A fabulous performance picture can do wonders for a belly dancer's career.  Put it on a business card, or add it to your web site, to get more high quality bookings or new students.  Add it to social media, and get invites to top class events.  Even though its just a moment in time, it shows off your dancing, performing and entertainment abilities.... or does it?

Just like every entertainer, we excel at the art of illusion.  We ask the viewer to see what we want them to see....Only we know the diamonds are paste..... our shimmies are not an expression of our emotions, so much as a reflection of the hours we drilled them infront of the mirror... And our photo was not actually caught mid performance...

For years I wanted an amazing on-stage, performance picture.  Yet all I got was photos like the one above on the left.  I look like a six eyed monster trying to lasso the audience.  Then I found out the secret - those performance photos of the stars.... all is not what it seems.

Because I am all about sharing the good news, here are four ways to get a fabulous performance photo ! (clue - they are all cheats!)

Tiny Tips:

• Find your light - not all areas of the stage are lit equally.  Check out the light pattern on the floor to work out where to stand to get the best light.  You are most likely to be lit from above on a stage, so be aware that your nose, chest and tummy may cause shadow.  "Bathe" in your light, so all your best parts catch the glow!
• Never ask your photographer to use flash photography during a performance.  The flash can blind you.  Equally don't use a flash at the side of the stage.  The audience will be able to see it.
• "Behind the scenes" photos should always be done with the permission of everyone in the room.  Just as you shouldn't take photos in the restroom, don't take photos in changing rooms or any area that people may be changing.  Be aware of mirrors and accidentally including others in your backstage photos.
• Check out the background before you plan your photos.  A rip in the backdrop, or fire exit can spoil the shot.  Take a minute to look around and check for minor problems that you can fix before the photo is taken.
• Use Photoshop wisely !  Editing software is great for adjusting the light, picking out the colors in your costume, and removing the gum from the floor..... however, performance shots can loose their appeal if you brush up everything.  Softening your skin, enhancing your curves, and elongating your lines are all great in more glamorous stills, where you are aiming for a dream like quality.
• In performance you will naturally pull faces,  your hair will fall out of place and your costume will create creases.  All of these can add character to your photos.  When picking out your top five, keep one or two that are not traditionally perfect, but that reflect who you really are.

My dear friends Dawn Devine and Alisha Westerfeld are starting to build a reputation for sneaking a selfie onto the stage.  This performance was a comedy number at a light-hearted event.  It was the perfect punchline for this occasion.  Usually, selfies are not a suitable way to get get an on stage performance photo......

I hope you enjoyed a look behind the scenes of some of our performance photo shoots ! - feel free to add your own "Performance" photos to the comments and let us know how you got the shot !

If you like this blog, go back to the blog page, for others you might like including:
Holiday Music for Class
Dealing with Difficult StudentsTeacher Knows Best
Are you Ready Teach Belly Dance ?
Or check out these Hub Blogs including:

"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"
​

You never get a second chance at a first impression, and the MC just blew that for you.  What you needed was a postcard with your bio, ready and prepared ahead of time.  Here is my advice : Every time you burn a CD or set up a play list, add your bio to your bag or the CD case.  Write it today, and update it annually, but keep it in your kit bag, ready for every performance.

What should you write ?
There are two essentials that you must add to every bio:

• Who are you?
• Why are you here?

The answer to these questions should be easy - "Sara Shrapnell is a belly dancer"

(You may prefer "Turkish belly dancer" or "Fusion belly dancer".  If your audience is the general public, belly dancer will do.  If your audience are mostly other belly dancers, add more details to your description such as "Sara Shrapnell is inspired by belly dancers of the golden age of Egyptian belly dance.")

"Sara Shrapnell is a belly dancer" is a little on the simple side.  Yep, they got my name and why I am entering the stage, but I don't sound very exciting...  As we have time right now, lets try and turn that intro into three or four fascinating sentences.

This is a good moment to focus on perfecting the "elevator pitch".  Its a couple of sentences that tell others all about you or your project.  Do you teach, love to perform, are you the youngest, oldest, world record holding, award winning or new in town?  What makes you memorable or stand out from the crowd?  

