Thread: Entertain or Educate?

Hey everybody!

Going through a little dilemma here, I'm not sure if there have been threads about this before but here goes...

I have my company Christmas party and they've asked me to dance during the evening. Thing is they are mostly of Canadian/Quebec origin and with about 3 or 4 employees form the M-E. So they mostly have a very “general not always true” idea about what BD is…

So I'm thinking to myself, do I do a "americanized" show chiffon skirt, humorous bids and all (which I know that what they are expecting) or do I try to educate them a little by presenting a 100% traditional style show?

So, chiffon skirt and bedlah or minimal lycra 2 piece? Halabi or Oum Kalthoum?


What’s your view on this? When you get a call is you goal to entertain, to educate or a little of both? Do you change styles to fit your public?

Looking forward to reading you!

I did a little bit of both at a recent corporate event, because my client specified that he wanted me to entertain AND educate ..g.:

So we did a cane dance in beledi dresses, had a brief intermission (15 mins or so), and came back out to do a big, flashy cabaret routine. Then, we gave a brief dance demo and had a drummer from New York teach a brief drum demo. It was so much fun and my client tells me that everybody raved about it for days.

Of course, I charged a LOT for that ,r:;

But if you can squeeze in a quick costume change, that might actually be a cool way to achieve both.

Les deux, chèrie. Also, I tried to stay as close to my own personal style as possible, keeping integrity intact. As an artist, I have that responsibility to myself. Also, my competence and integrity in the dance form is its own form of entertaining and education.
If I know ahead of time the venue and occasion, I will try to be as varied in my act within the time constraints to give as large a view as possible of the dance.
Because you consistently deliver a professional demeanor with impeccable dance technique and flair, no matter what you do, Salome, you'll be awesome.

I echo Satin's suggestion: a "traditional" number first (cane in beledi is so cool), then a cabaret show in whatever style "cabaret" means to you!

The ME folks in your audience will appreciate both the traditional and the cabaret, and you will most likely educate your the majority of the non-ME audience with the traditional. Win-Win!

Deborah

I am interested to see the suggestions of doing a traditional number first- I was always taught to do a folkloric number in the second half of a show- whether you can pull off a costume change or not- I'm not sure where that comes from, but my first teacher was what I would call classic American style- she specifically did fast opener with zills, slow veil or taxim, drum solo or pop number, specialty piece(s) (folkloric &/or pop) another slow piece of some sort (floorwork or taxim) then fast exit- so maybe that's where my preference comes from...
I am curious- when you are saying 'traditional' what exactly do you mean? there are so many interpretations for that word within the context of this dance! Are we talking folkloric, or are we talking mixing up classic Egyptian style with modern &/or trdatitional American style or what, & why put "traditional" at the front?

I like putting folkloric in the second half, because I think it is easier for me to pull off properly once I am 'warmed up' a bit, and the crowd is too- expecially if I am pulling out a sassy cane dance or a shaabi piece.

Originally Posted by Lara L

I am interested to see the suggestions of doing a traditional number first- I was always taught to do a folkloric number in the second half of a show- whether you can pull off a costume change or not- I'm not sure where that comes from, but my first teacher was what I would call classic American style- she specifically did fast opener with zills, slow veil or taxim, drum solo or pop number, specialty piece(s) (folkloric &/or pop) another slow piece of some sort (floorwork or taxim) then fast exit- so maybe that's where my preference comes from...
I am curious- when you are saying 'traditional' what exactly do you mean? there are so many interpretations for that word within the context of this dance! Are we talking folkloric, or are we talking mixing up classic Egyptian style with modern &/or trdatitional American style or what, & why put "traditional" at the front?

I like putting folkloric in the second half, because I think it is easier for me to pull off properly once I am 'warmed up' a bit, and the crowd is too- expecially if I am pulling out a sassy cane dance or a shaabi piece.

For the purposes of our discussion here, I use the word "traditional" kinda interchangeably with "folk" or "folkloric" -- cane, debke or something along that line.

I, too, agree that putting a "folky" piece in the second half of a standard show -- or in the second of two standard shows -- is a good idea, mostly for the variety it offers.

Of course, my understanding of the type of entertainment you're offering for this particular event might very well be incorrect. I'm assuming that you're doing, for all-intents-and-purposes, a single show of x length, rather than two entirely separate full-length sets, and that you have some flexibility in how you put the set together; and that this flexibility allows you a costume change.

If my assumptions are completely wrong, then I'd go with your standard set with the inclusion of a folk/folkloric piece in the second half.

Deborah

Thanks for all your input! Did a little bit of both and it was great! ..g.:

Cool!

Deborah