GOING PRO PART TWO: SKILLS & REPERTOIRE

This is Part Two in a series of articles I'm posting on becoming a professional dancer; today's post deals with your basic performance skills and dance repertoire:

No matter what, your technique has look polished. If you can perform in many styles with ease then you’ll already be ahead of the pack. You never know what a job may require, and you should never stop learning! Accelerate your dance study now- take as many classes as you can, and if you haven’t taken private lessons yet, now is a great time to start.

As a professional belly dancer, it will behoove you to be comfortable performing to many types of ethnic music, from traditional to modern pop. Build up your music library and become familiar with Arabic song structure and different styles of music. Learn as many of the most-requested classic songs as you can; know them inside and out, especially if you’re working with live musicians. If you’re using recorded music, make sets of various lengths; ten to twenty minutes for restaurants and clubs, twenty to thirty-five minutes for private parties. Structure your shows so that they have variety, with a beginning, middle and ending. For parties, allow an extra song at the end for audience participation.

You should be able to play finger cymbals well, be proficient with veil work, and have the skills to rock a hot drum solo. You also ought to be able to perform at least a couple of the folkloric dances that are typically requested at clubs, restaurants, private parties and weddings, such as raks shamadan, saidi, khaleegy, melaya leff and so on.

Are you good with props? While audiences in the Middle East are content to watch hours of Oriental dance, Western crowds often want a spectacle. They’re really into sword dancing, candle trays, Isis Wings, fan veils, large feather fans, raks shamadan and that sort of thing. Some purists may sniff at a couple of these props because they aren’t traditional, but the general public loves it; so if you don’t already have a specialty, think about learning one. If you use any type of props that require open flames, you may need to carry fire insurance. Check with your venue or local fire marshal regarding local laws.

Great stage presence is crucial. You must be able to win over the crowd and get them on your side the moment you step on stage. Even if a performer is a superlative technician, if she looks expressionless or scared, the audience will feel nervous, not entertained. There has to be a personal connection with the crowd. A dancer who is adequate but has great stage presence will often outshine someone who has incredible chops but is boring to watch! You can’t fake charisma, but emoting during your performances is a skill that can be learned. Consider performance coaching or acting classes, or at the very least, concentrate on allowing your emotions to flow as part of your technique drills. Get translations of the songs you use, so you’ll know what the lyrics are about.

For working in situations where there is no stage, such as many restaurants, hookah bars and private parties, you’ll need great improvisational skills. If you’re working in the round with customers and waiters wandering through your performance area, using set choreographies just won’t cut it. Practice improvising as much as you can; both to songs you know inside and out and to songs you’ve never heard before.

As a pro, whether a rookie or seasoned performer, you should be prepared for anything to happen while you are onstage... cause it always does! I'm talking about wardrobe malfunctions, mishaps with props, the music cutting out, missed lighting cues...and in my own case, once in Kansas, a bat flew onstage while I was dancing! Handle the situation with aplomb, by either completely ignoring it and continuing on with your show, or with a humorous look or gesture. It might seem like a big deal while you're dancing, but in the big picture, it's practically not even a blip on the radar...the more you're onstage, the more potential there is for crazy stuff to happen. Consider it a battle scar; you've just earned your stripes...and know that it will probably make for a great anecdote in the near future.

ALL ABOUT VEIL CARE

Who wants to see a beautiful belly dancer using rumpled, wrinkled veil onstage? Nobody! Here are some tips for keeping your veils stage-worthy:

Storing Veils

I like to keep my veils stored together with the costumes they compliment, but many belly dance costumes are so covered in rhinestones, coins, sequins and other types of bling-bling that they may snag the veil.

For local gigs, I have found that carefully folding or rolling a veil and then packing it into a gallon-sized plastic food storage bag works well for keeping my veils protected; I then slide the veil, in it’s own bag into my costume bag. If I am going out of town, or if my veil is going to be sitting in a suitcase or gig bag for hours, I roll the veil around a small cardboard tube, the kind that comes from the inside of paper towels. This seems to alleviate many of the fold lines and creases.

To cut down on wrinkles in 100% silk veils, many dancers wrap them layered with acid-free tissue paper, but even with this precaution, they wrinkle so easily, they will still probably have to be steamed or pressed before use. If you have veils that correspond with a number of costumes, you may want to store them separately. I fold them neatly and stack them into plastic containers , categorized by silk , chiffon and embellished or specialty veils. My friend Najah, a belly dance costume designer, taught me this trick: use over-the-door plastic shoe bags to store rolled veils, belly dance jewelry, finger cymbals and hip scarves in the compartments instead of shoes. This not only is a good use of space in your overly full costume closet, it makes it easy to see what color veils you have at a glance, as well as protecting the veils and your accessories.

