Too Much Drama to Dance's topics - tribe.net

So this 15 year old in my class...

Tattooedbellydancer — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 22:26:07 GMT

I have been taking classes with a very young instructor....who is the bomb at what she does!!!!! She has been dancing since childhood, mostly salsa and that of the like. Her teaching technique and choreographies have been the most challenging yet!!!
So Im pretty new to the troupe. There is a 15 year old who really doesnt want me learning this choreography for a performance on July 19th, as I am replacing someone she likes better. But this lady she likes better, is not reliable. This girl does nothing but attack me with comments.....like, "God, I need a tan, I am too white, ick!".............Um, you are Spanish. Too white? Im standing right there, pale as ever, I practically glow at night. She looks at me spitefully. Also, she complains that she is too fat, when I am literally 3 times her size! Again, she looks at me spitefully.
I am so nice to this girl. What is it with her? Its not jealousy, as she is perfect! Is it just that bratty teenage phase? How do I communicate with her to make things more peaceful? I dont think this girl veiws bellydance as a sisterhood...? I dunno. But I DO know, that I love the troupe and as long as I stick with them, I have to deal with her. So what do I say the next time she makes a snide remark? Because right now she is taking advantage of my silence and minimal patience.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 16 replies

We auditioned, got in, and they showed up.....

KitaZira — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:21:43 GMT

So a couple of my friends put together a little group every year that only performs at this one show. It's not a HUGE show or anything, but it's fun and relatively stress free. We've done it for about five years now, so we have the drill down pretty good. Thing is, you have to audition to perform, which isn't that bad, really, except that as with all auditions, some people walk away disappointed. Every year, but the first year, though, the troupe that always ends up being runner up (if we have to cancel for whatever reason, they get the slots), they keep showing up in their costumes. At first they never dance, but when we start doing improvisation, they hop up and start dancing too, and sometimes they continue to dance, even when we've moved back into choreography, or we have a soloist come out. I've tried emailing the instructor. The first year it happened, I was trying to be really polite, and I just asked her if they could refrain, because we had a plan, and didn't want it to be interrupted. She was polite in return, and I thought the issue had been taken care of, but every year since, they still show up, and no matter how firmly I tell them that it was our show, they continue to come back. We even suggested working together to make everyone happy, but they refused, and still showed up anyway. Maybe she's just being catty and spiteful for no reason, but I would really like to stop this. Anyone have any suggestions as to how to deal with them?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 1 reply

This should get some funny responses!

Tattooedbellydancer — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:49:43 GMT

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you while dancing?

For me.....I let a lady tip me in the side of my belt, the belt busts completely, with the skirt attached!!! Thank gawd I wore underwear! Still, my entire lower body was revealed! EEEEEK! I had to hold the belt together for the rest of the show! Ive also slipped a couple of times on skirts!
AND Ive had boobs trying to sneak out a couple of times. I dont know how many times I had to keep yanking my bra back down. LOL! It was sliding up and the boobs slide down! No bueno!!!!! Need to make sure costumes FIT first!
Now its your turn........

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 25 replies

When performers try to legislate public opinion

rajabellydance — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:18:06 GMT

What!?
I try not to burden you all with this crap...but this one really takes the cake. Please allow me to overshare a bit before I get to the reason why I was compelled to post. I attended a hafla this afternoon and bumped into an old teacher of mine. We took a few minutes to catch up, but in the process she opened up a few old wounds. I don't blame her, she didn't know that I have had a falling out with a person who was at one time my belly dance sister.

So, we said our goodbye's and I was left a little off kilter, trying to compose myself for the rest of the day. The reason I bring this up is because it has a lot to do with how I handled a situation later in the day.

So fast forward a few hours and I was sitting down prepared to watch my teacher (different teacher) and her troupe perform. I was sitting with my teacher's daughter, we have both seen them perform several times, and even know the routine. So during the performance we were shooting the breeze, and sharing some laughs. I was definitely not prepared for what came next.

Immediately after their performance, one of the girls from the troupe came up to me, literally got in my face and demanded to know what I said about her, because she felt that I was laughing at her. Personally, I felt verbally assaulted and that coupled with what I was trying to deal with regarding my feelings about my friend, I was in absolutely no mood to deal with her.

I had a little talk with my teacher about it and told her that I was serious about how she made me really uncomfortable, because she thought I was kidding at first. I don't blame her, the whole thing is ridiculous, if somebody came and told me what happened I would probably laugh out loud, but it really bugged me, and this is why:

1) If you are going to put yourself out there, you have to be prepared to take the good, the bad, and the ugly;

2) You cannot go out there and confront any member of the audience, because your feelings were hurt, or because it made you nervous; and

3) If you cannot handle your nerves, maybe you are not ready to be performing.

The girl came up to me afterwards and tried to make amends, but the whole thing blew up. I probably should have said no worries, and left it at that. BUT I DID NOT DO THAT. I was juggling too many drama balls to deal with this situation. What I did was tell her that she got in my face and made me feel uncomfortable. She said that she was not being confrontational, that she put me in the spot, and that that was what made me uncomfortable...those comments pissed me off--how dare she try to turn it around. The bottom line is this should have never happened, because she should have never gotten in my face in the first place.

I told her that her coming to me right after the performance and demanding to know what I was laughing at was very unprofessional, but she told me that my laughing was unprofessional. WHAT!? Who gives her the right to legislate public opinion? Why does she assume I was talking about her? She is but one person in a group of about 7. AND so what, why should she care what I say, I cannot make or break her.

Okay, maybe I made a few errors in judgment, but the one I am most ashamed of is that I told her we were done and she should get out of my face and leave--I was done with her.

Aughhhh, I am so mad about this...and I'm going to have to deal with her at some point.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 15 replies

Selling Vids of Performances

ケイちゃん — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:11:38 GMT

Okay, so this happened 2 years ago, but I saw a post similar to this one on the Biz of Bellydance (which I havent joined yet) and they were leaving one thing out. While they were focusing on rights to music, i was wondering about permission from performers.
So here's my problem:
My troupe danced at a tribal function where video taping was not allowed. This I understood, of course. However, there was a videographer who was filming for the event. I was under the assumption that all the performers would get a DVD of the performance, if not for free for all members, at least a free copy for each troupe director, who could make copies for troupe mates. This was not the case. I had to spend $35 for a DVD of my own performance.
I have been to film school, and know a little bit about procedure so here's the questions:

1. Do you think its right to charge performers for a video of their OWN performance? (This really made me upset, and yea I'm still just a little bitter!!!!)

2. From what I understand, in order to film someone and then show/sell it, if you can recognize the person in the film you must have that person sign a release form. This was not done. I was never asked permission to sell copies of my performance. Should release forms be filled out? Should a performer not wish to be featured in the film, should it be kept out?

3. Should performers also be paid some amount since it is their performances that are being sold?

Just something thats been bothering me and I couldnt reply on the other tribe page, and Im bored at work . . .dumdeedumdum

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 11 replies

Do you ever count during a choreography?

MstrssMayhem — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:13:11 GMT

I'm hoping this might deflect any future drama (none now thank goodness)...I wanted to know how you all handle some choreography situations. Sometimes I find that the during a routine, there is a times where the music does not queue nor does the movement (say a fast shimmy) lends itself to natural timing (I mean, some moves, once completed take up 4 counts or 8 counts or whatever is needed for that part of the routine).

When I experience a part of the choreography where the music does not queue nor does the movement does not lend itself to natural timing, I just count it out in my mind (if it's an eight count, then I'll do the move for 8 counts).

What do the rest of you do?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 9 replies

Issue with teacher

Oriana — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:35:50 GMT

I have been with the same bellydance teacher for about 2 years now, She is a wonderful person but I am in a total funk as far as dancing goes. I like to perform, but we are in the middle of at least 5 new choreography's that never get hammered down. There is no discipline on her part to get one done to perfection before moving on. I like to perform but would like to look like I know what Im doing. I have lost my lust for the dance at least for the time being. I just spent a truckload of money on a costume that I want to wear for a big event at the end of the year as a soloist within her troupe so I stay. But how do II bring myself out of this funk...I wanted to go to Glendale in May for the BDSS LA Raqs but ????? Anybody else have this problem??? Any suggestions??

Thanks

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 3 replies

PalPay

Rya — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:58:13 GMT

I just wanted to let everyone know who frequently uses PayPal that I just got off the phone with them and they're apparently having some issues. Even though I had a significant balance on my paypal account, they took the money out of my bank account. Apparenlty, this is happening a lot and I just wanted to make everyone aware.

I will be x-posting this so hopefully no one else gets screwed like me.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 4 replies

how to charge at a show..??

