Thread: Gracefully tucking tips into your costume while wearing zills

Newbie restaurant dancer with a silly question here! When someone hands you a bill while you're dancing out among tables, what's the best way to put it on your person? I have found that trying to tuck a bill into my costume while wearing finger cymbals is extremely awkward for me because the cymbals are getting in the way. :Abiggrin: If I try to tuck the bill into the sides of my belt, over the hips, that usually sends the bills that are already there spilling out onto the floor. But tucking a bill more towards the front of the belt probably looks crass. I've tried tucking bills into my arm bands, but because of the finger cymbals, I just can't do it! Am I missing something here? LOL

Thanks for the tips about tips!

Originally Posted by nimah

Newbie restaurant dancer with a silly question here! When someone hands you a bill while you're dancing out among tables, what's the best way to put it on your person? I have found that trying to tuck a bill into my costume while wearing finger cymbals is extremely awkward for me because the cymbals are getting in the way. :Abiggrin: If I try to tuck the bill into the sides of my belt, over the hips, that usually sends the bills that are already there spilling out onto the floor. But tucking a bill more towards the front of the belt probably looks crass. I've tried tucking bills into my arm bands, but because of the finger cymbals, I just can't do it! Am I missing something here? LOL

Thanks for the tips about tips!

You can't. There's several options, but basically, if you are doing this for a living, tips are generally important and a part of your wage, so you accept them however you can. A good way is in the belt at the side, or on the bra strap at the top. Most people will respect your desire not to be touched inappropriately, and asking them outright to tuck into where ever is acceptable to you is, as far as I'm concerned, ok. There's the option of a basket...but to me this feels like begging or demanding tips. In the UK, it's just not done...or at least I've never seen it done. Or if you know you're gonna wear zagat, wear armbands that money can be slipped into.

Hmm, now there's a logistical challenge! Can you momentarily turn your zill to the outside of your finger on your 'tucking' hand, to enable yourself to complete the tucking process?

And can you wear super-strong undies that you can push the tips down into and hold them there? I mean high-wasted undies with a waistband that is somewhere just below your hip belt, so you're only just pushing them a little further in.

PS - 'Undies' is panties in Oz-speak. 'Panties' is what women on chat-lines would say here!

PPS - don't you just hate it when your tips end up sweaty? I appreciate Australia's plastic dollar notes when this happens. Theyre washable!

I don't really do the accepting tips on the body thing my own self, but it was my understanding that it could be tucked with even a single finger when done in one of the most appropriate means by which to tuck a bill - where the bill is folded in half and you place your finger/ fingers into the fold so that you are neither touching skin nor costume with said finger or hand as the tip slides into place. ..g.:

Originally Posted by kharis_UK

You can't. There's several options, but basically, if you are doing this for a living, tips are generally important and a part of your wage, so you accept them however you can.

Many of the restaurant patrons around here have that mid-western reserve, and are hesitant to body tip. I'm pretty sure Nimah isn't anti-body-tipping, she only wants to make tipping comfortable for everyone by accommodating her shyer customers.

How about putting them in your armband? Or even a little pouch attached to your costume?

If someone hands you a bill, ie puts it in your hand, have you considered using your ring and little finger to pick up and tuck in the note?

If it's placed in your palm, you could fold it with your ring and little finger, then use the same fingers of the other hand to pick up the note and tuck. Like with chopsticks. No zills in the way!

Cory Z would probably have good ideas, as she is a never-take-off-the-zills person.

I agree - if you accept body tips, there's nothing wrong with a friendly smile, thanking the person & then asking them to tuck it in whichever appropriate place you're comfortable with. If the belt is full and/or the person seems uncomfortable with tucking it in the belt, in my limited restaurant experience, strap or armband seems good 'neutral ground' & is usually acceptable. ..g.:

One of the places I work is the place where Anjela works. I understand why this is an issue and why both turning the tip down and asking the customer to do the deed can be unacceptable options in the situaiton she's referring to.

