The Bellydance Blog
Learn, Share and Discover With This Bellydance Blog
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!
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