Maria — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:21:21 GMT

Hi everyone..
Just came off my first BD show that I co- produced, the dancing was great but we had some issues with admission...namely we did'nt market enough (which is a whole other post in itself) and the same old story.. .people that said they would come bagged on us at the last minute..but the real question is, how do you charge admission to people that "come with" ...?
do you charge the husbands of the dancers?
husbands/wives of people that come to help set up and take down but don't do anything?
people that come to suppport dancers and arrive two hours early to help them get
ready but are'nt dancing?
The reason I ask is because we've got kind of an intermingled community (everybody knows everybody else) and to be honest, a lot of the people I'm talking about I've known on a more acquaintance level but I've danced with their wives or girlfriends or whatever and I find it hard to be a big meanie and come up to them and charge them..
We did'nt make a profit and we're out a number of hundreds of dollars
and it's really a struggle here as to the appropriate procedure here..
Any ideas or what has worked for you in the past would be very much appreciated!
~Maria

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 17 replies

Buyer Beware

dancingcat — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:11:01 GMT

vintage_silk_wraps on Ebay

This is a store on ebay for Buyer Beware
I was bidding on a lot of 6 skirts in which I was winning with a wonderful price so I thought. After the bidding got to $100, the seller put a BUY NOW price in the site so anyone that was bidding and wanted the lot of 6 for $89.00 could purchase it cheaper but the highest bidder was locked into paying the higher price. I paid ASAP and contacted the seller - ask if he would not make up the difference with sending extra wraps - just told me "TO BAD not he fault the bidding got so high"
So I left them a natural comment - and explain the change in auction after price was over $100. In return they give me a negative comment and misleading information my comments. I contacting him asking why the negative when all I did was be a great buyer by over paying within 10 min of the auction ending and only asking for him to balance the wrong doing on his part. Again "TOO BAD" "YOUR FAULT"
My reply...I will take my business and many other with me. HAVE A NICE DAY!

So with all that said - BUYERS BEWEAR....please please please....from one Tribal Goddess to another..PLEASE DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SALER. There are many other seller on ebay - this guy does not deserve the belly dancer dollars!

Any questions......just me~~~~

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 5 replies

want off promo material!

labalianne — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:37:21 GMT

There is a troupe I used to be a part of and quit (along with many others) over a bunch of drama bullshit. Won't go there.

Anyhow, I found out recently that this troupe has been actively using my likeness in their promotional material for quite some time. As such I would not like my face or name anywhere near this troupe and want them to stop.

Is it fair for me to ask them to stop using my pics on their upcoming event fliers, class promos, website, etc? I realize I do not have the right to the pics since I am not the photog. I just don't wanna be on their shit!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 8 replies

How to Deal with Naughty Audience Members?

Azeeza — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 19:49:52 GMT

I've been with dancers who have made terrific fun of the dancers on stage.

The comments went from costuming to dancing to just plan old comments about the dancer's weight.

I got so sick of it, I moved on, but how do I get over the fear of performing in front of these former "friends"?

Azeeza

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 17 replies

Dirty!

zombiefied — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:04:06 GMT

Do people who are uneducated see belly dance as dirty?
I ask this because of what happened to me recently...
Every year we dance at a local kindie
Well I was invited to a Middle Eastern luncheon for said kindie, and I made an inquiry as if they would like some entertainment
I was volunteering of course, and this person was like "Oh, no I don't think that would be such a great idea... It's for a kinder..."
Well gosh, I wanted to strip for these kids too!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 36 replies

Never let students make flyers!

Zahira — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:39:11 GMT

I had produced my first show. I was the headlining dancer. One of my girls says she will make flyers. So I let her as long as I saw them first. She made the flyer with HERSELF as the main picture, then you barely see me and four other girls, so small you cannot see it. We were blurry and I also didnt like the words she chose on them either!!! I am so irrate right now! How do I handle her? I dont want to be mean. She is young, sensitive and still kinda new to this community. Should I cut her a break? Or should I say..."HELL NO!!!"? She sent them to me via email and I immediately said, "this will not work. We already have flyers." But she continued to complain that her husband printed 350 copies already and that he would be mad at her if she had to throw them away. Help????

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 9 replies

how to introduce troupes vs solo artists..and what a headache I have..

Maria — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:11:10 GMT

I'm currently arguing with the my show co-creator, our show is May 10
and she wants to have all the dancers introduced individually at the finale, whether or not
they were part of a group in the show.
I always thought that groups were introduced and called up to take a bow
together, solo dancers come up individually..am I wrong on the etiquette on this one?
She's insisting that we do it her way, I have a tendency to think she does'nt know
as much as she thinks she does about planning a show...she did'nt want to
even have a finale and I had to make a stink before she listened to me!
GAH!
where's my naproxen??
~Maria

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 9 replies

What do you think of this?

Marianna — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:19:41 GMT

Hello Everyone,

I'm curious to see what you all think of this situation - it is not a big deal to me, I'm quite used to this kind of stuff, but I would like to kow if you feel the same way as I am?

New restaurant opened this month. I am their house dancer, as they came to me over 6 months ago to be their dancer (which, I felt was an honor and a wonderful thing). So I've been dancing there, a week ago we had live music, lots of people. A local dancer is there with her friends, I talked to her, since I knew her and she is very sweet.
After my show I see her dancing with the audience in her hipscarf and playing her zills. Ok, all is fine, a little annoying with all the zills, and one of the audience member asks me : what is she trying to do ? to show that she's a belly dancer? Is she trying to prove something?

But I didn't care, I thought it was funny. I found a composite card of her in the office. And later I found a STACK of business cards of her at the front desk!! We had flyers promoting the restaurant (I made them), the restaurant's business cards, ttheir menu, the DJ's flyers, my business cards, musicians, etc, all who were perfoming there. She was a customer! How does she have the nerve to put a stack of her cards on the counter? I'm talking about 30 of them.

She definitely didn't ask the owner if she could do so, becaue when I "innocently" pointed out : "oh look, she left her cards" he cursed in Arabic and threw all of them away.

I am not upset about this, because I feel that I have a good relationship with the owners, and I feel secure about my position there. But I feel that it is absolutely unethical and unprofessional for a dancer to do this. And you can rule out the possibility that she didn't know because she's new - she's been dancing for 20 years!

So what do you guys think?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 11 replies

WTF is it with the stripper rumors???

Tattooedbellydancer — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 02:51:23 GMT

When I started dancing, I would hear gossip about other girls in class or outside of class.
I would hear a lot of this "stripper" name calling. Of course, I never believe anything until I see it.
Years later, I leave MD and all of a sudden IM a "stripper"! WHAT???
I think it has blown over but some of my own teachers and friends would not let me dance in DC/VA/MD shows until the rumor died. This makes no sense. Why dont you let me prove myself instead of keeping me out of the public eye, so people can assume I truely did disappear into stripper land???
Anywho, now I am hearing shit about a couple of my fellow bellydancer friends. THE SAME "stripper" SH#T!!! Why is it always coming down to strippers? If youre going to be an asswipe and start rumors, than just say something interesting....like; "Did you hear that Caleena lives with illegal aliens and prostitutes herself to them for a free place to live??? LOL!! Or some crap like that. STOP the stripper rumors! It is hurting careers for respectable women!!!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 29 replies

Oh the drama...

Sherri-aka-Kiki-Del-Rio — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:53:36 GMT

I feel like the poster child for too much drama to dance these days....

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 21 replies

unwanted dancers at a show..

Maria — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:46:14 GMT

Let me just say that putting together a show is like herding cats...impossible!
GAH!
So now that I'v gotten that off my chest, my friend and I had put a request to a couple
of dancer friends to come and perform, and she just heard back from one of them, and she took it upon herself to invite her students to perform, and to be honest they were'nt part of the package deal. Perhaps it's a misunderstanding , but we want good, experienced dancers and these dancers are students,
with no performance experience whatsoever.
Any thoughts on how to keep the peace and not alienate our invited dancers versus
the ones that want to "come with"??
Thanks all
~Maria

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 11 replies

should I say anything?

Anne — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:12:37 GMT

I'm debating whether I should say anything about this to the dancer or keep my mouth shut. My instincts are to shut up, but if I were the dancer I would want to know.

I watched an acquaintance perform very recently. She's an experienced dancer and a lady in her forties (grown daughter, you wouldn't think so otherwise.) She is very much a lady, always polite and elegant. We've been acquainted several years, but are not close friends.

She wore a beautiful backless dress, and the back dipped very low. I'm not sure if we were seeing anatomy or a shadow where the dress met her posterior, but it was very distracting. I know I was not the only person to have this reaction, as several people around me looked away whenever she turned her back to the audience.