I like to use the triple threat "Writer, Teacher, Performer."
 
"Award winning" is always good, but remember, you should be able to back up all your claims.  If you are "award winning", what is your award?  Do you have the award at home? Can they google the competition ? If you hold a record, be prepared to share a link to the web site.  Much better to pick a phrase that doesn't need proof, like "Enchanting", "Captivating" or "Beautiful".  From a marketing point of view alliteration is always appealing (wink) - "Bella the Beautiful Belly Dancer!"  Have a try and see what works best with your name.  

Its always hard to write nice things about yourself.  If you are having a problem with finding the right words, ask your teacher, classmates or fans for feedback.  Do they think you are the queen of shimmies, or are they amazed by your back bends.  Ask others to point out your strengths and see how you can work them into your bio.

Ask yourself what you want the audience to do, now they know who you are.  Perhaps you want them to sign up to your classes, or come back to the venue next week.  If you are at a belly dance event, do you want the audience to buy your book, visit you at your booth, attend your workshop....

 "Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer.  She is inspired by belly dancers of the golden age of Egyptian belly dance.  Find her books on belly dance at her booth by the rest rooms."

 "Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer.  She is teaching a workshop later this afternoon on improvisation and adding emotion to your dance.  You can sign up on the door for just $15."

​"Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer.  She has taught over 5,000 belly dance classes, and her new beginner course starts next Wednesday."

If you are in the business of belly dance, don't be afraid of a little self promotion!

​If you like this blog, go back to my blog page and check out some others like:

I'm Perfect for Belly Dance (and so are you)
Why Belly Dancers need to Walk the Line
Teaching Belly Dance: Making Corrections
Being Part of the Solution

Or these Hubposts:
​"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"

If you regularly read my blog, you will know I have a love/hate relationship with publishing my work.  I would much rather dance infront of 1,000 people, or teach a room full of strangers than share my writing.  I mean, you have read my novel, right?  Oh no, only about 20 people have ever read my novel, because I'm terrified of sharing it !! (It has rude bits!)  

However, I do love writing.  That feeling of loosing yourself for 5,6,7 hours as the words come tumbling out and the pages grow like knitting, forming themselves into ideas, concepts and dreams.  Its addictive.  For the last five years I have mostly written about belly dance, and so my two passions have collided.  But the problem with writing all day, every day, is that at some point you have to share your words with the world.  I am hugely blessed to have lots of great people in my life who can read and assess my writing.  Poppy Maya (The Awesome Poppy Maya as she is known), is always ready to review the quality of my work.  I can turn to Dawn Devine for resources, research and validation, plus she understands sentance structure and can turn my words from a C minus to an A plus.  Alisha Westerfeld thinks in images, and helps bring my ideas to life, and I have a team of pro and not so pro editors who tidy up the chaos I produce.

Excuse me if I blush and hide for a couple of days.  I'll just be here, at the computer, for the next five hours.... writing something that people might someday read !

 If you like this blog, go back to my blog page and check out some others like:

I'm Perfect for Belly Dance (and so are you)
Why Belly Dancers need to Walk the Line
Teaching Belly Dance: Making Corrections
Being Part of the Solution

Or these Hubposts:
​"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"

At this time of year I take a short break from belly dance.  Its been two weeks since my last class, three since I performed, and I'm starting to miss my true dance love.  I have been belly dancing for 25 years, full time for the last 17.  I write about belly dance every day.  I teach three times a week, and practice each week day.  Most weekends I attend or perform at events.  If you are reading this, you are probably the same.  Belly dance is addictive and it attracts the most wonderful, caring, loving and interesting people to its world.

You may have noticed a little wave of negativity washing through these last few weeks. You can blame the stars, or the internet, Gen X or boredom, but its not how I see belly dance.  Belly dance has been a huge blessing in my life and I would like to take a moment to count them.  Feel free to join me, either in the comments below, or in your own blog or posting.  Lets make the last few days of 2016 a wonderful moment of giving thanks to the dance that brought us together.  In no particular order....

