Thread: So when did you decide to start performing solo?

My first teacher told me I was welcome to perform a solo when I came up with my own choreography. I put together a cute little pop number, showed it to her, and over a series of about 4 private lessons or so, she helped me fine tune it and I performed it at a local (public) summer dance show.

My first couple of jobs came to me via the same teacher and I took my own initiative soon afterwards. It all happened fast, but with her encouragement.

I think it's important to go with your teacher's blessing and assistance to start. Going with the general public's encouragement isn't a great idea. How many youtube videos have you seen of dancers jiggling about in an embarrassing manner, yet there are a multitude of comments suggesting they start teaching?

Yup. I say as soon as your teacher says it's ready to take the leap. If you're not sure... ask her. I'm sure she won't mind, and can help if need be!

I can't express how much getting out there and performing solo has help me grow as a dancer. Sure, people will be hard on you, but you can't please everyone. Simply do your best and always aim to improve. There is no such thing as perfection when it comes to dance. At any level.

ha ha ..cross threads..my first solo was at the seventh veil, on sunset in hollywood ca.
my teacher took me there for a contest. personally, i saw through her.she wanted to prove she could teach, to others working the circut then..."fez" "egyptian gardens" "cascade" etc
i di8d win, but felt odd since i was not new to dance...i felt a bit used.
but i have always solod, in vioce, dance etc

Originally Posted by zamora

the seventh veil, on sunset in hollywood ca.

Really?? I'm pretty sure that's now a strip joint. It's right down the street from the restaurant where I dance. .w.:

Zahra encouraged me to sign up for her brand new showcase taXim, so my first solo ever was to live music. Talk about stage fright!! Was that really just two years ago!?

My teacher just told me to get signed up at a local venue that takes all dancers. I am a bit hard on myself so *I* don't think I am ready but I do trust her judgement so I am doing it in just 5 months! I of course am giving myself ample time to freak out and practice until my feet bleed. I have been dancing for about two years now.

7th veil
yes, it is a strip place now.but it wasnt in the 70's.

Just to be a slight devil's advocate, you can't always rely on the teacher to tell you when you are ready. Some teachers, for varying reasons, won't or don't push students to go beyond the boundaries of class, or just aren't in the business of producing soloists. If your teacher is one of these, you may wait forever.

Originally Posted by badriya_al_ahmar

Just to be a slight devil's advocate, you can't always rely on the teacher to tell you when you are ready. Some teachers, for varying reasons, won't or don't push students to go beyond the boundaries of class, or just aren't in the business of producing soloists. If your teacher is one of these, you may wait forever.

Yes, there are those types of teachers. It's very sad. :Asad:

I'm not sure if it's the "hold 'em close" teacher or the following type of teacher that scares me more: the teacher who encourages people to solo in a public "entertainment" venue 'way too soon, "student night" or not. IMNotSoHO, only very high intermediate or advanced students should ever be in the public eye, especially if they are supposed to be part of the evening's entertainment.

Deborah

I'd done a number of solo dances before I ever did one in a non-belly dance space. First one was a workshop choreo I learned, second and third ones were my own choreographies, then I worked on a long orientale number with some input from my teacher, and performed it at a gig with her. Now that I think of it, I think the first time I ever danced solo outside a BD event was for some workmates, and the piece I did was the class choreography we'd been working on. I would have been dancing about three or four years I guess.

I knew very quickly that I wanted to primarily be soloist and not a troupe dancer…but that learning in a troupe would be good for me.

My first teacher put me in a troupe and I did well. I think it helped that we sometimes had our little islands of individual improv time. She had a monthly dance event where her students soloed…in time I would come to have issues with the event…but at first I just knew I wanted to dance. After I had studied with her for less than a year, she asked me to solo. Two songs, just 6-10 minutes. I said yes. I didn’t HAVE a bedlah, or money, but I said yes and sewed my first costume.

Eventually she asked me to fill in for her at the restaurant, first having me dance a 26-30 minute set at the café we had our monthly shows at…and then taking over for her at a restaurant when she’d be away for a month…and then coming and doing gigs with her or in place of her (giving her a cut). Before that first long set I bought a workhorse of a bedlah off e-bay and fixed it up and was ready…soon I had three pro-enough bedlah I’d bought used (Legend, Pharonics and my workhorse from Shaharazad) and skirts to be filling in for people.

I probably started dancing in restaurants about a year and a few months after I started dancing, if that.

In retrospect I wasn’t ready. My skill set wasn’t what it needed to be…and I was realizing that my teacher’s skills weren’t up to par either…but in other ways I was ready. I had drive and an ability to figure out my weak spots and work on them. I milked Bhuz and Tribe and books for all I could, crammed dvds, and took two additional lessons a week from different teachers (I spent 6 hours a week on trains to and from classes). I sold the hell out of what I could do, my stage presence and personality serving to throw shadow on my weaknesses.

That's how I started.

I ended up taking a bit of a break when I changed teachers...and it helped me let everything soak in. I performed, because people asked me to be in thier events, and I sometimes subbed, but I didn't seek it out.

Towards the end of last year I set the goal of doing a photoshoot, making my cards, and performing at least 2 times a month again. I put the footwork and money into pursueing more. I paid for a stylist and my first photoshoot, and then designed my buisnesscards.

This year (5 1/2 years into dance?) the week after I got my cards I went back into doing weekly restaurants shows and now dance 4-6 times a month...which is about what I can handle with my job.

First solo?

High school "talent" show, senior year. Cobbled together a costume and went for it.

Absolutely awful, I'm sure.

Better now.

Deborah

Originally Posted by nasila

Really?? I'm pretty sure that's now a strip joint. It's right down the street from the restaurant where I dance. .w.:

Zahra encouraged me to sign up for her brand new showcase taXim, so my first solo ever was to live music. Talk about stage fright!! Was that really just two years ago!?

and you did brilliantly. I was there! And donovan is usually pretty nice to newbies! ;-)

{{{HUGS}}}

And the wait til you experience live music - it's the ultimate experience, especially whe you have good chemistry with the musicians, then it has a life force of it's own.

Originally Posted by Egyptdancer

It took me 7 years of studying before my first solo.
But back then- there just wasn't that many opportunities.

So since then, I started hosting the monthly Sphinx Haflas,
so that I could give students a place to either
watch the dance,
or perform themselves.
We have been going strong for over 5 years.
And now it's the entire community coming together to make the Hafla happen!

Definitely an excellent way to enhance a dancer's education. :zillevil::zillgallop:

My first solo performance was at Relay for Life. My teacher (Galatea) choreographed a routine for me to perform as a gift to my husband for our anniversary. During my private lessons, Kimahri emailed that there would be a student category for the Midwest Bellydance Challenge. I entered before I could chicken out..w.: Then I spent the next 3 months deciding my music and my choreo. It was crazy but I grew so much as a dancer. I still love my troupe but I now know I can do it alone too.... if only once a year.

Originally Posted by KelsNasim

Then I spent the next 3 months deciding my music and my choreo.

Which won her the 3rd place trophy! That's right, second solo ever, first original choreo and she brings home the Bronze. BOO-YA!!!!!

Sorry to hijack, but she's too modest to brag on herself! ..l;,