I hate the idea of embarrassing her, but she should know to fix the dress before she wears it again. Opinions? Points of view?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 12 replies

Question of the Day..........

Zehara — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:20:11 GMT

Why do some many dancers have to ruin bellydance with stupid flippin' cattiness, drama, cliques, nasty comments and rudeness???

I had a very good friend of mine tell me she recently took a class with a teacher who was seriously bashing OTHER teachers! And some of these teachers I have taken or am taking classes with and they are freakin fantastic...

I mean I thought in the belly dance community teachers encourage students to study with other teachers??

Sometimes crap like this makes me want to stop dancing..................

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 18 replies

Too Nice?

Sabeya — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 17:18:28 GMT

Have any of you ever felt were taken advantage of because you were too nice?

I know I certainly have.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 51 replies

What would you do?

Bastet — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 02:28:37 GMT

Okay, I really just feel defeated. I've tried everything to get out of dramatic, confrontational situations in the bellydance community. I thought I had it all figured out.
But it found me.
I'm not sure if I want to go into details since I don't like it when people talk about ME.....but....I feel like giving up.
I know there are a lot of you out there that have had similar problems and love bellydance as much (dare I say possibly more?) than me. Bellydance is the one thing that can pull me out of a crappy mood, it makes me feel beautiful, powerful and confident. I love performing because I feel like, for a few minutes, I can make other people feel that way, too.
But ever since I decided to "go professional" (let's not even get INTO what PROFESSIONALISM is), I feel beat down, my spirit broken by all the drama--the backstabbing and gossip and hurt feelings for whatever reason.
How have you gotten past this--or deal with it--or stay out of it? I'm just....hurt.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 33 replies

burning bridges

Kaytee — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:53:53 GMT

Were some bridges burned here?

The setting: A local ren faire, mother of dancer B has a booth, where dancer B has displayed some business cards for bellydance.

Dancer A shopping at said booth and notices Dancer B's cards, and introduces self (these two have met before, but Dancer A doesn't remember).
Dancer A: I teach bellydance through the local YMCA.
Dancer B: Oh cool, what style of bellydance do you teach?
Dancer A: I teach bellydance, in the style of *Famous Dancer*.
Dancer B: Neat, I do tribal style bellydance, and occasionally teach classes.
Dancer A: Oh well you know, tribal bellydance is ......(proceeds to explain, somewhat incorrectly, what tribal bellydance is).
Dancer B: (listening and then interrupts) I do in fact know what the style of dance is that I do.
Dancer A: (somewhat taken aback) Oh well, do you know *Famous Dancer*, because I have taken over a hundred workshop hours with *Famous Dancer* and I am a personal friend of hers. Oh, and did you hear *Another Famous Dancer* is coming nearby soon, you should take the workshop. I have taken her workshops everytime she comes to the States. (Contiues to name drop all the workshops she has taken.)
Dancer B (mentions a few of the workshops she has taken, but is not interested in name dropping, and conversation ends as Dancer B has to go off to dance with the other ren faire dancers).

Does it sound like Dancer A is threatened by Dancer B? Did Dancer B burn a bridge there?
Thanks!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 18 replies

Catfight or Creative Differences?

Inaras — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:28:48 GMT

I was recently reading about "One Thousand Terrible Things Australian Men Have Said About Women", a compilation of comments that have earned Ernies--a spoof award given to public figures who make cringeworthy sexist comments, the most quoted probably being a minister who wondered why the birth process was so focused on women. One of the main things the book's editors touched on was how professional disagreements between women were dubbed "catfights". This got me to thinking about how often the term crops up when the women disagreeing are dancers. It seems you can't spend two months in the belly dance community without hearing someone being called catty. Honest critiques are often met with charges of jealousy or negativity (apparently being able to attract electrons in the form of an ionic bond is a bad thing?) even if the critic is a dedicated professional. There has been a great deal of work done by a lot of remarkable women and a few men to present belly dance as an art worthy of the respect given to ballet, modern, and jazz. Are we damaging our own cause when we refer to other dancers as catty and motivated primarily by jealousy and territorialism? Is there some latent sexism in the assumption that disagreements in an art form dominated by women must involve some personal grudge? Or is there a dark side to dance that brings out the worst in us?
I'd like to hear everyone's opinions on this. My intention isn't to cast blame on anyone or anything, but rather to get different perspectives on a tricky problem.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 10 replies

Hi, your moderator here

atomik — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 05:31:59 GMT

I deleted 2 recent threads that seem to be sort of out of place here. Mostly I don't care about rambling topics, but a few people wrote to me with their concerns. Personally, I can't follow what exactly spilled into my tribe, but I decided to make it go away. Hope that is OK and people can go back to talking about troupe dynamics and the like.

If there are more concerns about inappropriate behavior, you can shoot me a message. Even if I don't solve the situation the way you want I will take a look at it.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

This Tribe

Tattooedbellydancer — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:40:34 GMT

This tribe is great! Thank you all for letting me vent, and thank you all for your responses to my posts. I havent come across one asshole here yet. AND thanks to the people of this tribe for NOT responding when you have nothing nice to say! It is appreciated. I thank you all again for reading my foul mouthed rants, and giving logical, and sometimes comical advice. You are wonderful women and Im happy to be here. Despite the drama we all encounter, we manage and through eachother, we can stay strong. You are all women who deserve the best! Thank you for being the hand I need to hold my chin up in times that are tough! I will provide the same as long as I am here!
Much love to you all.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Burning holes in costumes????

Tattooedbellydancer — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 16:50:44 GMT

Venting........
A legendary bellydancer whom I once studied with, had me cornered at a Hafla. She had a grudge becuase I quit her classes, as she told me I was fat!
She was drunk and hostile and yelling at me for not signing in and giving me crap about the past and telling me, "You probably never will improve, why are you here?"
Man, so not only do I have to perform in about 20 minutes, but then I go to throw my costume on, and there are cigarette burns all throughout my skirt and belt.....may I add this costume cost me $500!!! So, Im feeling like my dance will suck, my costume looks like shit.....burn hols on white, dont look so hot. Guess what? She was the only person there, that we know of, that smoked. Whats up with that?????????

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 17 replies

Ending of a troupe

ellie — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:30:14 GMT

I'd like to hear stories of what people did with themselves when their troupe ended. I'm not wanting to quit dancing, but I don't want the same situation as before (highly structured, lots of shows, stress, drama, etc.) What have you been through and where have you gone from there?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 12 replies

URGENT: Help needed - what would you do?

mishakitty78 — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:51:29 GMT

Hi Everyone!

I'm writing to ask for your opinions on a sticky situation I've recently found myself in. This is kinda long, and I really appreciate anyone who takes a moment to read and comment. Any help would be appreciated!

I was recently asked to donate, along with my troupe, to dance at a charity gala. This is a huge event and very well-publicized, so the donation will hopefully be recouped in terms of facetime. The event coordinator contacted me right before my wedding, and I explained that i was super busy and leaving for japan for almost a month but that i could do it, i would just be difficult to get a hold of me for a bit. i explained all of this in detail, and then offered up the names of several other dancers, some with troupes and some without, throughout the area just in case she would feel more comfortable going with someone else.

When I returned from Japan, i had a message stating she expected me to do the gig. i replied that i would be happy to and asked how many dancers she needed. She replied that she needed many, and so i began to secure more dancers (at the point at which i next received contact from her, i had myself and 4 other professional dancers, and several students, as well as 5 drummers/musicians set to go).

the next email i received was delayed 2 days (computer/email issues i believe) and I responded to it as soon as i could. it was asking whether i could attend a midday walk-through (which, in order to go to i will have to take a day off of work). i responded that i would definitely be there and asked a few more questions regarding the space, times, etc. i noted that i had all the other dancers confirmed, as well as the drummers, and that we were excited to perform for her.

i was next contacted via email and, using the online format, was as she put it "introduced" to another girl (the emai was cc'd to both of us). the coordinator answered my questions, and noted that this person (who i could only assume was another dancer - it never did say in the email) had talked to the event coordinator and indicated that she herself was going to use our drummers while she danced. she also asked the event coordinator to let me to know that we would not need to bring any taped music as she preferred to dance just to the live drums (we often offer to bring additional "mood music" to give the drummers a break, offer something a bit different, etc).

