GOING PRO PART NINE: FILM & TELEVISION WORK, RESORTS & CRUISE SHIPS, FOREIGN CONTRACTS

There are so many different types of professional belly dance gigs, not to mention the many variables within each kind of job, that it would be completely impossible to describe them all. Depending on where you live, and how much of a go-getter you are, you’ll probably have the opportunity to try your hand at some of these gigs.

The focus of  this article are gigs that are generally considered exclusive and glamourous…even though  when you get right down to it, the  work is tough  and demanding, with very long hours and a high rate of rejection at auditions. Even if you make the cut at a try-out, these  jobs are grueling and require focus, dedication, and sometimes, almost super-human energy!

  Film, Video And Television Work

These jobs are usually booked through an agent, though once in a while a talent scout or casting director will contact performers directly. Typically, in order to be considered for a part in a music video, film or television show, you or your agent will submit hard copy or digital photos, video clips and a performance resume.  If the production company is interested, they will contact you to arrange an audition or invite you to a casting, which, in the entertainment industry, is also sometimes known as a cattle call, because they’ll probably be looking at dozens of   similar performers… or actresses who’ll arrive in a belly dance costume even if they’ve never danced before!

 At  a private audition or a casting, the process doesn’t vary much; you’ll probably be asked to show up in full costume and make up, a production assistant will take face and full body Polaroids of you, and then you’ll be asked for a short performance. 

Sometimes this is to  music that you have selected, but it can also be  to the musical  track that will used during the dance segment. Unlike other dance jobs for film and television, auditions where hopefuls have to learn combinations with a choreographer present are rare… I’ve done many   film, television and music video appearances over the years- and it seems  to me that as far as selecting belly dancers goes,   whomever is  doing  the hiring  just bases it on  if they like what they see!

If the role you’re trying out for includes lines, you’ll be given sides  (pages of the script for your scene) and expected to learn- and perform them- on the spot…and this is precisely the reason so many actresses dress up as belly dancers to go to these auditions!

 If you’ve aced your audition, you’ll either get the role immediately or  you’ll be asked to audition again; this is known as  a callback. It’s a good sign, but it basically  means they’ve weeded out  everyone  who auditioned except a  for few performers who have the right look or style. For example, along with hundreds of others, I was called back five times for the part of a belly dancer in “Charlie Wilson’s War”, a major motion picture starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. In the end, the role   of the belly dancer went to an actress…but the film hired me  to instruct the actress in sword dancing, I got paid extremely well and also got screen credit.

 If you’ve never been on a film set before, I can assure you it’s not as glamorous as you might think.  Some sets are absolutely lovely and run like clockwork, others are disorganized and stressful. The hours are incredibly long, and there’s always a lot of “hurry up and wait”. You’ll probably arrive ready to dance and raring to go, only to wind up sitting around in full make up and costume for hours, waiting to perform as they shoot other scenes, set up the lights and cameras at different angles, or change the scenery.    By the time you are asked to perform, there’s a great likelihood you won’t even have a chance to warm up properly!

 The rate of pay you get for film and television jobs can swing wildly from a pittance to big time bucks, depending on the production itself, what your being hired for, if you have an agent negotiating on your behalf or if you’re a member of an entertainment union. Case in point: an extra or background performer won’t make anywhere near what a featured or principle dancer makes. Likewise,  the pay for dancing in  an indie band music video can’t be compared to dancing in a television commercial for, say Target or Macy’s. It’s all relative.

 But no matter what type of filmed job you get, make sure to get a copy of your work to build up your show reel…or at least to post on YouTube!

 Cruise Ships, Casinos, Theme Parks And Resort Shows

Most of these jobs contract performers for several weeks or months, though some theme parks  also hire dancers or specialty acts  for one-off gigs seasonally (usually during the summer) or for special holiday shows. These jobs usually offer decent-to-great pay for their exclusivity, but the schedules can be grueling, so they’re best left to younger dancers or to those without injuries.

Once you lock into a contract, you’ll probably be required to do a certain amount of shows per day or per week, and depending on your agreement, you might be given room and board as well.  It also might be expected for soloists to appear in group shows, in addition to their own performances. Cruise ships especially expect most of their employees to be at least bilingual.