Ok, hon, here are some options:
* Do it with your pinky and ring finger (holding the zill finger out of the way--you can get it into an armband or hip depending on which is more convenient.) Don't rush it--as I'm doing this, I'll thank the customer for his/her generosity...sometimes even joke "hope you don't mind--they just never seem to put sufficient pockets in women's clothes."

* If it's kind of folded/awkward, or the belt is too full and I'm near the stage, I may slide it subtlely into my hand (held again between those last fingers or held to the palm near base of thumb letting the middle finger play off the edge of the thumb zill) and when I get close to the stage subtlely let it slip into my veil/other items on the stage such that the person who tipped me doesn't see it happen/lying there but I can get it later.

* Rotate a zill out of the way or push it further down your finger for a moment while you tuck.

Honestly, though, most of the time whatever method I use, I mask it by taking a moment to say something charming to the customer--thank you, did you enjoy your shwarma, oh what a beautiful little girl, whatever. If they're looking at my smiling face and engaged for a moment up there, I can stop zilling for a second and they won't be looking at what my hand is doing behind my hip. Old illusionist's theory.... ;-)

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Hmm, now there's a logistical challenge! Can you momentarily turn your zill to the outside of your finger on your 'tucking' hand, to enable yourself to complete the tucking process?

And can you wear super-strong undies that you can push the tips down into and hold them there? I mean high-wasted undies with a waistband that is somewhere just below your hip belt, so you're only just pushing them a little further in.

PPS - don't you just hate it when your tips end up sweaty? I appreciate Australia's plastic dollar notes when this happens. Theyre washable!

Turning the zill around to the outside of my finger...I'll have to try that one.

I always wear low rise cheerleader briefs to match my costume, and if I can get down in there, tucking a bill into those is a great way to make sure the money stays put. But with zills on, getting my fingers down into my briefs becomes more of a challenge. ..l;,

Oh, and I don't mind sweaty money.... I'd rather have sweaty money than no money! :)

Just to clarify for others... I'm definitely not anti-body tipping! But some of the restaurant patrons don't body tip; they simply put the bill in my hand instead of my costume. I'm just looking for pointers on how not to gross them out by awkwardly shoving their money down into my costume, LOL. Thanks for the tips so far, ladies!

For me personally, I accept tips in the sides of my belt, but not the bra. When someone hands me a tip, I will tuck it in myself into the bra strap right by my shoulder. I have only ever had 1 person try to bra-tip me, and when I told him that I don't allow that, he said "hey, who makes those rules?" I said (laughing) "Who do you think is in charge?" He laughed, tipped me in my belt, and throughout the show, tipped me 3 or 4 more times (no stage, so it's all going around tables and people tip me during every song- including drum solos!) But even if I tuck a tip in my bra, nobody else tries to follow suit. As an aside, it's just my policy that I don't do bra-tipping; from my understanding, at least 1 of the dancers at that restaurant does. I don't have any trouble tucking by my shoulder when I'm wearing zills.

Maybe it just takes practice, but I don't usually have a problem tucking tips with zills on. Sure, it's easier with them off, but if the tip is good enough you find a way!!

practice makes perfect when it comes to tucking in bills with zills on - it will get easier. :)

for those where you feel it's appropriate to direct people to where they can place the bill, it's nice to have some modest, low-stress options to give them. arm bands and gauntlets are great - you can lean in to them sideways to minimize the in-your-facedness of it all. also great for little kids: you can kneel down to their level and point with your finger. if it's a full-arm gauntlet you can even pull the elastic open at the top so they can drop the bill in.

I will turn my back and lean toward somebody and direct them to tip in the back or shoulder strap of my bra.

sliding a hip toward them works, too, but the seemingly most obvious spot that folks go for - the exact side of your hip - is one of the hardest places to tip because the belt is so tight. it's even harder if you're doing hip drops or something to tease them. :) I'll laugh and tell them it's ok to use two hands. lol!