The movements presented here are in their most basic form and can be easily varied. Do not limit yourself to what is written below. Try different techniques, different directions, and add different belly dance movements to enhance your veil work.
Holding the Veil: in between index finger and middle finger. Do not grab the veil with your fist. Having the fabric in between fingers gives ample opportunity to readjust the “looseness” and “tightness” of the veil.
Easy Transition: “Around the World”
Holding the veil taut in front of the body, take your right hand around to the left side, passing in front of the left hand, then over the left shoulder and the head.
Move back to the front by taking your left hand, moving over your head and right shoulder, and passing it in front of your right hand.
Easy Framing: The “Mermaid”
Holding the veil behind you, take your right hand and move it in front of the body to the left. With left hand, grasp both ends of the veil.
Doing this will visually isolate hips-and-up. Beautiful hip movements look best with the Mermaid.
To come out of the Mermaid, simply take your right hand, bring it around the front of your body, and take the end of your veil that you had previously placed in your left hand, and open it up behind you.
Easy Framing/Advanced Transition: The “Envelope”
With the veil set in the Mermaid frame, take right hand to the corner of your veil on your right hip. Once grasped, move the veil up your body until both arms are straight up above your head.
This creates a disappearing effect, but will still silhouette your body for simple movements.
To get out of the Envelope, either bring it back down to the Mermaid frame OR take your right hand holding the corner of the veil, dive it across the front of your face while still inside the envelope, and extend it out between the ends of the veil in the left hand.
This should end with a folded veil behind you in both hands, left hand still holding the ends of the veil.
Difficult Flourish: “Flag Movement”
With the veil held taut in front of the body, take your right hand across to the left side, passing in front of the left hand, and rest it on your left shoulder. Straighten your right arm so that the veil is draping behind you.
Undo this by pulling your left hand back in and unwinding your right hand.
Switch the flag movement to the other side of the body.
With the veil held taut in front of the body, take your left hand across to the right side, passing in front of the right hand, and rest it on your right shoulder. Straighten your left arm so that the veil is draping behind you.
What makes this difficult is that it is a fast movement. Work on building up speed from a left flag movement to right.
Easy Framing: “Hip Window”
With the veil taut in the front, take the right hand and dive under the left arm close to the body. Take left hand and put it on right shoulder, then turn body profile to the left. Bring right hand holding veil down to hip level.
This should create a circular frame around the right hip.
Difficult Flourish: “Toss and Catch”
With the veil behind you, bring both arms straight up and “tossing” it forward without letting go of the ends. While it is falling, flick your wrists towards you and take a step forward to “catch” the veil onto the shoulders.
If the veil catches on the head/face, gently shake your head about until it falls unto your shoulders.
If the veil fall down from your shoulders, simply lift up your arms slightly to have it fall back in place.
Difficult Flourish: “Butterfly Wings”
With veil draped across the neck and still holding onto the ends, take your right hand and flick the veil forward. This should make the veil look twisted like a bowtie in front of the body. Bring the veil back onto the shoulder by flicking the right wrist back, away from the veil.
Do not yank. A gentle wrist flick should suffice.
Do the opposite on the other side. Take your left hand and flick the veil forward, creating a bowtie on the front. Bring it back by flicking your left wrist away from the veil.
The goal of this movement is to bring it up to a quick speed. Practice flicking the veil simultaneously from right to left.
Advanced Flourish: “Barrel Roll”
With the veil behind you, extend your arms straight out to your sides.
Keeping the arms straight out and with your weight on your right foot, bring your right hand straight down. The left hand should be straight up in the air above your head. Body should be facing forward.
Following with your right arm, cut it upward to the left side, modifying your body so that it is facing your right side.
Bring the right arm directly above while the left is directly down behind you. Your body should have turned towards the back, directly opposite of your starting position.
Bring your right hand down to your left side, your left hand straight across. The body should be modified, facing your left.
Try doing this movement first with just the right arm. When comfortable, bring out the left arm. You should feel like an airplane when doing it because your arms should remain stiff.
