Thread: Video taping restaurant dancers??

I had a conversation with some dancers recently, and we discussed if it's ok for restaurant and nightclub customers to video tape the dancers show. I feel they shouldn't since many dancers have video's they have put out and spent a ton of money on, and of course there is the chance of your performance ending up on a bootleg video in another country.

So I'm interested in hearing the opinions of other dancers who work in restaurant and nightclub settings. Does your boss have rules in place for the customers? Do you set rules on being video taped? Have any of you ended up on youtube or some other source performing when you didn't know you were being taped??

I find it rude that customers don't even bother to ask if it's ok. A dancer I worked with in Vegas about 15 years ago was in Paris visiting a friend, they were at a video store, sort of like Blockbuster videos, on the monitor she saw a clip running of her perfoming here in Vegas, and the full video was for sale!!! She freaked out, because she had no idea that her show was taped, let alone being sold in Paris France!! She was fluent in French and raised hell!! She had a right to her intellectual property and to be paid for any video release.

well when i start working at ALMAZA i told to my boss that i dont want to be video tape and no pictures .. lol i couldnt stop the picture i didnt like it in the beginning only because some of the customers were saying that they saw pictures of me on the internet...and only let them video tape for a private party or wedding) i cant tell people during a show when im dancing dont video tape me w/ ur cell or pix camera, usualy what i do to avoid that i give them my back or i dance very close and move fast so the dont have a nice and clear video plus video tape and for the owner they dont care about it while customers are enjoying the show thats what is important..... one time a girl told me omg i have to take you a picture w/ that costume i have a photo gallery on myspace and office w/ one of each of ur costume and i say " oh!! that very nice.. thank you.. ( but inside of me i say "WHAT THE F.***"..
so pictures some times are the same feeling as video tape... but on the other hand when someone post a video on youtube.. ist easier for people to know about more dancers .... specially dancer from out of u.s.a so i love you tube.... w/ a happy end not like this one because thats when or what dont like been video tape.....


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jhy6PBnmsE"]YouTube - Belly dancer loses her skirt[/ame]


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcp77e_IIIk&feature=related"]YouTube - belly dance blooper[/ame]

I think we can't avoid being photographed and videod. It's part of the game.
People want a nice memory to take home.

After all, I film dancers in Beirut and Istanbul as well!
But I keep those videos to myself, even though people have asked me to put them on YouTube.
I don't even make copies for my friends.

When I see people taking pictures, I strike a pose in front of photo cameras so I know that at least they will have a NICE picture of me, not some awkward "between 2 movements" shot.

The limit for me was when somebody wanted to film me from frog perspective - looking under the skirt, like in some Lebanese or Turkish videos. No way. I don't want to look stupid on film!

MEISSOUN

Originally Posted by meissoun

I think we can't avoid being photographed and videod. It's part of the game.
People want a nice memory to take home.


When I see people taking pictures, I strike a pose in front of photo cameras so I know that at least they will have a NICE picture of me, not some awkward "between 2 movements" shot.


MEISSOUN

..l;,..l;, yeah.. thats what i do i try to pose i dont want them to take ugly pictures.... now i realy like picture but not video.. and as a fan of dancers i love video tape but i always ask them first...

As an audience member, I can tell you that asking a dancer for her permission first is sometimes difficult or even impossible.

For example in Istanbul the come right out on stage and dance there.
I would have to climb on stage to ask them. ..g.:
Plus, if a dozen Japanese tourists film them, I can too... Or else there would have to be a sign saying "don't film the dancers". But I think many people would find that strange. "We paid for the dancer, so we can film her!"

Of course I understand every dancer who wants to protect her image - but looking at it from the general audience member's view, she's an attraction like any other and kind of "public property" as long as she's performing.

MEISSOUN

If you're in a public place, you pretty much lose control over people taking photographs or video...

