The time change has come along, and the days are beginning to feel warmer. Spring is here and what better way to celebrate your birthday, wedding, or corporate event than with a sophisticated and professional belly dancer! Although I belly dance full time in Orlando, from Spring until the end of Fall I get numerous calls asking me to perform all around  Florida and beyond to add an exciting touch to your special day. So why hire a belly dancer for your wedding, birthday and, special event? Well, it comes down to a few common reasons:

 – You want to add a unique and fun performance that will break the ice and have your guests up dancing
 – You would like to give a nod to your cultural background with a classy middle eastern performance
 – Your sick of seeing the same old routine at every wedding/birthday and want to stand out and be remembered
 – You have seen me perform, think I am fantastic, and were looking for an excuse to hire me right away!

The list can go on and on but when it comes down to it, the decision to hire a professional belly dancer really boils down to the fact that someone wants to make a lasting impression at their event. It does not matter what your cultural background (in fact I have performed at many non-middle eastern events) belly dance adds a unique twist to your party. Whether you want to surprise the birthday boy/girl, challenge the groom with a dance off at the wedding reception, leave your Quinceañera in awe, or have your co-workers laugh hysterically as your boss attempts to do the shimmy, a high end belly dance performance can make your special day remembered forever. Whether it was something as simple as bringing a smile to a nervous Quinceañera face or a bride’s laughter from getting her father-in-law up to dance with me, it is a day to celebrate and I want to help you make it unforgettable.

What will you Perform at my Wedding?

I get this question all the time and here is a quick breakdown of what a belly dance show for a wedding includes: (Birthday packages are similar)

– A grand entrance with Isis Wings or  veil maybe even double veil
– An upbeat track to get the guests eager to dance
– A beautiful balancing act with either sword, or a candle tray
– A dynamic drum solo to captivate your guests
 -To finish it all off (I specialize in getting the party started) I end with a fun song where everyone can dance and get familiar with the dance floor.

More specialized packages are available if you would like an original choreography to perform or a fun idea for a bridal shower. If you would like more information about hiring an Orlando belly dancer for a wedding, birthday, or other special event, please visit my Hire page and you are more than welcome to watch my performances on my Videos page.

• Gas– It just keeps going higher doesn’t it?
• Car Maintenance– My car is one of my most important assets, if it is not up to shape I cannot drive anywhere! As a belly dancer I put in about 24,000 miles a year driving to all my venues and events.
• Tolls– Those get higher every year as well.
• “Renting” Costumes– All my costumes are high end Turkish designer duds or from my self-made line. All in all, that leads to big $$$$ being spent to make a big impression. Every wear of a costume depreciates its resale value (like a car). In fact we are  “renting” a costume every time we use it.
• “Renting” Props– the same basic idea goes for props as it does costumes.
• Custom Music Edits– Hello software! Music editing software costs money and so does every single song we must buy that is not easily available on popular music sites such as I-tunes. Many of the most amazing songs I use have taken months of research to find, and are in languages not familiar to me, so that is a part-time job in and of itself.
• Custom CD– I never use the same cd twice! Every event is different and I make sure to custom tailor my cd’s to fit with the requests, and event type I am performing in. I would not play Shakira in a traditional Greek wedding party if you know what I mean.
• Education/Training– This is the one huge difference between professionals and non-professionals who call themselves “professional”. Non-pro’s have had minimal if no training in this beautiful art form and it is apparent in their skill set. The dance is the first and foremost matter of importance to become a professional. You can have a beautiful costume, but if you dance poorly, it will not compensate. Like Doctors, Lawyers, and other serious professionals, we spend hundreds if not thousands per year on workshops and training alone to ensure we stay on top of the trends and maintain our abilities. Just a one weekend intensive runs $300-$500! Looking at my schedule alone, you can already see that this takes up a big chunk of my time and earnings, much like college tuition would for a student.
• Workshops With the Masters– I spend hundreds if not thousands every year learning from the belly dance masters at workshops held all around the Florida State. This is the top way to maintain technique and keep up with the trends. These are imperative to growing as an artist and making my shows better and better every year.
• Photo-shoots– All those beautiful photos you see in our galleries, marketing, and business cards….let me tell you, those professional shots did not happen for free! Photography is an essential part of this business and lets you the client know what we look like NOW. Each costume change is an additional cost on top of the photographers fee (and we rotate costumes frequently). Overall each professional photo-shoot runs $450-$600. Take that with the fact that we professionals do a photo-shoot once to twice minimum per year and you will see how quickly the numbers add up.
• Business Cards– an essential part of any business.
• Website– between design, encoding, maintenance, renewals, and etc…that’s $$.
• Advertising/Marketing– I have to make sure I reach out and sustain my business
• Makeup– performance makeup costs considerably more than normal everyday wear makeup and the fact that it has to be sweat proof also adds a nice chunk to the bill.
• Jewelry– the icing on the cake, one looks to bare without it.
• Seamstress– Dancing full time causes constant weight shifts, and seamstresses are pricey. This is the only way to ensure though that our costumes stay on securely and do not detract from the show.
• Chiropractor– In my particular style, sharp movements are commonly utilized, and over time causes much wear and problems in the back and leg areas. Visiting a chiropractor at least once a month is essential to my professional health.
• Hair Upkeep– One might say “that’s not a necessary expense” but boy that couldn’t be more wrong! Could you imagine me coming to a venue looking great head to toe but with a frizzy hairdo? Keeping my VERY long hair clean, neat, and healthy is a process, and takes thousands of hours of my time per year.
• Expensive Fuels for Fire Performances– These fuels are becoming more popular as more fire performers are appearing, and so the price has continuously gone higher and higher.
• Performer’s Insurance– This is an extremely important factor! This is my way of protecting myself and you in the event that some unforeseen circumstance causes an accident. This also is proof that I am knowledgeable and experienced in this craft.
• Studio Rentals– If you want to take a class or workshop at a studio, rent must be paid to the owner by the hour and it is not cheap.
• Cleaners (only way to really clean a costume) – Costumes (due to their rhinestones, exotic beads, and sequins) are not something you can just throw in the laundry with the rest of your clothes. Especially since these costumes usually cost between $500-$1000! The fabrics used often time trap odors so the use of a professional to steam clean of dry-clean your garment is a must in order to not ruin the beautiful detail work.