Thread: Instructors wanted for new video series

From Company Launches Internet Casting Site for Bellydancers:

Why Knot Productions, a USA based video production company, recently designed a new site to begin a world-wide search for top belly dance instructors for a new video series.

The company will be shooting a new series of instructional dance videos in 2010, and is approaching this project in an unorthodox manner: an online casting call. Through the company's newly-designed site, www.whyknotproductions.com, dancers from around the world have an opportunity to send their information and video submissions to the casting team.

"The Oriental Dance community is huge, and there is amazing talent around the world. We want to allow as many people as possible the opportunity to join our team and be a part of this exciting new project. No matter where an instructor may be, if they can get to a computer they can submit their information to the company," said company President Dilara Sultan (as she is known in the Oriental Dance market).

The site was revealed late afternoon on October 15, 2009. However, it will not be activated to accept submissions for the casting call until 12:01 a.m. Monday October 19th Central Standard Time. Submissions will only be accepted until midnight, November 15th Central Standard Time.

"We decided to allow dancers the opportunity to see the site, ask questions, and learn what information is needed to make a submission. This will give people a little more time to understand and prepare for the deadline," Dilara added.

Why Knot Productions is working in association with Asia Minor Productions in Istanbul on this new video series. Last month, Hip Muzik was enlisted as Music Supervisor for the series. Musicians who are interested in having their music considered for the series can go to Hip Müzik for more information.

Maria Natera, Hip Muzik's A & R Manager said, "The Hip Muzik team is proud to be working with Why Knot Productions and Asia Minor Productions on their upcoming project. The quality of the video series will be an asset not only to the world of belly dance, but will be a spotlight for talented musicians in this genre... we are ready to be a part of a new, cutting edge video release."

The video series, which will be shot in both Turkey and the USA, will feature dancers from many countries and will highlight performances as well as teach the art of oriental dance to the viewers. Shooting begins in the first quarter of 2010.

For more information, visit Why Knot Productions.

Not to be skeptical/cynical, but aren't most of the top instructors who want to make videos already making them?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Not to be skeptical/cynical, but aren't most of the top instructors who want to make videos already making them?

I'm not making dvd's yet, and I'd like to. I take it from your comment that I should not consider myself worthy because if I was a "top instructor" I would already be making videos?

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Not to be skeptical/cynical, but aren't most of the top instructors who want to make videos already making them?

What is your definition of "top"?

Regardless, I think there are plenty of fabulous instructors around the world who would love to shoot an instructional video. Whether they already have videos on the market is irrelevant. ..g.:

What Tex said. There are a lot of up-and-comers who simply haven't started making DVD's yet, or don't feel like waiting for Miles to wave his magic wand.

I've been following Dilara on Facebook and really like the sound of her upcoming projects. Her background in media and the entertainment business is impressive. I'm all in favor of any slick, well-produced dancer-oriented effort to mainstream the dance. For example, I think Michelle Joyce and WDNY have both put out some excellent mass-produced DVD's that cater to what dancers want. To me, it's smart marketing and a great answer to our collective Superstars Burnout.

Should be really interesting to see what Dilara puts together!

I'll be interested to see what they come up with.

I'm kind of surprised that they're doing a casting call rather than surveying dancers -- the target market -- to ask whose videos we'd like to be able to buy. As saturated as the market is, I'd think an unknown instructor would be a hard sell.

Unless you're looking at entering the mass market for beginner videos, and looking to hire someone who's engaging enough to make the talk show/morning news circuit. There's room there for someone with an engaging personality.

I haven't been following this project, I'm just musing about the general idea.

Originally Posted by tamrahennatx

I'm not making dvd's yet, and I'd like to. I take it from your comment that I should not consider myself worthy because if I was a "top instructor" I would already be making videos?

I'm not personally familiar with your dancing or teaching skills and I had no way of anticipating if you would even read this thread so, no, the comment was not directed at you. "Most" is not "all." However, if you look at the upper percentiles of instructors/performers who are considered "top" in terms of their skills by the dance community, a large portion of them are or have been under contract to other projects, and per Why Knot's FAQ, they may be excluded for that reason. (I don't know the details of the contracts people sign with HMC or WDNY, but I'm confident this would apply at a minimum to current BDSS dancers.) So who does that leave? Certainly dancers who are very talented but prefer to keep a small profile would fit that description--but I suspect they might not want to get involved in this for the same reasons they don't bother to audition for BDSS. Lots of dancers who possess the potential to perform at a higher prestige level simply choose not to. There is also the issue that after one reaches a certain status level, it becomes "beneath you" to participate in projects like this--that's why the same dancers who are in high demand as teachers and performers don't usually dance in competitions.

Originally Posted by azhaar

What is your definition of "top"?

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

What Tex said. There are a lot of up-and-comers who simply haven't started making DVD's yet, or don't feel like waiting for Miles to wave his magic wand.