Washing Veils

Most veils can be hand washed- or dry cleaned if you prefer- but be wary about dry cleaning unless you know for sure that your cleaner can deal with costume pieces safely- sequins or beads can become discolored or even melt during the dry cleaning process.

It would be wise to do a spot check on the fabric beforehand, to make sure it won’t run or fade if washed. Many veils are manufactured in foreign countries, colored without wash-safe dye, and veils that are made of 100% silk are often hand-dyed. If your veil is embellished with sequins and beads, they will not be harmed when immersed in water during hand washing. Use cool water to wash your veils, and a very mild detergent- I use baby shampoo. I recommend using the bathtub to wash veils in, so the fabric will not wrinkle or get bunched up. Fill your bathtub with cool water, and swish the veil around gently with your hands. Drain the tub and rinse a few times, and then hang the veil to dry.

I have also successfully used Dawn detergent or commercial stain removers like Resolve, to get lipstick and even food stains (ah, the wonders of dancing at a restaurant!) out of my veils. Once again, do a spot-check to make sure that the chemicals in the stain remover will not harm or discolor your veil.

If your veil isn’t embellished on the edges, you can also safely use a clothes dryer after you wash it. Put the dryer on a cool setting, and throw in a clean towel or two to absorb the extra moisture.

Pressing Veils

Veils without bead or sequin embellishments can be ironed easily- just make sure you use a heat setting that is appropriate for the fabric so you don’t scorch the material. For plain or heavily embellished veils, you can also use a clothing steamer instead of an iron to get wrinkles out.

If you opt to iron an embellished veil, you should press around the designs, so as not to flatten or melt the embellishments. A trick that also works for ironing a veil is to lay a light towel or flannel baby blanket over your veil, and use the iron on top of the towel or blanket.

Photo by Lapis

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WHEN THE HIP HITS THE FAN

Though fan dancing is not considered traditional in raqs sharqi, due to the increasing popularity of fusion, many Oriental dancers are exploring blending the many styles of fan dancing and belly dance with stunning results. When used onstage, fans are FAN-ciful, conveying various emotions to an audience, as well as being a spectacular visual treat. They can be dramatic and stately, or coy and flirtatious and are always a crowd pleaser!

About eleven years ago, I became interested in dancing with fans, and when I became proficient in dancing with single and double fans of many types, then began experimenting with incorporating fan use into my belly dance shows. I am not alone: many well-known belly dancers are known for using fan work in their routines.

To get into an overview of history, fans have been used for thousands of years, and have been a part of every culture on the globe. Archeologists have uncovered murals and statues depicting fan use from ancient Egypt, Greece, Assyria, and all over Asia. Fans have been used extensively in everything from traditional and folkloric dances as well as in theatrical, classical, fantasy as well as ritual pieces. They have been used by solo dancers as well as in choreographed group pieces,as well as props in non-performance social group dances, such as the 17th and 18th century court dances of Europe.

Before the days of climate control and air conditioning, men as well as women routinely carried fans and used them to keep cool. The folding fan was invented in Japan, in the 8th century, and later taken to China in the 9th century. Fans used in the Renaissance period of Europe had lavishly decorated handles, which pre-dated hand fans. Folding fans were not introduced to Europe until the 1600’s, and were in high demand among royalty and the upper classes, due to their exquisite craftsmanship.

Flirtatious females always knew the power and allure of fans. In Victorian times, there was even a “language” of gesturing with fans, with various positions (open or closed, held again the face, snapped open or fluttered- etc.) serving as a secret social “code” between women and their suitors these silent movements got the point across in a non-verbal way that also preserved the fan’s owner’s appearance and social status.

Throughout Asia, fans have been used in court dances, ritual presentation and classical and folkloric theatrical shows. In Korea, dating from about the time of the Choson ( sometimes spelled “Joson”) Dynasty (1392-1910 AD) traditional fan dancers pose and move in circles portraying flowers, swaying gracefully. Chinese dancing fans - sometimes known Mulan fans- are unique because they have a ruffle, which extends beyond the bamboo tines of the fan and flutters beautifully when manipulated correctly. Fans are also used in Asian martial arts practices as well- Tai Chi fans have traditional patterns and designs (dragons, phoenix birds, etc.) embroidered or printed on the material, and on authentic fans, the staves are made of steel or some other metal…which I do NOT recommended for stage use in a dance performance!

