What would your dream belly dance event be?

Jess

New member
Hey all, this is my first post in the forum. Don't worry though, I've been visiting it for years for advice :)

I started a belly dance student organization at my university in Milwaukee, WI. Every semester we are given grant money for events, and it can be quite alot if we do it right.

So, pretending as if the sky is the limit, what would be the 'ultimate' event you would like to attend? And by 'event' I mean a weekend-long experience of workshops and shows.

Our student organization is ATS/Tribal but personally I would like to see some diversity regarding the talent we bring in. Thanks for the help!
 
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shiradotnet

Well-known member
So, pretending as if the sky is the limit, what would be the 'ultimate' event you would like to attend? And by 'event' I mean a weekend-long experience of workshops and shows.

Evening shows that people have to audition to be in that feature professional dancers. Okay for these to feature a variety of dance styles.

Two tracks of workshops, opposite each other - one for newer dancers, one for more experienced dancers.

A "festival stage" which any event participant or troupe can sign up to dance on.

A "lecture room" featuring lectures by leading dance researchers. If you do it right, the same person could do a lecture at one point in the weekend, and do a dance-oriented workshop at another time during the weekend. That way, you can save on travel expenses.

Some sort of "social time" such as a cocktail party when participants can gather to socialize with each other, or maybe an after-party following the evening shows.
 

Jess

New member
Wow, Shira, I am a little starstruck....I go to your website all the time! Now, back to business :)

I really like the idea of a cocktail party and lecture room, I haven't thought of that.

Evening Show Questions:
For the professional shows, should we have one or two?
Is there anyone you can think of in particular that you really enjoy watching?

Workshop Questions:
When you say 'workshops opposite each other' does that mean that they should be simultaneously occurring, or staggered?
Are there any workshops you recommend for belly dancers?

Lecture Room Questions:
I have never been to a 'lecture only' workshop, are there any good ones out there?

Oh, and feel free to recommend yourself ;) Thanks for all the help over the years.
 

Darshiva

Moderator
A lot of instructors do lectures - Shira and Morocco are two US examples. I believe a lot of Egyptians do lectures as well, the one I can think of off the top of my head is Dr Mo.

As for pie in the sky festival wants I like Shira's suggestions a lot, so to them I'll add:

Workshops on specialised areas of dance such as stagecraft, choreo-writing skills, specific folkloric genres, costume design & alteration, etc. A lot of the time it's prop of the week, prop of the week, guest teacher, prop of the week. Unfortunately my ideals are rather pie in the sky because what actually sells at festivals is the latter. ;)
 

Dunyah

New member
I get excited about opportunities to study with instructors from the cultures. Karim Nagy is brilliant and can also do lectures. Amel Tafsout is another who also does lectures. Leila Haddad is also wonderful.

A show with live music would be fabulous.
 

Salome

Administrator
To Echo/expand Dunyah... More feature on music! We need much more of this in our events. Live music for performance. Also, some workshop topics teaching dancers how to hear, relate, understand music...
 

Samira_dncr

New member
Evening shows that people have to audition to be in that feature professional dancers. Okay for these to feature a variety of dance styles.

Two tracks of workshops, opposite each other - one for newer dancers, one for more experienced dancers.

A "festival stage" which any event participant or troupe can sign up to dance on.

A "lecture room" featuring lectures by leading dance researchers. If you do it right, the same person could do a lecture at one point in the weekend, and do a dance-oriented workshop at another time during the weekend. That way, you can save on travel expenses.

Some sort of "social time" such as a cocktail party when participants can gather to socialize with each other, or maybe an after-party following the evening shows.

Dang, Shira. I'm so excited because I've nearly met your requirements for your ideal event. :)
 

Samira_dncr

New member
Workshop Questions:
When you say 'workshops opposite each other' does that mean that they should be simultaneously occurring, or staggered?

I think that she's suggesting that they run concurrently. This gives the newbies something to do and allows the experienced dancers to delve deeper into their coursework.

Lecture Room Questions:
I have never been to a 'lecture only' workshop, are there any good ones out there?

I know there are many fabulous lectures out there; however, I've found that they don't "sell" very well. As long as you are using grant money...go for it. But if you need to find another way to meet your expenses, lectures tend to be small. If you can find a small lecture hall with minimal expense, you might be in good shape.
 

shiradotnet

Well-known member
Wow, Shira, I am a little starstruck....I go to your website all the time!

Nice to "meet" you here on OD! Glad you like my site!

Evening Show Questions:
For the professional shows, should we have one or two?

It depends on whether you think your event will be attended by enough professional-quality dancers to fill two shows. Also, on whether you think you can recruit enough volunteers to help with all the logistical stuff (managing the sound, the lighting, stage management, etc.) for more than one night.

Is there anyone you can think of in particular that you really enjoy watching?

If you have workshop instructors, they would be logical performers to include in your evening show.

Workshop Questions:
When you say 'workshops opposite each other' does that mean that they should be simultaneously occurring, or staggered?
Are there any workshops you recommend for belly dancers?

I was thinking simultaneously occurring. Something "easier" for newer dancers opposite something more challenging for more experienced dancers.

Lecture Room Questions:
I have never been to a 'lecture only' workshop, are there any good ones out there?

Um, me! :lol: I have several to choose from:


Oh, and feel free to recommend yourself ;) Thanks for all the help over the years.

Thanks for putting up with me little promo!
 

Stephanie

Member
I would like to learn as much as I can. Since I'm new and don't know anything, just about any workshop/event would be helpful to me. I just hope it's local (Northern California) so I don't have to travel too much, spend hundreds of dollars on airfare, etc. Although I'll travel if the reason is good enough. :)
 

Safran

New member
A lot of great ideas have been given already, but I would like to elaborate a bit on the "social time" that Shira suggested. In addition to a social event, I would create a place throughout the event where people can hang out, talk to each other etc. In many events it is the vending/bazaar area where people can also buy food or drinks and spend their free time between workshops. I think one of the great values of attending events is to get to know and chat to other dancers.
 

Jess

New member
Wow, guys, it's amazing how many of you are helping me along! This is amazing. Here is the current list of 'wants' boiled down:

Show:
Professional evening show with LIVE music
Festival ‘participant’ showcase

Lectures:
A "lecture room" featuring lectures by leading dance researchers. Keep it small.

Social:
Cocktail Party
After-party
Vending Area where food and drink may also be purchased

Workshops:
Beginner and Advanced workshops occurring simultaneously
Specialized Workshops on specialized areas of dance such as stagecraft, choreo-writing skills, specific folkloric genres, costume design & alteration, etc.
Also, some workshop topics teaching dancers how to hear, relate, understand music...

Now that I have the basic wants from the belly dance community...I'm going to break it down into parts (shows, workshops, etc). Should I create a separate thread for each part or keep it on this one? Thanks so much!!!
 
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