Skirt Tucking for ATS(R)

Feeling bored with the same old tuck?

Want to add some excitement to your tucking?

Just feel like you would be happier if your tucking was better?

WE hear you!  Dayanisma member, Sharon Walker (or as we like to refer to her "The Queen of Tucking") has some tips for you!

Dawn at Tribalfest 2015 in corkscrew tuck

Skirt Tucking 101: the Corkscrew Tuck 

When tucking a skirt, the first rule is to decide ahead of time where your accessories are going to go for the best visual effect. Accessories include kutchi belts, hip scarves, tassel belts, saye goshes- whatever you love to wear around your hips to sparkle and shine onstage!

For the Corkscrew Tuck, arrange your accessories so that they accent the back of your left hip and the front of your right hip so that the tucks will be on opposite sides (front to back and vice-versa) of your accessories.

Once your accessories are in place, start tucking at the front of your left hip by lifting the skirt at the second tier from the bottom on the right side and pulling it up at a 45 degree angle. Don’t pull from the front of the right leg or directly from the side, and be careful not to start at the very bottom tier of the skirt otherwise you can lose the lovely effect of having that tier showing while dancing.

Next, hold the top of the tier that you have picked up from the right side and use your fingers as a guide to pleat the skirt. When wearing two skirts, you can pick both skirts at the same time and pull the bottom layer out a bit so that it can show when tucked.  In using this method, you will usually have 4 or 5 pleats to tuck which will give a truly dramatic effect to your tuck.

Once the pleats are ready, pull the skirt flat across the front of your waist then fold the pleats in half (from top to bottom) so that the tuck is less bulky. To keep the skirts from drooping too much in front, you can safety pin the skirts to your belts, etc. to keep the tiers smooth. Just be sure to do this carefully so that you don’t rip a hole in your skirts!

Then repeat the same steps on the right side by pulling the skirt from the back of the left leg and bringing it up to the right, ending by tucking just behind your right hip.

This type of fold gives a lovely flourish at the hips when spinning, and is less bulky and more comfortable all around.

Practice this technique ahead of your performance a few times and you, too, can be a pro at tucking fabulous looking skirts!