Thread: Moving to NYC at the end of '07, HELP!

Hey Bhuzzers,

If everything goes as planned, I will be moving to the NYC area by the end of the year (I'm trying Manhattan but I'll probably be in Brooklyn or Queens). I would love to start gigging and teaching once I settle down. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated!

NYC here I come!!!

- Mark B.

Hi Mark,

You can probably find a studio or one-bedroom apartment in Northern Manhattan (parts of Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood) for about $750 - $1,200.
As for restaurant gigs there's a document on the Belly Dance Pro group with info on how to get hired http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bellydancepro/ .
These are live music venues with different dancers every week, for weekly gigs you're basically on your own when it comes to door-knocking or them coming to you. Dancing at student shows will you more exposure as it'll like starting from zero for a little while.

Teaching you'll probably have to start at a YMCA or Djoniba www.djoniba.com where you get paid about $7 per student (don't quote me on that it's been a while) but of course all the money-making spots are taken.

If you're interested in teaching in gyms check out some of Oreet's classes www.sharqui.com she has certification courses once maybe twice per year. She has built quite a reputation for her brand amongst health clubs so it'll make getting teaching jobs at a good rate easier. Of course you'll have to be fitness and CPR certified as well.

Good luck with everything.

Hi there!

We are also planning to move to NYC beginning 2008! My husband is a musician & of course the music scene as well as dance scene is bigger there!. Athallia, Thanks for the info. Not sure yet if we will be in NYC (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn) or in NJ (Hoboken, Weehauken, etc).

I'm still not familiar with some places in NYC or NJ, but there should be some wellness centers (focusing on yoga, pilates, tai chi) as well as at a dance studio teaching salsa, ballroom, hip hop, ethnic dances. I prefer to teach bellydance in a holistic manner (as opposed to fitness-centered) where I compare & use similar methods of tai chi & yoga in dance for understanding weight shifts, body postures & energy movement.

If you would like to hear various arabic music without the night club smoke, then go to Alwan for the Arts: www.alwanforthearts.org . They have regular music Arabic events. For instance Sept 15, they will have Glen Valez & accompanied by a singer, Lori Cotler, for the evening. We hope to have some dance events there once we are settled. It's a loft on the 4th floor on Beaver, by Broadway. I'm a little older know & performing at Arabic nightclubs, once in a while is nice, but it's just not for me as a dancer anymore - just too late past my bedtime.

Also, if you have not yet done so, please check out the Bellydancers of Color (BOCA)website: www.bellydancersofcolor.com . Every year, they have an conference during Memorial day weekend in Maryland, 3 days of dance seminars in Bellydance, Brazilian, Indian, House, Afro-cuban, drumming, zilling, veiling, & a huge bazaar. Tarik & lOtus Nilajah have been some featured instructors. I personally like it better than Rakkasah East because it's not JUST bellydance. They have a Sunday show where participants can perform. But this event draws people from the everywhere, east coast west coast, midwest. But it'll be a great place to network, since there are a lot of people from NYC & NJ there (beginners, amateurs, pro's, even those who don't dance- hairstylist, people in the fashion industry)

Once you are settled, let's keep in touch so we can possibly network & organize events. It'll be a little hard to start from point #1 & compete with dancers that are already established there, but I'm sure you will do fine!

For all Bhuzzers out there, we also look for various talent to perform in Europe & Tunisia in 2008 too (paid gig!). So once, we get a gig opening, I will start to post later on Bhuz, regarding criteria/dance exposure, audition, & travel requirements.

Good luck & hope to see you around!

-Tipsuda