we were never asked to host any other dancers with our musicians by the event coordinator. this email was the first i'd heard of that. and, also, the dancer making this assumption never contacted me to request this favor. am i wrong to feel like this is really in poor taste? i politely called the event host to try to figure out what was going on. it's normal, around here, to have multiple dancers or troupes at events but they usually dance at different times. and, additionally, it is considered fairly bad form to just assume one dancer can link up and use another group's musicians (who are themselves donating time to the event). i explained gently that asking our musicians to also play for the other dancer was not in their contract and something that they normally wouldn't do. the event coodinator said that it was ok, as this dancer would be dancing *with* us. now, i'm all for everyone being cool and dancing together, but i've never met this girl. or seen her dance. and this means that a person who i don't know would now be possibly mistaken for someone in our troupe. i ran this by the troupe director and she was (understandibly i think) not too happy. i then explained to the event coordinator that, perhaps if we had time to meet/practice with this dancer we'd feel more comfortable, but there really wasn't much time and that we really wanted to make sure that the public understands which dancers belong to which troupe. this would be really difficult to do with us both dancing together. i was told by the EC that she understood and would meet with her comittee and discuss it.

the reason this other dancer was asked to do this event was because i had a 2 day delay on the email response i sent to the EC. even though i'd already confirmed in multiple emails that i would indeed do the event, with drummers, and additional dancers. for free. the EC told me she really didn't want to tell the other dancer she couldn't dance because she felt bad about it, which i can understand, so i suggested that she either dance at a different time OR that we not be a part of the event (i really feel bad that she couldn't get a hold of me).

here's where i'm at now: the EC left a message stating that the committee had met, come to a decision, and would still be using both of us. and, also, would be "scaling the event back" to make it more manageable. i'm assuming this probably means that she will tell me that probably only myself or maybe 2 dancers and a drummer will be asked to play. to be honest, if this is the case, i rather feel like i've been pulled around. i've already asked all these other dancers to do this gig - the EC had confirmed it - and now she may pull this....i'm wondering if perhaps we should just cancel the gig? mainly because, at this point, asking all the troupe dancers who have already confirmed to pull out is poor form all around. this entire event has been based on that (poor dance etiquette on the part of the EC and the other dancer) and i'm really hesitant to do this if having fewer dancers is what she is intending. again, i can see that she's in a pickle, but putting our troupe in a position where they can't take any other gigs and then dropping them at the last minute (but keeping some) doesn't seem fair. also, i understand why she wants to keep the other girl on, and that's fine, but i'm still quite put off by the other dancer's assertion that she would be using our musicians. finally, i *just* found out that this EC had asked two other troupes to do this gig but they both declined to do it for free...but she did tell me they spent over $2000 on decorations. i'm feeling rather like a sucker, here. i'm ALL for charity work (i'm a volunteer/education coordinator by day and frequently "give back") but it just feels like something is "wrong" here.

so what do you think? would *you* do an event like this? have any similar experiences? i'm curious to see what you think...

thank you!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 11 replies

what the HELL!?!!

Nerissa — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 16:22:05 GMT

okay...so i put together a little hafla about 3 times a year, invite local studios to perform, and we all have a grand ol time!! i spend money putting their name on the poster or program or whatever....and then ...THEY DROP OUT AT LAST MINUTE!!! and she asked me for not one but TWO time slots!! because they have ''double booked'' when they agreed to perform 2.5 MONTHS AGO!! more like they found some thing they would 'rather' do and have NO ETHICS!!!! it pisses me off so bad. the same studio did the SAME thing to me last year...and this teacher tries to project herself and her studio as being SOOOOO professional!!! it is MY time and MY money that puts these haflas out there...and this is the thanks i get. her !#%& name is already printed in the program!! couldnt she have told me sooner????? i am SO SICK of the bellydancing politics world....all i want to do is share the dance with the world...i would like to at least be treated with respect by my peers but NOOOOOOOOOOOOO....cant be done!!! i invite EVERYONE to all my haflas...so i emailed them all about their 2007 events to find out if i could perform in any of their haflas...AND THEY ALL SAID NO! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! THIS IS OUT OF 8 STUDIOS! so its fine for them to come and perform at my haflas but when i ask to be in theirs they all say NO. i always call and invite them...but they do not invite me or my students. what the hell????

*p.s :3 keyboard keys were broken in the writing of this blog lol ;)

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 24 replies

Old Rhythm & Motion is burning!

mmm — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:17:15 GMT

My old fave dance studio is burning right now.... it might collapse. I'm freaked out. This building, what went on in the building, changed my life...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/18/MNLQU0KQC.DTL

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 8 replies

Nita Little \\ first call

Rossella — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 12:50:03 GMT

Caravajal15 residenza dinamica
International Projects 2008

Orvieto \ Italy
April 25–May 2 / 2008

Nita Little
Restless Peace
A mind in motion and Contact Improvisation experience
Residential project for experienced movers

The American performer Nita Little will be the special guest of our association, first time in Italy as guest artist, for giving the project “Restless Peace”. The intensive workshop with Nita Little is in the calendar of our Residential Projects 2008, and will be from April 25 to May 2, 2008 in the beautiful Etruscan city of Orvieto, in middle Italy.

After the end of the workshop, on May 3rd and 4th, the association will plan also two days with the International Springfest Jam.

The intensive workshop and the Jam will be held both at the headquarters of the cultural Association Caravajal15 residenza dinamica, in the prestigious sixteenth century rooms of the Palazzo Caravajal-Simoncelli, in Orvieto.

Application for registration in the project with Nita Little is open from January 7th. For information and more details write to: info@contactfestival.it, or telephone to +39 0763.341479.

Nita Little
Restless Peace
The urge to move, to go where we have never been, is the soul of our practice in this workshop.
Developing a "home base", a place of personal and creative safety is as important as the journey; how wonderful to be free when you have a home! We learn, how like nomads, we may carry our home with us, even as we track paths in and out of unfamiliar territory.
We focus on developing the mental, emotional, and physical skills that enable dancers to travel creatively. Utilizing a full dance vocabulary, we integrate gestured movement improvisation with contact improvisation and build the skills to consciously weave these two forms.

We investigate “states” of mind / “states” of body as a means to develop and direct creative work in our improvisations. Developing the ability to describe and craft subtle levels of action and experience, we boost our physical potential while increasing our readability. Moving in solo, duet and group forms, we gain compositional tools for structural orientation; like torches, they light the way.

This workshop is developed for experienced movers who wish to pass beyond the threshold of old patterns. The restless human drive that takes us out of comfort, urges us to meet the unfamiliar, to move into, through and with the unknown, is a dance artist’s call. Here, we harness that drive and discover how, moving at the speed of our restless calling, we can find peace.

This class culminates in a creative work for performance at the workshop and at Zipfest08.

Things we will do:
Go deep into the physical philosophy behind contact improvisation.
Learn underlying CI principles that manifest as pathways of action.
Build the tools for safe physical and creative relationships
Discover different spatial orientations: vertical/hierarchical and horizontal/diffuse.
Learn about our temporal orientation and develop tools that modulate time.
Develop the skills to be able to move freely between states of mind.
Deepen our agreements to open to life, to the dance.
Honor peace.

about Nita Little
www.nitalittle.com
Nita Little has been developing, choreographing, performing and teaching improvisational dance for the past thirty-six years, notably Contact Improvisation, which she helped evolve from its inception with Steve Paxton, Nancy Stark Smith and others.
She collaborated in numerous performing companies introducing Contact Improvisation throughout the United States. She is a master teacher with former students all over the world, who are themselves now master dancers and teachers: Gretchen Spiro, Andrew Harwood, Frey Faust, Scott Wells, Julie Oak, Peter Bingham to name just a few. Through CI she discovered her abiding interest in the evolution of consciousness and the mind body relationship. Since 1981 she has been developing an evolving curriculum called The Mind in Motion, which explores the range of experiential states along the mind-body continuum and reveals principles that define Contact Improvisation as well as other movement forms. This work is informed by her investigation of the mind through work such as hypnotherapy and NeuroLinguistic Programming.

As a performing artist her current work is a mix of both formal and improvisational choreography and scores. While anchored in process, it frequently explores character, story, and concept.

Nita received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in choreography and was on the California Arts Council Touring Program.
The latter award was to her solo dance company, NITA LITTLE DANCE THEATRE, which she began in 1984, continued through 1990, and reinstated as a pickup company in 2000. In 2002 Nita created Playing God, an hour-long dance opera that received funding through the Dance USA /National Endowment for the Arts.

Over the years Nita has been both faculty and guest artist at numerous colleges and universities including New York University, California Institute for the Arts, Texas Christian University, Temple University, Tufts University, Scripps College and UC Santa Barbara.

