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Public Perceptions: A Double Standard - Page 5

© Shira

Educate, Educate, Educate!

Whenever possible, incorporate announcements into your show that explain the family- and community-oriented history of Oriental dance. Most audience members erroneously assume the dance started as a tool for seducing the Sultan. If you're not familiar with the story behind this dance form, please see A Dance For The Whole Family, also here on Suite101.

Admittedly, some people will continue believing whatever they want to believe no matter how many times you tell them the truth about the place this dance form holds in Middle Eastern society. However, many people enjoy learning a little something new. Offer them information about the story behind the dance, and you'll soon build respect for the dance in your community, one person at a time.

Emphasize Family Fun In Your Shows

If you like to recruit audience members to get up and dance with you, focus your attention on the women and children in the audience. It's okay, of course, to invite some men to dance with you too, but emphasizing women and children will defuse the sexual innuendo.

Is Tip Collecting Really A Good Idea?

Maybe the patrons where you perform stuff lots of money into your costume that you desperately need to put food on your table and clothing on your back. Or, maybe the best you can hope for on a given night is $5 or $10.

If the place where you dance doesn't generate much tip money anyway, then why even bother collecting tips? Why encourage strangers to stick their fingers under your clothing?

And if the place where you dance does generate a lot of income for you in tips, maybe you could re-think how you collect them. What about carrying a basket with you to receive them?

I was recently watching a rerun from the second season of the television show Sex and the City. There was a scene set in a Moroccan restaurant. It showed just the waists and hips of 2 or 3 dancers clustered around Mr. Big, with disembodied hands doing snake arms in front of his face as he crammed bill after bill into the center front of their belts. Later, as he and Carrie left the restaurant, he made a comment about stuffing all his $20 bills into the belly dancer's crotch. Would you want one of your audience members describing you that way?

Preserve Your Aura Of Mystery

Some dancers like to greet the patrons after their shows. This can be charming, if you say things like, "Thank you for coming tonight," or, "I hope you enjoyed the show." But how you do this can make a big difference in the lasting impression you leave with them, so please be careful.

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