Thread: Planning a Showcase: Tell Me the Truth

I am thinking of putting together a regular monthly showcase. Another dancer did a very successful showcase like this, but she moved out of the area and we haven't had anything like it since. I'd love to do something in the same spirit because I felt it really brought the community together, it provided dancers with the opportunity to dance on a stage and it showcased dance in a positive light for local community.

That's a beautiful idea, but I know there will be lots of work and some cash involved. I'd love to hear from anyone who has put together a showcase, particularly on a regular basis (kimhari, cbarros, sumaya, bueller...).

I have strong experience with publicity, event planning/organizing and I know a lot of people in town. I think I have the skills it takes, but I appreciate words of wisdom from those who've been there, done that.

Thanks,
Mish Mish

Anyone?

One option to keep your expense down is to team up with a local restaurant or bar to host it. I've been to showcases in the private party rooms of restaurants - they often welcome the business if you do it on an off night. It might be easier for a bar to accommodate you, because they don't have to worry about planning food for the hordes. Other ideas for venues could be school all-purpose rooms or church fellowship halls. Or, maybe a dancer in the area who has her own studio would agree to host it if you do all the planning work.

I suggest starting with a simple, low-cost venue. If it attracts a lot of people, you can move up to something nicer/bigger for future ones.

Recruit volunteers. Roles to consider:

• 1 or 2 people to handle collecting the cover charge.
• 1 or 2 "stage moms" in the dressing room to help dancers with pinning, zippers, etc.
• Someone to run the music. This person will also go to each dancer to obtain her CD.
• Someone to serve as the announcer. This person will also go to each dancer to find out what she wants announced about herself.
• If needed for your venue, some people to set up tables and chairs ahead of time, and remove them after it's over.
• If you're serving food (as opposed to the venue serving food), you'll want to recruit volunteers to bring it, and volunteers to arrange it nicely on the table and help serve it.

I second the local restaurant idea. We have a monthly hafla (lower key than a showcase, by my definition) at a local Chinese restaurant. The connection seems kinda weird, but the owner is one of our dancers...so it works out well.

If you're doing something every month, be careful not to burn out those volunteers. Keep the jobs to a minimum and don't "assume" people will want to help out every month. You can also utilize willing family members, if they express an interest. Teenagers tend to love running sound and stuff--just be sure they're reliable.

Mira

My biggest gripe about the showcases I used to go to in the Bay Area - they dragged on w-a-y too long and too late in the night. The unlucky dancers who were stuck at the end of the lineup were usually dancing to empty tables.

Sooo...

Don't make it any longer than 90 minutes from beginning to end. That 90 minutes includes a 15-minute intermission. Start on time. Set a limit of 5 minutes per dancer, and enforce it - if her music goes over, have the sound person cut it and the emcee announce the next dancer. Tell everybody in advance that you'll be doing this so they won't be surprised. Remember to leave time for the announcer to announce the next act. So if you set a limit of 5 minutes for each dance, this means allowing 6 minutes per performer so that there's time for the announcer to do her role and the sound person to cue up the next music.

i've done showcases in LA that didn't have most of that. that is over complicated.

you need a venue & a sound system. coffee house, restaurant etc. YOU are hostess so YOU be MC, DJ & stage mom. only do about 4-6 dancers so it doesn't go on all night. charging a cover charge can be sticky. what are you doing with it?? dancers & the venue might want it.

the few cases i know of that tried to use banquet rooms etc failed cause it was expensive & they weren't bringing in enough money.

IMO you need a "base" if you aren't a student, trouper, teacher or "popular" soloist who is attending this thing?? by & large it won't be GP. if you don't have THAT i don't think the other matter. tina

I loved having my haflas at Tommy's place because it was so informal. I didnt have a "base," I was just a student when I started, but I had bhuzzers attend my first haflas, and there was a need for performance venues for students.

It was a sports bar, with a killer sound system and stage. We had it earlier in the evening so it didnt interfere with the bands they booked and it was free! I always keep my eyes peeled for places like that to host haflas.

My events are now run not so often at Bourbon Street, a local night club, but we get special rates for being a MECDA fundraiser.

I agree, having habibi helpers is nice. I used to run the Tommy's thing solo, but it was small and doable. Just note, most people will NEVER show up on time: performers or audience members. Its SO rude to the people who have to perform first, or dancers who just dont show up. Those things are bound to happen.

Originally Posted by sumayasaahir

I loved having my haflas at Tommy's place because it was so informal. I didnt have a "base," I was just a student when I started, but I had bhuzzers attend my first haflas, and there was a need for performance venues for students.

It was a sports bar, with a killer sound system and stage. We had it earlier in the evening so it didnt interfere with the bands they booked and it was free! I always keep my eyes peeled for places like that to host haflas.