Nita teaches and performs yearly at national and international dance festivals including ImPulsTanz, Vienna, The Side Step Festival, Helsinki, Kontakt Budapest International Improvisation Festival, the International Contact Festival Freiburg, Germany,the Seattle Festival of Alternative Dance and Improvisation and the West Coast Contact Improvisation Festival, Berkeley California.
She also teaches locally and nationally throughout the year. She lives with her son in Santa Cruz Mountains in California.

As she has pioneered a path in the understanding of the mind/body/spirit relationship, Nita's mission, conscious evolution, has been the backbone of her passion and her practice. Her goal is to see, feel and reveal grace in all its forms and as it exists in the actions of the mind and the body.

Info and reservation
Caravajal15 residenza dinamica
Via Malabranca 15
05018 Orvieto (TR) - Italy
tel +39 0763.341479
fax +39 0763.340669
info@contactfestival.it
www.contactfestival.it

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 3 replies

This is how horrible dancers can be

annwyn — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:02:20 GMT

This is a very mean person..........please beware

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=91362771&albumID=982258&imageID=12644578

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 8 replies

Talk About Drama!

Shamsa — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 05:17:50 GMT

You may have seen this already, but man-oh-man! It's pretty scary!

Hindu Extremists Riot at Belly Dance Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kODzycwgGa0&feature=related

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 7 replies

Quiet here lately

Kaytee — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 17:16:42 GMT

Nice to see.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 19 replies

Winter Solstice Jam \ last call

Rossella — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 20:23:22 GMT

Caravajal15 residenza dinamica
Orvieto - Italy
presents
Four Seasons Jams

International Winter Solstice Jam
21\22\23 December 2007

Palazzo Caravajal-Simoncelli
Orvieto - Italy
info@contactfestival.it

Last days for the registration in the Jam!!
With Christmas just around the corner…we’re dancing Contact !

Second encounter with Four Seasons Jams, a project of art and culture that continues to call attention to the city of Orvieto in Italy, with regards to Contact Improvisation, the Performing Art and dance of Improvisation.

The next appointment is the International Winter Solstice Jam on the 21, 22 and 23 of December, to greet the arrival of winter, and to celebrate Christmas time and a week from the end of the year, dancing Contact together.
Second Jam in a series of four, every three months, at every change of season.

The jam will be held at the headquarters of the cultural Association Caravajal15 residenza dinamica, in the prestigious sixteenth century rooms of the Palazzo Caravajal-Simoncelli.

The dance studio in our dynamic residence is welcoming and serene; in addition to dancing together, time and space are dedicated to personal requirements, to being together, to visiting the splendid Etruscan city of Orvieto.

We’ll dance together and we’ll warm ourselves in front of the fire in the fireplace in the frescoed Room of the Four Seasons, during the three days of the jam.

It is open to all, with three days of improvisation dance in the residence, including hospitality, reception and meals.

The fee is 100 euros, which includes also hospitality, reception and meals.

For information write to: info@contactfestival.it, or telephone to +39 0763.341479.

Info and reservation
Caravajal15 residenza dinamica
Via Malabranca 15 Orvieto (TR) Italy
tel +39 0763341479
fax +39 0763340669
mobile +39 3391017492
info@contactfestival.it
www.contactfestival.it

Lodging in the residence
We can host up to 20\24 people, comfortably.
We are organized with mattresses that the participants can use, scattered here and there in the 150 square meters of the studio.
You have to bring your own sleeping bag and a blanket, or sheets\pillow and blanket, as you prefer.
There’s a room in residence equipped for preparing breakfast and meals, in addition to dressing rooms and showers.
One person will cook for us during the three days of the jam.
Lunch will be light (fruit, rice, vegetables and/or cheese, cookies, honey, tea, coffee, etc.).
Evenings a dinner will be offered.

Artistic project and organization
Caravajal15 residenza dinamica

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Zoe & Aubre teaching at Kosmos Camp in 2008...

Matthew — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:44:25 GMT

Kosmos is proud to present Tribal Bellydance star Zoe and ex-Bellydance Superstar Aubre, both of whom will conduct workshops at next year's Kosmos Music & Dance Camp. They are just two new additions to an already impressive and reputable staff of dance and music instructors. Check out the website for more details:

www.kosmoscamp.com

Kosmos Music & Dance Camp
Cazadero, CA. (Sonoma County)
June 5th-8th, 2008

All campers will relax and take in the natural charm of Camp Cazadero, located just an hour west of Santa Rosa in the rolling hills north of the Russian River. Dancers and musicians can take up to 22 classes during the three days, are provided 9 meals, and will enjoy top notch nightly performances. People will also enjoy lounging by the pool and hiking to the nearby waterfall. All meals are provided by our professional chef, the popular Siam Moeini, and feature a gourmet menu with an eclectic array of world cuisines and a full bar serving reasonably priced mixed drinks, beer, and wine after dinner. Evenings feature concerts and dance performances by students and staff in the open-air amphitheatre, and open-floor dancing with late-night jamming afterwards. We hope to see you at Kosmos 2008!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Leaderless Troupes??

PameLuna — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 17:43:10 GMT

Does a troupe *need* a leader? Our group seems to be working fine without one person designated/acting as a leader. We’ve been together since November and we’re pretty darn good at reaching consensus and making decisions as a group (5 of us in the troupe). The issue of whether we should have a “leader” came up recently after a talk with our dance teacher (she suggested it might be a good idea in general theory). Right now I am of the opinion “if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it” and since things are working pretty good now … is there a need for change? Also, we are planning to expand the group by one or two more people (and one is leaving us for the west coast :(, sniff) so I don’t know how that will throw the group dynamics regarding decision making.

Just wondering if anyone has run into problems with having a leaderless group? Are we naively catapulting down a road to disaster (how dramatic!) or am I simply worrying about a whole lotta nuthin?

Pamela

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 38 replies

F**k it, I'm starting a refugee camp!!! (x-post)

GibsonPearl — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 22:52:06 GMT

Ok, I love tribe dearly but DAMN these outages seem like dying gasps to me. So, I have created a networking site on Ning just for us, called Tribe Refugee Bellydancers! We will all need a place to meet up, so I started one and now I'm telling all ya'll. I think of this as the place we gather when/if Tribe comes crashing down, so we don't all turn into lost little sheep, baa'ing into the darkness, all alone.

This new networking spot may take the place of Tribe, or it may not. I'm not leaving Tribe til that curvaceous lady sings, but when I do, I hope to see you on this new platform so we can figure out where to go next.

So please!! Spread the word!! Sign up so we can all find each other!! I plan to cross-post this so please be patient if you see this in other tribes...

triberfugeebellydancers.ning.com/

triberfugeebellydancers.ning.com/

triberfugeebellydancers.ning.com/

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

When isn't it Bellydance?

Pele — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 02:52:33 GMT

It's been awhile since I posted on here however, I have to say lately there has been an alarming trend that gives me a bit of a skip in my shimmy.

How far does "fusion" have to go before it isn't bellydance anymore?
Where do you draw the line?

Now, I am not a purist. I am a world fusion dancer/choreographer, and that is how I term it. Sometimes some of my routines are more one style than another and I usually am heavy on the bellydance so it can not be missed.

However recently I am seeing soooooo many videos going "Check out this Bellydancer!" or "Look at my new bellydance!" and when you watch it, it is anything but. Just because it has a wiggle and a wave does NOT make it bellydance in my book.

In fact, for it to even be put up on a bd forum or labelled as such, I think it needs to be at least 50%, if not more, definable, recogniseable bellydance moves.

I don't think a rhythmic gymnast should be allowed to perform her gymnastics routine-no matter how good it is- at a Middle Eastern dance show because it has a hip drop in it where full on *bellydancers* are fighting for spaces to perform (fyi, I only heard about this after the fact).

Along the same lines, shaking your booty randomly to an Egyptian Techno beat, no matter how hot your costume....also *not* bellydance.

Yes, I am aware that I sound snobbish...but I don't really care.
Fusion is one thing, but I think if you call it bellydance, I better see alot of bellydance moves in there.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 73 replies

I have this friend....

Taaj — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:24:37 GMT

I have this friend who is in a community with a viper. It is known to a lot of people that this viper pretends to be nice, but tells lies about others behind their backs, ruins jobs for herself and others with her vile speech, and poisons students against other teachers and sometimes also ruins their love of dance. The problem is that not all people know this viper to be a viper because she's fairly good at hiding it.

My friend is struggling with dealing with the viper because she doesn't like confrontation. She also has a need to take the high road and wants all her actions to be those that she can be proud of.

If it were me, I'd confront the viper and stop her in her tracks every time I caught her meddling in my business (which I see as confrontational AND something I would be proud of). But it's not me, so do any of you have any advice for my friend to help her stay true to her values? My friend has already gone out of her way to stay away from this person. If she were to distance herself anymore, she'd be out of business.

