Thread: Swords and Annoying Patrons

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

A friend of mine who is an old school AmCab dancer from way back when, used to do a 1 am set at a ME club here in LA. She handled this very early in ever set by twirling the sword and brining it down - hard - on a table top. People generally got the idea.

Where is the icon for a beatific smile?

{{{HUGS}}}

I know of a dancer who does double sword - with a HUGE pair of VERY sharp ones. There's no question in the audience's mind as to whether they're sharp or not - she makes a point of whacking a squash/pumpkin/melon in half at the beginning of her act...

Originally Posted by LeylaFahada

Second, I have questions.

1. When people ask if it's sharp, what do you say?
2. How do you handle requests to balance your sword? Is there any circumstance in which you would allow someone to balance it?

Thanks in advance!

1 "No the blade isn't sharp, but the point is and if not handled correctly, it can do some serious damage"

2 No, no and again no. They certainly aren't going fork out willingly to replace it if it falls off their head and something gets damaged are they?

3 re 2:::: If they're insistent:..... see 1 and drop it on their foot

Originally Posted by maranajla

I read this WAY too quickly and thought people took your canoe...
..l;,..l;,

Now that's some balancing I'd like to see.

Originally Posted by LeylaFahada

This weekend I was dancing in a restaurant and encountered two major annoyances while trying to use my sword.

I balanced it on my head and was just getting started with the slow build up moves when I felt a sudden weightlessness and thought I had dropped it. But there was no sliding sensation and no clattering sound to indicate it had hit the ground. I turned around and there was this man standing there, swinging my sword around in a most haphazard way.

Wow, that is beyond rude. I've caught servers & even the manager in the kitchen playing with my sword. One server dropped it while trying to balance it, and said "oh I'm sorry" and I looked at her and said "THAT is why I ask people not to touch my expensive equipment." I don't know why people don't have respect for the property of bellydancers.

One local dancer here hung her costume up in the bathroom, before we had a changing room downstairs, and came into the bathroom to find a customer WEARING her costume. I would have been totally livid. ..c::

In your case, I would have immediately stopped dancing, turned to the man, and said "Excuse me, that is not a toy. Please hand it back to me and return to your seat. Thank you" and, under my breath *unless you want a knee in your crotch

when people ask if it is sharp, I smile and say nothing.When they ask if it is "real" I say yes. It may not be sharpened, but it could still hurt someone badly (I know this, as I have accidentally hit myself very hard when twirling my sword, which resulted in a cut and a very nasty bruise).

Originally Posted by zorba

I know of a dancer who does double sword - with a HUGE pair of VERY sharp ones. There's no question in the audience's mind as to whether they're sharp or not - she makes a point of whacking a squash/pumpkin/melon in half at the beginning of her act...

wow! I think any of our swords could cut a melon, though, if you swing hard enough. Makes me want to try this at home!

(okay, fess up, who's gonna go home and try to cut a melon in half???)

Originally Posted by Sonja2

One local dancer here hung her costume up in the bathroom, before we had a changing room downstairs, and came into the bathroom to find a customer WEARING her costume. I would have been totally livid. ..c::

I cannot even imagine the rage I would feel.

Originally Posted by Sonja2

wow! I think any of our swords could cut a melon, though, if you swing hard enough. Makes me want to try this at home!

(okay, fess up, who's gonna go home and try to cut a melon in half???)

Yeah, I have a bad feeling there's going to be a mess in the kitchen.

If a restaurant wants to take a chance hiring a dancer who does a sword routine in these days of litigation at the drop of a hat let alone a bloody sword (oops clean sword) then someone should have been watching your back for arseholes- drunk or sober.
Unfortunately the drunken idiot was not as liable for health and safety as was the owner of the venue and your good self.

[QUOTE=

One local dancer here hung her costume up in the bathroom, before we had a changing room downstairs, and came into the bathroom to find a customer WEARING her costume. I would have been totally livid. ..c::

[/QUOTE]

If a customer ever did that to me, it would take all my self control not to smack her. It amazes me how many people have no freaking common sense.,m::

I get mad when people just pick up my sagat or veil and play about. No way would I do sword in a restaurant though-too many idiots about and too much liability/responsability that could end up being mine.

Originally Posted by Candi

I get mad when people just pick up my sagat or veil and play about. No way would I do sword in a restaurant though-too many idiots about and too much liability/responsability that could end up being mine.

In Atlanta, as far as I know, it's a requirement at some restaurants.

