Thread: Student Performances

I'm excited to say that most of my students are finally ready and willing to perform. I'd actually love for them to perform as much as possible, and my question is any ideas besides fairs and belly dance events? Who do I contact??

Any help would be super!

Setting up student-appropriate events is fun and can be really simple.

We have 'studio parties' -- low-key potluck gatherings where the students can perform for one another and their family and friends. I try to do this about every three months, in addition to our big annual student show, which is in a theater.

Between that and local haflas and workshop shows, the students are performing about as much as they want.

An overnight road trip to a nearby city to perform can be a lot of fun, and lets you interact with a completely different group and see what dancing outside your immediate area looks like.

One word of caution -- students can easily get carried away and start wanting to perform at venues that aren't really appropriate for them. My rule of thumb is that if it's not the sort of event where OTHER adult amateurs/students might be performing, then it's a pro gig. I have only a few students who are willing to practice daily and costume themselves professionally -- so I handpick for those gigs.

Adult bellydancers aren't little girls in tutus. As grown women, they will be judged. On their bodies, their appearance, their professionalim, their dance skill. And they'll be judged against people's stereotype of a 'bellydancer' -- a hot young thing with a perfect body, generally. I don't like to put my dancers in situations where they'll be facing that kind of judgment, and after explaining it to them, they understand and don't want to be in that situation either.

Also, if they're dancing more than once a month or so, they get burned out!

[Lauren: I have pm'd you ~ Deborah]

Thank you, Lauren! Yeah, I have a feeling some girls might demand to do more professional gigs, but it really is a matter of putting them in their place until the teacher is absolutely sure that they're good and ready.

Thanks again!

Originally Posted by Lauren_

My rule of thumb is that if it's not the sort of event where OTHER adult amateurs/students might be performing, then it's a pro gig.

Adult bellydancers aren't little girls in tutus. As grown women, they will be judged. On their bodies, their appearance, their professionalim, their dance skill. And they'll be judged against people's stereotype of a 'bellydancer' -- a hot young thing with a perfect body, generally. I don't like to put my dancers in situations where they'll be facing that kind of judgment, and after explaining it to them, they understand and don't want to be in that situation either.

I really like the way you put that, it makes so much sense and I bet most of your students fully understand what you mean when you explain it like that.

lauren, i always tell my students that i know they are itching to perform, and that i do try to find em opportunities, but that i too often have seen students on stage where the audience was snickering at them and that it is my promise to them that i will do my very best that that will NOT happen to them.

that we WILL perform together, when they are ready. and that when i let them dance, that that means that i'm proud of them and we are dancing in an appropriate place, where NO ONE will laugh. (apart from iditots that will always laught, it's important they know that too)

it is very mucht NOT the same as a kids dance school recital. i have all too often seen very beginning students put on a stage in an inappropriate setting and it's just painfull, unnecessary, and potentially hurtfull for them.

(and the whole issue of giving the audience the wrong impression).

also, i find it very important that a gp audience knows what they are watching: seasoned pro's, or amateur adult dancers on their first performance that they have worked sooooooo hard on in CLASS