I think one of my favorite things about the Tommy's Southside Haflas were the customers who didn't know there was a BD show going on that night but stayed around to watch anyway. I'll never forget the burly blue collar guy in a flannel shirt and baseball cap who stopped another performer and I on the way to the bathroom to say how "graceful and pretty" the dancing was.

you have utilized bhuz & mecda but you didn't have a "base" ?? m'kay. tina

Originally Posted by tattood1

i've done showcases in LA that didn't have most of that. that is over complicated.

you need a venue & a sound system. coffee house, restaurant etc. YOU are hostess so YOU be MC, DJ & stage mom.

I agree, it's possible to do it simply. I've done simple ones too. Depends on what kind of venue you can find. Bars and restaurants are nice because they'll handle refreshments and you don't have to worry about it. They're also nice because they already have tables and chairs set up so you don't have to worry about dealing with that.

I always think it's a good idea to start simply, while keeping in mind what you might want the future to look like if it grows.

Originally Posted by tattood1

you have utilized bhuz & mecda but you didn't have a "base" ?? m'kay. tina

Not to speak for Sumaya, but she started throwing the Tommy's haflas well before she even thought of joining MECDA or starting a chapter.

My one little bit of advice (applicable depending on the focus of the event, of course) is to make sure you have at least 2 pro dancers in your showcase, even if it's a small show. I would do one younger and one more mature lady to try to get a range of people. Fans will come to see their favorites in an intimate setting and the student/semi-pro performers will get to perform to an excited, crowded venue.

Good luck!

I do a regular monthly hafla in Las Vegas. It's very casual and I almost never know who is performing until they show up that night with music in hand. LOL. I do it at a ballroom dance studio. I used to the the owner so it didn't cost me anything. Now I still use it but it is inexpensive. Everyone brings pillows and chairs and sits on the floor.

The thing I like about not doing it in a restaurant is that our venue is kid-friendly. We do the performances in short sets with general dancing in-between. So the kids can run around and play and still manage to sit through the performances.

It's a community potluck, so everyone contributes (mostly). I usually make coffee and bring ice. Vendors can also attend. I don't even charge them (I'm pretty nice that way...LOL). It's $5 + a plate of food. Kids 12 and under are free.

If we have a featured headliner/guest artist, I charge $10 at the door and pay the dancer out of the extra money collected.

Anyway...hope that's helpful. It's waaaaay less work than what you are proposing, but it works for us in Vegas.

This is all great--keep it coming--I appreciate the perspective and the information.

<taking many mental notes!>

So... is a monthly event too often, both from the planning perspective and the over-saturation perspective? (Do people want to dance that much?)

I think that depends on how big your community is and how "formal" you want the show. A great big "tadoo" every month will be exhausting for you, and I think it would burn out the community pretty quick (if you hold them all in the same area.)

I live in a small rural community and our monthly shows are really more like "get togethers" where people can perform whatever they're working on. We have 2 or 3 "real" theater shows a year for polished performances, but the monthlies are very informal.

I personally think it's better to start out "quarterly" or "every other month" and then add more, if necessary. If you start with one a month and then have to cut back, it gives a negative impression of the event.

Mira

Hey bebe

I would suggest not doing it monthly. I always need one month to prepare, one to get the word out and a line up and one month to rest between events like that. It's a ton of work being put into it that your not going to be paid for. I have a hard enough time doing my even in Sac every three months and getting a full line up of dancers.

Thats my opinion.

Mina

In Portland Oregon we have too many of these things -- there are opportunities for students to dance at least 3 nights a week, and sometimes even more. Sadly, each teacher in town is trying to host their own thing, and no one wants to go to hardly any of them -- too burnt out.

The most frustrating things about these nights is the endless parades of 10-12 minute performances with only the 12 dancers for the night and one friend that each of them brought along for moral support in a cavernous restaurant......it's kinda depressing.

I also have mixed feelings about students dancing in restaurants -- I feel like our art form gets bashed on and misunderstood enough without more of the general public stumbling across student level dancing and thinking it is representative of what we do.

I appreciate a more pot-luck atmosphere in a studio setting rather than an actual restaurant. There are some studios in town that host "belly jams" rather than actual strict performance nights that seem more popular than the two hundred student nights that are happening all over town. There have also been quarterly shows which have been popular over the years. I can't tell if Portland is unique in its Belly Dance performance woes or indicitive of the greater scope of what communities are facing across the country.

Well, in Vegas...nearly all the active organizers are NOT instructors. So, almost all of our teachers will support the shows/haflas/events. It's definitely an interesting phenomena. I've never been in a city where it wasn't the teachers who were organizing the stuff. But for whatever it is worth...it really works for us here.

Because of that, our casual monthly haflas are well attended and our 2-3 annual larger shows are well attended as well.

We have a "movers & shakers" list so that all the organizers in Vegas communicate with each other so we don't overlap our events. And we have a "gentleman's agreement" between all of us to honor that..., and so far so good.

I always have a full night of performances at all the haflas. That doesn't seem to be a problem. But like I said, we have the support of pretty much the majority of the local teacher.