Traditionally, fans have been used in Spanish Flamenco as well as various other Rom (gypsy) rooted dances from all across Europe. The Flamenco fans, known as pericons, are typically made of lace, sometimes combined with another type of decorative woven material, or light, hand-painted silk, and are used in the Sevillanas style of Flamenco. In North America, folding hand fans are used in Mexican Ballet Folklorico, and flat-feathered fans with rigid handles are sometimes used in traditional sacred dances of various Native American nations.

Perhaps the best known and the showiest use of fans also stems from America. Burlesque legend Sally Rand appeared at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair and instantly became an overnight sensation with her fan dance routine, in which she appeared nude (or possibly wearing a full-body stocking) using two gigantic luxurious fans made of ostrich plumes to conceal and reveal her charms. Born in 1903 in Missouri, Sally Rand had been a circus acrobat and performed on the vaudeville and burlesque circuits. She also appeared in over twenty silent films, as well as in talkies, including her famous fan dance sequences in the films “Bolero” and Cecile B. De Mille’s “King Of Kings”. It is said that she “saved” the World’s Fair, attracting a huge crowd with her fan dance…small wonder she attracted such a crowd: she was notorious for her “scandalous” shows and had been arrested a number of times. She performed the very same fan routine almost exclusively in her rich career, which spanned over fifty years. Her legacy lives on even now, and her fan dance has become a part of theatrical history, as well as a burlesque staple. Today, the gigantic, impressive ostrich fans used worldwide are still referred to as “Sally Rand Fans”.

If you would like to start using fans while belly dancing, I would recommend a lot of practice before adding them into a stage routine. Not only are fans a prop, they should function an extension of your bodily movement and expression ( like zills) and cannot be merely flung away, like veils. Practice with smaller fans at first- the constant movement of the arms and shoulders can really take it’s toll on your muscles! See what type of fans you like, or choose those that make sense with your dancing. Experiment with using fan technique from different cultures and traditions: haughty flamenco snaps, coy geisha poses, and dramatic gypsy attitude. Incorporate sweeping turns with the fans aloft, use the burlesque / tease premise of “conceal and reveal”. Use the fan to frame your face or your abdominal technique or hip work, use two fans for full-body poses.

Here are some different fans you may want to play around with:

FLAMENCO PERICONS
Made entirely of lace or fabric, and in many cases, a combination of both, these hand fans are strikingly beautiful, often intricately hand-painted and hand-crafted and sturdy, they can be snapped open and shut quite easily.

MULAN FANS & FAN VEILS
Fan veils are a modern version of the traditional Mulan Fan has recently become a very popular prop with Cabaret, Fusion and Tribal belly dancers… the fan's tail- sometimes a yard or longer in length- flies through the air dramatically during spins and turns. These fans are usually made of 100% silk because a synthetic blend won’t cause the fan to float and “defy gravity” the way it should.

MARABOU FANS
These large hand fans are made of marabou feathers, often tipped with peacock and pheasant feathers, and though fragile, can look great onstage.

SALLY RAND FANS
The reigning royalty of stage fans, Sally Rand- style theatrical fans have been a classic staple in burlesque performances for decades. Mounted on strong plastic staves, these fans open and close fairly easily, but still will not snap open because of the bulk of the feathers. These beauties can have a single row of feathers, or can be layered with up to four rows of large ostrich plumes. Because of the relative heaviness of the staves, the large circumference ( or “wing span”) and the potential bulk of the feathers, these fans may be difficult to handle at first, and may take a bit of getting used to. Also good to know: because of the large size of these fans, the slower they sweep through the air, the better they look; but slow movements with such a large, weighty prop will definitely work your muscles, and you may experience some muscle soreness when you first begin to work with Sally Rand fans. These fans are hand-made and don’t come cheaply- expect to pay anywhere from $250.00- $600.00 new per pair, depending on the size, craftsmanship, amount of feathers and even the colors or custom dying of the feathers…and you thought belly dance costumes were expensive!

When using any sort of fans, make sure to do a complete warm-up of the hands, wrists, arm, and shoulders, in addition to your usual warm-up.

SHAMELESS PLUG: I have an instructional DVD called "FAN-TASTIC", which gives instruction for all types of fans... and has tips on fan care and repair, plus performances! You can order it here: http://www.princessfarhana.com/video_fantastic.htm

Photo Credit: Don Spiro