Thread: How do you allocate performance slots at haflas?

I'm planning a hafla in the winter right now, the biggest and most ambitious we've held in Oxford so far, and I'm wrestling with a few questions about how to organise the whole thing...
At our last hafla, we had over 20 performers, and some trouble with our CD player meant there were delays too, so we ended up with virtually no social dancing/souk browsing time. This time, I've decided we really need to keep the total number of performers down to below 20, and a couple of slots will also be taken up by our guest star (Ozgen ) so not available to local dancers.

So my big question is, how to distribute the reduced number of slots in a way that both appears fair and ensures a good and varied programme?

In the past, we've always just had first come first served, and when the slots are full that's it... But this means that a half-arsed bit of WTFusion can end up on the programme at the expense of a good and dedicated dancer who didn't see our initial announcement or spent longer agonising over her music choice...

I'd like to be able to a) make sure we have a good mixture of groups vs soloists and different skill levels, so class groups get to perform for a friendly audience but the audience also get to see some seriously good dancing, and b) give preference to Middle Eastern dance performed to Middle Eastern or ME-inspired music. There are other nearby haflas that give preference to groups over soloists, or that are very fusion-heavy, so this would provide some balance, and performance opportunities for oriental soloists who have a harder time getting slots at the other events. I just really don't know how to administer this though. I have no idea how other hafla organisers allocate slots, although I am aware that most don't do first come first served due to things like unprepared beginner students requesting solo slots as soon as the hafla is announced!

Continued... (sorry for the rather huge post!)

The most sensible-seeming idea I've had so far is to have a statement of our policy that looks something like this:
* We try to ensure that our haflas feature a mixture of skill levels from student groups up to professionals
* We aim to feature a balanced programme of troupes and soloists
* Our aim as a society is to promote Middle Eastern dance; we therefore particularly encourage performances of bellydance and other Middle Eastern dance forms performed to Middle Eastern music or music inspired by the Middle East. We may also choose to feature a small number of performances of other ethnic dance forms, and of fusion styles incorporating Middle Eastern elements.

Then, I'd request that all performance applications get to me by a certain deadline, put together a programme, and let people know by a set date after the deadline whether they are on the programme. I'm toying with the idea of asking for more detailed information about the performer than we have in the past, and maybe a more detailed written description of what they intend to perform.

I can see this causing drama among those who don't get slots though - eek! We definitely don't want this, as we currently have a reputation of being nice, welcoming and generally drama-free, which I'd like to think we are...

Put a section for dancers to mark skill level on the application (beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional) as well as number of years they've been doing belly dance. Do it first come first serve, but decide beforehand how many slots will be given to beginners, pros, advanced, groups, etc. So when you've filled up all your beginner slots or group slots on a first come first serve basis, you'll be able to turn down other beginners or groups but still be able to accept soloists and advanced dancers.

clever Lesedi!
You could do i with fusion and oriental as well, I guess.

Mostly, You sell hafla tickets by appealing to performers so you do need performance places. 20 is not too many to control if you place a strict time limit say 4 mins. Get performers to pay well before the event (much better to ticket and not sell on door)and to send you their music 2 weeks before and put it on a computer programme so you have it all planned on the night and you make sure it plays. Having a good old CD player and tell them to bring a CD (if they have one) as back-up is sensible.
That still leaves time on a programme for a guest dancer and social dancing. Have one interval at least..maybe for food
I've run haflas for 10 years ( retired now from it) and this was the most efficient way. We also had time for buffet and raffles.
The only fair way to apportion slots is "first come, first served" though you might want to balance groups and soloists.
I gave this advice to a friend, only today. Do delgate:have someone technically minded and unflappable to do the music for you. If you do food, get an experienced caterer and one who will clear up for you. Don't do bring-a-dish unless there are just a few of you. There's a lot of waste and innevitably a mess.
Inform people at the beginning of a hafla of your intentions to photogaph and film performers and give them a chance to opt-out. It's best to limit filming and photography as this isn't much fun for nervous performers anyway and tell them NO Youtube without express permission. Tell people not to cross the dance floor..it's amazing how rude and thoughtless people can be. Try to leave a "walk-way" to the bar and any bazaar,though.
Make sure you are well aquainted with your premises and advise performers on changing facilities as well as their "dance space".Make sure you are "legal": check premises have music licence if you haven't. Best to have a list of names for attendees for any roll call and records. If you are profit-making think on :the taxman cometh. Great opportunity to fundraise or chairtable evening if you'd rather.
I know you haven't solicited all this but this is what has worked for me.

Lesedi, I like your suggestion of having an application form. I think one good piece of info to request is who the person's teacher is. That way, if those of you making the schedule don't know the dancer and her capabilities, you can contact her teacher for an opinion. Of course, this assumes that you know the teacher and feel you can trust her ability to assess a student's skill level.... And if it turns out you DON'T know the teacher, you could still always ask for an audition tape if you think the applicant sounds worthy of being given the opportunity to prove herself.