I once did a sword dance for a room full of middle-school kids. They were great! They all stayed sitting quietly, and of course every jaw dropped to the floor when I drew the sword. Too bad adult audiences can't all be so good.

Later, one boy came up and asked me if the sword was sharp (I had it sheathed and strapped to my body, so no one could get it). I have to admit I lied to a child. I looked at him like he was crazy and said, "Of course!" (It could probably put a good dent in a melon, but it's not actually sharp) I suppose I said that because (1) I wanted to maintain the mysterious/dangerous image I portrayed in my dance, (2) I wanted them to respect it as a potentially dangerous prop, which it is, even if it isn't sharp, and (3) it was not something I had thought about ahead of time, and I don't think well on my feet.

Did I do bad? Should I have said no, it isn't sharp?

Not at all. I think in that situation, what you said was perfectly fine. After all, why spoil the magic for them? After impressing them so much, telling him it wasn't really sharp at all would be like saying there's no such thing as Santa. ..l;, Okay, so I realize at middle school they were probably beyond believing in Santa, but still...

While I do not dance, I do have items that everyone seems to think they are privileged to. Drums, tamborines, mahzars. If its one of my percussion instruments it has some invisible sign on it that say "play me". Like one other member of my band says "everybody is a drummer". Oh and they all have big giant rings on to destroy the head. After reading a few of these I am guessing that most if not all of the offenders were your typical Americans who have that sense of entitlement to anything they please. We haven't had any touchy feely people with the keyboard yet, but I may have to politly ask for one of your swords to remove some hands.

Sean

One local dancer here hung her costume up in the bathroom, before we had a changing room downstairs, and came into the bathroom to find a customer WEARING her costume.

That is just.... the mind reels. My teacher had a random woman ask her if she could borrow her costume to seduce her husband in, but that's unbelievable!

Originally Posted by sblanck

I may have to politly ask for one of your swords to remove some hands.
Sean

Certainly! Mine is rather blunt, so it might take some effort, but you are welcome to borrow it at any time to remove offending patrons.,r:;

When asked if the sword is sharp, I say, "it was designed be and is used as a prop, but it can still be a dangerous weapon." also, "it looks dangerous because it is!" If someone wants to handle or balance my sword, of course I say no, and keep it out of sight before and after that part of the show as I best can. I explain that my (or the venue's) attorneys absolutely forbid anyone but myself from handling it for insurance/liability reasons, and that aside from the possibility of injury, I could lose my job or the restaurant could suffer legal hassles.

Any time the word "attorney" or "lawyer" is used, most people take you seriously.

Personally, I've come to the conclusion that won't use my sword unless there is a stage and the stage is sufficiently large that my sword is always more than an arms length from any audience member. (Which means I don't really use it at most of the restaurants I dance in because the stages are too small/close to the audience. My sword is very large, heavy, and kind of sharp.) If I *do* use the sword in a restaurant, I make sure that I have someone remove the sword from the stage area before I get down from the stage to move through the audience for tips or bring audience members to the stage.

To answer the questions:

1. "Is it sharp?" Sharp enough to slice paper, no. But it's heavy and it has some sharp edges and a sharp point. *Cue pointing to the scar on my hand from when the point fell on me once when it slid off a shelf.*

2. Do I ever let anyone balance it? Unless it's a student or troupe member in a controlled class or rehearsal situation, NO!!! Even if no bad comes of it, really, what *good* is going to come of it? If no other arguement shuts 'em up, claim that it's a liability insurance thing. (Even if your/the restaurant's liability insurance does cover sword accidents....)

Originally Posted by Sonja2

When they ask if it is "real" I say yes.

Back in the early 70's a group of drunk college kids were giving us dancers more trouble than they were worth. They were grabbing our tips, trying to grope us, singing college songs over the music, asking for lap dances, trying to rub their faces between our bra cups, etc. Finally what appeared to be the ring leader approached me on stage, pointed at the sword I was quickly removing from my head and asked 'is that real?'. After several hours of their crap my response was fast and direct, I pointed at his crotch and asked 'is that real?'. He was finally speechless. The manager walked up and asked the guy to leave the stage. I proceeded to the dressing room. I looked back to see the drunk take a swing at the manager. Suddenly the drunk was on the floor and the guy was arrested. Seems our owner knew a few moves of his own. After that the manager insured someone was standing near the edge of the stage in case the drunks became unruly, something we had requested numerous times.

