The Bellydance Blog
Learn, Share and Discover With This Bellydance Blog
How to Tip a Belly Dancer
How to Tip a Belly Dancer
The question on the appropriate way to tip is one I decided to devote an entire blog article on because of all the misconceptions and varying answers associated with this practice. I am one of the most strict dancers I know when it comes to my policy on how to accept tips, but before I explain my method, it is important to share a little cultural insight. You see, in the middle east it is customary to tip your belly dancer for putting on a spectacular show. Often times the money is given to her in a couple of ways:
1) By placing it directly into her costume/ accessories
2) Throwing it over her dance area or above her head in a money shower
Unfortunately the extent to which a dancer allows her clients to place tips on her costume has different interpretations. I rather not go into detail but with some “belly dancers” it can get darn right raunchy! The good news is that these are almost always not professionals. The majority of real professional belly dancers will allow body tipping only in the form of bills being tucked into the sides of their belt or into their accessories. Bra tipping is still used by some (it is up to the dancer) but I am strictly against it personally.
Opposed to the norm, I only allow tipping in my hand or in a money shower. Clients have often asked me why “said belly dancer over at another restaurant” allows them to tip her in the bra and I don’t, and the answer is simple….we are not in the middle east. While I see nothing wrong with the practice of generous clients body tipping a dancer, I am here in a country where it is not part of the regular custom or culture to have a belly dancer. While belly dance has been highly embraced here, I find that many times clients base their tipping perceptions off of movies, t.v. and other often inaccurate and misconstrued representations in how to tip a performer. “This is NOT a strip club”. I do not want anyone to touch me in any inappropriate area and I find that working in Orlando (Florida in general) with a myriad of cultures and customs, the best way to prevent those situations in general is to just not allow body tipping. For that reason, I will happily accept your tip by hand only or as a money shower. In very rare occasions if the guest is quite elderly or under the age of 5 I will allow them to place their tip in my armband.
While some of my clients are middle eastern, they too must uphold my standard even though it is part of their culture to have a belly dancer. While it can be a bit disappointing for them at first, they soon see that it is still fun to tip me by hand or in a money shower. It is just a simple sign of respect that I maintain. I do want to not offend any of my clients from varying parts of the world so strict adherence to this is appreciated. About 99% of my clients and their guests display appropriate behavior but that 1% is enough to make me always be wary of my space and safety.
How Not to Tip Jennifer
A great spin-off to this post (and based upon actual accounts mind you), is for me to explain a few ways NOT to tip me. It is rare when these happen but if I even hear these requests I simply will walk away or have someone escort the person out of the establishment. Plain and simple. So here it goes:
1) Placing the bill in your mouth and asking me to grab it out using my mouth!
2) Placing a sweaty bill on my forehead
3) Sneaking up behind me and trying to place a bill on the back of my belt or costume bra
4) Acting like your about to hand me a bill and then pulling it away as I reach my hand
5) Deliberately placing the bills on the floor and expecting me to go pick it up
Hiring a Belly Dancer for your Orlando Wedding, Birthday, & More..
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.
Let’s Get a Few Things Straight!
It happens to all of us at one time or another…getting hit-on by a client, a stranger asking us to marry them, or the occasional “I bet if you go on one date with me, you’ll want me forever”. How about NO! Oh boy, where do I start? One common and annoying misconception about belly dancers is that we are eternally single i.e. not married or in an actual SERIOUS relationship. Now while some belly dancers are single out there that does not mean they are all over their clients trying to get dates! I personally, am happily taken. In fact having a partner in life who supports me has to be one of the most fulfilling and wonderful things to happen to me. Just because I belly dance and make people dance does not mean that I am flirting, cheating, or anything ridiculous of that nature. I am a true professional who is putting on a fun and appropriate performance for my guests and nothing more. I am writing this blog as a thank you to all the men in belly dancers lives who “get it”. Who know that this dance is nothing erotic in the correct hands. For the men who are more of a man than any others because they trust in their women and support their business smarts and independence. This is to thank our partners who come with us to private events, parties, haflas’, and pretty much everything else, because they know it will make us happy and they make sure we are kept safe.
I have met so many fantastic belly dancers who have had boyfriends who did not support their entrepreneurial decisions, choice of belly dance career, or in fact, made them feel demeaned for being professional dancers! It is terrible, I have experienced it in the past myself, and it is due to insecurity. When you find the right person, all those false and negative misconceptions simply disappear. Having the right partner makes you feel more confident and secure in your own career, and provides a support like no other.
So please, no more random calls, texts, e-mails, etc… from you single men! I have a boyfriend who I adore and cherish and in no way will I or any of my girlfriends out there with the same issue ever jeopardize the fantastic men we have in our lives. While I can honestly say that I love to be told that I look beautiful when I am wearing my regalia, it by no means gives any authorization to flirt with me. This girl is taken, and thank you to all the loves in women’s lives for supporting us in what we do and!
Belly Dancer Jennifer & Her Love
Celebration Hafla!
amazing people who have supported Jennifer and her passion for bellydance. Ten amazing dancers will be featured who have exemplified what it means to be true bellydance sisters in a sometimes dramatic industry.
