Be Easy To Work With

Speaking as a presenter and producer it is important for you as a performer and teacher to be easy to work with.  

If you have reached the point in your belly dance career that you are now being hired for teaching and/or performing it's extremely important to act like a professional and one of the hallmarks of a pro is to be easy to work with. What does that mean?

No drama
Be prepared
Don't constantly call the employer and bug them
Don't be demanding
Roll with the punches
Offer to help
Send a thank you note
Be nice and friendly to everyone at the event
Don't bug the employer/presenter at the event about little things. 
(I really hate this! Belly dancers who bug me about small stuff when I'm already under stress at an event and dealing with staff and 50 dancers and last minute stuff and then they start pulling on me about how they can't find their shoe or something stupid like that... sorry, got carried away.)

If you do the above you will likely be hired back again.  
If you don't do the above you will likely not hired again.  And the presenter may tell others you were hard to work with.  You don't want that. 

This applies to stars and those that want to be stars. We as presenters of events have long memories. And trust me, we remember the easy people and the difficult people.

Be easy!  (to work with that is...)

Suzy Evans
BellyDance.org

Here's a photo of Sadie.  Sadie is easy to work with.
Be like Sadie!

Ultimate Belly Dancer Combination DVDs

Ultimate Belly Dance Combinations is a 5 DVD series - almost like a mini-series! 

During a conversation with a friend,  this unique concept and came to me. I had previously produced a couple of combination videos with Ansuya and Ava Fleming. Seeing how popular they were, why not have multiple instructors teach combinations on a single DVD?  And why not make it a series? This would give students of belly dance a good variety of styles of combinations from different teachers.  Some of these teachers had not previously taught on video before, so many students would be exposed to new teachers; an instructor they may have not been familiar with and would not normally would get a chance to take a class from. I called them Ultimate Combinations because... they were!   The first 2 volumes were shot and edited.  The teachers included Sadie, Ava Fleming, Aziza, Amaya, Fahtiem, Artemis, Celeste, Anaheed and Amara. These 2 videos were quickly best sellers.  About 2 years later I added three more volumes with a new mix of dancers: Paulina, Zahra Zuhair, Katia, Aradia, Dondi, Ava Fleming, Celete, and Jamileh. These 3 new DVDs included new styles including some Turkish and some of that classic old-timey 1970s belly dance. Will there be more Ultimate Combinations?  Maybe... we'll see.  In the meantime, if you don't have these DVDs, please consider adding them to your collection.  Here's some links to the DVDs:

Ultimate Belly Dance Combinations The Complete Set

Ultimate Belly Dancer Combinations 1 & 2

Ultimate Belly Dance Combinations 3.4 & 5

You Are the Ambassadors of Belly Dance

No matter what level of dance you are currently at; from taking your first lessons to a professional who has been belly dancing for many years: It is you that are the representatives; the ambassadors of belly dance.  It is you that is representing this beautiful dance form to the general public. So how can you be an ambassador to belly dance? One of the best ways is to look to one of the top belly dancers, a dancer you admire. Some great examples: Jillina, Sadie, Ava, Kaya, Aziza, Ansuya, Zahra Zuhair, Sahra, Angelika, Leyla Jouvana, or anyone you personally admire.  How does this dancer conduct herself?  They act like a professional would: friendly, helpful, humble, kind and living the golden rule. They behave and conduct themselves as if they were a public figure. Their performances lift up the art of belly dance, they do not drag it down. Their performances are either choreographed or if impromptu they are well thought out and rehearsed. When on stage or at a restaurant or nightclub they assume that there are people in the audience that are seeing belly dance for the first time and therefore give a performance that is classy and graceful, not a performance that would downgrade the publics perception of belly dance and belly dancers.  It's not just a responsibility; it is also your duty to conduct yourself this way. All of us in this art form are depending on you to come through for all of us!  For those of us that have been in the dance for many years, we can tell you how hard we fought ugly stereotypes in the early years. We don't need belly dance synonymous with stripping or pole dancing.  Is ballet or modern dance ever compared to stripping?  Don't we in belly dance deserve the same respect other forms of dance receive?   -  Suzy Evans

Leyla is a wonderful Ambassador to Belly Dance.  Are you?

Go Now to BellyDance.org and Show Your Support for Us!

A New Belly Dance Release Coming Soon

In less than 2 weeks we will be releasing a new belly dance performance DVD called The Stars of Belly Dance.
The DVD includes performances by Amanda Rose, Amara, Anaheed, Aubre, Ava Fleming, Celeste, Farasha, Kaya, Marguerite, Sadie, Sherri and Tamra-henna.
Stay tuned....

Suzy Evans
BellyDance.org

Belly Dancing is More than a Drum Solo

I know. It's that flashy, fast, dynamic part of a belly dance routine that we all love so much. Drum solo classes and workshops are almost always the most attended.  Its also part of the performance that people in general associate with belly dance. Its the part of the dance when we shimmy, and everyone loves to shimmy.

But belly dance is a lot more than a drum solo.  Without all the other parts of a belly dance routine the drum solo would not shine. Whatever your performance consists of: a full five part cabaret belly dance with veil, or just a couple of changes of pace in the dance, it's important for your dance to contain more than a drum solo.  Its the changes of pace that make the dance complete. Its adds dimension and interest to the dance as a whole.

So learn all paces of the dance. It will make you a more memorable performer.

Speaking of a change of pace, Sultry Slow Moves with Sadie is a great belly dance video.

Suzy Evans
BellyDance.org

New DVD Releases - Sadie and Kaya

We have 2 new DVDs now available.
Hip-notic Belly Dance with Kaya
Pops, Locks and Layers with Sadie and Kaya

For more information and video clips of these DVDs
Click Here

Sadie & Kaya on America's Got Talent

Sadie and Kaya will appear on America's Got Talent Tuesday at 8/9c on NBC.
Please tune in and vote for them.

This is important!! The more times Sadie and Kaya are on this show, more and more women will want to take classes and become belly dancers. That's more students for you, more costumes will be sold, etc. This is major shot in the arm for our dance!

Everyone following this blog please post on your blog and facebook, etc. Please spread the word.

Suzy Evans
BellyDance.org