a dress in the making (part IV)

My dress has been completed! I'm so happy with the finished piece! I also purchased hot pink tagua nut earrings for $1 at the market and Patricia gifted me 2 flower headpieces for my hair for the final accessories. The only thing lacking from these photos is dramatic eye make-up, blush and hot pink lipstick.

I think my favorite part about Nicaraguan folkloric dresses are the full skirts that you can swish and twirl all over the place. Yesterday Patricia (professional dancer who teaches at the cultural center) gave me a dance lesson and I learned some of the basic steps to folkloric dance, including paso sencillo, zapateado and el cruzado. A lot of the dance is about having strong posture, holding your head up and puffing your chest out. You can give it flair and attitude just by the way you move your hips and hold your skirt. I'm excited to perform some of the dances I've learned when I get home (in less than a week!)