Joining A Belly Dance Troupe: Is It For You?

After taking some beginning belly dance classes and spending time at home working with an instructional video, you may be wondering how to become more involved in the dance. One option may be to join a troupe. But is it right for you, and how do you go about it? Here's the scoop on troupes.

What Is A Troupe?

A belly dance troupe performs as an ensemble rather than as a series of individual soloists. This may be done either through presenting memorized choreography or through "group improvisation" (follow-the-leader).

The three most common types of troupes include:

• The Student Troupe. A student troupe usually forms when a teacher's intermediate-level students have learned a few different choreographs and now want to perform them together as a group. They adopt a name and a common costume, and start arranging performances at community festivals, nursing homes, and other unpaid venues. Although she may invite input from the members, the teacher usually makes the decisions regarding troupe costume, membership qualifications, rehearsal schedule, etc.
• The Social Troupe. A group of friends who know each other from classes or local belly dance events band together to form a dance company. Their primary aim is to spend time together enjoying their common interest in the dance and getting performance experience. They usually have more performance experience than the student troupes, and may successfully get booked for some paid appearances in addition to the "charity" gigs. Social troupes often run as democracies, in which decisions on costuming, rehearsal schedule, membership qualifications, and other rules are decided by a vote or consensus discussion of the members.
• The Professional Troupe. Truly professional troupes are rare because most people aren't willing to invest the time and effort required for a professional presentation. Whereas student troupes and social troupes often practice only about once a week, a professional troupe seriously rehearses 5-10 hours a week or more to achieve that polished effect. A professional troupe is usually run by an artistic director who uses an audition process to select members and makes all decisions regarding choreography, costumes, etc.

Why Join A Troupe?

Most people join a troupe because they have discovered they really enjoy belly dancing as a hobby and they want to become more involved. There is rarely any real opportunity to make any money through belonging to either a student troupe or a social troupe. Troupe membership usually leads to the following rewards:

• Growth As A Dancer. When first learning to perform, many dancers find it easier to overcome their stage fright when they have several other people on stage with them. Performing the memorized choreography or following a more experienced dancer's lead in group improvisation helps them learn how to assemble the movements learned in class together into a complete dance. It's easier to face the inevitable bloopers when a group of friends is at hand to offer encouragement.
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