Performing Tips for the Beginning Dancer

Raqs Euphoria troupe perform at the LA County Fair

You've taken several belly dance classes, and your instructor mentions upcoming shows where you can perform your choreography for the first time.  You probably feel excited but also a bit nervous hearing this.  Performing for the first time can be very intimidating and scary.  Thoughts like "What if I mess up?"  "All these people are looking at me!" run through your mind as you prepare.  It's a baby step though that many dancers want to take, they are inspired by the idea of wearing a beautiful costume and finally putting all that hard work up on a stage with their friends and dance sisters.

Here are some tips for performing for the first time:

1.  Find a safe, supportive environment to perform, such as a class showcase, or low key event, where the audience is not large and you can dance with people you are comfortable with, such as a teacher or student troupe.

2.  Practice on your own as well as in class, even if it's just five minutes every other day or every day.  The more you practice, the more your body will have "muscle memory" and the moves will come on their own when you hear the music.  This is the ultimate goal in a choreography, because you don't have to think about the moves, they just come to you.

3.  If there is a practice video or performance video of anyone doing the dance you have learned, watch it.  If you only have a couple minutes during a break, watching the video or listening to the song is still helpful in remembering the moves.

4.  Wear a costume you feel comfortable in - and test it out before performing!  Try on different things and wear something which doesn't make you fidget or feel weird.  If you feel too exposed, try a power-net body suit underneath or wearing a drape/fringe on a costume.  You don't have to wear anything too skimpy.  Being comfortable and feeling good about yourself goes a long way in performing.

5.  Wear makeup and do your hair/nails.  This will automatically give you more confidence.  Some performers feel that makeup is like a mask - it puts you in that "zone" or "character" who is on stage and helps you to feel good.

6.  Try to find focus.  Being on a stage with lights can be intimidating and seeing a sea of faces looking at you can also shake you up.  Focus on a friend or family member in the audience and forget about the others.  If you don't have a friend at the show, look for someone who is smiling and looks happy.  Focus on them.

7.  Start out standing where you are surrounded by other dancers.  You can use your peripheral vision to watch them and remember the moves.  Ultimately you want to be able to do the dance without watching others, but in the beginning, it's perfectly fine to peek at your friends.

8.  If you know how to count the beats of music, this can help to slow your moves down when necessary.  Sometimes being nervous makes us speed up unnecessarily.  Take your time, take those moments and feel them.

9.  Trust yourself.  Have confidence!  If you don't have confidence, FAKE it.  No one will know the difference.

10.  It also helps to go to other people's shows.  Watch and see how they work.  Both troupes and soloists.  Watch them travel the floor.  Watch how the dancers interact.

11.  Practice your expressions in the mirror.  When you are practicing, practice with a smile.  Try not to make faces as you make mistakes.  Your face is part of your performance.  If you make a mistake, keep going and smile.  Chances are, no one will notice, and everyone makes mistakes.

For info on my classses, visit my website www.JessikahBellydance.com

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall - the Importance of Mirrors for Correcting Technique in Dance

Mirrors.  An essential tool for the dancer.  It can also be a crutch and inhibit performance if you rely on them too much.

I prefer teaching where there are mirrors.  I have taught belly dance classes without them.  I think they are helpful in these ways for me as a teacher - I can see the students behind and around me, and I can help to correct them if they are doing a move wrong.  There's also power in seeing the whole group dance together "as one." 

They are important for students as well.  You can synchronize your movements with fellow dancers, and it helps beginners to understand dance space and the concept of being in a "window" (being seen by the audience, even if you aren't in the front row, because you are between dancers, thus in a "window"), which I touched on in my last post.  Mirrors teach you to have good facial expressions, and look happy, interested, engaged in your dance and with the audience.  Sometimes, it's also the best way to see your teacher, if there are people blocking your view, then you can check out the teacher in the mirror as well.  Mirrors help you with your alignment and you can get immediate feedback on how you are dancing.

There comes an important point before performing, though, where you must trust yourself and turn away from the mirror for practice. After all, you can't perform with a mirror in front of you! You have to know the moves.

The class should do the routine several times away from the mirror, trying to feel the movements and use peripheral vision to watch the other dancers to stay in sync.

