Thread: Tips for a newbie restaurant dancer

Hi everyone! I've finally managed to convince a local indian restaurant to give me a shot dancing there this saturday night...if it goes well, we're going to talk about making it a regular thing. Most of the restaurant owners around here are either religious and don't like dancers or are afraid of offending customers (there's a weird perception that our area is uber conservative and that people will be offended by a belly dancer...not true...I've never had problems and usually get a very warm reception). So convincing this guy took some doing, but here we are!

Anyway, I'm new to the whole restaurant scene...I've done my share of private parties and have traveled around a bit performing at ren faires (stage show), but I've only danced in a restaurant once and it was while ago as a baby belly and could have been a much better experience (long story).

I was hoping that my fellow bhuzers would be willing to give me some advice. What were some of the things you wish you had known before your first restaurant gig? I've got my costume picked out, my music is set. I just feel unprepared.

Any and all advice is most welcome!

I've just recently started dancing at a hookah bar. My best advice is just to have fun! If you have fun, the audience will have fun too. I'm sure the more experienced ladies and gents will have even better advice. In fact, I think there is a thread around here somewhere about this very same topic. I'll see if I can dig it up for you.

Here ya go: http://www.bhuz.com/forum/belly-danc...estaurant.html

Convince everybody you know to come see you that night, the support will help you and the patronage will impress the owner. Good luck!

Thanks so much! I had done a search but somehow missed that thread.

And I've called out the calvary! My entire Tuesday class is showing up sans SO's for a girls night and a ton of other friends are using it as an excuse to try out the restaurant (which is relatively new).

I think its going to be a really fun night...here's hoping the owner thinks so too!

Thanks again!

Great job landing a gig!

Here are some tips I came up with:
-Use pop music. I found that classical arabic music or anything too out there, just doesn't fly with audiences. They want a beat to clap to.

-Bring a book to read while waiting between sets.

-Burn a separate CD for each set, each marked with the name of the songs and the set number.

-Don't bother with choreo...it's too hard to navigate around tables.

-Move on if someone/table is/are clearly not interested.

-Bring a tip jar or basket. You're lucky that you have friends because they'll start the tipping game, but if you are dancing on a night when no friends are there, often the audience doesn't know how to tip. So I started bringing a little jar that sits at the bar or I pass around, and people are a lot more comfy with that.

Have a great time and be fabulous!