Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
What is a Professional Bellydancer?
My dance partner Soraya & I performed last weekend @ Emeraldfest fundraiser for Mission Outreach. Despite the heat 100*F, and the asphalt it was fun.
We were well received by a small but lively crowd. The compliment that resounded with me was from the organizer herself, "You were so professional, thanks for blessing me with your talent."
This really got me thinking. What makes a bellydancer professional?
I do not think it all comes down to money the way that it does in "professional" sports or ballet dance. One becomes a professional when they get paid contracts in these arenas. Since we as dancers, operate in a small niche I do not think not being paid makes you less of a professional bellydancer.
I do many performances & most of them are not paid gigs. So in that respect I am not a "Professional" dancer. I do however have many years of experience performing & guiding dancers. Which I feel does in fact make me a professional belly dancer.
I do believe that being a professional means more in the area of conduct, presentation, & skills. To be a professional means that you are a representative of your art form. You treat it with the respect it deserves. You treat your fellow dancers with the respect they deserve. You make an effort to be congenial and to network to increase awareness in our communities for our beautiful dance.
We are all women sharing a love for bellydance after all.
Being a professional bellydancer also means having respect for yourself. You have appropriate fitting costumes. You create you own total look. You never misrepresent yourself by acting "sleazy" in a bellydance costume. Sorry, but belly dancing is largely still misunderstood and behaving less than ladylike perpetuates this view. Also, wear a cover up. It helps conceal the surprise of your beautiful costume as well as your modesty. I'm all for sexy costumes in the context of wearing when performing. Think of it this way, do you wear your bikini around when you're nowhere near a beach or pool? It's common decency & professional.
We were well received by a small but lively crowd. The compliment that resounded with me was from the organizer herself, "You were so professional, thanks for blessing me with your talent."
This really got me thinking. What makes a bellydancer professional?
I do not think it all comes down to money the way that it does in "professional" sports or ballet dance. One becomes a professional when they get paid contracts in these arenas. Since we as dancers, operate in a small niche I do not think not being paid makes you less of a professional bellydancer.
I do many performances & most of them are not paid gigs. So in that respect I am not a "Professional" dancer. I do however have many years of experience performing & guiding dancers. Which I feel does in fact make me a professional belly dancer.
I do believe that being a professional means more in the area of conduct, presentation, & skills. To be a professional means that you are a representative of your art form. You treat it with the respect it deserves. You treat your fellow dancers with the respect they deserve. You make an effort to be congenial and to network to increase awareness in our communities for our beautiful dance.
We are all women sharing a love for bellydance after all.
Being a professional bellydancer also means having respect for yourself. You have appropriate fitting costumes. You create you own total look. You never misrepresent yourself by acting "sleazy" in a bellydance costume. Sorry, but belly dancing is largely still misunderstood and behaving less than ladylike perpetuates this view. Also, wear a cover up. It helps conceal the surprise of your beautiful costume as well as your modesty. I'm all for sexy costumes in the context of wearing when performing. Think of it this way, do you wear your bikini around when you're nowhere near a beach or pool? It's common decency & professional.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
How to get started belly dancing.
For those of you who may have stumbled upon my blog & have an interest in taking up bellydancing, you may be wondering "how do I get started?" Here's some tips that I hope will get you pointed in the right direction.
The first thing you will want to do is find a teacher. Have you seen bellydancers performing in your area? They would be a great source to let you know who is teaching. Do you have a restaurant or club in your area that features bellydancers? Many dancers performing regularly in restaurants also have local classes. Previewing your teacher dancing before joining a class is a benefit that can help you to determine if you like her style, and if it is a fit for you. Another way to find teachers is to check your community programs. Bellydance teachers are often found teaching in community programs. I teach bellydance classes throught my school district's community education program. I also know many teachers who do the same.
So what do I do if I've checked around & haven't found a teacher? Don't give up hope. You can also find teacher directories online. Three of my favorite trusted teacher directories are:
www.bhuz.com
www.Shira.net
www.bellydance.com
Mostly keep your ears open & ask around. Even in the smallest communities I am sure that a bellydancer or bellydance enthusiest can be found who can give you some referals.
Lastly, get some DVD's. Although dvd's can be great tutorials, I really recommend having a live teacher. She can you vital critique & a good teacher will always guide you on executing the moves properly. All a dvd can do is show you, then it's up to you to interpret whats been shown.
I hope that you have found these tips to be useful & can point to your journey of becoming a bellydancer. Most of all don't forget that learning is a process that takes time. Be patient with yourself & practice, practice, practice.
The first thing you will want to do is find a teacher. Have you seen bellydancers performing in your area? They would be a great source to let you know who is teaching. Do you have a restaurant or club in your area that features bellydancers? Many dancers performing regularly in restaurants also have local classes. Previewing your teacher dancing before joining a class is a benefit that can help you to determine if you like her style, and if it is a fit for you. Another way to find teachers is to check your community programs. Bellydance teachers are often found teaching in community programs. I teach bellydance classes throught my school district's community education program. I also know many teachers who do the same.
So what do I do if I've checked around & haven't found a teacher? Don't give up hope. You can also find teacher directories online. Three of my favorite trusted teacher directories are:
www.bhuz.com
www.Shira.net
www.bellydance.com
Mostly keep your ears open & ask around. Even in the smallest communities I am sure that a bellydancer or bellydance enthusiest can be found who can give you some referals.
Lastly, get some DVD's. Although dvd's can be great tutorials, I really recommend having a live teacher. She can you vital critique & a good teacher will always guide you on executing the moves properly. All a dvd can do is show you, then it's up to you to interpret whats been shown.
I hope that you have found these tips to be useful & can point to your journey of becoming a bellydancer. Most of all don't forget that learning is a process that takes time. Be patient with yourself & practice, practice, practice.
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