1, - Friends.  I have thousands of "Friends" on FB, and many of them have turned into real friends.  Every time I attend an event, I look out for people I know through FB and connect with them, so I can meet them in person.  I never walk into a workshop without a familiar face, even if its on the other side of the world.  I can have coffee, or a meal, with fascinating people, no matter where I am in the world.  We always have something to talk about.  Belly dance has also introduced me to people that I consider family.  Half of my Christmas cards were sent, with love, to families that I would never have met if not for belly dance.  As someone who lost her mother way too young, I am lucky to have a place to spend time with older ladies.  I love to chat and spend time with ladies of my Mum's generation.  Without belly dance I wouldn't have so many wise women in my life.  Finally, having a wide range of friends has made me open to new ides and taught me about the world.  Belly dancers cover the whole range of political views, the gender spectrum, all ages, classes, ethnicity and religions.  I have belly dance friends who can share incites into their lives, and others who are simply happy to dance by my side.  thank you belly dance friends, you are a blessing.

3, - Income.  It might be taboo, but I am hugely grateful that belly dance has been my main form of income for 17 years.  At first I taught multiple classes, and more recently, I make a living through selling my belly dance books.  I feel hugely blessed that so many people value my time, energy and thoughts enough to spend their hard earned cash.  Perhaps their class time is the best hour of their week, or snuggling up with one of my books is the highlight of their day.  People also pay me for the on line lessons, workshops and mentoring.  If you ever paid me for anything, I am truely thankful, and I hope you felt it was worth every penny!

4, - Family.  Not many people know, but my Mum used to belly dance.  Unfortunately she was very ill for a long time, but it gave us a common topic to discuss.  When she could no longer dance she acted at MC at my events.  My daughter is also a professional belly dance performer.  When my children were younger, they attended lots of events, helped out with loading and unloading the venue, lighting, sound and hosting.  I think it has influenced them all in different ways.  Now they are older they help with tech support and marketing advice.  I am very thankful that my job is a family business and that they can all get involved.

5, - Performances.  I am not one of those people who only goes to shows if I have a performance slot.  I love to see belly dance performances of all levels at any venue.  If I have an evening at home you may well find me surfing YouTube to feed my addiction.  I dont care what your style is, I just want to see good dancing, a pretty costume, some stage craft and an interpretation of the music.  I flip between the golden age classics to art that scares or upsets me, I enjoy the folk dances, Tribal Fusion, and glamorous theater productions.  I am lucky enough to live in the SF bay area, which means I can see a show (or five) every Saturday night.  I am lucky that I get to pick and choose, dress up, meet friends, and see wonderful performances whenever I want.

6, - Music.  Just as I love every kind of belly dance, so I love all the music that comes with it.  I enjoy a great live band, or a single drummer.  I am lucky enough that my music collection is now so big that I can play anything, anytime, to suit my mood, my dancing or my surounding.  I would like to take a moment to thank those of you who have taken the time to record music for belly dancers, or to play at an event, or to teach a workshop about the depths and meanings of the classic tunes.  Belly dance has given me the soundtrack to my life.

7, Confidence.  For me, this goes beyond the confidence to walk onto a stage and present a dance that I have spent 10 months working on.  There is a confidence that comes from being surounded by brave, bold, beautiful, strong and intelligent people.  When you take part in a show and see others project the pain and upset of a recent break up into a performance, or see the lady who just lost her job suck it up and spread joy to the very back row, it emboldens you to put your shoulders back and believe that anything is possible.  Knowing that others may like your work, also gives you the confidence to truely assess the critisims that always come with presenting art.  When I see one of my books in the hands of a new reader, I still hope that they like it - we all want to be liked.  But belly dance gave me the confidence to write those books, because I love it so much that I have studied it in depth, talked to experts and drawn my own conclusions.  I am an expert.  How is that for confidence !!

