Tania De Jong started belly dancing classes in 1997 with Shalimar. Back in those days there were very limited options when it came to belly dance costumes, especially availability of readymade costumes, fabrics & sequins. An Egyptian importer sold ready-made costumes but the problem was they didn’t fit properly and required alterations. They had to be taken apart & redone. During this time De Jong was already designing club-wear, dancewear, making clothes for herself & her young daughter & also making costumes for Medieval.
She came to the decision to start making her own costumes as it was simply not financially viable to pay so much for imports that had to be taken apart, re-sewn & re-beaded anyway. De Jong studied the beading techniques on the costumes to get an idea of how to make certain patterns & create different effects. All the costumes were Bra & Belt sets. She used her knowledge of corset-making and working with difficult fabrics, such as PVC, to enhance her belly dance costume ideas. In the beginning it was trial and error, but with time she started perfecting the techniques and developing her own that are now signature designs on the De Jong costumes. Her biggest challenge was finding sequins and beads to work with, as there were limited stockists at the time. However, recent growth in the import industry has allowed her to expand her designs and techniques and she can now offer a wide variety of glass beads, sequins, diamante & crystals to her clients to create the most effective costumes for any kind of dance environment.
Her practical experience as a belly dancer, on stage, in restaurants & events, allows her to work from the perspective of a dancer. “I know which fabrics and patterns will work for belly dancers. I can advise dancers which designs and fabrics will work with their routines and help create the desired effect they require in certain settings.” Recently, De Jong has expanded her field of creativity into the Latin American Dance world. Fellow professionals and her students would see the costumes she made for herself and started asking her to make costumes for them as well. Slowly, the word spread and before she knew it she had a costume making business! Tania was featured on “Show Me How” in 2011 on the Home Channel. She was featured for her beading skills & techniques.
When De Jong makes costumes for dancers who don’t know which design they want she has a sit-down session with them in order to get an idea of their personality & taste. Usually she then knows which designs & colours would suit the dancer & then they have a starting point. “I use my training in profiling and assessment to create a perfect and unique design for every dancer.”
Some of De Jong’s loyal clients sometimes have no idea what they want or can do with a piece of fabric. They present her with the fabric and tell her to go nuts! “Sometimes my costumes are like Chinese sand paintings – I have no idea what the completed product is going to look like. I start with a basic idea and just let it flow.” These are usually De Jong's master creations!
Among De Jong’s creations for Professional Belly Dancers, her fingers have found their way to beading Matric Farewell Dresses & restoring Indian dresses, costumes & pillowcases. De Jong has also made multiple Tribal Fusion style costumes for clients.
Some feedback from De Jong Clients:
“Tania has such a creative mind. She can come up with ideas that you didn’t even know were possible and interpret what you want in a comprehensive and original way. It takes a dancer to understand that a costume needs to be not only beautiful but comfortable as well. She’s simply an artist and her medium is fabric and beads.” – Tina Kapp
“Tania amazes me with her mad skills. I never know what I want and she always has an endless flow of ideas. She knows what I want. What I will like and what I won’t. She has never let me down. I am a die-hard De Jong fan!!!” - Ioanna Piagalis.
“I met and performed with Tania about 6 years ago & soon discovered that she made all of her unique & beautiful costumes herself. I decided to give it a go and have her make one for me... I haven’t looked back since! I am proud to say that I have not bought a belly dance costumes from a supplier in 6 years. All of my beautiful costumes are hand-made by De Jong Designs. Thank you Tania for your crazy skills, creativity & overall guidance and support over the years with my belly dance career & costuming.” -Cherri Bock.
Tania De Jong, “I’ve retired from being a professional dancer. I am a criminologist that works as a school counsellor. Due to the fact that my field is hectic and emotionally taxing, I find that making costumes helps me relax and let go of all the heartbreaking things I have to deal with during working hours. It’s my form of meditation. My release & my comfort. It is my escape mechanism. I have found that my beadwork is the best form of therapy for my ADHD and it has taught me to focus and complete a task. These costumes are my humble way trying to bring a little beauty, happiness and smiles into this world and making people feel good about themselves again!”
Contact details:
bellydanceafrica@gmail.com
Whatsapp / SMS: 0842644067
BBM: 263CE41D
Tania kindly requests no direct phone calls during business hours.
You are welcome to use the form to the left for orders and Tania will get back to you as soon as possible.
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