"Top" is their word choice, not mine, but since you asked, I think "top" implies that someone possesses both a high level of talent and mastery and also widespread recognition for that, something that "up-and-coming" doesn't imply to me. I don't have a problem with someone putting a DVD together of next-big-thing and best-kept-secret dancers out there, but I don't think of that as "top." Seriously, if somebody asks you to name the "world-wide...top belly dance instructors," do you think of Suzy who dances at the Falafel Hut every other Friday and some 50-year-old woman who teaches out of her home in Kansas, or people like Raqia Hassan and Suhaila Salimpour?

All too often, I think (in any field) people are able to sell DVDs on name rather than talent. How many movies have we seen with a "top" star that was total junk? Or seen the hit film of the summer that starred an "up and coming" actor?
Some of the instructional (and performance) DVDs I have seen by "top" dancers (meaning well known) were terrible..great dancing and fame does not equal great instruction. I think you can be a "top" dancer and instructor before you gain fame, especially to those outside the BD community. I say bring on the unknowns and shower their talents upon us!
Nikki

Originally Posted by micamica

Some of the instructional (and performance) DVDs I have seen by "top" dancers (meaning well known) were terrible..great dancing and fame does not equal great instruction. I think you can be a "top" dancer and instructor before you gain fame, especially to those outside the BD community. I say bring on the unknowns and shower their talents upon us!

This is true--you can be a fabulous dancer and a lousy teacher, or a fantastic teacher and a tedious bore on stage. Teaching and performing are separate skills and not everyone is equally good at both. Unfortunately, I'm a little afraid of the caliber of dancer who has a lot of success outside the BD community, but no recognition within it. In my experience, the dancers who fit that description tend to be charismatic performers with plenty of razzle dazzle, but not much to speak of in terms of the qualities that dancers appreciate, like solid technique and good musical interpretation.

I have nothing against the great unknowns out there. I'm actually less suspicious of them than the came-out-of-nowhere dancers who are pimped out as Somebody Important's Latest Prodigy. Still, the great unknowns should get correct billing, and if they are largely undiscovered talents, then they shouldn't be presented in a way that makes them sound like they have world-class reputations when they don't. Everybody here has Internet access. If you want to build a big-name reputation, and you have the skills to deserve it, it won't take much PR for the dance community to find you--and if you're all blow and no show, we'll find that out, too.

I want to make a DVD for newer dancers in an older body. I got street cred! And I have been told I am a good teacher. I have a great studio, a good sense of humor, and a mellifluous voice!

Tourbeau, you are so wise and poignant.

Originally Posted by Tourbeau

Seriously, if somebody asks you to name the "world-wide...top belly dance instructors," do you think of Suzy who dances at the Falafel Hut every other Friday and some 50-year-old woman who teaches out of her home in Kansas, or people like Raqia Hassan and Suhaila Salimpour?

Of course, Raqia & Co. would be the first that come to mind. But I wouldn't exactly write off the possibility that there are some insanely good dancers out there who either don't promote themselves, or have chosen a career path that doesn't involve competitions and teaching on the international circuit.

A good example is Suspira from Orlando. She doesn't have any mass-produced DVD's, nor is she a globetrotting performer (at least from what I gather), but she has an enormous following. She could be one of the BDSS - in fact, I think she's better than many of the BDSS. But from what her students have said on Bhuz, she's far too passionate about teaching and directing her troupes in the Orlando community. She might not bill herself as the second coming of Randa K, but I'm sure she'd have no problem selling a mass produced DVD, if she chose to make one.

If a dancer wants to make a name for herself by joining BDSS, so be it. If she chooses to pound the pavement and do all of her own PR, then even better. If she responds to Dilara's casting call, then that's a valid choice, as well. There are so many different levels of recognition in the BD world, and it's up to the individual dancer to figure out how far she wants to extend her reach, and how she chooses to get there.

As for casting calls, I don't find that abnormal. I'm pretty sure that would be standard procedure everywhere else in the entertainment and media industries. I can't speak for Dilara's marketing objectives, but I'm sure she wants her DVD's to cross over to the mainstream market. In which case, I'm sure she would select instructors who can back up their talents and expertise with charisma and personality. Recently, I bought a mass-produced belly dance DVD, and while the content was solid, I found myself distracted by the instructor's quiet, monotone, sleepy delivery. Not that I like the chipper aerobics instructor approach, either - but dancers like Aziza, Michelle Joyce and Jillina have a very warm, motivating presence on screen. It sounds picky, but the intangibles can make a world of difference.

Originally Posted by anala

I want to make a DVD for newer dancers in an older body. I got street cred! And I have been told I am a good teacher. I have a great studio, a good sense of humor, and a mellifluous voice!

Now, this, I would like to see! ..l;,

I hope it's something along the lines of Michelle Joyce's By Dancers for Dancers just because those videos are such a wonderful opportunity to see so many "unsung" top instructors.

I second the desire to see new, unknown fresh talent! would like to see someone that's still up and coming, a fresh face. I love superstars, but I've also got a few favorites that are not big name, like Aliyah Sahar from MN, Willow from NY or Gaia from Italy.