Ode to the Panty

by Shira

Ode to the Panty

The costume isn’t finished ‘til the underwear is there. The people in the audience don’t want to see it bare. Except of course for sleazy ones who salivate and stare. Most belly dancers want to please the women and the girls. We don’t want to display to them our lower set of curls. Nor do we want the ogles from the icky men and churls. And so we speak of panties, of underwear and thong. Debating which is best and worst, and fretting all day long, Afraid we’ll make some choices that are absolutely wrong. So do we risk a line of dampness caused by butt crack sweat? Or should we show a panty line that makes some people fret? We say this dance is ancient, but we haven’t solved this yet. We used to think we had it solved by wearing harem pants. But Egypt dancers aren’t afraid to show leg when they dance, So we too feel it’s safe to do the same, and take the chance. Now, once the pantaloons are gone, the panties take their place But not the ones with “Monday” or the ones with frilly lace. Instead we must choose wisely and demonstrate good taste. The black thong is mistaken for shadows and for hair, And really doesn’t meet the need for coverage under there. We need to look for other options in our underwear. We look for inspiration to the East, the rising sun. In Egypt they wear hot pants beneath their sheer chiffon, They clearly show the audience they have their undies on. But this is just a current fad, a fad that soon will pass. And then we’ll need another type of coverage for the ass. The classic look is nice because we know that it will last. A flowing skirt works well with matching colored briefs below, Unless the fabric is so sheer that panty lines will show, In which case matching skin tone may be the way to go. Well, certain skirts defy all hope of wearing briefs beneath. The panty lines with spandex skirts create all sorts of grief. And cutouts at the hips would show the panties underneath. So some wear briefs and some wear thongs and some wear none at all. But most agree that certain standards should become the law. Don’t display your “bird’s nest” in a public concert hall.