Thanks,
Taaj

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 18 replies

Don't you just hate...

Karma — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:12:48 GMT

spam entries?

I'm making this thread both to bag on and to help bury el spammo threado :)

Who here hates SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAAAAAAM?

(Ironically, this thread is, in itself, spam, which makes me rather a hypocrite. I feel badly about this, but not as badly as the dude with the workshop thread should feel.......a writing workshop in Italy, promoted in a dance tribe??? Whaaaaaa? He should feel very very naughty right about now! :P)

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 3 replies

Simone Forti "Logomotion Writing Workshop" \ project in residence

Rossella — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:11:07 GMT

Caravajal15 residenza dinamica
Orvieto \ Italy
International Projects 2008

Hello!
We are happy to announce that Simone Forti will be again the guest artist of our residence, for giving her intensive residential workshop “Logomotion Writing Workshop”.
The intensive workshop with Simone Forti is in the ambit of our international projects 2008, and will be from March 8 to 15 2008 in the beautiful Etruscan city of Orvieto, in mid Italy.
The workshop is limited to 16 participants.
The intensive workshop will be held at the headquarters of the cultural Association Caravajal15 residenza dinamica, in the prestigious sixteenth century rooms of the Palazzo Caravajal-Simoncelli, in Orvieto.
The fee is 400 euros, which includes also hospitality, reception and meals.
Application for registration is open from October 15th.
For information write to: info@contactfestival.it, or telephone to +39 0763.341479.
Info and texts below.

Simone Forti \ Logomotion Writing Workshop
Intensive residential workshop
8-15 March 2008
maximum 16 participants
7-day workshop, plus one day pause
fee 400 euros (including meals and lodging)
pre-registration: 150 euros

Logomotion Writing Workshop
Sometimes our words don't have access to what we know in our bones.
In this workshop we will be improvising moving and speaking, and we will be writing.
While our writing will stimulate our imagination and support our improvisations, our improvisations will enrich our writing with a kinesthetic timing to phrasing and windows on sudden thoughts and memories.
Our activities will include studio sessions of improvisational moving and speaking, spontaneous writing, walks in town, with partners, for conversations about matters large and small, and private times to write and to craft our writings and to read them to each other.
We will borrow from the writing practice of Natalie Goldberg as found in her books “Writing Down the Bones” and “Wild Mind”, discovering the associations that gather spontaneously around a chosen point of departure.
As our movement work will include many activities in partners and in groups, some of our writing will include more than one voice, focusing on the relationships between the thoughts of different people.
A goal will be to write with wild mind and intention, and with awareness of world.

Jennifer Dunning writes in her 1991 New York Times review: “Simone Forti presented her first dance program in 1960 and has since then had a steadily increasing influence on post-modernist choreographers interested in exploring ‘natural’ or non-formalist movement and dance”.

Info and reservation
Caravajal15 residenza dinamica
Via Malabranca 15
05018 Orvieto (TR) - Italy
tel +39 0763341479
fax +39 0763340669
mobile +39 3391017492
info@contactfestival.it
www.contactfestival.it

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 3 replies

What do you do?

AmandaRose — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 16:33:08 GMT

I'm posting this because i'm sick of not dancing.

Flat out, i can't dance in the restuarant scene where i live because i'm not in with the woman who schedules 90% of the restuarants in town (honestly i think she hates me, and believe me this is not a relationship that can be fixed) And to top it off the pay most people get anywhere near what they should. I won't dance for little money but i can't dance in most of the restuarants anyways cause i'm closed off to them. What do you suggest?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 8 replies

possible new drama

Melody — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:22:04 GMT

please excuse the alt. the person I'm about to discuss is here on tribe and I'm not quite ready to talk to her about this.

The backstory goes like this: I had a student troupe-member, Laurie, leave my class for another troupe. By itself that wasn't a problem but she was nasty and immature about it and the whole thing was ugly. That was a few years ago, now Laurie's teaching (no, not qualified) and the owner of the studio where she teaches recently asked me to sub for her classes while she's on vacation. Fine, I owe the owner a favor and Laurie doesn't have a problem with it

Laurie and I are not feuding in anyway. I wouldn't say that we're friends, but the drama between us is long past.

Meanwhile my troupe is starting a new project, we will be working with several soloists in the area on a regular basis. We've invited many different dancers to participate including Sue, one of Laurie's students. I don't feel weird about inviting Sue because she has an active dance practice that is not limited to Laurie's classes, however, there is a student, Remie, who's dance practice IS limited to Laurie's classes.

Remie has huge potential and I would like to invite her. Can you see where the drama comes in? Would it be completely unethical of me to invite her (possibly stealing Laurie's dedicated student)? And if I don't ? She has many friends who have been invited, will her feelings be hurt? I would hate for her to think that's she's not good enough, but I'd also hate for her to be in the middle of the drama that probably will ensue if I invite her.

Help.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 13 replies

First troupe dillema

AnonymousDancer — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 10:33:55 GMT

I was recently invited to join a small troupe. None of the members are profesional dancers; we plan tp dance at halflas and festivals. The other girls know each other better than I know them, and have known each other longer.

I was very excited to be part of the troupe, but now am worried because I dont dance as well as the other dancers. I am afraid they will change their minds after one or two performences. What if I embarrass them, and they start to resent me?

Please help!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 4 replies

street busker

jane — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:05:49 GMT

A brief history. I've been in belly dance classes for almost 3 years. I have recently joined a group of drummers and dancers who street busker in the city. Sunday will be my first time joining the busker. It's an improv situation, and I love the other dancers' style, and feel we can work well together. I'm just SO SCARED~ in a soul search, the fear is the harsh judgement of others.... I know I must not be the only one who has experienced this fear, so please share the ways you got over it. Were you glad you started performing? Did you look back in hindsight and say to yourself "what was I thinking ???"

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 7 replies

Support or lack thereof

rajabellydance — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 22:58:45 GMT

This past weekend I have been blessed with the opportunity to perform at dance nights but have noticed myself becoming pissed off and angry. I'm torn. On both occasions, I have danced in the first set and am angered by the fact that the dancers who dance in the second set don't bother to come ealry and support dancers who perform in the first set. I believe that it is bad form to just show up to do your piece and then taking off, without supporting other dancers and the establishment that hosts such events.

Then there are those who hang out in the dressing room, for crying out loud get out of the way and allow those that need to get ready do so without having the extra burden of having to fight for mirror space or a corner to get dressed in peace. These are the slackers who just happen to forget to bring a cover up, but I'm sure are just cheapskates, who do not want to spend a penny to support the venue.

Well this weekend, I decided to leave before the second set...a decision that haunts me still, because I like to at least stick around to see the person that hosts the event perform and at least tip them, to express my gratitude. But, why should I stay if half the dancers cut through the dance area to retreat backstage during peoples performances and come in late without supporting earlier dancers. Why should I or anybody else for that matter support them?

So, I am subscribing to the "if you can't beat them, join them" school of thought. Somehow leading by example will not benefit anybody, because there isn't anybody there to see the example.

DRAMA!!!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 30 replies

Cross post IBDC

Norma — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 23:53:32 GMT

I was at the last minute planning to fly out to Vegas to catch the Amani and Dina concerts. I was a click away from booking my plane tickets and show tickets when a strong common sense streak prevailed and decided against the impulse trip. Thank goodness.

My very good friend Lisa, decided to go anyway. She has friends in Vegas so she was planning on the visit already but she thought it would be a bonus to catch the convention. She arrived late last night. Her plan was to take the Dina workshop and maybe catch the Amani concert tonight and the Dina Concert tomorrow.

She told me that it's a good thing I didn't go as I would have been so mad. Apparantly neither Dina nor Amani were able to get Visas. She said she heard rumors of sabotage??? I don't know about Raqia Hassan who was also supposed to be there. They were scrambling to find teachers to take the place of Amani and Dina and discounting workshops. Today the only workshop offered originally was the Dina workshop but Lisa took 3 workshops for about the same price. Tito, some Eygptian guy and I don't know who the 3rd one is. She said it was very disorganized.

Lisa said she thought it was going to be a much bigger deal and fully expected to be intimidated but instead thought the whole atmosphere was comparable to a local workshop. I was very surprised to hear that as I thought it would be a huge event and I'd get lost in the crowd.

I only had a few minutes to talk to her before we lost the phone connection. (She must not be on Cingular! or oops AT &T now isn't it?) Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else had more info?

Who did they get to do the concerts?

