Helpful Tips and Hints for Dancers
By Nizana
Both beginning and experienced dancers learn new things as they grow throughout the dance , through trial and error , learning from teachers and fellow dancers and reading about them in magazines , books , websites , newsletters and the like . There are always new tricks and hacks to improve some of the things associated with performing this dance . These could be performance tips , costume tricks or any number of things . You may have heard yourself asking “ How do you …?” So here we go .
One of the most important things I learned early was the value of safety pins . The need to have a wide variety of sizes in your dance bag is a given . Diaper or blanket pins are really sturdy and those really cool safety pins called coiless are really great because the fabric doesn ’ t get caught up in the spring mechanism . Highly recommend having a stash of those around , and there is always someone in the dressing room who needs a safety pin that you can share with . They never fail to come in handy and offer great costume support .
As a baby dancer , I had a hard time keeping my belt on due to my body shape , and besides safety pins , I learned a couple
of other helpful hints . One is to line your belt with that gripping material , like strips of rubber shelf liner . That is great stuff ! In a pinch , you can tuck in hip scarves ( don ’ t see much of those any more ), a veil drape , or parts of your skirt if it ’ s got enough material to work with . Belts that come in two pieces are generally more adaptable to weight gain and loss for remaining centered . Think ahead when you make or buy belts so you can adjust them as necessary . Check and reinforce your hooks as necessary .
Another “ how do you ” is how to write an intro for your performance . I ’ ve seen different advice on this topic and have had to edit quite a few , so the mileage may vary . Think about whether this is being used for promotional purposes , or if it ’ s being used for the introduction that someone is going to read before you perform . If both , consider separating these out for the show producer . Remember that someone else , not you , is going to read the introduction , so you should write it in 3rd person . The reader doesn ’ t want to say “ I am Suzy Dancer , from City , USA ,” because they are not the “ I ” in the intro . You ’ ll want to write it from their point-of-view for the reader to announce you properly . Be timely with
September 2021 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 17