 Additionally, it may be mandatory for any entertainer hired to perform other  duties.   For instance, on cruise ships, in addition to their regular show, dancers may also be required  to teach dance classes for passengers, participate in children’s programs, pose for photos with guests while dressed in costume, and possibly even assist the crew with emergency procedures or muster drills. At a resort, in addition to performing solo, a dancer might also be expected to learn group choreographies quickly, know first aid and CPR, teach dance or fitness classes, and interact with the guests by getting them   involved with games, crafts or any water or land sports the resort offers.

 Before submitting yourself for any of these jobs, make sure to read up on the requirements, and before you sign any contract, read the fine print!  I knew an aerialist who was absolutely thrilled to have landed a six-month job at  Disneyland in Japan; she thought it was really going to further her career, and also that she’d be able to explore Tokyo during her time off.  Sadly enough, she wound up performing multiple shows a day with only one day off a week, which she usually spent icing her sore muscles and doing laundry. Not only that, the poor girl  performed flying trapeze the entire time anonymously…dressed in a fuzzy squirrel costume, complete with a buck-toothed mask!

Foreign Contracts

Many dancers have dreams and aspirations of dancing abroad, specifically in the Middle East or North Africa.  Some realize these dreams and have been very successful, living and working for years in Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon or Dubai; others  have come home swiftly with their hopes dashed.  A dancer I’ve known for years took foreign contracts on a routine basis, and everything went smoothly…until the night she returned from her show, to find her bags packed and her passport confiscated. She was taken  to the airport in the middle of the night and  sent home with no explanation whatsoever about anything!   

  Over the years  I have known quite a few dancers who have moved to Egypt to try their luck at performing  in major metropolitan hotels or at seaside resorts… only to find out that the dance scene there is as competitive as it is anywhere else, if not more so. I have some pals  that stuck it out tenaciously in Cairo, but it was  often  more than two years before they were able to get regular gigs at private parties. Only a handful of them ever received the official government license that enables them to get jobs at major hotels.

Sometimes, even though a dancer might not work regularly in the country she has moved to,  just the fact that she has lived in that country ( and absorbed the culture , indigenous  dance and music,  thereby improving her   skills)  gives her a valuable  sort of credibility, enabling her career to flourish in her home country, upon her return.

  There’s no way to tell you everything about working as a dancer with a contract  in a foreign country- it probably couldn’t even fit into a thick book!

 But you must  know that every situation is different- there’s no “norm” here!

 For example in Egypt, almost every dancer  works with an impresario  (essentially an agent) who helps her to find jobs and put together musicians for her band, negotiates her contracts, and generally oversees her career. 

Some Western dancers work with a booking agent who is based in a specific country, and the agent  gets them work in that country as well as others, arranging the contracts, travel visas and flights.  Other dancers might choose to work on their own, as independent contractors.

 If you want   to work abroad, my advice to you is to do your research, and keep personal safety  at the top of the list for job requirements. Get a reputable foreign agent, and then find out as much as you can about the venue, the people arranging the job and/or hiring you, get references from other dancers, and  go over your contract with a fine-toothed comb, spelling out every single tiny thing that  you can think of.

DRESSING THE PART

DRESSING THE PART

I put lipstick on before I sit down to type an article, and also before making telephone calls. If it’s an important business call, I dress nicely before getting on the phone. I’m not talking about Skype or video chat either…just regular calls from a landline or a cell phone.

Why am I telling you this, and what does it have to do with dancing?

Admittedly I am quirky, but there’s a method to my madness- it’s because dressing the part helps to put you in the right psychological frame of mind for whatever you are doing.

It goes without saying that as dancers, we all know about the importance of costumes! But have you ever considered what sort of effect your off-stage clothes might have on your dance practice or your career in general?

If you were going to an interview for a corporate job, you would undoubtedly wear appropriate business attire to help you land the position. Showing up well-groomed and nicely dressed for a job interview proves that you are taking the interview seriously, and also reflects the fact that you care about yourself and take pride in your appearance…which sends the subliminal message that you would attend to other business-related tasks in the same careful manner. It also shows that you would be an asset in dealing with the general public.

Conversely, if you were attending a costume party, Victorian event, pirate festival, 1950’s-style vintage car show, Renaissance fair or some other themed event, you would probably want to dress appropriately- it not only makes things much more fun, it actually helps your brain to switch gears, by preparing you mentally for immersing yourself into the event.

If you apply the same ideas to your dance practice, it just might help you to be a better dancer.

