Thread: Professional Dancers: What was the best tip you ever got in performance?

Friday night after dancing for the wedding rehearsal who booked me at the restaurant, the head table tipped me with a $50 bill. I thought that was pretty sweet. I think I've been tipped only once before with a $50 bill, and a few times with $20's.

Some of the other favourite tips I've received include: a hand drawn picture of me done by a little girl aged 7, a paper crane done in origami, and Greek bill. Those "lucky tips" live in my dance bag as tokens of good luck.

Share your favourite/best tips with us.

My most special tip: I received a $2 bill tip from a beautiful dancer friend who has since passed away from cancer. I keep the $2 in my wallet.

Biggest $ tip. $410 from a drunk Saudi who was "tip competing" w a Persian "cross dressing King." Interesting night.

My Absolute Highest Honor of all... learning that a 4 year old boy (who regularly comes to a dinner time venue w his parents) named his new teddy bear after me (but he was too shy to tell me. I overheard he and his mom talking)!!!!

I've been tipped with $100 bill a couple of times. The first time, was the first time I danced in an Arabic club and the band made me split it with them. The second time I was smarter and kept the whole thing.

My biggest "tip" however was getting a champagne fountain on the stage. The waiter came up with a tray stacked high with champagne glasses and they kept it coming and coming. To this day, I don't know how many champagne bottles were used.

My biggest tip was 500 euros from a Saudi guy
He also paid tea, wine, sweets and everything else he ordered with 50 euro bills so both me and the wait staff were very happy!

I once did a set for a small private party of Egyptians at a restaurant, it was two families and their son and daughter were getting married the next day - I played "Allah Alaik Ya Sidi" and got them to dance with me - and they tipped me $200!

Little old Persian woman. $100 bill. In the bra cup. I was in shock! but hey, tip wise overall, it was a good night!

Have had a few $50's and $100 once but one guy (who found out I was born in New Haven Connecticut-he was a Yalie) tipped me $150. Bear in mind, this was in a very small town in Central Texas at a Greek cafe that was only in business about a year. I usually made about $30 in tips an evening. So comparatively, huge.

No money out of this one, but a good memory-five year old pawing around in his mom's purse, pulling out a credit card and bringing it to me. :)

I have also collected all the kids drawings that have been given to me. They are in my "80" album (my photos and memorabilia that I will look at when I am 80 and say "look what I did!")

Originally Posted by jamielynn

...No money out of this one, but a good memory-five year old pawing around in his mom's purse, pulling out a credit card and bringing it to me. :)

I love this!!!

I had a table of regulars that would come in the restaurant almost every week. It was a 5 year old girl and her parents (and they came because the little girl loved watching the bellydancers so much). One day she comes up to me and opens her tiny purse and pulls out a quarter (the highest coin she had in there!!) and she tips me with it....I melted on the spot and I tucked that quarter someplace safe and when I finished the gig and came back out into the restaurant she was waiting for me. Her parents were ready to go at the door and before she left she gave me her rose (On Valentines day the restaurant handed roses out to all of the ladies). I kept that quarter and it is still in my jewellery box as a good luck charm (I saved the rose and dried it but eventually it had to go). Definitely the best tip I ever received