When I first started dancing, we danced on mirrors all the time.  I don't remember ever turning opposite way to dance away from them.  Often times, the dress rehearsal on stage was the first taste of dancing without mirrors.  That can be very intimidating.  In more recent years, I have taken many classes where the studio had no mirrors and that was also a huge adjustment.  I felt like I couldn't correct my moves and I couldn't see the front position of the teacher in addition to her back.

When working with mirrors, use them to watch your body and your face.  Are you doing the movements like the teacher?  Like the group?  Do you look relaxed, happy or in character for your dance?  Practice until you feel comfortable turning around.  Listen to cues in the music to help you remember which moves are coming up next.

For more info, visit my website.

Staging Space for Troupes

Welcome to my Belly Dance blog!  I have been dancing for quite awhile and wanted to share some of my experiences.

Staging Space

I have performed my entire life, starting when I was a little girl, in large dance/theatre productions in school.  Theatre has always been a part of my life, so I have a good understanding of blocking, staging and space.  I have experience performing for stage, screen and stills.  I think staging is an important subject, worthy of a workshop for anyone who is not familiar with the subject.  These are my thoughts on staging, after having a few interesting experiences the last year on different stages.  

For the newbie, being on a stage is very intimidating.  Bright, blinding lights, many people in the audience, and (usually) an entirely different space than you are used to dancing in (as opposed to class).  Hearts racing, and nerves set in.  How do you look your best, while looking out for your fellow troupe-mates (or classmates?).  How do you deal with the weird things that can happen on stage?  How far forward or backwards do you stand?  How close to your fellow dancer/s?

I have noticed in my years of dancing that some people are more aware of their "personal space" than others.  Some dancers instinctively know to stand where the audience can see them.  Others are either too busy worrying about choreography to notice or they just lack the experience to realize these things.

Spacing is a very important part of dancing with a group.  Take video of some shows you are in, and take a look at how far apart people stand.  Are they too far away?  Too close together?  Or a combination of the two?  Video is a great tool to help you look at stage spacing and blocking.

Some troupes choreography involves staggered entries and exits of dancers.  It is important to think about where you will end up, and who needs to be in front, going first, especially if that first person needs to travel the farthest on stage.  Don't push your way to the front because you want to be there.  Let the person who moves the farthest go first.  

These are all important issues to consider when thinking about a stage show.  Some of these questions will depend on several factors - how many people are in your troupe or on stage at the same time?  How many rows of dancers are there?  Who is supposed to be center or front?  There should always be a point person, who is center stage to help you with your spacing.  You focus on that person, where they are standing, and if you are in front, situate yourself to their side, about an extended arm's length away.  If you are in the second or third row, make sure the audience can see you in a "window" (in between other dancers), so that you are visible at all times.  Sometimes, the choreography will change the positions of people (thus, the windows), and you will have to adjust.  Try to remember key points in the dance, and where you are standing at those times.  Practice going to the correct spots to the cues in the music.  

When I'm on stage, I always try to look out for the dancers standing near me.  It can be very frustrating for other dancers if you are not considerate of where people are supposed to be standing.  If you are in front, make sure you have enough space so you are not too close to the edge of the stage and in danger of possibly falling off.  If you are in back, hopefully you have enough space behind you, so that you are not hitting the wall.  I've noticed sometimes in photos that certain people are very far away from their fellow dancers.  Standing closer (arm's length is a good estimate) might feel weird, but it often looks better than being 4 or 5 feet away from your fellow dancers.

If it's a huge stage, it's a good idea to make your moves big and try to fill that stage up with your energy.  Play to the audience, and smile at your fellow dancers if you are turning or have moments of interaction.  It really helps with nerves.

On some occasions, the stage might actually be smaller than you expect, also changing the dynamic of your show.  Moves will have to be made much smaller, especially turns and traveling moves.  Consideration again for your fellow dancers is a must.  If you are using a prop, you may have to reign it in a little.  Be careful when spinning canes, or flipping up wings.  Always check your zills and make sure they are tight on your fingers.

I like to always wear dance shoes, because sometimes there can be bad things on the stage from a prior performer.  Nails, beads, pins, glass.  None of these things feel good on bare feet!

If you don't have a good feeling about the spatial relationship between dancers, tell the troupe leader or your teacher.  Maybe you should switch positions to somewhere that is easier to determine the stage space, or between more experienced dancers.  Sometimes, a person might go to the wrong place by accident.  Try to adjust as easily as possible, without drawing attention to the mistake.  "I meant to do that" is often the best solution - smile and keep going!

For more information about my dance classes, visit my website