Finally what appeared to be the ring leader approached me on stage, pointed at the sword I was quickly removing from my head and asked 'is that real?'. After several hours of their crap my response was fast and direct, I pointed at his crotch and asked 'is that real?'

Greatest comeback ever.

As for whether your sword is sharp, I've told people one of my teachers saw a sword go through a dancer's foot. I think the dancer was doing barrel turns with the sword in her hand and it slipped :(. I don't tell them the last part, but it's pretty scary imagery.

Originally Posted by Sonja2

wow! I think any of our swords could cut a melon, though, if you swing hard enough. Makes me want to try this at home!

(okay, fess up, who's gonna go home and try to cut a melon in half???)

At home, maybe yes, but please don't do this melon thing in an act on the stage. I've seen it done, and all I could think of was Gallagher. Yikes. We are not in the circus, we are dancers.

I do sword in most venues with American audiences. They like dance things that make them go "oooh and aaaah".
In smaller venues I do different moves- I compensate for the smaller space and I compensate extra for the venue with waiters that seem to think I have eyes in the back of my head.
Rarely have I had patrons come up and touch my sword. If I'm dancing with my sword and they come up to tip me- I quietly ask them to come back next song. Once in NYC a guy grabbed my sword off the musicians stage after I was done dancing with it. He knew what he was doing from his movements- but I didn't trust him one bit. I don't even trust customers with my cane!

This is why I don't dance with props in restaurants, or work in restaurants where the manager/owner wants props. If the dancing is not enough for 'em, I don't work there. I just can't deal with all that crap; my personality is not wired for it!

Originally Posted by Sabine

At home, maybe yes, but please don't do this melon thing in an act on the stage. I've seen it done, and all I could think of was Gallagher. Yikes. We are not in the circus, we are dancers.

Oh good grief. Yes, please. At home only. Or next thing you know restaurant owners everywhere will be demanding the belly dance-Gallagher act and how will we ever get all the melon schmutz off our Bellas and Emans?
..c::

Reading this I feel bad...I totally lie to people. <grin>

Anyone asks me if my sword is sharp, I say yes. Keeps them from touching it. And its not completely a lie...its heavy enough that even without a razor sharp edge it will do some damage (as a friend found out when she caught it when it fell off her head...cut her hand open to the tune of a few stitches). I don't think it does any harm to tell this particular white lie and it definitely keeps people from grabbing at it or touching it.

I do occasionally let people balance it...usually when I'm doing a talk at a school or with the girl scouts. But its a highly supervised thing and I pick the person who does it.

I *never* do a gig without my "gig buddy". That's my person whose job its is to help me schelp my stuff, grab my props as soon as I'm done with them, start the music if needed, and, most importantly, watch my 6. If anyone comes up behind me, I know about it because my gig buddy signals me. One of my gig buddies is so insanely good at her job that one of the guests came up to her at the last party she did with me and commented that she must be my mom because she looked like she was ready to kick the ass of anyone who came too close to me or touched me the wrong way. LOL She couldn't hurt a fly, but man can she give the "mommy face"!

Wow, someone grabbed the sword off your head?? I've never seen that, that is pretty messed up.

The only thing I can say is that if you are doing gigs in places where there is drinking (more heavily than just some with dinner) then I would bring a buddy whenever possible. I've gone with several dancers to gigs and even some bellygrams (not for pictures) but just to act as some backup. Granted, I've never had to deal with someone snatching a sword off someone's head, but plenty of people pick up veils, zills, canes and swords when they are set aside somewhere and start playing with them. Since it's easier for me to be the a-hole than the entertainer since I'll come off more like a bodyguard; I'll usually spend time keeping track of props, tips, drunks and a-holes.

Although I try to stay out of the way and off the stage/dance area, there are occasionally things that make me want to pull people away from dancers and choke them out. But most experienced dancers are very good at handling rude patrons like that without help as long as the person isn't totally drunk or cruel.

Originally Posted by Taj

I know of an instance where a dancer here was doing a sword routine for a very drunk crowd, and while she was kneeling and balancing, one *ass ferret* deliberately reached out his foot and knocked the sword off her head.

I suppose it would be undiplomatic to respond to the "Is it sharp?" question with "Take out your d*ck and let's find out"?

Ha!!!!!!!!!! Haaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE ya'll! You girls are cracking me up!!!!! I love the "ass ferret" thing, and I absolutely love your response to the "Is it sharp?" question. lol. Hilarious and oh so true!!!..l;,