Thread: Offering more than one style in performance?

I know everyone has their favorite style that they teach/learn/perform and I have also come across many who have dabbled in different styles to have a well rounded understanding of bellydancing as a whole...my question is whether anyone out there offers more than one style in their performances or if you tend to stay on one pathway. For instance, would you perform one dance in an Egyptian cabaret style, then change costume, come back and perform a fusion piece? Does it depend on your audience? Are you set on performing only one style? Do you feel that dancers who specialize can offer more to their audience or limit themselves? Do you think it is a positive or negative to try and perform more than one?

I think that totally depends on how long you are asked to dance and what you are getting paid for a gig like that. I have been hired for shows before where they wanted three 10 minute performances and we ended up deciding for a package of Raqs Sharki, Bhangra, Shaabi during contract negotiations.

I wouldnt FORCE several styles in if I got 7 minutes or something. Sometimes you just want to save something for "next time". It's about marketability and longevity ;)

I always let the customer know what I offer and then let them get back to me with what they ideally would like, I give them a quote - then we negotiate on content and fees.

The audience factor that you mention is a valid one as well. I would most probably recommend a potential client not to mix Indian dances and Bellydance (by a male performer) - just for the comfort of the audience.

I typically will mix in some Saiidi or a more "butch" dance style in my Sharki set if I am dancing for Middle Eastern audiences just to keep them comfortable and show broadness in ability and variation.

I dont think there is anything negative about perfomring more than one style - the "distance" between the styles may be a subject of discussion depending on length of performance, venue/audience and pay.

I think it depends on a lot of things - the dancer's preferences and the audiences.

My favorite styles to perform are Egyptian and folkloric, but I trained for years in Turkish, Lebanese, and other ethnic styles as well because I regularly danced for those audiences and it was important to them that I perform their style well. While I can dance at a competent professional level in those styles and work hard to stay in practice with them, I am just not as often inspired to perform them. I will also do fusions on occasion, but only at events where the audience is expecting fusion and I can label it appropriately.

There is a lot out there and it is up to the individual dancer to decide what is best for them. A dancer who specializes in one form to the exclusion of others and a dancer who performs multiple styles are not necessarily different in skill level or talent - just in focus. :)

Within a single show, I would say it would be a matter of the audience and type of show. It might be helpful if there is a way to tell the audience which styles you are performing. I wouldn't try to do it in the same set (unless you are doing a quick folkloric piece in a larger orientale piece), but as long as it fit s with the full show that the audience is expecting I see nothing wrong with having a separate number in a different style.