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)

​
​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.

In my  book “Teaching Belly Dance” I gathered a huge selection of advice for the new belly dance teacher.  The first question for the advanced student, the team leader, or budding workshop host who wants to move into teaching is "am I ready".  Many of us fall into teaching - perhaps when our own teacher moves away or needs someone to cover her classes during a vacation.  Maybe you have moved to a new area where no one teaches your style of belly dance, or maybe you want to make enough money to cover your own belly dance expenses.  Whatever your motivation, here is a check list to help you make sure that you are ready to teach belly dance.

How good are your basic skills ? Its time to take a critical look at your own skill set and abilities.  Often in our rush to learn “new” moves we forget to focus on our basics.  Assess your hip rotations, hip lifts and drops and your shimmies.  Are they perfect every single time?  or have you developed bad habits?  Take a private lesson with a teacher you respect and work on the moves you plan to teach, to make sure that you don’t pass on any bad technique to your new students.

Can you teach to all the learning styles?  Teachers often teach towards the learning style that suits them best, after all that is how they learn.  Your students will have a mix of learning styles, and each individual deserves the same opportunity to learn.  Make sure you can teach the basic moves to the visual learner, the audio learner, the verbal learner, the logical learner, the physical learner and the emotional learner.  Remember that most of us learn with a mix of styles and those styles can change week to week and depending on the move we are being taught.  Teach to all learning styles, even if you are sure that your students favor one or two.

Do you understand the importance of a good warm up and cool down?  Don’t just repeat the warm up that your teacher does, but take time to understand its role in a class and how to for-fill the needs of your students.  Put your students safety first and learn good practice, so that you can adapt your warm up and cool down to suit your dancers, the room temperature and the content of the class.

Do you have enough material to teach a semester (term)?  Think about how you can make the 12th class just as much fun as the first by allocating your material throughout the semester.  Start by making a list of all the moves, concepts and ideas you want to teach and splitting them between the number of lessons you plan to teach.  This will form the basis of your semester plan.  Your lesson plans will develop out of your semester plan.

Do you have a good selection of music to keep the students interested?  Its time to catalog your music collection and purchase new music to fill any gaps.

How is your fitness?  Talking and dancing may be a new skill for you.  Make sure you can complete your own warm up and still talk immediately afterwards.

Do you have insurance?  This is essential.  You will need public liability and to check that your venue has building insurance.  If you intend to host workshops or put on shows then you will need further insurance to cover those activities.  In some areas you also need a business license and to register for tax before you can take any money.  Check with your local small business organization for clarity.

Have you picked the right venue?  is it warm and inviting? Does it have a good floor? is it handy for a car park or public transport?  Can you afford the rent?  is it available at the right time of day to suit your students?

Will you have enough students?  In the early days most businesses struggle and you will probably need another form of income for at least two or three years.  For every person who emails you or signs up on Facebook to your classes, assume that half will attend the first lesson and only 1/4 will still be there at the end of the course.  You can find new students though flyers, postcards in coffee shops and with on line advertising, but your students will be your best promoters, so make them part of your sales team; offer them a free class if they bring a friend and give them flyers to pass out or pin on their fridge. 

​Finally – Do you love belly dance enough to go out every night in the cold and the rain?  Can you teach a figure 8 100 times this year and still make it sound fresh and fun?  Can you stand back and let the dancers repeat a basic move for five more minutes when you really want to move on to something more exciting? Can you spend all your earnings on ten veils you will never use, so that your students can learn a floaty choreography ?  Are you a people person?  Are you the right person to be training the next generation of belly dancers?

If so you have taken the first steps towards a wonderful new career.  I wish you lots of happy years, filled with exciting (and profitable) belly dance classes! 

​Teaching Belly Dance – The book about setting up, planning, teaching and enjoying belly dance classes is available on Amazon

If you need help with lesson planning, Sara has a course through The Belly Dance Business Academy called "52 Lesson Plans and how to write 5,000 more".  It includes a full year of lesson plans that you can teach "as is", and instructions on how to develop your own lesson plans.

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” was published in 2014.   "Becoming a Belly Dancer: From Student to Stage", the stagecraft handbook co- written with Dawn Devine, Alisha Westerfeld and Poppy Maya, is also available on Amazon.

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 .