I talked to a few other people who gave it as their opinion that it might have been false advertising just to get people to go. I haven't been to one of these things before so I don't know if this is typical or what? The website itself seemed put together and organized. There was certainly enough advanced advertising. I didn't get an idea as to how many people attended but I got the impression it wasn't a lot.

Was anyone there who knows the real deal?
__________________
Norma -Raks Sharqi

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 1 reply

New to this Tribe- wanted to say hi

jane — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:02:49 GMT

...looked thru the postings and thought this Tribe looked like a great source! Love the Tribe name. Wanted to say hi and let myself be known.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 2 replies

I feel like crap...

Dina — Wed, 09 May 2007 21:37:06 GMT

I don't know. My teacher keeps talking about making the class into two classes one for the performance class and then a beginners class. I'm all for that mainly because the ladies in my class. They don't like that I'm more advanced them, I mean they don't even keep it to themselves it makes me feel really weird and I've expressed this to my teacher because I just don't like being told that I'm too skinny, and when I have children all that will go away and I'll just be left with flab. I just wish this wouldn't happen. I thought belly dance was suppose to be about women embracing their bodies and encourgaing each other. Man this is the exact same thing I got in the SCA.

I just don't think it's fair for them to say those things to me when all I'm doing is dancing...I really think the teacher should put me in a differant class than the rest of them because I'm making them uncomfortable. I don't want to give up the class but I don't want to live with out and I don't have any other teacher I can learn from since I'm in Northern Japan......

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 17 replies

SO not necessary

samirashuruk — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 07:31:36 GMT

I just posted this on Raqs Baltimore. I'd be willing to bet this is not an isolated incident and it happens in other areas. Here in the DC-Baltimore region there is A LOT of work. There is NO need to turn belly dance in to something else.
*******************************
Isn't is sad...
that there are people who are calling themselves belly dancers who let themselves get groped for tips?

I mean really.
I went to a club in B-more tonight. It's an "ambiance" gig for belly dancers. Off to the side of the dance floor was a girl in quasi-tribal wear getting groped by a guy. I assumed she WASN'T the dancer and was just a girl who liked dance clothes and was with her date...yes, folks, they were that close.
Apparantly some people don't know that full frontal body contact, hands on her breasts and putting dollars in the front of her belt and touching her in various places through her clothes are not belly dance moves.
Within half an hour she got groped up by *at least* 3 or 4 other guys. I say *at least* because I wasn't watching her most of the time and I saw 3 or 4 different guys with their hands on her.

Is it any wonder people confuse belly dance with prostitution?
Is the sad state of rates in some places any surprise when girls are selling themselves so cheaply?

The saddest thing is...even though I've never met this girl, I knew who she was just by her reputation.

WHY bother wearing a belly dance costume if you're just going to let yourself get groped for a dollar?

If that's NOT what you want, well then, dance well and you can just DANCE and make decent money. Dance really well and the tips aren't just singles AND (bonus) you don't get groped for them.
DANCE well enough to get and keep gigs at or above the going rate. If you're not doing *that* you're not ready to be out there as a belly dancer.

Samira

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 52 replies

Restaurant ethics...

Amani — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:40:34 GMT

How ethical do you think it is for a restaurant to have you come in to dance two twenty minute sets during dinner, for $30 per set plus a free meal, and then you go and basically sit there for two hours and never get the chance to dance because they feel that there are not enough people in the restaurant? Even when you ask them several times during that wait if they want you to go ahead and dance anyway? Then, after sitting there waiting, they basically tell you "Sorry, you can go ahead and go home.", and you get NOTHING for your wasted time!!!

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 8 replies

put back and unchallenged??

brand new key — Thu, 31 May 2007 01:36:25 GMT

here's a dillema i'd like feedback on.

what do you do if you are an intermediate to advanced dance student but your teacher stops having an intermediate to advanced class and expects you to be ok with the fact that the only class that is available for you to take is a beginner class.

and what do you do if there aren't any other studios in your area and that class is the only choice you have as far as classes and learning goes???

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 8 replies

FCBD General Skills Certification - Sept/07 - Toronto, Canada

audracleopatra — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 16:27:34 GMT

Carolena Nericcio and Megha Gavin teach ATS General Skills Certification workshop Sept 7 through 9th, 2007 in Toronto Canada.

Registration online or by phone
http://www.cleopatrasbazaar.com/product_info.php?cPath=53&products_id=1071
1.800.431.0418

The general skills intensive is a 15 hour course, usually taken at the FCBD studio, with Carolena teaching. With only 20 people in Toronto, you will have Carolena and Megha teaching and coaching. You will receive instruction in anatomy as it applies to dance, music theory, instruction in all FCBD steps and concepts, drills, critique and question and answer time.

In order to attend this workshop, you MUST have prior ATS knowledge either via class, workshop or FCBD instructional dvds. This is a must - not an option. Usually a dvd or in-person assessment is required in order to qualify for registration, but this has been waived for this event. Do not disappoint Carolena or Megha - be well prepared with the material. All volumes of FCBD dvds can be purchased through Cleopatra's Bazaar or directly from FCBD.

Once completed, you will receive a General Skills for ATS certificate. It should be noted that completing this certification does not qualify one to be an authorized ATS teacher.

Also included in the registration are gourmet catered vegetarian lunches each day, water and juice for all participants.

Please bring finger cymbals

Class schedule:
Fri-Sat-Sun
Registration & warm up 9:30-10 am
Class 10 am - 12:30 pm
Lunch 12:30 - 1:30 pm
Class 1:30 to 4 pm

There is no show for this event

Cost $730 CAD or $631.45 USD

Workshop registration is NON REFUNDABLE

http://www.cleopatrasbazaar.com
Online bellydance supplies and events

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Question to the dancers....

mmm — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:22:18 GMT

Shout out to my lovely colleagues here in dance and music....

Would you all benefit from your own social networking site.... kinda like this but focused primarily on dance related issues and connections?

Just post a yes or no - or include extra comments in this thread.

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 9 replies

NOT qualified...

Sabeya — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:59:01 GMT

Here is another good one.

A student... takes 4 months worth of lessons. 1 hour a week. Learned basic moves and one very basic dance routine. No previous experience.

Now she is teaching bellydance lessons, bellydance fitness and bellydance bootcamp at another dance school.

FUNNY: I find it hilarious that all of a sudden she feels an expert in the field.

SAD: 1. She just knows the basics and can't really bring her students to an intermediate level. 2. Chances are her students will end up with injuries. 3. Her students don't know how not qualified she is to do this. 4. She has had no further training and is not currently training anywhere with anyone.

DISTURBING:
What I don't understand though is this: why don't dance studios verify how much training the people they hire really have? I know I am very picky about who works for me and the standard of teaching....

Once again.... another inexperienced self-made teacher on the loose... ....I just shake my head...

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 64 replies

When does bellydance become "tricks"? Or does it?

Bastet — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:30:47 GMT

I've been curious about this for a while, now. A lot of performers (of all styles) tend to have a signature move-usually something particularly impressive/dangerous/flashy that is included in almost every performance. Then they learn another similarly flashy or impressive move and switch to that for a while. I am no different. I absolutely adore level changes during a performance (tip toes w/ arms up-low floorwork) and have been incorporating my (more and more asked for) layback while swirling two fans into almost every fan piece I perform lately (I know, it's pretty overkill). On a similar vein, if I went to see Rachel Brice, I think I would be slightly dissapointed if I didn't see her famous backbend, or if I saw Petite Jamilla without seeing her amazing turns.
Non-dance and dance friends have told me that they prefer to see at least one flashy move because it really increases the energy of the crowd.
So, is this a bad thing?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 32 replies

Etiquite around bellydancers if you are a man

katherinesummer — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 01:58:06 GMT

I have a roommate who means very very well but often says or does the wrong things around my dancer girlfriends (which comprise the majority of my friends). I would like to print him a list.

If you were to compile a list of rules for men who are hanging out with bellydancers, what would those rules be?
What would be the things NOT TO SAY?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 36 replies

Great new Tribe!

