As the years have gone by, the weddings I perform for have shown one consistent trend, and oh is it beautiful! Over and over again I am booked by brides and grooms who are from completely different cultural backgrounds. It is wonderful to see how love crosses borders and enrichment it adds to the mix here in the United States. When couples call me to have the top Bellydancer in Orlando perform at their transnational wedding, I couldn’t be happier.
Since I began performing at weddings in 2007, figuring out how to showcase the beauty of Middle Eastern dance and allow it to also honor my client’s background has been a formula I strove to perfect. After trial and error, I have had much success for many years with this, and over 95% of my couples have been happy and the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.
So how do I do it? How Do I perform belly dance and then flip it over to a completely different genre effortlessly? I won’t give all my secrets away but here is what I can tell you…
- Music Choice Needs To Be Perfect!
When I have a transnational wedding I begin by asking my bride and groom about their heritages. What customs and favorite songs do they have? What colors do they think of? Were they born in that country and lived there the majority of their life or are they 2nd generation?
Based on the answers I tailor the music so that it is 60% – 70% belly dance music and 30% – 40% songs from my couples respective countries. With over 9 years of music collection and counting, I have a pretty impressive collection that is neatly organized by country and even regional dance style within it! The OCD is very helpful in these scenarios jajaj.
In the event that I do not find a song from one couple’s side that I feel I can pull off using bellydance (Irish music, Russian club music, country), I will always alert my bride and groom and select music from the other’s culture. It is important that as the performer I feel I can mesh the two seamlessly into my show, otherwise, it will look odd.
The vast majority of the time, I have a collection my couple enjoys and they make their suggestions as well. It is a beautiful medley of music.
- Colors and Props
Prop and color selection is also highly important. In some culture, the color white alludes to death while in others it is tied to marriage. I am acutely aware as a top bellydancer in Orlando for weddings, as to what colors various cultural backgrounds like for their celebrations and make sure to wear a tone that works for both!
Prop selection also plays an important role in my shows as some cultures like props that reference more militaristic themes while others have a long history of loving certain fabrics. For example, if I have a Japanese bride, I will often utilize a dance with silk veils or fans in my show as the culture really values silk and the elegance and flow it exists. If her groom is from Iraq, I will utilize daggers or sword as daggers are a part of traditional dances and customs there.
When you hire a top bellydancer in Orlando for transnational weddings like me, the experience and knowledge and level of skill are what you are paying for. How many bellydancers out there have actually studied so many regions so deeply? Taken the time and money to invest into this at a high level? The answer is very few. This is what has led to my huge success over the years.
If you would like to hire this bellydancer in Orlando for your wedding, please contact me today and make sure to visit my wedding reception page here while you are at it.