8, - Beauty.  Without belly dance I would never had said that I was beautiful. That is really sad.  I still have days when I dont like parts of my body, but they are very few and far between.  When did it become acceptable for woman to be modest about their beauty?  Belly dance has given me a body with lots of curves.  It can shimmy and strut, slide and glide and sometimes it can even do some really complex foot patterns !  I have also learnt what colors suit me, how to wear my hair, I have some pro make up technique and, just in the last few years, I have learnt how to pose for the camera.  I can turn heads just from excellent posture.  Surrounding yourself with beautiful people, not only gives you the tools, it also helps you to see your inner beauty.  The belly dance world is full of people who give unconditionally, love and share without expectation.  Every week we set up in the changing room and see a dozen "normal" people blossom into stunningly beautiful creatures.  Knowing you are beautiful is a powerful thing.  

9, - Knowledge.  I am lucky that I have had the time, energy and money to travel in order to take workshops from some of the greatest minds in belly dance.  I am also very privileged to have met many wonderful belly dancers who have taken the time to talk to me, share their ideas, send me books, write me essays or simply ask me questions.  I am not the scholarly type.  I struggle to take notes and to find my references.  Dance is a physical medium, we share our history, stories, hopes and desires through movement.  I have collected that knowledge too.

10, - Students.  I have been abundantly blessed with students.  Back when I lived in the UK, I had a different class on every day of the week, and each of them had a totally different vibe.  They were all filled with wonderful people, who chose to spend their precious spare time with me.  Even when I had to move away, many of them chose to keep in touch, and they still share their videos, photos and dance journey with me.  Now I live in the US, I have less classes, but more time to spend in preparing each of them. My US students have taught me all about America, and never laugh at my funny accent.  I have been blessed with a troupe of ridiculously talented dancers, who let me challenge them with choreography that is way beyond my ability.  They are committed, engaged and ambitious - which means they drive me to be the same.  

When we love something as much as we all love belly dance, its easy to get passionate.  Passion can build bridges, or it can tear them down.  The world of belly dance is very small.  We are not a rich, sucessful and popular industry.  I think we are in a growing stage, and most of us would agree that we have to build our student bases, or audiences and our standards in order to make belly dance accessable to more people and keep dancers and teachers employed.  We do that best by being welcoming, sharing knowledge, sharing students, sharing performance opportunties and praising the skills we see in others.  I contributed to our last book "Becoming a Belly Dancer" for a very selfish reason - I want to see great belly dance in my retirement!

If you would like to add to my list of belly dance blessings, please feel free to add to the comments below, post on FB or write a blog of your own.  - Sara x

 If you like this blog, go back to my blog page and check out some others like:

Teacher Knows Best
Dealing with Difficult Students
I'm Perfect for Belly Dance (and so are you)
Why Belly Dancers need to Walk the Line
Teaching Belly Dance: Making Corrections
Being Part of the Solution

Or check out my Hub Blogs including:

"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"

If you like this blog, go back to my blog page and check out some others like:

Teacher Knows Best
Dealing with Difficult Students
I'm Perfect for Belly Dance (and so are you)
Why Belly Dancers need to Walk the Line
Teaching Belly Dance: Making Corrections
Being Part of the Solution

Or check out my Hub Blogs including:

"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"

Dawn Devine has a huge range of wonderful books available on Amazon.  Check out the full range here:

There are three big on-line belly dance stores that I regularly shop,  Dahlal, Miss BellyDance and BellyDance.com.  Between them they cover almost all a belly dancer could desire !

DVDs and videos ! - There are way too many to mention, but these are the ones that I have LOVED this year :

• Full on with 3/4 shimmies by Mahin
• Delicious Pauses by Rosa Noreen
• Belly Dance Travel Steps by Autumn Ward
• BellyDance Artistry by Tempest

While I might not be performing as much as I once did, I am still in the habit of keeping a case packed and ready to go at a moments notice.  Partly its a storage solution - why unpack and store my performance kit,when I can store it in the suitcase?  But it is also a matter of being ready to perform should the need arise.

