Performance Notes

This weekend, I am thrilled to be performing at my very First This Ain't Egypt student showcase at The Darkside Studio. It won't be my first time dancing at The Dark Side but it will be my first time doing a class choreography with my Basic Black class.

It's a very cool experience for me because while I have performed a lot, there are ladies in my class who have never done a show before and I am finding their nervous excitement to be very energizing. It's going to be a really neat experience dancing with people who are new to shows and don't yet know the power and wonderful, uplifting feeling that you get after a job well done, taking that very first step to becoming a bellydancer and knowing you have a great group of women standing with you, sharing the moment when the lights dim, your first pose is struck and the music starts. 

What has also been a very interesting experience during this process is the information and shared wisdom your teacher brings to the table in helping a group get ready for a performance, and rather than simply tune it all out as things I presume to already know about, I've taken this opportunity to really step back into my beginner dancer brain and remember why everything Audra is sharing with the class is so vitally important. Not just for this one single show, but for every performance - group or solo, amateur or pro - going forward during a dancer's career.

Some of this is very basic and probably most of you know this information like the back of your own hand, but like being an advanced dancer and going back to take a beginner level class to go back over some basic technique every so often because it helps keep your form in check, going over basic performance etiquitte and process is also good to be reminded of once in a while. 

The best notes I've taken again and wanted to share may seem obvious but really, how often do we forget to look at the audience, stay centred and breathe?

So, here are my take-aways that will help me not only this Saturday night but for many other nights and days to come:

1. The audience is on your side. They are not there to pick you apart, wish you ill or hope you fall on your butt. Especially for something like a student show where everyone is there to see another student and possibly for the first time. They are eager to see you do well. 

2. Your classmates are on your side. While maybe relying on other dancers in your group to know and remember the choreography for you is kinda cheating, there is nothing wrong with looking beside you to give a fellow dancer a smile and a reminder they aren't up there alone, that their success is your success.

3. Spacing, spacing, spacing! Having danced with troupes certainly helps remind me to watch the others around me to know if I am out of sync or out of line, but it never hurts to be reminded that as a student class or a professional troupe, you are dancing together and the choreography looks better when everyone remembers they aren't alone.

4. Don't freak out as soon as you get off stage if you think you made a mistake. The audience can feel that kind of negative energy and so can other dancers waiting to go on next. I am as guilty of this as any other performer and have lost count of the times I've quite literally stormed off a stage, angry at myself for screwing up or freaked that my error caused anxiety for another dancer on stage with me. Let it go. 

5. For the love of all things shinny, SMILE!!!!!!! If you look like you're having a good time, the audience feels you are enjoying yourself and it gives them permission to have a good time too! I have danced with others who are technically amazing dancers, but then had negative feedback from the audience about them because they either look at the ground the entire time or employ a look of abject terror onstage. Relax! We do this for fun, remember???

6. Enjoy and revel in the process of getting ready. I love getting "into" bellydancer mode! I use the time I take to do my make-up and hair to really breathe, concentrate on my work and feel how each stroke of the liquid liner, touch of the blush brush and handfuls of glitter gets me into performance mode. I make sure I leave myself lots of prep time so I can enjoy getting all dolled up!

7. Everyone has their own way of getting ready backstage. Some people get super hyper and bouncy, others prefer to lock themselves into their own head space by listening to their music, meditating or simply taking a few minutes to breathe and ground themselves. Respect everyone's space and prep.

8. Be available to help backstage if you can. Some people have quick costume changes and knowing you have an extra pair (or three!) of hands to fasten clips and double check costumes are secure is invaluable!

9. Cheer your fellows on! Be proud of everyone and share your happiness!

10. If a piece of your costume falls off, kick it away and keep dancing. No one really cares or notices if a bracelet falls off your your hair band, so the less you make of it the less likely anyone will even notice it happened. We've all had wardrobe malfunctions and none of them are ever serious enough to ruin a performance.

Above all remember to relax and have a good time. Performing is fun and hearing an audience cheer, applaud and zagreet away is the best feeling in the world!!!