, in the early 20th century it became fashionable for many dancers in the Middle East to perform wearing shoes because they wanted to demonstrate that they had enough money to be able to afford them.

Egyptians have somewhat different expectations. According to Morocco, many of the star Egyptian Oriental-style dancers in the better clubs still perform barefoot, but they have beautifully pedicured feet, polished toes, and decorative ankle bands. They might come out for their entrance wearing high heels, then slip them off once their dance gets fully underway. Ghawazi in the Luxor/ Quena / Esna area always wore shoes when they danced.

Morocco reports that dancers in the Maghreb (Morocco and surrounding area) are likely to perform either barefoot or wearing flats.

When I was in Turkey in July of 2000, nearly every dancer I saw was wearing platform shoes with high heels. You can see the pictures I took of 15 different Oriental dance performances at:

The photo to the right shows a duet in high heels that I saw at Gar Gazinosu (an Istanbul nightclub). More pictures of them appear in Scenes from Turkey: Oriental Dance, Part 2.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Julie Elliot, Sunnyvale, California, 2000.

So What Should You Do?

Use your best judgment. Consider who your audience is and where you'll be dancing, and plan accordingly.

If you'll be dancing outdoors on the lawn at someone's back yard party, high heels on the lumpy surface of a lawn could put you at risk of a twisted ankle! Still, I'd encourage you to wear flats than go barefoot because you really don't know whether that grass might be hiding rusty old nails, still-lit cigarette butts, or broken glass. Or, you might be expected to dance on a concrete surface which painfully could tear up the soles of your feet. A wooden indoor stage could also harbor the menaces I mentioned above, as well as splinters. I've also noticed that if I try to spin when barefoot, my foot might stick to the floor and torque my knee whereas a suitable shoe may pivot more readily. One of my friends once had to go to the emergency room after a performance because a glass bead from another dancer's costume worked its way into her big toe while she was dancing barefoot.

Why risk unnecessary injury? Even if you like the look of bare feet, shoes offer you a certain protection.

What do your feet look like? Are they smooth and attractive, or are they marred by ugly corns and callouses? Are your toenails clean and neatly trimmed, or do they have dirt under the tips? Will you be performing floor work, allowing the audience to see your filthy soles when you kneel?

Like you, I'm happiest when I'm not wearing shoes. I like to be barefoot when I'm home, or maybe I'll wear socks to keep my feet warm. But when I perform I usually wear sandals to protect my feet against broken glass and other hazards. Other options could include supple-soled shoes such as lyrical shoes, Scottish ghillies, or ballet slippers.

The photo to the right shows a style of shoe that's made by several companies, including Leo, Capezio, and Danshuz. Most manufacturers make them in tan. Capezio sometimes also sells them in silver, gold, and black as well. You could replace the laces with satin rattail cord (available at fabric stores) in a color that matches your costume if you like.

However, if I were performing for an event where I expected many Lebanese audience members, I might be likely to wear character shoes, because the audience would expect that as part of "the look". I probably wouldn't go for a heel any higher than 1 1/2 inches, though.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by William M. Smith, Sunnyvale, California.
Hermes Sandal

Some people think a barefoot dancer wearing a beads-and-sequins costume looks unfinished. Would you go barefoot to the opera when you're wearing a lovely beaded evening gown, or would you wear barefoot-style sandals with it like the ones shown in the photo above? Probably not. By the same logic, does it make sense to be barefoot or wearing barefoot-style sandals when wearing a glittery nightclub-style costume? Some people would say no, it would look more appropriate to wear heels. But if you're committed to sandals, do a beautiful pedicure on your toenails and wear some pretty foot & ankle jewelry - this will make your feet coordinate with the rest of your glitz.

Consider all of this and make your own decision. If you truly despise wearing heels, then you probably shouldn't perform in them even for a Lebanese audience because high heels do change the way you balance, and they can throw off your whole dance if you're not used to them. But maybe if you shop around you can find some sparkly slippers that feel comfortable, match your favorite ensemble, and protect your feet against hazards!

--Shira