Thread: what does dancing on the chair mean?

I want to to what it means to dance on the chair ?
and also when and where should you do it?
and what does it say if anything about the dancer?
should someone ask you to do it? or should you take it opon you self to get a chair and stand on it?

it means somebody dropped their glass on the floor and this was the night I forgot to bring my dance shoes to the gig.

hehehe


No really, as far as I know, it just means you like to have a good time. You can go if invited or just do it yourself. I had one gig where it was difficult for customers to see me from the back of the restaurant when I was dancing in the front, so in my drum solo I would often grab a chair so at least for my awesome long shimmy section they could see me from everywhere at once. Everybody really appreciated it.

I must add an addendum, know your crowd, some will love it, but a few might think it's a little low class.

One of my teacher's old stories is of a bellygram she did for a turkish crowd, and they kept saying "do it turkish style"! And she finally asked them what they meant, and they said "you know: up on the chair!"

But it could definitely be misinterpreted ('table dancing", etc.) if your crowd isn't expecting it.

For me in means the friday restaurant is so packed after payday so I either do my whole set on a runway as wide as my hips with faces at chest level or I get on the darned chair...

It means the Egyptian guy got tired of not being able to see me so he cleared the table and picked me up and put me on top of it.

{{{HUGS}}}

in my experience, in the appropriate venues, it meant
"woot!"

Originally Posted by shems

I must add an addendum, know your crowd, some will love it, but a few might think it's a little low class.

glad you mentioned that shems,

a wonderful, classy, very professional dancer had her reputation in tatters in her dance community by doing that........she went up on a chair (not a table as rumored) so a cluster of ladies in the back could see her.

i'm glad this thread started...........at one hookah lounge i danced at, we had ottomans to stand on and a very mixed crowd.....the arabic and persian clientele weren't crazy about it, so it was never done with them in the room.....all american/european clientele love it...... so yeah, knowing your crowd is key!

Why does it bother an Arabic clientele? Is there a reason?

I just don't get it - a table or chair is just a raised surface, not much different than standing on a tabla - or a stage for that matter.

I will say that Moroccans want you to get up on the table.
and what's wrong with dancing on a table anyway?

i'm glad to hear the opinions on it. I didn't know the signifigance but I don't think i'd do it at a restaurtant. I did dance on a chair at Ahlan Wa Sahlan during the gala when the dancing boys came out. But I felt that was different.

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

Why does it bother an Arabic clientele? Is there a reason?

I just don't get it - a table or chair is just a raised surface, not much different than standing on a tabla - or a stage for that matter.

I will say that Moroccans want you to get up on the table.
and what's wrong with dancing on a table anyway?

one egyptian regular said dancing on chairs shows a woman or dancer is 'common' (in an uncomplimentary way)......that may have just been HIS opinion, but in respect to his sensibilities, i never did it in his/his friend's presence......a persian group said the same thing having seen another dancer the previous week......yet a couple of palestinian regulars think it's a hoot!.....it's just a matter of knowing your patrons, really.....everyone has a cultural, personal preference............

I don't think it's an Arab/non-Arab thing. Different Arabs like different things. I've been invited up on tables and chairs many times in pretty much all Arab venues and was once chided for not getting up on the chair, it was almost an expected part of things. There are other crowds that prefer you stay on the ground. I don't think it is a country to country thing either, maybe it is a class thing, just like how some crowds go crazy for Shaabi and others just think its low class.

Dancing on chairs shows a dancer is 'common', eh? He's Egyptian, if you are dancing professionally at all, you are already 'common' in his mind. I doubt think standing on a chair will make that much of a difference.

I dance on the chair when the ceiling is too low to be able to stand up on the table. You are right about different Arabs liking different things-I've been at Lucys club in Cairo whe she has got up on the table.I've never danced anywhere that didn't expect me to stand up on something at some point in the performance.

I was always told that dancing on someone's table means he's some sort of "hotshot -> he has a dancer dancing on his table. Doing it should only be upon invitation and only if they tip you. If they keep tipping you, you keep dancing, if they don't, or stop after 10-20 seconds you get off. You wouldn't stay up there very long anyways. I would never get upon someone's table uninvitedly. (this is what I was taught).

I don't know the difference with the chair though. My teacher that talked about the table (and I have done the table dancing with, etc) never mentioned the chair. So my instinct is to treat it the same as a table: I don't get on it unless they invite me.
Although it definitely makes sense to hop on a chair so everyone can see you during drumsolo or other parts o th music.
As far as common or low class: yep, we're belly dancers, so dancing on a chair will probabaly not make a difference. And yes, Arabs will have different opinions, not the only because they differ geographically, but because they're not a homogenous group - they differ greatly in and within groups.

I get up on chairs a lot, mostly for drum solos, and ive never had a bad reaction or comment. I rarely get on tables. If im at a new venue I always ask the manager or band if its alright.

Feeling out and knowing your crowd is always important, chair dancing and otherwise. I did it last night in a packed club of Arabic patrons and got huge applauds.

Also, everything Shems said.

Personally I think a chair trumps a table purely because you are *putting your feet there*. My feet at eye level? Ew.

My teacher used to tell of a gig she got once where she was *expressly* asked to dance on the table, ahead of time, and it was a conference of gynaecologists so she danced with her feet and knees *very* close together...

I've heard that in Egypt the dancers get up on the furniture and let guys put their heads under their skirts.

A friend of mine saw Lucy do this long ago. And I've seen video from a mulid where they were trying to do this.

