Thread: Help me stop hating the dance-along

I’m retooling my set structure and style for a new three restaurants I am dancing at. Currently under work is the “Get the customers up to dance” section.

I have very little love for getting people up to dance. This reflects the fact that I don’t like getting up to dance when I am watching a dancer at a restaurant (I’ll do it, because I understand that if the dancer asks and I don’t that they’ll have worse luck with the next customer) I just want to kickback, with my friends, and enjoy.

My general approach has been slightly low-key. Some upbeat Turkish music, very simple to follow steps, things they can handle and maybe one challenge, focusing on dancing with those people socially instead of making them dance for the other customers.

I went to see the booking dancer perform to get an idea of what the restaurant wants in regards to the dance-along and finale. It’s the only thing the restaurant was concerned about with me.

Her show was sort of exhausting. Good, but very much a constant “I make the party RIGHT NOW” high-octane Turkish Nightclub Headliner. Her general set style was very different from mine. Luckily she doesn’t expect me to copy her style, part of why I’m in the mix of performers at the restaurant is to be the more Turkish-Romani-Inspired (and a bit AmCab) dancer, they want us to retain our individual/different styles/costuming/music/images…but she does want me to bring more of a Party/Performance vibe to the dance along…getting people up to dance/perform for their friends, more jokey entertainer, more Turkish Nightclub Tourist Time!

It’s not my style but I am willing to give it a try because the customers she grabbed (aside from me) loved the HELL out of it and were really happy.

How do you guys approach the ”dance along” when it is required? If you make a "mini-show" of it, tell me aaaaaaalll about that.

The GP customers are usually Japanese, rarely dancers, and we don't have a ME community coming to the restaurants. The Turks that regularly watch me are at another restaurant and prefer to kickback and relax (and that restaurant has a totally different vibe and is more "laidback with family and friends" ).

I think I also need to find some music a little more…peppy with a relentless beat behind it…maybe something just shy of club music with a repetitive enough drumsolo layered over another more regular beat so I can get my willing customers to try to watch and follow drum solo moves but with the backbeat to fall backon when it needs to be simplified…

While I am asking, favorite “dance along” music?…the more Turkish the better.

Congratulations on the new restaurant venues!!!

When I danced Hawiian/Tahitian, I'd look for those in the audience that looked like they were enjoying themselves, and seemed 'open' to getting up and dancing with me.

I'd show them a move, pause and watch them do it; then I'd do it with them.

I've been lucky, the ones I picked seemed eager to get up, and dance with me.
They made it fun for me!

I'm sorry I can't help with your music selection; but I like your idea of club music (something they can relate to).

:-)

I've been doing the dance along section for the last few years, in my way, no problem. My main issue now is how to change from low-key " we dance socially" into more of a "you now join me in the entertaining department!!" mix of showmanship/dancer/goofy-dom.

I often open with Elhawa by Idris Cakmaktas. on the same album, there is an Alf Leyla remix that's good but long.

There's also a Bellyhouse song called Bellydance that is a repetitive drum solo over a clubby beat, and I love Khidni Habibi by Etie Attah (not at all sure if I spelled that right).

I always get audience members up to dance when I'm performing, but I don't always do the "follow me" thing. I'll just dance around with them. If, however, the person is trying really hard to copy what I'm doing, I'll break down a couple of things. This one guy who was dancing with me last week got so into it that I pulled off the "sit down in his chair and clap while he dances" thing, which his friends went nuts over.

I'll also focus on the little girls in the audience. With them, I usually do twisting shimmies, head slides, and snake arms, sometimes holding hands with them or dropping down to the floor. Occasionally, a whole group of women will join me also, and I let them loosely follow what I'm doing (often throwing in a couple chest pops, shoulder shimmies, and drop twists to get them going), but for the most part I'll keep dancing.

In general, I really don't focus too much on having people repeat my steps. And I always alternate participation songs with non-participation songs so that there's enough of everything! Good luck!

I second Alf Leyla remixes, house mix. Thumpa Thumpa with the recognizable tune. I use it a lot for the type of dance along that you describe.

Hi Ozma! I like Harem Turkish Purcussion Group, particularly the Time of Rhythm cd, for club-like Turkish music.

How about the Turkish version of I will Survive? You can't do that every week, or it gets old, of course. Rock El Casbah is not Turkish, but good ;-) TurboTabla has Telegrafin Tellerin (sp?).

There are some super-catchy tunes on Putumayo's Turkish Pop collection. That would keep your Turkish flavor but be very "let's dance."

Originally Posted by steffib

How about the Turkish version of I will Survive? You can't do that every week, or it gets old, of course. Rock El Casbah is not Turkish, but good ;-) TurboTabla has Telegrafin Tellerin (sp?).

I have been saving the "I will survive" track for a while (along with a Japanese version of Mustapha ya Mustapha)...but plan on using that once this plce knows me well enough. I often use the Candan Ercetin version on Telegrafin for upbeat ( but not for dance-along)

Originally Posted by bellyfina

I often open with Elhawa by Idris Cakmaktas. on the same album, there is an Alf Leyla remix that's good but long.

There's also a Bellyhouse song called Bellydance that is a repetitive drum solo over a clubby beat, and I love Khidni Habibi by Etie Attah (not at all sure if I spelled that right).