Rosie D. — Sat, 05 May 2007 13:13:39 GMT

In my eyes the most promising and stunning Tribal Fusion Bellydancers for the near future; Aveyanda Skye and Lorelai Lee,members of MAGENTA MOTION, the most sensational tribal and fusion belly dance troupe from the Netherlands ! We want to be the tribe where everyone comes together to discus Tribal and Fusion Belly Dance from the Netherlands and beyond! join us!!

http://tribes.tribe.net/aveyandaskye

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Teacher Ethics

Moonchild — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:04:51 GMT

Hi! I've been a member of this tribe for a while but am circumspect about posting, so here goes. Recently something happened in our dance community that got under my skin. A local teacher, (not mine), sent some of her students out to do a gig without telling them it was paid. She showed up at the end, went in and collected the money, then left after saying a quick hello to them. She did not watch them perform, and did not mention the money until she was asked about it later, (much later after they found out that the group that did that gig previously was always paid). They were told, as I understand it, that it went for Ren faire 'guild' equipment. Now, I want to clarify that this is second hand from a source I trust. I guess what I'm looking for is some validation for my total shock and anger over something that is really none of my business, but is really giving me a bad taste in my mouth especially given that she and her students sometimes dance with us. Should I just let it lie and hush it up as everyone seems to want to do?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 11 replies

Not-so positive responses towards famous/well-liked dancers

indigostars — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 18:16:36 GMT

I'm not talking about unexplainable, irrational hatred or slander/lbel type stuff, but does anyone else ever feel like you cannot say something negative about some dancers, due to their fame or popularity?

What got me thinking about that was when I posted on another thread in this tribe about not caring for most of what I've seen of Dondi. I hesitated to post that, just because I didn't feel like starting a controversy over that. I think she's creative and I love reading what she writes, but her style isn't my cup of tea. I noticed that elsewhere that it's difficult to express that you don't like x dancer's style. I'm all for playing nicely, but I sometimes think this is yet another example of the dance community wanting to be too nice.

Thoughts?

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 31 replies

Cross post Belly dancer doing cowboy??

Norma — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 05:07:35 GMT

What do you think?

http://www.risingstars.com.ua/dancers/belly-dancers/bellydance-odyssey/

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 4 replies

International Contact festival in Italy \ second call

Rossella — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:47:42 GMT

Zipfest07
International scene of improvisation live performing arts

Orvieto - Italy
19-24 June 2007
eighth edition
www.contactfestival .it

International project of Art and Culture on the Poetics of Performance and Improvisation Dance.
The festival will be held in Orvieto in Italy, from 19 to 24 June 2007.

Registration are still going on from March 15th.
Our website has all the information on Zipfest07 calendar.
www.contactfestival .it
Please visit it !!

Guest performers and teachers Zipfest07:
K.J. Holmes (USA),
Oleg Soulimenko (Austria\Russia) ,
Charlie Morrissey (United Kingdom),
Patricia Kuypers (Belgium),
Rossella Fiumi (Italy),
Keith Biesack (USA),
Jacky Miredin (France),
Adrian Russi (Switzerland) ,
Bettina Helmrich (Germany),
Laura Moro (Italy),
Ruby Worth (Scotland),
Manuela Bondavalli (Italy),
Barbara Lucarini (Italy)

Special guest for Music
the group of songs and dances of Salento
Officina Zoè

Focus zoom
Project 2007 also plans for a special appointment addressed to all the participants
registered in the festival, who are invited to present an original performance.
We request the participants who register for the festival to spontaneously
propose their creations.
It is an interesting occasion offered to those who wish to share and highlight
their own performances for an international audience.

See you soon at Zipfest07
...
Zipfest team

Caravajal 15 residenza dinamica
Via Malabranca 15 Orvieto (TR) Italy
tel +39 0763 341479
fax +39 0763 340669
info@contactfestiva l.it
www.contactfestival .it

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Zipfestival's video 2005 on line

Rossella — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 19:34:36 GMT

Dear Friends
As they say, better late than never!
We have published a few video extracts from Zipfestival 2005 on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/
We shall shortly send you the websites (URL) so you can see and download the video extracts.
Or you can easily find it on the festival website’s page
http://www.contactfestival.it/2007/ITA_2006/zip_video.html
In the meanwhile we are working on the 2006 video and in June 2007 (19-24) we remind you the next festival is just around the corner!
Have fun watching and let us know what you think!
Till then
Zipfest

http://www.contactfestival.it/2007/ITA_2006/zip_video.html

OR check one by one on these links:

Documentario Zip 2005 – track 1
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roqpVM-nKRA

Documentario Zip 2005 – track 2
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ADwTz58GY

Documentario Zip 2005 – track 3
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EoUY1KECUU

Documentario Zip 2005 – track 4
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FFfvZe9Qkw

Performance Real Time track 1
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T3NWzqGmG4

Performance Real Time track 2
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHlJotx0U0E

Performance Real Time track 3
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QepglIvIEM

Performance Last Minute track 1
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS2TI6x83gk

Performance Last Minute track 2
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5PVVHJh_ao

Performance Solo in Motion
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uGTf0oA8go

Duo Piano concerto Bollani-Salis
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SefO-o4d29k

Trio concerto Salis-Rabbia-Bellatalla
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch9i-Q1Bfz8

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 0 replies

Acceptance into a closely knit BD community

Kaytee — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:32:36 GMT

Hello All!

I've got a question for ya, but I think this topic may have been discussed previously, so if anyone can send me the thread that would be awesome too! So here it goes. I've somewhat recently completed grad school moved to a relatively small city, with a very small bellydance community. The community seems to primarily exist of middle-aged women who all know each other, and are mainly of the cabaret persuasion. There are a few scatterings of tribal and fusiony types here and there.

Now I'm a tribal girl through and through, and a newcomer to this area (although I did grow up here, in my prebellydancer days). My issue is this: what is the best way to gain acceptance into this community? Some of the dancers are very open minded and have definitely gone out of their way to make me feel accepted, and I definitely appreciate that. However, there are some that seem to refuse to acknowledge that I even exist! These ladies also appear to be some of the leaders in the BD community. What gives? There isn't anyone I feel I know well enough to just bluntly ask. Yet. So how long does it generally take to become accepted in a new community? What are the best ways I can let these ladies know that I am not a threat to them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Of course things are more complicated than I am portraying here, but I don't know how to say that kind of stuff in a non-offensive manner.

Thanks!
Kaytee
www.sidewalkbellydance.com

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 5 replies

wussy tmdtd post :)

Anita — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 15:00:50 GMT

Hey All, I’m a major dance diva (OK, not really), but I do love the dance. However, I’ve got to blow off some steam about something that happened to me recently & as this is a LOOONG post, pls bear with me : )

Last year, I got really excited about my dance troupe and volunteered to help us get more gigs. The teacher in charge readily acquiesced to my offer – So,
- I got us 3 dance spots at our town’s summer festival that year and a dance spot for the teacher to perform separately from us. However, she created fliers advertising her dance spot and not the troupe’s. Note: In the past, she tended to create fliers listing both her dance times and the troupe’s dance spots.
- I signed the troupe up for the state fair, got myself a solo and I also got her a solo spot w/ another dancer. However, when it came down for the troupe dance, she told me I shouldn’t dance one of the dances b/c I would stand out. However, she and the other dancer who did solos danced in that dance.
- I finally decided that I would continue to dance with the teacher, but I figured I should branch out on my own and start dancing with a friend. When I asked the teacher for advice, she told me that people might think my friend and I were an exotic act because I was black and she was white.
- Surprisingly, I stayed in the troupe. However, this week we were supposed to perform at a major dance festival. I went up separately to take workshops & stayed with a friend while my dance teacher said she’d drive down with the dancers later in the week. We agreed to meet an hour before the festival started to practice together. However, the teacher called an impromptu rehearsal half-an-hour before we were supposed to meet and b/c I was at my friend’s house, I wasn’t there. So when I showed up half-an-hour later at our agreed upon time for rehearsal, the teacher told me b/c only 5 dancers showed up for the festival and b/c I wasn’t at that impromptu rehearsal half-an-hour before (even though I had been at all of the group rehearsals, especially the one we had 4 days earlier), she told me that I shouldn’t dance in one of the pair dances. Although I was hurt, I agreed but, it didn’t occur to me to suggest we re-practice again since we had 2 hours before we were supposed to perform or point out that I had been to all of the official practices.

So, I don’t know if I’m being a major diva and overreacting or not. I can see her side on the final thing, but I’m still upset since I had been looking forward to the festival and felt my time was wasted going to those rehearsals if I was going to get cut. So, I’ve decided that I’ll keep dancing with the troupe, but I’m going to take a step back and not be so involved, particularly considering I’ve sat down with the troupe leader in the past & told her how hurt I was by some of her actions she did, even if she didn’t mean to do it. So, it seems as if she’s going to keep doing these things (or I’m going to keep misinterpreting them :) ), and I don’t want to get burned : ) Admittedly, this isn’t too much drama to dance, since I’m going to keep on dancing, but it’s too much drama to dance under this troupe leader : ) So, if anyone can give me any advice (or commiseration) or give me a more distanced perspective that’d be great : )

posted in Too Much Drama to Dance - 16 replies