Often with shows I'll have a theme like Fantasy, Tribaret or Folkloric. This eliminates dancers who don't do that style of dance. So there aren't as many performers asking for spots. Center everything about the event around that theme (decoration, food, invitations...). I found this makes a very cohesive focused show. When it's time or the next show I pick a different theme.

I also set a specific amount of time for the show to rum (1.5 to 2 hours) and specify the length of each dancers performance. When there is enough dancers to fill up the time (including open dance) I've allotted I don't accept any more performers.

This has worked well for me so far. One of my pet peeves is shows that go on for over 3 hours with 35-40 dancers. Everyone's performance blurs into one, the audience gets antsy and it's huge amount of work organizing music.

Good luck with your shows.

You could also give an advance date for people to volunteer to dance and then hold a lottery. The desired number of slots would be filled by randomly drawing from pools of people sorted by ability or style. Which is more important to you, giving performance opportunities to students who might not otherwise get them, or putting together the most varied and professional show you can? It's great when you can balance the two objectives, but different dance communities have different needs.

One thing I would suggest is to minimize the number of any given individual's appearances on stage. If the point of the show is to create performing opportunities for students who wouldn't otherwise get them, unless you are so short on people you can't fill the roster, limit dancers to one piece per show, and weight them in a secondary drawing pool for next time, so as many people as possible can get slots. There's nothing more frustrating to someone who wants a chance to perform than to be told there wasn't room for you, but there was room for Suzy to do her solo, and Suzy to do a duet with Babs, and Suzy to dance with her student troupe. Unless Suzy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, she can take your turn and go to the back of the line.

Originally Posted by Lesedi

Put a section for dancers to mark skill level on the application (beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional) as well as number of years they've been doing belly dance. Do it first come first serve, but decide beforehand how many slots will be given to beginners, pros, advanced, groups, etc. So when you've filled up all your beginner slots or group slots on a first come first serve basis, you'll be able to turn down other beginners or groups but still be able to accept soloists and advanced dancers.

Yes - YOU (& your team, or whomever) decide how YOU want to present the hafla, what types of styles, levels, music, do you want and fill slots accordingly.
My piece of advice is - trust your instincts; make lists; check details; and; know that no matter what you do, there are always cries of "unfair!" from somehwhere. It's just human nature, and statistics. It's ok. It's not a perfect world.
When I get stressed putting on shows - I use the mantra of "it's going to be a great show - oh yeah!" for positive focus.
Because don't we love shows!!

the only thing i would add is if you do the select level thing maybe having an explination of what skills or w.e you expect at that level otherwise you may get ppl saying they are other levels then they really are. intentionally or unintentionally.

Originally Posted by Lesedi

Do it first come first serve, but decide beforehand how many slots will be given to beginners, pros, advanced, groups, etc. So when you've filled up all your beginner slots or group slots on a first come first serve basis, you'll be able to turn down other beginners or groups but still be able to accept soloists and advanced dancers.

Ah, clever - I think this has potential

Originally Posted by lplmuk

Mostly, You sell hafla tickets by appealing to performers so you do need performance places. 20 is not too many to control if you place a strict time limit say 4 mins. Get performers to pay well before the event (much better to ticket and not sell on door)and to send you their music 2 weeks before and put it on a computer programme so you have it all planned on the night and you make sure it plays. Having a good old CD player and tell them to bring a CD (if they have one) as back-up is sensible.
That still leaves time on a programme for a guest dancer and social dancing. Have one interval at least..maybe for food
I've run haflas for 10 years ( retired now from it) and this was the most efficient way. We also had time for buffet and raffles.
The only fair way to apportion slots is "first come, first served" though you might want to balance groups and soloists.
I gave this advice to a friend, only today. Do delgate:have someone technically minded and unflappable to do the music for you. If you do food, get an experienced caterer and one who will clear up for you. Don't do bring-a-dish unless there are just a few of you. There's a lot of waste and innevitably a mess.
Inform people at the beginning of a hafla of your intentions to photogaph and film performers and give them a chance to opt-out. It's best to limit filming and photography as this isn't much fun for nervous performers anyway and tell them NO Youtube without express permission. Tell people not to cross the dance floor..it's amazing how rude and thoughtless people can be. Try to leave a "walk-way" to the bar and any bazaar,though.
Make sure you are well aquainted with your premises and advise performers on changing facilities as well as their "dance space".Make sure you are "legal": check premises have music licence if you haven't. Best to have a list of names for attendees for any roll call and records. If you are profit-making think on :the taxman cometh. Great opportunity to fundraise or chairtable evening if you'd rather.
I know you haven't solicited all this but this is what has worked for me.

Thanks for all the useful advice :) We're doing some of this already where applicable, but it really helps to know what works well for other organisers.

