Performance Pet Peeves

Jane

New member
Gotta be honest: belly dance to non-belly dance music disappoints me terribly every time I see it. It just tracks "amateur" to me.
 

MissVega

New member
For me, my main one is "self indulgent performing". When the dancer doesn't take into consideration who the audience will be at a venue and consider what they would enjoy. To me we are entertainers in addition to artists and there is a time and a place for everything.

My other biggest pet peeve is probably dancers with hubris and also those who genuinely never seem like they are enjoying themself. What is the point?
 

Jane

New member
LOL Oh I am so guilty of this. :lol:

MissVega:The only thing you are guilty of is being a constant exception to the belly dance norm. :cool:

Maybe I have yet to see something I like live, I'll try to be more open minded.
 

Belly Love

New member
Frozen, forced smiles or no expression/emoting whatsoever or people who emote waaaay too much.

Also, outdated style. I know, I know, it's superficial, but when it comes to being a professional performer, keeping up with your style is very important. I'm not saying everyone has to be super trendy, but seeing a performer with great talent and beautiful moves with 80's hair is just off-putting. Professionals in any entertainment form should definitely not be behind the masses style wise, it looks unprofessional, like they are not on top of things.

Yes, we all know skill is most important, blah, blah, blah... but seeing a 45yr old dancer with the same hairstyle she had in jr. high (that was trendy at the time) doesn't make her look like she loves that hairstyle, it makes her look like she's not making an effort.

I wouldn't want to hire someone who looks stuck in the 80's anymore than I would want to hire someone who looks "perfect" and who isn't a very good dancer.
 

Darshiva

Moderator
I know what you're saying, however I'm going to point out the one small flaw in your argument - the 80s are back in fashion now (at least in my town they are!). The number of side-mounted ponytails I see in the supermarket!

I agree, keep your image looking fresh and you'll keep your clients.
 

Belly Love

New member
Bringing back the 80's in an updated way is one thing, keeping a hairstyle from the 80's for over 2 decades is another!

Keeping your image "fresh" is a good way of putting it ;)
 

Shanazel

Moderator
Eighties hair is too hard to maintain except for those Southern girls who dote on hairspray and Texas cheerleader styles as a cultural phenomenon. I keep my style safely in the seventies where all I have to do is wash it regularly and braid it whenever the wind blows. It comes in fashion every ten years or so which works well for me. :cool:
 

MissVega

New member
MissVega:The only thing you are guilty of is being a constant exception to the belly dance norm. :cool:

Maybe I have yet to see something I like live, I'll try to be more open minded.

Oh now you're just making me blush! Thank you:) Although I wasn't offended at all, just confessing my guilt lol! I think people are entitled to their own personal dislikes and likes! It would probably get really boring if we all loved all the same things. Maybe if I had seen the performances that you have seen I might have the same opinion as you. :lol:
 

Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
Bringing back the 80's in an updated way is one thing, keeping a hairstyle from the 80's for over 2 decades is another!

Keeping your image "fresh" is a good way of putting it ;)

You should check out Dahlena when she next comes back to Chicago. She does this with her hair just like this perfectly. And her dance style as well - yalla! :clap:
 

LadyFatima

New member
LOL Oh I am so guilty of this. :lol:

Oh my goodness, me too!!!:lol:

I can COMPLETELY, 100% understand why belly dancing to non-belly dance music can get on people's nerves: it's the principal of the thing. For a dance art that originated in the Middle East, it must seem almost cruel and disrespectful for one to dance to music that is not of that same origin.

Personally for me, it's about "throwing my weight around" so to speak. Even though I mostly practice to Arabic/Middle Eastern music, I often find myself coming up with choreography to Latin/ Afro-Latin music. . .I can't help it!!:dance:
(In my defense, I've found that a lot of Latin and Afro-Latin music has similar beats and rhythms to Arabic music.)