Originally Posted by desertroses

Hey bebe

I would suggest not doing it monthly. I always need one month to prepare, one to get the word out and a line up and one month to rest between events like that. It's a ton of work being put into it that your not going to be paid for. I have a hard enough time doing my even in Sac every three months and getting a full line up of dancers.

Thats my opinion.

Mina

You know the community, so I value where you're coming from.

We don't have an over abundance of opportunities and we certainly don't have anything (that I know of...) in an environment that isn't a restaurant or coffee house.

The old showcase I was considering "resurrecting" was held in a small theater with a raised stage. I am not thinking of this as a hafla so much, more of a place to show off skills of professionals and up-and-comers who want to dance outside of the restaurant and do things that aren't always possible in the restaurant setting. There are some really good dancers in Sacramento who are just tired of the restaurant scene, love to dance and be with one another, but don't have a good place to go.

I am definitely hearing that monthly is too much...(and it would break my budget and my brain!). Quarterly is probably do-able. I definitely don't want to step on your showcase, Mina. So I'd make sure not to plan anything that would make dancers have to choose dancing at or attending one or the other.

We have a monthly hafla here in Milwaukee put on by Shaia Fahrid, and it's pretty successful I think due to it's informality.

You just show up - there's no reservation or official lineup. You bring your music and can dance as many times as you like (I usually go at least twice, even 3 times if there's not a lot of dancers performing). You see everything from baby beginners to pros, and costuming ranging from yoga pants and a hip scarf to full on Pharonics bling. It's a minimal charge to get in ($5, I think), they sell wine and soda on the cheap (the venue does have a liquor license), and there's usually a potluck table of snacks and nibbles. The venue is rather small, so if we get more than a 12-15 people the joint is jumpin'.

I love to debut new choreos and songs there because the pressure is almost non-existent. It's also a great opportunity to try out-of -the-box or fusiony stuff because you really feel like it's more of an intimate party with friends than an official "show".

Laura, that reminds me of a monthly dance night in the Bay Area called Pizza Raks. It's in a Straw Hat Pizza. During business hours. Totally low pressure, and lots of fun.

Originally Posted by mish_mish

Laura, that reminds me of a monthly dance night in the Bay Area called Pizza Raks. It's in a Straw Hat Pizza. During business hours. Totally low pressure, and lots of fun.

Oh my gosh, that must be a riot!

I think if you want to do it monthly, loosey goosey and informal is the way to go. Although Zayna somehow manages to put on a lovingly organized and fabulous monthly hafla at the Sphinx Cafe on the North side of Chicago. I don't know how she does it!

Loosey goosey is fun, but it's not what I'm going for at all. Pizza Raks was great--you have the elegant, sparkling goddesses emerge from the office, past the soda machines, while little league kids eat pizza and play video games! Great audience!

I'm going for something a little more structured. Our community has been so damaged by environments that really steal the heart from this dance form. If we were a healthier dance community, I'd say an "anything goes" hafla would be cool, but we need to seriously raise the bar--I don't even mean with the general public--I mean within the dance community.

Originally Posted by mish_mish

I'm going for something a little more structured. Our community has been so damaged by environments that really steal the heart from this dance form. If we were a healthier dance community, I'd say an "anything goes" hafla would be cool, but we need to seriously raise the bar--I don't even mean with the general public--I mean within the dance community.

Well, that's the payoff of all the hard work of putting on your own event. You can do it just how you'd ideally like to have it. ..g.: I think with something more structured, quarterly is about as often as you'd want to go.

What I'm thinking of doing is definitely not a good candidate for a monthly showcase. Great feedback. Some communities sound a lot healthier than ours! <not going to pretend I am not jealous>

Originally Posted by mish_mish

<not going to pretend I am not jealous>

That's okay - between here and Chicago, I know how lucky I am and try never to take it for granted.

It helps you grow as a dancer, when you aren't constantly worried about the politics and weirdness. I am trying to find a way to make a safe place for people--where there aren't the politics of taking someone's thunder or supporting a particular biz owner by using their establishment for the showcase. In doing something new (or, in this case, resurrecting another dancer's idea that seemed to work), it seems less risky.

Originally Posted by laura 2

We have a monthly hafla here in Milwaukee put on by Shaia Fahrid, and it's pretty successful I think due to it's informality.

You just show up - there's no reservation or official lineup. You bring your music and can dance as many times as you like (I usually go at least twice, even 3 times if there's not a lot of dancers performing). You see everything from baby beginners to pros, and costuming ranging from yoga pants and a hip scarf to full on Pharonics bling. It's a minimal charge to get in ($5, I think), they sell wine and soda on the cheap (the venue does have a liquor license), and there's usually a potluck table of snacks and nibbles. The venue is rather small, so if we get more than a 12-15 people the joint is jumpin'.

It's sounds just like Vegas except we usually get between 60-80 people.