So what is packed in my bag?  I start out by dividing it into two shoe boxes.  The first one will hold whatever costume I am planning to wear, and the second holds my "kits".  I use small purses, draw-string bags and even zip lock plastic bags to hold my kits - I have a small sewing kit, a "touch up" make up kit, a cords and chargers kit, a back up jewelry kit, a hair care kit and a toiletries kit.  By storing them all in a shoe box I can find them quickly, but also throw the odd item into the box as I am packing up and know I will be able to find it again later.

Where possible I try to put together my kits with spares and sample sizes.  My make up kit is really only for last minute touch ups, as I prefer to put on full stage make up at home.  As I run short of a product in my "at home" make up kit, I purchase a new one, move the almost empty one into my performance kit bag, and bin its predecessor, which is probably ready to expire. I keep jewelry that matches my costume in the box with that costume, but I also keep a back up set in my suitcase.  My back up jewelry kits are light weight, cheap and a mix of gold and silver.  Sometimes the jewelry that matches my costumes looks a little sparse, or a clasp might go as I am walking onto the stage.  This back up jewelry kit is there to fill in the gaps.

In addition I always have a neutral veil - that is, one that goes with all of my costumes.  In the world of belly dance we can count rainbows and animal prints as neutrals in addition to white,black, gold and silver.  I also pack a cover up, shoes and a second costume.  My second costume is usually a dress in a fabulous fabric - I want something that will pack up small and goes with my dance style, just in case someone else arrives with a similar costume to my favorite, I spill food down myself or bust a seam.  

I use the front pocket of my suitcase to store business cards, flyers, copies of my bio and spare CDs.  Those are all things that organizers ask for as you walk in the door, and I don't want to have to open up my suitcase in the lobby to find them !

After an event I remove my costume from the suitcase to air and refresh in the sunshine.  I might replace it with a different costume, or pack it back into the suitcase at the end of the day.  I open up my kit box, make sure everything is put away, and make a list to replace or repair.  Finally I label the music CDs so that I know what is on them, should I want to use them for an impromptu performance in the future.  While "Rakkasah 2016" might make sense to me now, in the future "Raks Musri, veil, opening 2.30 - Tabla solo, long shimmy, 3.30 - Sunshine, upbeat fun to join in, 3.30 - total 9.30 burnt as one track" is a gift to the future me, who is rushing to find a fun set under ten minutes.

Finally, one golden rule for me is that my suitcase should always be light enough for me to carry.  At my age, I can't afford to hurt myself taking my suitcase in and out of a venue.

I recently applied to perform at an all day event, but I missed out on getting a performances slot.  As I left the house to go and see the show I put my kit bag in the trunk "just in case".  Mid morning one of the performers rang the hostess to say she couldn't make it, and suddenly I had a performance slot !  I sat in the car and topped up my make up from my make up kit bag, added my "back up" jewelry, selected a CD from the pocket and got my chance to shine on stage.  Last minute performances like that have the added bonus of no pre-gig nerves!

So next time you are unpacking your bags after a gig, ask yourself, could you be using the opportunity to set up your bag for your next performance?

​Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer.

She has taught more than 4,000 belly dance classes, both in the UK and US.  She now teaches in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore in the SF bay area, as well as workshops world wide and on-line via the Belly Dance Business Academy.  Her classes are known for their humor, detailed breakdowns and cultural context.    Students who have studied with Sara have gone on to teach and perform in all styles of belly dance and many have made their living through performance or teaching.

Sara’s first book “Teaching Belly Dance” is available on Amazon.  Her second "Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage", co- written with Dawn Devine, Alisha Westerfeld and Poppy Maya, is available in 2016 .
 

Updated 12/13/16

​First lets start with a little truth: a correction is only worth mentioning, if the improvement can be made.  When faced with a total beginner, who has been asked to perform a figure 8, the teacher will see dozens of problems:

This list could go on and on, but if the teacher points each of these issues out to the beginner student, he or she will become overwhelmed and unable to make any improvements.  Instead the teacher must take her time and improve the dancers movements one step at a time.

Where to start ?  Firstly, make sure you have talked to each student about their existing fitness and injuries.  If they have a problem with any part of their body, be sure to encourage safe posture in that area first.  Cover posture at the start of every lesson, and focus your initial corrections on postural problems.  If their whole posture is off, and they don't complain of a particular issue, I tend to start with hips, back and shoulders.