I guess it just makes me think that it shows how creative and open-minded I am about music and different dance styles. Since I'm still a beginner, I think I'll play it safe with Middle Eastern music if/when I start performing. Then after I become more comfortable with the dance, I'll start shaking things up a little more with my routine:D
 
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Shara

New member
I am afraid I will belly dance to anything! I just can't help it! I'm listening, trying to keep still, then some body part starts moving to time and before I know it, I'm dancing.... even to bagpipes or banjos! So I guess I am very very guilty!!!! (Blushing)
 

Belly Love

New member
I keep my style safely in the seventies where all I have to do is wash it regularly and braid it whenever the wind blows. It comes in fashion every ten years or so which works well for me. :cool:

:lol:

You should check out Dahlena when she next comes back to Chicago. She does this with her hair just like this perfectly. And her dance style as well - yalla! :clap:

I googled her- yup, hair is a bit 80's but more of a refined version- much more tasteful.
 

~Diana~

AFK Moderator
LOL Oh I am so guilty of this. :lol:

me too! Then again it depends on the style of dance you are doing. Egyptian and turkish to nonbellydance I can see as being a no-no. However my style can get away with dancing to non-bellydance music. Then again there are some songs that I just face palm to.

My biggest pet peeve is when you can see dancers or the lead dancer mouthing the up coming movements! There was a performance a few years ago where the leader of the dance troupe actually spoke out the next movement that even the audience could hear. She also turned around at times to tell her dancers where to stand!
 

Daimona

Moderator
My biggest pet peeve is when you can see dancers or the lead dancer mouthing the up coming movements! There was a performance a few years ago where the leader of the dance troupe actually spoke out the next movement that even the audience could hear. She also turned around at times to tell her dancers where to stand!

:lol: Obviously, they haven't practiced enough (and the teacher/leader have forgotten to do it without speaking out loudly)! :lol:

I have been tempted to speak out what comes next a couple of times with my group, but so far I've resisted. If I'd been in the back row behind someone doing wrong steps, I've followed the person in front to make it look like it was supposed to be like that. ;)
 

LadyFatima

New member
I'm not sure if this counts as a performance pet peeve but I know that it personally irritates me when I've heard of people, usually males, commenting on belly dancers and then saying things like "Oh man, she's hot. . .maybe I can book a belly dancer for my/my buddy's bachelor party":mad:

It just irritates me when people compare belly dancers to common strip teasers. . .because from my understanding NO self-respecting/professional belly dancer would ever agree to perform for an all male audience.:rolleyes:
 

Darshiva

Moderator
I have - I have a lot of male friends. They also know what will happen to them if they make derogatory or sexual comments about bellydance. ;)

I wouldn't take a bachelor party booking though, that's just asking for trouble!
 
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Greek Bonfire

Well-known member
I'm not sure if this counts as a performance pet peeve but I know that it personally irritates me when I've heard of people, usually males, commenting on belly dancers and then saying things like "Oh man, she's hot. . .maybe I can book a belly dancer for my/my buddy's bachelor party":mad:

It just irritates me when people compare belly dancers to common strip teasers. . .because from my understanding NO self-respecting/professional belly dancer would ever agree to perform for an all male audience.:rolleyes:

Irritates me to no end. And then you get these "fans" on Facebook who think we are fast and loose, and they start up the chat option with "hello baby - you look hot in your bellydance costume." Really sets my teeth on edge :mad:
 

shiradotnet

Well-known member
And then you get these "fans" on Facebook who think we are fast and loose, and they start up the chat option with "hello baby - you look hot in your bellydance costume." Really sets my teeth on edge :mad:

I have a simple solution to this. I accept "friend" invites only from people whom I know to be dancers. I make exceptions for musicians and accept them if I actually know them.

When I receive a "friend" request from someone whose name I don't recognize, I visit the profile. If it's obvious from the profile that it's a dancer, I'll accept. Otherwise, I ignore. It's an excellent way to avoid getting friend requests from skeevy men. It's also an excellent way to minimize dealing with spam and malware that spreads through facebook.
 

Amulya

Moderator
What about pet peeves about things that happens at our own gigs, for example: when you gave them a CD with clear instructions, they still manage to play it wrong, or even use another CD.
One thing that pissed me off badly was at a gig in Bulgaria where the DJ kept talking over my music. I had no idea what he said :( it seemed positive but it is sooooo rude to do that.
 
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