You have to be careful on the tables cuz once I had a guy put a camera under my skirt and he had taken a photo before I knew what was going on. But really... it'll just be a blurry pic of some cellulite and red boy shorts... not that hot.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Personally I think a chair trumps a table purely because you are *putting your feet there*. My feet at eye level? Ew.

My teacher used to tell of a gig she got once where she was *expressly* asked to dance on the table, ahead of time, and it was a conference of gynaecologists so she danced with her feet and knees *very* close together...

Both table and chair are something I only do here in emergency or if actively encouraged. It's a cultural thing here. When you stand on a chair here in general you're expected to take any indoor shoes off prior to getting up on the chair...my dance sandals take a while to unlace and I don't think anyone wants to see what my barefeet look like if I've been dancing in a restaurant.

It's the tiny cultural things.

Originally Posted by shems

IDancing on chairs shows a dancer is 'common', eh? He's Egyptian, if you are dancing professionally at all, you are already 'common' in his mind. I doubt think standing on a chair will make that much of a difference.

true that :p

this gentleman was kinda old school.......swoons when he hears oum kalthoum, named tahiya carioca as a fave......when he comes in with younger men, they're more shaabi and don't know who tahiya is (but DO still swoon over oum, go figure :D, maybe he's a good influence there).....VERY particular on who/what he likes to see in a dancer and in the music they dance to....and patronizes three venues that i know of.......

just sharing my experiences with some that like and some that don't, and their demographic.........this IS a great discussion....i'm glad it came up

as far as my OWN preference....it really depends on the crowd.....their energy, their enthusiasm, but i AM mindful of some of the regulars and their preferences and feelings on the matter.

Originally Posted by zumarrad

Personally I think a chair trumps a table purely because you are *putting your feet there*. My feet at eye level? Ew.

They're always looking UP, though. Thank goodness- 'cos my feet at a shisha place? .w.: It's a good idea to keep your eyes out for cell phone cameras though- trying to go close to your feet and aiming up (AKA gyno cam)

Originally Posted by zumarrad

My teacher used to tell of a gig she got once where she was *expressly* asked to dance on the table, ahead of time, and it was a conference of gynaecologists so she danced with her feet and knees *very* close together...

TOOOOO funny!!!

I've been "invited" up on tables (and or chairs) by Egyptians, Palestinians, Lebanese, Moroccans and more. It's usually accompanied by generous tipping....and ALWAYS gets the energy up in the room. I was just up on a table on Friday. They cleared all their stuff off, I already know they're sturdy tables (ever so important), they tipped nicely and half the place started singing and clapping. What's a girl to do? ..g.:

I feel if you've already demonstrated that you can do a lovely, classy oriental then the "old school" audience members will "forgive" you for your "crass" actions.

I've never danced on a table, but I offten do part of my drum solo on a chair, because it's the climax and this is bascial the last time you'll see my moves so i want everyone to get hype and take part.

It really depends on the clientele and their perceptions. With an American audience, it can sometimes seem "table dance-like" - In the more ethnic places I have danced, there have been variations from 'always expected to dance on a chair' to 'immediately fires any dancer who dances on a chair.' If in doubt, I would just clarify it before hand with the venue to see what is expected.

IT IS A SIGN OF HONOR AND RESPECT!
at persian and turkish, some arab functions.....the family tables show "position" in the community by the size of the tip.
when a large tip, the chair next to the tipper, or the table of the tipper.usually another familt wants to out do the other. i have danced on up to 3 tables in one gig, with these "competing" families.if you got a good tip, and did not honor them by showing the rest of the crowd, by getting up high in the hall, you are insulting them!

Originally Posted by sabrinabellydancer

in my experience, in the appropriate venues, it meant
"woot!"

what does woot mean?

Originally Posted by Shivaun

You have to be careful on the tables cuz once I had a guy put a camera under my skirt and he had taken a photo before I knew what was going on. But really... it'll just be a blurry pic of some cellulite and red boy shorts... not that hot.

yeah i had something similar on my post "beware of cell phones"

Usually, when people asked me to dance on a chair/table, they were drunk men. That says it all for me... I always feel like they only want to look under my skirt.
I've been offered a lot of money to do it but I have my limits.
Plus it's rather unsafe and not always easy to get up and down elegantly.

MEISSOUN

Usually, when people asked me to dance on a chair/table, they were drunk men. That says it all for me... I always feel like they only want to look under my skirt.
I've been offered a lot of money to do it but I have my limits.
Plus it's rather unsafe and not always easy to get up and down elegantly.

** they always help you up and down, to honor their familirs table

Originally Posted by zamora

** they always help you up and down, to honor their familirs table

Well, in most cases, there was no family but only men.

MEISSOUN

Another thing I remember: I was also always told to look at the women at the table - if they look disapproving, don't don't do it. Just like I was always taught to to thank the women for the tips, even when the husband tips, this made sense. Women should always be taken into consideration.

I never had this problem though. And I was also always helped up and down on the table, they cleared the dishes a bit, etc. It's really weird and not easy to get up and dance on a table next to a dish of baba ganoush, if you think about it.
I usually hardly move my feet - I am glad I found a stable position to stand, without the table shaking or collapsing, dance a little and then get off.

To me it really did make sense that it's a show off - why else would you want someone to actually stand on your table? You eat off of the table and now you have someone stand on it... eew...

I was offered the chair a few times, now that I think about it, it was always in a restaurant, where it didn't seem ok to get on a table (low ceiling, not sure of management, etc). So i treated it as the same as tables.