Make it your mission in life to observe posture.  Watch people walk, stand, sit and dance.  Look for clues to pain, such as favoring one leg, or a dip of the shoulders.  Understand how our muscles and skeleton work together to make belly dance movements.  When observing your students, first look at them from a distance, watch their whole body movements.  Then walk closer to them, so you can see the mechanics in action and observe the root of problems.

I like to offer up personal corrections only when I am standing close enough that the other students can not hear.  Usually I will set up an exercise and then walk the room, observing and critiquing each dancer in turn. One correction per exercise is usually enough, unless their posture is particularly bad. I use the "critique sandwich" technique: that is I place my correction between two positive statements, such as:
"I see you have been practicing!  Watch that you don't roll onto the outside of your right foot, keep your weight centered and strong.  Your arms are looking much better this week."

This kind of correction is easy for the dancer to focus on and usually the correction can be made within a few moments. If you feel that your whole group has a problem, or that an issue needs to be addressed, wait until after the exercise and aim your critique at the whole group, like this:
"I noticed that lots of you were having trouble with the weight shift.  Make sure that you are passing your weight through your center, and only pushing out as far as you are comfortable.  If you feel like your weight is on the outer edge of your foot, or if you start to feel pressure in your ankles, shrink your hip move, so that it is putting less strain on your lower body."

​While you shouldn't under estimate your students, it is also worth remembering that some of them will be unable to perform some moves that you can do. Give your students achievable goals and cheer them on to the finish line.  Most belly dance students come to class for fun, and while corrections are not a whole lot of fun, improving is the best feeling in the world.  Make sure every correction is a step forward that they can take towards being a better dancer.

​Gradual, achievable corrections, given regularly and mixed in with praise, will help your students improve their dance skills and make your job as a belly dance teacher so much easie

​If you like this blog, go back to the blog page, for others you might like including:

Or check out these Hub Blogs including:

"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"
​

Updated 4/22/19

Lets start with a little bit of negativity for a change : belly dancers moan.  They moan about the lack of good teachers, the lack of good students, about gigs, no gigs, cheap gigs, they moan about changing rooms, running orders, costume prices, musicians and dirty floors.  I am pretty sure its not a belly dancer thing - everyone moans.  I bet the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker all do just as much moaning.  Belly dancers want to see better belly dance, done to a professional level at professional venues for professional pay - but most don't know how to make that dream a reality.

We have some other issues in the belly dance "industry" that we struggle to deal with that increase the problem:

• We have the "nice factor", where most of us believe that everyone should be allowed to belly dance and that all art is valuable.  No one wants the be the one who spoils the enjoyment of the majority of belly dancers who are hobbyists looking for something fun to do at the weekend.
• We have a respect for our elders, even when they are not our betters.  In fact we tend to have a seesaw of skills in our industry - young dancers have the energy, then they develop skills..... as they hit their 30's and 40's their stagecraft improves but their energy drops.... and then the 50's and 60's is a time when the passion, storytelling and emotion is growing, but the technique and skills are fading.... Of course not everyone follows this seesaw, but many of us wish we could have the energy of a 19 year old and the wisdom of someone in their 70's.  Every "age" of belly dancer values a slightly different set of skills, and can become jealous of the skills they see in others. Older dancers, and those who have been in the industry for many years, set the tone and expected norms for younger dancers coming in.  If they have always eaten fried chicken in the changing rooms, new dancers are expected to accept grease stains on their costumes as a badge of honor.
• We are a young industry.  While there have been belly dancers in the USA since the days of Vaudeville, it is still a "Clan" society.  Many dancers only mix with dancers within their own city or dance style and will exclude and undervalue "outsiders" from discussions.  If we want to raise the standards within the belly dance world, we have to pull everyone together and learn to work towards common aims.
• We have a money loop.  There is very little money coming into our industry, but plenty moving around in the loop.  What is the money loop ? - Dancer A buys a lesson from Dancer B, who buys a costume from Dancer C, who pays to see a show by Dancer D, who goes to a workshop by Dancer E, who buys a CD from Dancer A - and so the same $20 travels around the business of belly dance and everyone gets what they want, as long as they don't want to get rich.