Who: Hosted by Professional Bellydancer Jennifer of Orlando and featuring ten surprise dancers
When: May 22nd, 2011 (Sunday)
Time: Act I 5:30pm-6:10pm
Intermission with games and raffle
Act II 6:30PM-7:10PM
Where: Takis greek & Italian Restaurant
13761 US HWY 441. Lady Lake, FL 32519
ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF SEATS ARE AVAILABLE!
Tickets are on sale right now through PRE-ORDER ONLY.
Tickets are $5 each and children under 10 yrs of age are free.
Please contact Jennifer to order your tickets and reserve your seat.
Tel: (407) 247-1097
E-mail: [email protected]
Join our Facebook page: Celebration Hafla
What Goes Into a Show?
- 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.
A Lesson in Class
Salsa is salsa, burlesque is burlesque and ballet is ballet…each is a very different discipline. Fusion is a wonderful thing, but I am always asked by clients why some dancers are more eroticized than others and it is precisely due to the decisions of what they fuse together. A dancer with a strip aerobics background is VERY different from a belly dancer with classical or modern dance training. I hope that clients and audience members can take a critical eye and educate themselves to see the difference in order to make the right choices when hiring a professional for their events. If one is looking for a tasteful, family friendly belly dance artist, it is important to research the performer and ensure they have the style pallet you are looking for. It can make the difference between a poor/tacky display and an elegant and spectacular show.
Welcome to Bellydance By Jennifer!
Hello everyone and welcome to my new website www.BellydancebyJennifer.com! After years of contemplation, I finally felt ready to design a site that would be user friendly and showcase my work. The years 2006-2010 marked a turning point in my career as I worked to bring my career to new heights and expand my knowledge and skills. I finally felt ready to officially begin my own company Bellydance By Jennifer Inc. in 2011 and show not just Orlando, Florida but even my friends internationally, what I have been working so hard towards. I specialize in providing Orlando, Florida and beyond with tasteful high quality belly dance performances for weddings, birthdays, corporate events, and community events. I also provide beautiful and user friendly web design, as well as high end couture belly dance costumes.
Thank you for all who have supported me and made this site possible, and a special thanks to Maurix from Orange Pixel Designs who made my web design a reality. So now I implore you to please go ahead and explore the site, and your feedback is always welcome. Enjoy!
Have You Seen It? “Sh*t Belly Dancers Say”….too funny!
For those of you who did not see this on Facebook or Bhuz, here is a little something I made with the help of my fellow friends. It is called “Sh*t Belly Dancers Say” (forgive the naughty word reference). This is actually inspired by last months huge “Sh*t Say” videos craze that scoured all over YouTube. It is super cute and funny! If you are not a belly dancer, no worries, there is some lines of text to help decipher a couple of things. 🙂 It gets better the more you watch I promise.
So enjoy and please share with your fellow belly dancers, friends, family, and anyone else who might get a good laugh from watching our quirky yet so true ways. Special thanks to Zana, Kristina Nazario,Lacey Sanchez, Najmah Nour, and Shawna for the help and input 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGtowhykA_E&feature=channel_video_title
Belly Dance Documentary. Must See!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPgFTOnQR1E
What NOT to Say When Hiring a Belly Dancer!
Last week this Orlando Belly dancer was on Facebook ,rummaging around, when my curiosity was sparked by a Youtube clip called “I Want to Hire a Belly Dancer”. I viewed it and oh my…kudos to the individuals that made it because it perfectly showcases the epitome of the ignorance that we dancers sometimes come across. I know that not everyone is a belly dance expert out there, and that is fine (that’s our job), but that by no means allows it to be right for individuals to act as if it is acceptable to ask us some very unacceptable things!
*Please note this is not directed to my fans, past clients, or friends…this is just a rant about some of the ignorant callers I have had in the past (I turned down performing at their gigs) and a hilarious video I came across that I think we belly dance lovers will enjoy!*
American cinema and the “cabaret shows” of the olden days definitely made a lasting and partially negative impression of the view of belly dancers and it has been difficult to shake the stereotype to say the least. NO… professional do not gyrate on the floor! NO… we do not jiggle our posteriors in men’s faces! No….I will not dance for free or for some cheap amount at your private event! No… I will not try and pick up your husband when you turn your back. No…I do not take off my clothes!
It is so frustrating when I get calls from strangers asking me to perform at an event where they will also have strippers, or where they want me to meet them at some hotel room (EEEEWWW but I seriously got calls like this). Come on Now!
With the advent of Youtube, belly dance websites, huge belly dance forums, belly dance superstars, even Wikipedia for goodness sakes …there is no reason that if you wanted to at least acquire the true facts about professional belly dancers that you would not be able to. My colleagues and I are working hard to change public perceptions (one person at a time). The stereotypes are getting real old, and there is a lot of really GOOD things happening by PROFESSIONAL belly dancers that should erase any feelings otherwise.
Yes…your children can dance with me. Yes, I only perform at family functions and corporate events. Yes…I have taken extensive training in this art form. Yes….I am in a relationship. Yes….I do this as a profession and it has been the best thing I ever did. Yes…I am smart (in fact I am working on two degrees) so do not speak to me as if I came from under a rock upon calling.
Ignorance happens that is fine, we have all been ignorant at one time or another (especially as little children). The questions we dancers sometimes get though are preposterous! You would not ask your lawyer or accountant these sorts of questions so do not do it with us! If you have a question try to look it up, call a dancer (but ask her in an appropriate manner please), or watch a historical documentary. Sometimes ignorance is NOT always bliss.