That's what happened to us last weekend. We were performing at a multicultural festival when lo and behold we were videoed up close and personal by a person. Said person, in full costume, belonged to another belly dance group and she taped our complete performance. Now I'm not a violent person but I really thought of taking her down a dark lane and slapping her silly.

thats why my friend zhanna video tape my performances so i least i have the chance to see it first.. ..l;,..l;,

Originally Posted by gloworm25

That's what happened to us last weekend. We were performing at a multicultural festival when lo and behold we were videoed up close and personal by a person. Said person, in full costume, belonged to another belly dance group and she taped our complete performance. Now I'm not a violent person but I really thought of taking her down a dark lane and slapping her silly.

Don't you hate that?? It takes so much work to put together troupe dances. I would be suspicious of the motives in a case like this one.

Let's just say that if I see them performing the dances Samiya and I have choreographed for our dancers I'll be having a few words to say to their troupe leader.

"If you're in a public place, you pretty much lose control over people taking photographs or video..."

what is classed as a public space? Walking down the street or performing at a hafla? There is a distinction in my mind if I take a photo/video at a hafla for myself or whether I publish it. The problem is we have no way of controlling where that video ends up. I wouldn't want something I didn't sanction posted for the world to see without my consent.

Most of the time restaurants are considered "open to the public" so it is up to the owner of the location whether or not to allow videotaping. If they do, there isn't much the dancer can do about it other than refuse to dance there.

I don't mind it personally - I just assume that at any public or semi-public place that my performances may be taped. If I really don't want to be taped, I try to clear it with the owner of the establishment first so that they can enforce the rule.

i think you pretty much cant do anything about it. it used to bother me, but not any more. i'm on dozens and dozens and dozens of crappy home movies, and nowadays every one has one. oh, and crappy cellphone films... i really dont even notice

those two youtubes; if i was the first dancer and found out i'd be so angry they put that on there

and kudos for the second dancer, up she went and just danced on, wow, what recovery

I was taped at a restaurant once. The guy doing it (owner's brother) said I was a fabulous dancer, but I needed to *lose a little weight* (just a little! he insisted). The friend that came with me that night was so angry about this she kept giving the guy the Look of Death all night long.

Later friends would tell me they saw me on TV. I tried to call the guy and email him several times for a copy of my performance, no dice.

So I'm kind of here and there with it. I don't care if you film me but nobody ever seems to want to give me a copy/camera breaks/forgot camera. A video curse. :(

i don't think it would bother me if people just took their memories home with them. but why does everything have to end up on youtube? or myspace or facebook etc.

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

those two youtubes; if i was the first dancer and found out i'd be so angry they put that on there

seriously. but i believe that one day the poster's pants or skirt will fall down at an inopportune moment.

Generally I don't mind. I figure it's part of performing in public and in it would be impossible to prevent here. ;) The only time I was uncomfortable with it was when me and my dancers were being filmed by the manager of another group of dancers who someimes include bellydance in their shows (they are not bellydancers). It would not have bothered me if the person had been taping all the different styles of dancers present. When I saw they were recording just mine...hmm.
It may be harmless...maybe they just really liked the dance but who knows. The woman was very nice but also very business minded. ;)
Long story short, most of the time I am just fine with it. Oh and sometimes people get decent footage of shows, share and post to Youtube so I do benefit. :)

Originally Posted by dancingstar

seriously. but i believe that one day the poster's pants or skirt will fall down at an inopportune moment.

YEP!! it happen to me 2 times 1. whe i was dancing at hookah palace restaurant i was wearing a costume like that one in the video1 but the only difference is that i catch my skirt when it opens so thay only saw one of my legs lol
2. was at almaza restaurant but this time i step on my skirt and my pin opens so i hold the skirt for about 3min until my set were finish

I don't like people video taping me because I worry where it will end up posted. If I knew it was just for home use I wouldn't care so much. I feel that people who post the video on youtube, myspace, etc without permission are violating the privacy and safety of the dancer. Especially if they post specific information on the venue. Then any creep can see your video and find out exactly where you work. Pictures don't bother me as much and people expect to be able to take them, especially if your working a party. However, pictures taken by some pervy looking guy who is all by himself drinking at the bar ookes me out too.