​When I first heard about the Belly Dance Business Academy I saw a parallel in our aims.  The BDBA wants to provide tools for those in the business of belly dance to help them make the most of their skills and talents.  They want to take the best practice and share it with others, provide motivation, support and practical advice to help teachers, event organizers and touring artists.  I was hugely honored to be asked to join their teaching team.

The first class I produced for them is already live ' Event Hosts: Setting up expectations of changing room ethics" - its a free class and includes the flyer that I put up at events to explain the "rules" that I expect.  Something as simple as putting up changing room rules can help prevent event drama and elevate the standards of expected behavior in a community.

I see The Belly Dance Business Academy as the perfect way for me to reach a wider world of belly dancers and continue with my passion - helping others to enjoy belly dance !

​Finally, here are a few ideas on how to be a positive force in the belly dance industry:

• Be upbeat, friendly and positive in all that you do.  Smile at everyone, thank everyone, support everyone. Remember that there is a difference between being a nice person and being part of the "nice factor" problem. If you build a reputation as a person who is invested in the business of belly dance, others will take your suggestions about improvements as helpful hints.
• When you wear a "leader" badge, do so with pride.  If you are a teacher, event host, blogger or touring artist, step up to that leadership role and don't be afraid to set up expectations and boundaries.
• Mix with dancers who are outside your "clan".  Even if you can't attend the big events, follow the blogs, webinars, podcasts, buy books and magazines.  Make friends with strangers and be open to new ideas.
• Promote others to help them make money.  Even if you can't go to an event or afford the class/DVD/book... promote it to your class mates and social media contacts.  If there is a fun show happening, ask around to see if any of your friends and family would like to join you.  You don't have to be a full time sales person for belly dance Inc - but be aware of the money loop and help support your local and not so local community.
• Finally, every time you feel that moan coming on, be that in person or on social media, think about how you can turn it around into a positive call to action.  Not enough students in your class? - Can you do a promotion, post a cool photo, ask your students to hand out flyers ?   Whatever your problem, there is always a solution, we just have to look for them.

Thank you for listening to my "moan".  With a little positivity and a whole lot of working together we can enjoy watching our industry continue to go from strength to strength.

If you like this blog, go back to the blog page, for others you might like including: 

• 10 Simple Steps to Writing a Choreography
  
  
• The History of Belly Dance - Where to Start


• Preparing a Bio Ahead of Time​

​​Being Part of the Solution

I'm Perfect for Belly Dance (and so are you)

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​Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer.

She has taught more than 5,000 belly dance classes, both in the UK and US.  She now teaches in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore in the SF bay area, as well as workshops world wide and on-line via the Belly Dance Business Academy.  Her classes are known for their humor, detailed breakdowns and cultural context.    Students who have studied with Sara have gone on to teach and perform in all styles of belly dance and many have made their living through performance or teaching.

Sara has written two books:  “Teaching Belly Dance” "Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage", co- written with Dawn Devine, Alisha Westerfeld and Poppy Maya.  Both are available through Amazon.

Hello -

So hopefully that got your attention !

I've had this site for a few years now, but I have been finding it hard to write about writing.  Four or five times I have logged on, stated typing and then my post has turned into a dance post.  Somehow I think its easier to talk about my dance rather than my writing.  Maybe cos I have been dancing for 24 years or maybe its because my mission in life is to share dance with others.  

I know some of you have been following the course of my third book for the last two years...random Tweets and FB posts with number counts and other frustrations.   