Thanks! Some of the Bellyhouse ones look pretty workable (and short enough if I find I grow to dislike them)

Thank you everyone so far, this is helpful.

Its been a crash course in set-structure revamp. I say the booking dancer on Tuesday and lo, Friday and Saturday, I'm in Shinjuku and Ginza.

Some things to try (these are little tricks I use to get shy hens to put on a show with me at hen's parties):

- Get the person to face you and show them how to shimmy. Get them to shimmy whilst moving their arms around. I bring my arms out, up above my head, then float them back down. Now add a jump: a sequence of jump-hip shimmy-circle arms. Now say 'jump the other way' and both jump back-to-back and do sequence. Then 'jump and face me again' and so on. Sounds silly, but they'll usually manage to follow you and it looks cute.

- If they can do a decent hip lift, get them to stand directly behind you, both facing the same way. Say 'follow me' and start travelling (towards your audience). Again, they'll often be able to follow along and it looks effective. You can try to get them to circle around with a hip lift, too.

- Face each other and shoulder shimmy forward-back towards and away from each other.

If you've got diners that make reluctant participants, perhaps you can get them shoulder-shimmying, snake-arming or head-sliding in their chair. You could also get everyone else at the table to clap/zaghareet for them.

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Some things to try (these are little tricks I use to get shy hens to put on a show with me at hen's parties):

- Get the person to face you and show them how to shimmy. Get them to shimmy whilst moving their arms around. I bring my arms out, up above my head, then float them back down. Now add a jump: a sequence of jump-hip shimmy-circle arms. Now say 'jump the other way' and both jump back-to-back and do sequence. Then 'jump and face me again' and so on. Sounds silly, but they'll usually manage to follow you and it looks cute.

- If they can do a decent hip lift, get them to stand directly behind you, both facing the same way. Say 'follow me' and start travelling (towards your audience). Again, they'll often be able to follow along and it looks effective. You can try to get them to circle around with a hip lift, too.

- Face each other and shoulder shimmy forward-back towards and away from each other.

If you've got diners that make reluctant participants, perhaps you can get them shoulder-shimmying, snake-arming or head-sliding in their chair. You could also get everyone else at the table to clap/zaghareet for them.

Jewel, love you.

This is what I need now. More little "bits/schtick" to do and try on for size while I get used to doing more of the "mini-lesson/show/play"time instead of my quieter social dance with me time.

I've also been watching Birgul clips for over the top inspiration...but even I am not that balsy.

Oh, one more - it's not Turkish, but can you introduce some cane work into your restaurant space? Then you can get people up and show them how to do a saidi style hop whilst waving cane (held in both hands for safety!). Or you could balance it on a poor punter's head and get them to do some 'snake arms.'

You can also get someone up to shimmy, then place the cane between your stomachs and both shimmy. If they do really well you may even be able to shuffle around in a circle with the cane between you. Bonus points if you can get a small child to do the limbo under the cane!

Boy, I really have learnt to be corny with all these hen's/kids' party gigs I do. I don't really like having to do this stuff, either!

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Oh, one more - it's not Turkish, but can you introduce some cane work into your restaurant space? Then you can get people up and show them how to do a saidi style hop whilst waving cane (held in both hands for safety!). Or you could balance it on a poor punter's head and get them to do some 'snake arms.'

You can also get someone up to shimmy, then place the cane between your stomachs and both shimmy. If they do really well you may even be able to shuffle around in a circle with the cane between you. Bonus points if you can get a small child to do the limbo under the cane!

Boy, I really have learnt to be corny with all these hen's/kids' party gigs I do. I don't really like having to do this stuff, either!

Great idea but soooo not possible for me. Most of the Turkish restaurants I dance at prefer me to do my Turkish thing...these particular three restaurants (Istanbul) REALLY want me to be the Turkish Romani-Influenced dancer

And...the space I have in Japanese restaurants....one of the three "Istanbul" wouldn't have the space for the limbo or a two-person cane shuffle.

Originally Posted by jewelbellydance

Boy, I really have learnt to be corny with all these hen's/kids' party gigs I do. I don't really like having to do this stuff, either!

I don't enjoy the prospect but...ya know...it's not like the restaurant is trying to manage the actual dance/art content. It's the dance-a-long...and working on my entertainer skills can't hurt.

And when I've seen it done well, people seem to reaaaaaallly enjoy it. More than I may have wanted to admit.

Night one of new dance-along was a success. Tomorrow's venue is super narrow so I will also try a friend's suggestion of a congoline. I've appreciated the gimicks/bits suggested so far and would be happy to hear even more.

I went with "Electronica bellydance" by Yeni Mezdeke(New Mezdeke which is not so new) and bought a few of your other suggestions so I can mix it up.

You can also try getting everyone who wants to dance in a circle and taking turns being the "star" in the middle. You can dance with them/show them a move/clap for them depending on how they're doing and how much they ham it up. This happened pretty organically to me last night when I got swarmed by about 18 girls who were having a birthday party, and it was pretty fun.

How about leading a simple line dance (a Turkish folk dance, of course) to a Turkish folk song? I like using Yeshilim for that. Or, believe it or not, Rampi Rampi works fine as a folk dance if you choose a simple step.