I HATE it, but as far as I understand the law, if you're in a public place you're fair game.

And a public place is anyplace where no one paid to get in.

So my understanding (I'm not a lawyer) is that your restaurant show is also fair game, UNLESS you're performing in the sort of club where people paid a cover to see your show.

Originally Posted by dancingstar

i don't think it would bother me if people just took their memories home with them. but why does everything have to end up on youtube? or myspace or facebook etc.

This kind of sums up my feelings too. But I just think realistically, there's no way to *really* police either the taping or posting of unauthorized video.

most plays/concerts/etc have signs up about cameras/videotapes/flashes

can you post something about "please do not videotape or photograph the dancer. the flashes can be distracting. please also note that the music is copyrighted..etc..any unauthorized posting can result in..."

Originally Posted by gloworm25

That's what happened to us last weekend. We were performing at a multicultural festival when lo and behold we were videoed up close and personal by a person. Said person, in full costume, belonged to another belly dance group and she taped our complete performance. Now I'm not a violent person but I really thought of taking her down a dark lane and slapping her silly.

This happened to one of my codancers about 4 years ago, she did 2 shows and a local dancer sat there with her video camera rolling the entire time, she said "I better at least get a copy of that video you are shooting" which she never did!! That was so disrespectful, why couldn't she just enjoy the dancers show and leave it at that??

Yes, in this day of youtube, etc we are losing our rights as artists to say what is published about us and what isn't!! I'm fine with photo's and also try to strike a pose for them, but the video thing just seems rude, especially if it goes on for most of your show.

Originally Posted by laura 2

This kind of sums up my feelings too. But I just think realistically, there's no way to *really* police either the taping or posting of unauthorized video.

i agree; but i must say i do not like it. especially with a youtube because it allows the peanut gallery to comment.

plus i feel that in general people are becoming too comfortable with posting too much business (their own as well as other people's) on the internet.

Originally Posted by dancingstar

i agree; but i must say i do not like it. especially with a youtube because it allows the peanut gallery to comment.

plus i feel that in general people are becoming too comfortable with posting too much business (their own as well as other people's) on the internet.

yes this is the world we live in now. Maybe we need to encourage someone to create some kind of device that can be clipped to the costume that emits white noise or the visual equivalent ??? I think Artemis Fowl has one so surely a real person will soon adapt it from the spy market to the arts market?? you'd think Hollywood with all that money could get one invented to be installed in cinemas so it's just a matter of time before the nano-tech it to tiny dimensions ...

in the meantime i pose for the photos and play hide'n'seek/look at my back with the video cams ...

I only skimmed this thread, but I remember being quite surprised to find a cd in a zurich music shop with Meissoun's photo on the cover.

Even more surprised was Meissoun herself, who was the one browsing through the salesrack!

As far as videotaping during a gig, all I know is that people never ever get around to sending the dancer a copy of the video. Even if it is a friend or acquaintance. I don't know why this is.

(I think the intent is there, but somehow the inner flake always seems to win out.)

Originally Posted by jilyan

yes this is the world we live in now. Maybe we need to encourage someone to create some kind of device that can be clipped to the costume that emits white noise or the visual equivalent ??? I think Artemis Fowl has one so surely a real person will soon adapt it from the spy market to the arts market?? you'd think Hollywood with all that money could get one invented to be installed in cinemas so it's just a matter of time before the nano-tech it to tiny dimensions ...

AAAAaaaaahhhh! Love Artemis Fowl!!

Originally Posted by jilyan

Maybe we need to encourage someone to create some kind of device that can be clipped to the costume that emits white noise or the visual equivalent ???

yes. or perhaps anti-paparazzi paint as used for angelina's twins.

The Press Association: Jolie room has anti-paparazzi paint

..l;,

Originally Posted by Samira_dncr

AAAAaaaaahhhh! Love Artemis Fowl!!

Last thing I ever expected to see referenced on Bhuz. ..l;,