Belly Dancing in Restaurants... a few tips.

After a request for any tips about restaurant dancing I've been thinking about it a little. I'm by no means an expert having only done about a dozen or so gigs over the years. I've usually been too busy to take on a regular gig and they can be hard work and not very well paid either- but they can be a wonderful opportunity to hone your skills and learn while geting paid. And if you love intereacting with the public it can be great fun.
Dancing in a restaurant (or a dinner function) can be quite complicated unless you have a regular spot with them and know what they are after, so the best first step is to acertain what they expect from you, and also to find out practical things like what music system they have, ceiling heights, stairs, stage/space and also to agree a price for performing.
Usually restaurants want someone to entertain their diners, but not to harrass them! There is a delicate balance between having fun with the diners and knowing when to keep your distance from those who just aren't interested. Sometimes diners don't know you are going to be there and plainly are embarrassed or aren't interested- they usually look away or keep their heads down. The ones to intereact with are those nodding their heads to the music and grinning at you! You will also need to check out if there is enough room for sticks/veils, and what the floor surface is like.
When you have chatted with the restaurant owners you can then decide if it works for you. I made the mistake early on in my career of being available constantly and dancing whenever needed, and consequnelty was exhausted at the end of the night! Now I usually suggest that I do two or three sets of about 15/20 mins through out the evening, with a change of costume, music and props each time- about 3/4 tracks each. this can of course be flexible- if diners are really enjoying it you maybe able to add another track on the end of your set.And you will need someone from the restaurant to operate your music, stopping between tracks for you to catch your breath and pick props up. Alternatively you can arrange the tracks on a copy disc with a gap of a few secs between- and sometimes I have taken a friend along who has done the music for me. And arrange with the organisers when to do the sets- usually between courses and towards the end of the meal works best. Find out if the restaurant want you to get people up to dance with you, and also if there is anyone special- like a bride/groom/birthday boy you need to focus on. and whether there will be a cake or birthday gift you can help deliver.

Improvisation is a must for restaurant work! You can do choreographed dances too, but often the space available is not suitable, and flexibility is the name of the game! You may find yourself dodging waiters, tables and customers, while smiling and not losing your step so you can see why a choreography may not work. A set piece could work as an opener but then improv would work better afterwards. One important thing I have found out is that as a restaraunt dancer you can't afford to have a big ego that needs to be stroked! Some restuarants see you as just another employee and expect you to fit in around the food and customers which are most important. Your job is to entertain, and that may mean intereacting with the diners, getting them up to join in and having some playful fun. If you are comfortable with cheeky eye contact and getting close to the customers to have a joke that's great, but you will need to have a clear idea of your boundaries and may occasionally have to take control of unruly/drunk diners who might think you are offerring them something more than you had bargained for! In some cultures it is considered acceptable to put money into the bra or belt of a dancer, or simply throw it at her. You need to decide how much of this is acceptable to you. If offerred money I usually point to my belt or help guide their hands so they are not tempted to stuff it down my bra! DON'T stop to pick it up off the floor...looks tacky! Get someone else to do that for you! And if people want to dance with you, I suggest holding their hands only, and not allowing them to touch other parts of your body like bare waist, leg, chest etc! Peoples boundaries get a little fuzzy under the influence of alcohol and messages can get confused- this also means I advise you not to drink before your performance so you remain on the ball and in control at all times!!
Other things to consider are- how revealing your costumes are and what to wear depending on the customers age, preference etc. I also take shimmy belts to put on customers, and if there is a bride or birthday girl/boy they get a specially shiny or noisy belt, and sometimes a veil. Make sure you remember to collect them before you go, as well as your music!
And finally, don't be afraid to approach the owners to get paid! Don't allow yourself to be bullied to accepting less - always agree a price beforehand, and if possible confirm it by email or letter. And a big no-no is don't undercut other dancers- it's very unprofessional and damages others employment opportunities, plus sends a negative message out to employers and other dancers.
I'd be interested to hear if any of you other dancers out there have any comments to add to this or observations, as I know there are many people out there with much more experience than I. We can always learn from each other!