Writing is actually hard.  No one tells you that.  People say "I'd like to write a book" and now I look at those people just the same as the people who say "I have a belly" when you tell them you belly dance.  There is only one way to write a book.  You have to sit in front of the keyboard and write stuff.  Lots of stuff.  Almost every day.  And spend every other hour thinking of stuff to write.  Then you get to read your stuff and its rubbish so you bin it and start again.  Every month you have to spell check. You may notice spelling is not my thing - oh and I grew up spelling in English and now write in American (You don't think its a big deal until you try and translate).   And spell checking and formatting is boring.  And you discover you start every sentence with And.  And you get to the point where you cant spell.  Or construct a sentence. Or anything.

So, what many people don't know is that I have a novel that I am sitting on.  Every year I read it, make some changes and then put it away to work on more dance writing.  My first few readers (friends and family) have told me to keep on it, that it is nearly ready, that it could be good.  But I'm not ready to share with the wider world.  Its not perfect.  It is too raw and too close to me.

When I first started dancing I was very self conscious.  I couldn't stand dancing in front of others, their eyes on me, watching the bounce of fat or the ugly dance moves.  I took a course in "Stripping without the stripping" from the famous Jo King.  It changed my life.  I understood what others see when they look at me.  How I move and flow.  I also saw how lucky I was to get to wear a costume, no matter how tiny.  Jo can ( and does) control a whole room of drunken men even when naked, she reads who is getting out of hand and who to focus on to get the others on her side.  And if she can do it, so can I.  When I dance I know that I own the room, that my movements are beautiful and that I am elegant and sensual and admired.

People who have read my books say that they hear it with my voice.  I guess that is no surprise.  While my novel is a work of fiction it is also a glance into my inner dreams, hopes and fantasies.  And yes it has rude bits.  I didn't write it for others to read.  I wrote it because the story kept getting bigger and bigger and I wanted to know the end.  I fell in love with the characters and I wanted to know more about them.  I wanted to follow them down the street and ask them why they did what they did, why they loved the unlovable or slept with the wrong people.  I wanted to watch them drink coffee.  But its not a book unless others read it.  Its not a story unless its told.  Just in the same way as I put a lot of emotion into my dancing, but its not a performance unless someone is watching.  And so at some point other people will have to read my novel.  Every now and then I remember this, pull my jumper up over my head and blush.

Recently we have been showing off the first proof of "Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage", at the events we have been attending.  The feedback has been amazing.  People love the way it looks and that it covers EVERYTHING that the student needs to become a belly dancer.  

However one question really surprised me: "Is this for Tribal dancers too?"

Heck, YES !

Tribal dancers need stagecraft skills!  Everyone who steps onto a stage needs to understand the key issues that make a dancer a performer.  They need to have the technical skills, they need to have the mind of a performer, they need to look like a belly dancer, they need to match their dancing to their music and pick music that suits their audience/venue and they need to promote themselves to the wider world.  

Personally, I love to see a dancer of any style, who has thoughtfully put together a performance for my entertainment.  I want to know that they care enough about me (as an audience member), to have connected their music, dance skills and costume to create a cohesive look.

Relaxed, happy and confident performers are more enjoyable to watch - and that is our main aim in writing this book.  We want to give everyone the tools they need to be the very best performer that they can be.

You can dance any style of belly dance - Glam, Fusion or Ethnographic - and stagecraft skills will elevate your performance. Stage Stars come in all shapes, sizes, sexes and styles of belly dance, but they all shine under the spot light. Consider stagecraft as an essential element in elevating your performances!

f you like this blog keep scrolling down, or go back to my blog page, for others you might like including: 

 



Or check out my Hub Blogs including:

"Your First Belly Dance Workshop"
The Top Ten Belly Dance Tunes for Performance"
"Finding a Great Belly Dance Teacher"
​
​Sara Shrapnell is a belly dance writer, teacher and performer.

She has taught more than 4,000 belly dance classes, both in the UK and US.  She now teaches in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore in the SF bay area, as well as workshops world wide.  Her classes are known for their humor, detailed breakdowns and cultural context.    Students who have studied with Sara have gone on to teach and perform in all styles of belly dance and many have made their living through performance or teaching.

Sara’s first book “Teaching Belly Dance” is available on Amazon.  Her second "Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage", co- written with Dawn Devine, Alisha Westerfeld and Poppy Maya, is available in 2016 .