Maybe you're right about fitting more slots in. I don't want to shorten them any more than 5 minutes as it's hard enough to find a decent piece of music within the time limit as it is, but we can definitely improve on our music arrangement - we used to collect in CDs from performers as they arrived on the night, but I was planning to collect in advance and play from a computer or something this time to avoid the venue's crappy CD decks and give us the chance to soundcheck properly... Part of our trouble is also that we have to be out of the theatre & locked up by 11pm - not sure if we can change the terms of hire, as it is a pretty early finish compared to most haflas I've been to.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

One thing I would suggest is to minimize the number of any given individual's appearances on stage. If the point of the show is to create performing opportunities for students who wouldn't otherwise get them, unless you are so short on people you can't fill the roster, limit dancers to one piece per show, and weight them in a secondary drawing pool for next time, so as many people as possible can get slots. There's nothing more frustrating to someone who wants a chance to perform than to be told there wasn't room for you, but there was room for Suzy to do her solo, and Suzy to do a duet with Babs, and Suzy to dance with her student troupe. Unless Suzy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, she can take your turn and go to the back of the line.

I know how annoying this is, I was at a hafla recently where a couple of dancers I know didn't get slots because the bill was full (a couple of months before the event!), then on the night there were three performances by the same large and rather inept beginner's group - argh! So yes, I definitely won't be allowing multiple performances by the same group/dancer (unless through some miracle we don't get enough performers to fill the bill...). It gets difficult when it's somebody who is in a class performance and also a soloist though, unless they are really taking the mickey - I'm not sure restricting this would be workable or desirable.

Originally Posted by Roshanna

I know how annoying this is, I was at a hafla recently where a couple of dancers I know didn't get slots because the bill was full (a couple of months before the event!), then on the night there were three performances by the same large and rather inept beginner's group - argh! So yes, I definitely won't be allowing multiple performances by the same group/dancer (unless through some miracle we don't get enough performers to fill the bill...). It gets difficult when it's somebody who is in a class performance and also a soloist though, unless they are really taking the mickey - I'm not sure restricting this would be workable or desirable.

Totally annoying! Same thing has happened to me too. The organizer of the show even gave up her own solo spot so that another dancer could perform, but some people were rude enough to perform a million times with troupes and several troupes decided that they wanted to do 8 and 15 min performance times with solos in the middle. Several dancers were turned down and the show was still an hour over schedule because of dancers not following time limits. Collecting music beforehand is a great idea to help avoid some of this.

Originally Posted by Lesedi

Several troupes decided that they wanted to do 8 and 15 min performance times with solos in the middle. Several dancers were turned down and the show was still an hour over schedule because of dancers not following time limits. Collecting music beforehand is a great idea to help avoid some of this.

The "stop" button on the CD player is another useful tool for avoiding this. In the pre-show instructions, you can state that music will be ended promptly at the end of the 5-minute slot. And then do it. I have seen this approach be highly effective.

Originally Posted by Roshanna

It gets difficult when it's somebody who is in a class performance and also a soloist though, unless they are really taking the mickey - I'm not sure restricting this would be workable or desirable.

But it also gets difficult for the show organizer to arrange the schedule when lots of dancers start signing up for different groups, all with costume changes. We have several dancers who take classes with multiple instructors and maybe a troupe too- when we do the spring community recital, we limit folks to 3 dance numbers in the 2 hour show, and that is being generous and still giving our director a headache! we've gone to doing 3 'acts' in that 2 hour period, both for the audience and for costume changes. Students are told the 3 max rule at the beginning of semester and have to choose which ones they will perform.

The most successful shows I have seen are ones that were planned in great detail. The organizers weren't afraid to tell the dancers exactly what they wanted. It's not a case of anything goes. Anything over 2 hours is too long. Yes, you need to be strict on the time limit. Collecting CD's beforehand is a very good idea. Actually, I always like to have 2 CD's from every performer, one back-up just in case.

The shows that I've liked staggered the dancers to create good dynamics. For instance, if you had solo dancers, only 1 or 2 could do an opening, or a saidi, or a drum solo. ( I once went to a show where all the solo dancers did drum solos!!) Song choices and type of dance had to be agreed to ahead of time. One soloist format that I like is to follow the 5-7 part routine format- Opening, veil, middle song, taqsim or OK, beledi, saidi, drum solo, finale. Each soloist taking a different part.

I don't think that you have to be "fair". Its your show. But, if you ARE going to be fair, consider your audience just as much as your performers. Above all, put on a show that is fair to the audience, even if the audience is mostly dancers and their guests. It is unfair to take someone's money and then force them to sit through a 3 hour mind-numbing show that is 80% bad/wtf dancing and only 20% good such that they are ready to poke their own eyes out with sharp sticks at the end, just so that every possible performer gets her/his "fair" fill of theatrical masturbation.

There is also no reason IMO to give everyone the same amount of time. Give the advanced/pro people longer time slots, say 8 mins, and the less experienced 4. A well-rehearsed beginner group can entertain an audience for 3.5 mins, but not 5+.

When we plan shows (and granted we consider them shows and not haflas), we invite who we want, and who we want are people who will do a good job. We do include student and intermediate groups, but only those who we have seen dance before and know will present themselves as professionally as possible and be decently costumed.

Also make sure you have a deadline stick to it- don't meet deadline too bad,if they had plenty of time to send in paperwork. Also have a wait list ready if dancers who planned to perform for some circumstances beyond your control; a family emergency or become sick. they should at least contact you via cell phone.(put that in list) Also put everything in writing. So there is no misunderstanding of "da rules" you put in place. good luck