Santa Magic 2 and restaurant dancing

Following on from my last blog I was talking about my experiences at The Creaky Cauldron last week. I'd been so worried about my financial situation the week before and had been praying for some help from the Powers That Be/The Universe/God/Goddess, so I felt so blessed when I landed the job! And, amazingly enough I also got an extra holiday bonus from Stratford College, AND a performance gig for a birthday at a restaurant in Stratford.  Can't describe how happy and relieved I was!
So...the first couple of days at the job felt specially great, not least because it was fun being there! I was meant to learn how to use the till but we got so busy that in the end I was just a bagger, wrapper and helper, with occaisional bouts of standing around looking cheerful, and pretending I knew what I was doing to customers. I'm hoping that I proved myself a useful member of staff and that they might invite me back soon...but I guess I'll just have to wait and see....
Last night was the restaurant gig in Stratford. This time the lady whose birthday it was asked me to dance specially and was the payee, though this isn't usually the case at restaurants (they usually pay you). Although it was an enjoyable evening, it was all rather relaxed and laid back and as it wasn't very busy the staff started to join in with the dancing after I'd only done a couple of numbers! Normally I wouldn't mind, but as the lady was paying for me I felt that I wasn't really giving her her money's worth, nor focussing specially on her if it became a bit of a  free for all. But most of the diners were her friends anyway, so I think she was happy they were all having a good time. However, it did make me consider what the situation might be if this was repeated. I haven't done much restaraunt work, but I understand that they want the customers to have a good time, and it shouldn't be about the ego of the dancer getting stroked by having her special solo spot...but I want to give good value for money, and if everyone joins in too early then the dancer might as well not be there! I suppose some places just see the dancer as a paid party starter, and that's fine, but maybe I have got a bit too much ego, and should accept what the customers want? I danced once at a Turkish/British wedding, and I had two sets lined up. I made my entrance for the first set, and had barely done one number before the dance floor was filled with excited Turks jigging around, so I couldn't do the other dances! The organiser then told me I didn't need to do the second set- but they would still pay the fee! I'm not complaining, but I suppose it's just a different mind set that we Brits aren't used to! And different restaurants have different ideas of what they want so it's all a bit of a minefield, I guess!
Am off today to do a gig at one of Miramar's regular bookers, an old peoples home near Oxford. As the girls have decided which dances we are doing this time, they have chosen dances that I haven't done for a while, so although I have practised, one of them is still a bit ropey! I'm looking forward to standing at the back and following them for a change!
Looking forward to some family visiing this week, and although I'd love to just slump on the sofa the rest of the time, I need to get some advertising fliers out soon for the New Year classes.

Santa Magic Part 1

Have just had a wonderful but very busy week! I'm delighted to report that I got myself a Christmas job for the week running up to Christmas day- at The Creaky Cauldron. They were obviously very busy and needed the help so I rang them and bob's your uncle! I was in every day all day, including Christmas Eve doing various jobs, but mostly bagging up sweets for Santa presents, wrapping said presents, and assisting Santa. The last job was the best bit- I togged myself up in an elf 'style' costume and hat and then my job was to greet families as they got to Santa's Grotto, then guide them in to see the man himself. I also wrote out certificate for people who solved the Potion Puzzle, which meant Santa then got the heads up on the kiddies names in advance....which was a sneaky ruse as the kids then were astounded to find he knew their names!!  But he has to be one of the best Santas around- dressed in a very good quality costume, and his beard, wig and moustache looked real, and he topped it off with a garland of holly so looked as if he had just stepped out of a victorian advert. But he had a brilliant technique of appealing to everyone, kiddies and adults alike, and spent quality time with them, which was great. Most people came out glowing with excitement and praise. But despite the stresses of being so busy the highlight of the job was seeing the look in peoples faces when they met Santa...it really was magical!
...oops, gotta go and get ready to go out, so will write more about my week soon....ta taaa!

Bits and Pieces

Yet another long gap between blogs...but it's mostly because I've been busy. And, that is a good thing in my book! However, I have had a couple of days where I was almost running from one thing to another....that might be just a little too much stress for me....so today I'm really enjoying a kind of day off where I don't have to be anywhere or do anything...lovely!
Some of the busy-ness was earning money, which is very good, but there are still bills to pay and I don't know where the money is going to come from before January. I'm just hoping the Universe will cast a few more gifts or opportunities my way very soon! Otherwise several people will be very miffed with me as they won't be getting any birthday/Christmas presents!
I've now officially finished classes for Christmas, but there have been a number of stall gigs and a few meet-ups with pals and students, plus trying to fit in the usual radio show stuff, the minimum amount of housework I can get away with, as well as trying to create our own Christmas cards. I'm looking forward to having a break, and as usual have several jobs and projects in mind, though I have a feeling that I will probably end up slumped on the sofa watching TV- just for the pure novelty of it! But I need my creative fix, so will be making some more jewellery stock to replenish what I've sold over the last couple of weeks. I haven't sold anything from the Folksy site, but I must admit I haven't advertised it widely yet, but I've got a local shop to agree to selling a few things for me, so I hope that will be a go-er.
I also seem to have got my mojo back....well in a quiet and modest kind of way, anyhow. Having to been to several haflas I've been interested, inspired and excited by what I've seen, but don't quite feel like rushing off to create a west end musical just yet! I think that what I may do in the future will be about taking a different approach or direction. I 'm not planning to give up the dancing, but it may be necessary for it to take a more minor role- I'm prepared for that, but I've noticed that having fewer classes has reduced the stress levels a lot which is really good. I love dancing, but I've neglected my own enjoyment to a large extent in my efforts to be a good teacher- and in order to stay in love with it I need to get some nourishment from it myself. By the way, the Body Talk workshop I did for The Alternative Show went very well. Although I only had six participants, they all gave really good feedback, and everyone seemed to get something out of it, so I am inspired to carry on researching and developing it.
Still no jobs on the horizon, although I am carrying on looking. I suspect as usual the Universe wants me to do my own thing. Really happy to do that, but I need to earn more money doing it, you guys upstairs!!
Anyway, as I have a bit more time on my hands, you may well be hearing more from me over the next few weeks. Brace yourselves for possible tantrums, tears, boredom, apathy, joy, and the odd outbreak of drunkeness, despair and happiness!