Thread: Belly Dancer looking to dance in restaurants in the Philadelphia area

Hello all, I'm looking to break into the 'dancing in restaurants' buisness. I have 4 years of belly dance experience and 16 years of other dance experience. I've performed at haflas, belly dance competitions and other multi-cultural events. Is there a good way to go about this? Should I just be calling middle eastern restaurants that currently offer belly dancing and offer to dance as a substitute or are there better ways to encounter potential future employers? Construction advice would be helpful, thank you.

You might want to post this in the "Business of Belly Dance" forum too, and search through some of the threads there...

But also... When you've performed at haflas and other shows, have you gotten the chance to network with other dancers? People are always looking for subs, and if they know you and your skill they'll be more likely to call you than if they haven't seen you before. It's a good idea to go to some of the local venues and find out who's dancing and what the shows are like. In the meantime, the more you build a name for yourself by performing at private parties, teaching, etc., the better! This way you'll be on people's radar and have even more experience when the opportunity does come up.

I do a lot of restaurant work, and almost all of it has come from other dancers or from the restaurants themselves. I have only walked into two places with cards before dancing there or being called, and I felt awkward! It did work out with one of them, but you have to be careful not to step on any toes when you approach restaurant management before finding out who is currently dancing there.

I've noticed that with the restaurants regular marketing doesn't really work. Restaurants like to hire somebody by reference or if they have seen you dance before. At least this is the trend in my area. It's definitely good to network with other dancers. This is probably how I got most of my jobs. Agree with Bellyfina, walking in the restaurant and giving your card is kind of awkward. But on other hand if you come in for dinner quite a bit and get to know the owners it may be very different. Many restaurant owners prefer to hire dancers they know and trust.

Hi Soraya, I'm a Philly dancer who dances in restaurants. The scene here isn't too exciting, and some places prefer word of mouth references, some places aren't looking for new dancers, and some places you can walk into with no issues. Since there are so few restaurants to dance in, we all tend to know who's dancing where and who has spots open.

On another thread, you mentioned your teacher - not sure if she can help introduce you to dancers at various restaurants? I agree, networking helps too - getting to know dancers at a restaurant you want to work in is great, so you can be a sub. Feel free to drop me an email too and hope this helps!

Thank you all for your suggestions:

Fatima: I just pm'ed you, thanks for your input :)

Kateryna and Bellyfina: thank you, networking is a must and hopefully at a show I'm performing at on Saturday, I'll be able to do just that :)

I definately don't want to step on any toes, I know i'm still considered a 'baby belly' that's why i'm just looking to sub right now so that over the summer i can take more lessons, continue growing and refining the art and then in the future maybe persue more permanent work as a professional dancer. Thanks again for your comments :)

It is a big "faux pas" to call restaurants and ask if they need a dancer. Out of consideration for the other professional dancers in your community, and to present yourself as a professional, it's best to contact the dancers directly and ask if they need a sub. Remember that you are part of a community. Your ehtical and respectful behaviour will go a long way in establishing your reputation.

There are many ways you can ask dancers for subbing opportunities.

It IS okay to call the restaurants and ask for the contact information for their dancers. Some may not give it out to protect and respect their dancers (would you want someone randomly giving out your phone number to someone on the phone?) but if the dancer leaves her card there then they may.

You can also search "professional bellydancers" on google or in the yellow pages to find dancers and then call and ask if they need a substitute.

Networking at dance events is also a great idea as mentioned above.

Before you start inquiring into this, it's important to research going rates and expected conduct. See threads like this for a start: http://www.bhuz.com/forum/business-b...rst-timer.html
Please especially note my comment about how ridiculously LOW rates are in many US and some Canadian areas. Would you like to be part of the problem (accept and therefore support these insulting rates) or part of the solution (demanding and only accepting appropriate rates)?

Lastly, please remember that there are no semi-professionals: just students (who don't perform for money EVER) and professionals (who do perform for money). Jocelyne Khan in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada expressed this very well. To paraphrase, once a student makes that jump to professional, she must now join her teacher and other professionals and charge the same base rates. There is no charging lower rates to start or until you gain more experience. Some professionals who are well-established and in high demand often charge more than the base rates but undercutting is NEVER acceptable, no matter what the rationale.

Best of luck launching into the professional realm. I hope you find a mentor, or support group of experienced professionals who can guide you and help you get started. It is so important to support each other and create a community.

Originally Posted by Hala Jamal

It is a big "faux pas" to call restaurants and ask if they need a dancer. Out of consideration for the other professional dancers in your community, and to present yourself as a professional, it's best to contact the dancers directly and ask if they need a sub. Remember that you are part of a community. Your ehtical and respectful behaviour will go a long way in establishing your reputation.

There are many ways you can ask dancers for subbing opportunities.

It IS okay to call the restaurants and ask for the contact information for their dancers. Some may not give it out to protect and respect their dancers (would you want someone randomly giving out your phone number to someone on the phone?) but if the dancer leaves her card there then they may.

You can also search "professional bellydancers" on google or in the yellow pages to find dancers and then call and ask if they need a substitute.

Networking at dance events is also a great idea as mentioned above.

Before you start inquiring into this, it's important to research going rates and expected conduct. See threads like this for a start: http://www.bhuz.com/forum/business-b...rst-timer.html
Please especially note my comment about how ridiculously LOW rates are in many US and some Canadian areas. Would you like to be part of the problem (accept and therefore support these insulting rates) or part of the solution (demanding and only accepting appropriate rates)?

Lastly, please remember that there are no semi-professionals: just students (who don't perform for money EVER) and professionals (who do perform for money). Jocelyne Khan in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada expressed this very well. To paraphrase, once a student makes that jump to professional, she must now join her teacher and other professionals and charge the same base rates. There is no charging lower rates to start or until you gain more experience. Some professionals who are well-established and in high demand often charge more than the base rates but undercutting is NEVER acceptable, no matter what the rationale.

Best of luck launching into the professional realm. I hope you find a mentor, or support group of experienced professionals who can guide you and help you get started. It is so important to support each other and create a community.

I had to laugh at the part in bold - I've gotten many calls for private parties from people who've been given my number by the owner of a restaurant where I regularly dance. And I figure if we leave our cards with people, or display them in the places where we dance and/or teach, or put our phone numbers on our websites, we EXPECT to receive calls from strangers.

We prefer working with restaurants that don't currently have dancers. Then there can be NO misunderstanding / rumors / hard feelings.

[QUOTE=Hala Jamal;621215]It is a big "faux pas" to call restaurants and ask if they need a dancer. Out of consideration for the other professional dancers in your community, and to present yourself as a professional, it's best to contact the dancers directly and ask if they need a sub. Remember that you are part of a community. Your ehtical and respectful behaviour will go a long way in establishing your reputation.}

To clarify, I wouldn;t have called the restaurant if my dance teacher hadn't said I should. I'm not trying to be disrespectful or step on toes, and i do know most of the dancers that dance at this particular restaurant and yes, i've asked them if they need subs but in the end, the restaurant is hiring me, not the dancers, so i don't feel bad for calling, especially with my teacher making a special trip to the restaurant to give me a recomendation ... I did a lot of networking this weekend at a large hafla on saturday and just continue to get myself out there.

Thank you all for your responses