Thread: Need advice about my gig tomorrow!

Hey dancers,

I need some urgent advice about a gig hosted at a restaurant.

There will be other performers.

I will be needing to change into a second costume..after my first set.

I believe they don't have a "change room" in the restaurant. I will have to change in the general washroom.

Any thoughts? I'm not sure where I will be able to leave my belongings while performing.

What do you guys end up doing in a situation like this? I believe bellydancers and restaurants are very closely tied together :)

I will probably be ready in costume under my clothes for the first set..but I need to change into my second costume. I WILL have a cover up handy..or cover myself in my veil.

FYI the restaurant has a small stage area...not sure if there is anywhere I can hide from the audience for before and after performing.

Originally Posted by Raya

Hey dancers,

I need some urgent advice about a gig hosted at a restaurant.

There will be other performers.

I will be needing to change into a second costume..after my first set.

I believe they don't have a "change room" in the restaurant. I will have to change in the general washroom.

Any thoughts? I'm not sure where I will be able to leave my belongings while performing.

What do you guys end up doing in a situation like this? I believe bellydancers and restaurants are very closely tied together :)

I will probably be ready in costume under my clothes for the first set..but I need to change into my second costume. I WILL have a cover up handy..or cover myself in my veil.

FYI the restaurant has a small stage area...not sure if there is anywhere I can hide from the audience for before and after performing.

Ask when you get there.
Follow-up asking dancers if you guys can take turned "watching" eachother's stuff if it comes to that"
Figured out the minimum amount of stuff you are willing to put at risk if security is "iffy".
Can you lock your suitcase? Can you pin the key inside your belt?

Often restaurants will make the office available as a place to change and keep your valuables. Ditto what Ozma said, ask when you get there, it's a very reasonable thing to ask.

I have to change in a general washroom at the restaurant I work at because there is noplace else to change. There are no other dancers to watch my stuff, so I stash my case in the area behind the cash register where there is always a staff member nearby.

Changing in the washroom is part of restaurant life. *sigh* If there are other (friendly) dancers, you can help them in the dressing room, take their bag back to your table for safekeeping while they perform and meet them back at the 'dressing room' after they dance with their bag and a glass of ice water, and they can do the same for you. That's ideal.

If you're on your own, ask the manager or bartender to show you a safe place for your dance bag while you perform (manager's office, kitchen or -- more typically -- behind the bar). Get changed, put on your coverup & stash your bag. Then find a dark corner (often the hallway where the restroom is, or one end of the bar) to wait for your music. When I have to wait for my music to start in full view, I usually ditch my coverup and just wrap in a veil so I'm as covered as possible. Not perfect, but preferable to letting all the patrons watch while you remove a coverup garment, IMO. I try to wrap up & stay out of the way, then open the veil & hold it high & make a big ole entrance when my music starts.

Ditching your veil when you're done dancing with it is a problem if you don't know anyone in the room. In some situations, I've had to take the extra moment to dance behind the bar and tuck it safely into my dance bag while I did the rest of my set. Again, not ideal, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Try to end your set near wherever you left your bag. Retrieve your veil during the finale, spin & pose... TADA!!! while the music is still playing. Then you can "exit" into the bathroom or wherever, wrap up in your veil & go get your bag after everyone has stopped looking. OR you can do your spin & pose near your bag, try to grab it discreetly (better with a tote than a suitcase) and take it away with you when you exit.

Since there are other dancers, though, you shouldn't have to wrestle with all that. Offer to help them and ask if they'll help you.

I always keep a small 3-digit combination lock on my bag so that if it must be out of my sight, I have to option to use the lock. I very rarely do this, but it's nice to know I can.

Thanks for the tips guys!

Turned out they had a mini change room built into the stage area. So I had no problems hiding from the audience! Plus I had my helper to keep my bag while I was performing..but I will indeed remember the lock idea for next time!

Only thing I found challenging is dancing on carpeted flooring while wearing ballroom shoes!