Backstage Etiquette
DOs & DON’Ts
for Sharing the Dressing Roo m
By Mahin
If you ask a group of experienced bellydancers about backstage
experiences, you’ll likely hear a lot of stories - from heart-warming
acts of kindness to acts that will make you seriously question
humanity. As bellydancers, we rarely have spacious, luxurious, star-
quality dressing spaces. The reality is usually a crowded room with
suitcases on the floor, a few mirrors and a table - if you’re lucky - and
poor lighting. However, no matter how good or bad the facilities are,
our behavior is the thing that has the biggest impact on the backstage
experience - for positive or negative.
Here are some tips from the glitter trenches:
Have a small footprint.
Put your gig bag down and keep your stuff close to it.
Costume suitcases do have a way of “exploding” once you
start getting dressed, but fold your things up and keep it all
contained. Packing up will be that much easier later.
No photos, please!
What? People really do that? Yes, I’m sad to say they
really do. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. If you really
must do a pre-show selfie for Instagram, do it in the
hall. 4 feet behind you people are getting naked. Think
before you shoot.
Share the mirrors.
If there are only a few mirrors for lots of dancers to
share, be courteous. Get in, get glittered and get out.
Don’t park yourself with your full makeup bag to do
your whole face. If you aren’t going to arrive with most
of your stage face on, bring a mirror of your own to use
32
The Belly Dance Chronicles
October 2017