This concept was brought home to me years ago, at the very beginning of my dance career. My troupe, Flowers Of The Desert, used to gig a couple of times a week if not more, and we rehearsed two or three times a week- more if we were preparing for a special theatrical show. Our Sunday rehearsal was usually the longest and most grueling. Everyone in the troupe had a hectic schedule: we all had solo dance gigs as well as our troupe work; some members had high-powered day jobs, and others were mothers of young children in addition to everything else!

Our Sunday rehearsals were tough; they were also required for all troupe members. Every Sunday, we would go over notes from the previous weekends shows, and try to correct and polish mistakes, as well as learn new choreographies. But it was typical for all troupe members to roll in for these important Sunday morning practice sessions late, bleary eyed, fresh out of bed, and wearing whatever wrinkled sweats we’d picked up off the floor or fished out of our dance bags. The rehearsal would usually start off slowly, with false starts and yawns, and our collective attention span and energy levels were pretty low. We all knew we needed to do something about this, but we weren’t sure what.

At the same time, though we saw each other constantly, even with this level of interaction and familiarity, we began to realize that at our shows, we sometimes didn’t even recognize our sister troupe members… because everyone was surprised at how well we cleaned up. We were beautiful- and performed accordingly. But in rehearsal, we looked like crap...and...well, you get the idea!

Finally, we had a group vote and decided to try an experiment: we decided that we needed to make an effort to look nice-or at least decent- for rehearsal, the idea being that it would help us to focus on whatever we were working on. And it did!

Try it yourself by taking a little time to “suit up” for your dance classes or even your at-home practice sessions. In years past, the mark of a professional dancer was to be dressed in rags- ratty leg warmers, worn-out ballet slippers, and hole-filled tights. But even in the film "Flashdance", Jennifer Beals looked positively adorable in her torn sweatshirt and conciously mussed-up hair! Nowadays, there is such a variety of cute, inexpensive dance wear options on the market that you don't need to be flitting around it rags- unless of course it's an artistic/fashion choice on your part and makes you feel better about your dancing!

Before you go to class, or get ready to practice at home, put on a touch of make-up, some cute sweats and a pair of pretty earrings. It’s a definite morale booster, and might just even help you to better get in the mood for your dancing.

When you are going to a gig, make sure that the street clothes you show up in are appropriate, not to mention pretty and feminine. Remember that you will be seeing not just your employers, but also the people you will be performing for- so looking good off stage is vital to preserve the illusion of your on stage glamour!

My street wardrobe usually runs the gamut from tank tops, long –sleeved t-shirts and leggings to…tank tops, long-sleeved t-shirts and leggings! But for years, I have always made sure to have a few “gig dresses” in my rotation. These are little dresses that basically look like I made an effort to look nice. They're also appropriate for any occaision, from a private party or wedding to a club gig or dance festival. They are uniformly made of some non-wrinkling fabric (like jersey) that can be stuffed into a gig bag and still come out looking fresh after I finish my show. I also choose garments with a loose construction or shape, so that they don’t leave any marks on my body when I change into my costume. Leggings and a nice drapey long top are also a good option. If you don’t like wearing heels to and from gigs, choose some cute boots or ballet flats to wear.

As for wearing cover-ups during a gig, I never go without one. I believe that stage costumes should be saved for the performance alone, and am actually superstitious about being seen by the audience in my costume before, during and after gigs. That is, unless of course people want to take post-show pictures of me in my costume! For me, a gig cover-up is essential, and I don’t count using my coat or a belly dance veil as a cover-up. Again, I like my cover-up to be portable and loose fitting so that it will not leave marks on my skin. I also like wearing something that be cool in the summer or warm when I'm in a drafty backstage area... but other than that, I have no constraints about the cover-up I choose. There are many beautiful, inexpensive garments that could function as gig cover-ups: ethnic caftans, burnout velvet robes, vintage capes, kimonos…the choice is yours.

So, remember: while you are off-stage, if you dress the part of a professional dancer, you will be treated with respect.

Ok, so if you have read this far, I will tell you a secret. Once, when i had a really important favor to ask ( on the phone, of course) I took off all my clothes before making the call, because I thought it would add the right touch of vulnerability to my voice. Guess what? The favor was granted!

And by the way, in case you are wondering, I am typing this wearing icy pink “Bombshell” lipstick by Mac, with a matching pink pastel rhinestoned flower in my hair. See? I told you I was crazy...