Thread: Being Hired vs. Dance Development

Are you known/hired for a certain style (Turkish, Egyptian, Lebanese, Fusion, Tribal, etc.) or specialty (sword, cane, candle tray, veils, etc.), yet you wish to become better at another style/specialty and no longer wish to do the style/specialty for which you are known? How does that balance with your need to be hired?

I started with a fairly wide palate of things I did during performances (veil, floorwork, sagat, turkish, egyptian,etc..), so I have never really left one to do another, but I have seen the transition done by other dancers - some smooth, others not so smooth. I think the trick is to begin adding elements of the new style/genre you would like to do and with every show, incorporate it more and more - slowly watering down your "old" style and concentrating the "new" - if you are going to be doing this in a restaurant where you have been dancing at for sometime and they are used to your original style - you may need to keep it (at least in your repertoire for that specific venue) - new venues: begin with the new style, but I would suggest keeping some of the older style in (here and there) for something different and special.

Sound advice. Since I just moved here, I can basically "reinvent" my style, but yes, my body cannot easily or quickly forget what it's been doing for the past few years...And I like the part about retaining a bit of the former style to have a unique character.