A Belly Donsah, a snakechamah wants to busk!

[Yo Ahn Na]

Yes, I'm a belly dancer who wants to busk. Been dancing 6+ months, am terrified/Ecstatic!!! about it all. Have danced at parties and a Bazzar. Any girls offering suggestions for safety and/or success are thanked Very Very much!!! OK guys too. Please! signed Yo <><

ps I'll try and attach a pic but I don't know how yet so if you want to see my costume, you can go to tribe.net (please forgive me for mentioning another site) and search Yo Ahn Na

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

Welcome. A lot of your questions have been answered here http://www.performers.net/library/index.html take a look. Best of luick.

[Yo Ahn Na]

belly donsah

Thank you for noticing me so soon. I looked at the library yesterday but then again after I saw your post. There is some really invaluable stuff in there! Did I say that right? I mean, it's Awesome! Yo <>< ps Happy Easter!

[Peter Voice]

Belly-dancing can work very well on the street or at festivals fairs markets etc.
The dancers I've seen usually have a rug they use to define their space and one girl I hired once for a fest in Melb. worked with a drummer. It's loud, colourful and has, of course, lots of beautiful movement. Lots of work on your costume will be well worth the effort and expense as it's integral to the spectacle. If you work with a drummer or have a friend along for security/comfort, a costume for them will have real value too.

Good luck with it. I've always thought belly-dancing is a great street show and have never figured out why there is not more of it happening.

[Pokie-Poke]

I drumed for a frend of mine who wanted to try it and yes it works a charm. bring a frend or 2 as ther is safty in numbers. lots of fun.

[jeep caillouet]

belly dancing

Key west has a lot of out door bars and there is a girl that goes around and dances in all these bars using hula hoops. She wears belly dancing outfits , and does quite well. Good luck and have a lot of fun.We also had Chris and Amy dancing poi(hope I spelled that right). They used drummers and they drew some of the biggest crowds ever,every nite at mallory square. I think they are working Pearl st. in Boulder now.

[Pele]

Peter, it doesn't happen alot because alot of people/business owners still very much regard it in a negative light.

Women get defensive, men get assertive.

It's interesting.

I've done it for 15 years now. Not only having the rug to define your space but also a friend to sit at each corner. The closer to bars, the more difficult it is.

One of the biggest things about street performing as a dancer is to not get too involved in your dance/choreography that you don't have fun with the audience. Be flexible if you do choreographies, know how to freestyle and be comfortable doing it. Draw the audience it.

Usually starting with a good zagarheet and something upbeat pulls them in. Teach the audience to zagarheet, the proper way to tip a bellydancer (have a friend start it), stuff like that.
If you use anything delicate, like wings or silk veils you'll want to have a spare set and not your best one for street. Check your local laws for swords. We got dinged on that once by a cop (but since we were hired to be there, we got away with it. If we were simply show up and busk, we would have had it taken away).

Costumes. Shiney is captivating. The jinglier the better. Careful of black if it's a sunny day and make sure that metal bits aren't in the sun long (learned that the hard way!). Make sure that the costume fits well. I've seen families pitch fits over dancers with the dreaded double boob and hip belts that drag the rest more southerly (this was in a city I was visiting and saw dancers on a pitch).

I use snakes when I dance and that is a whole 'nother busking issue.

The other major advice, and someone will try to cross it, don't let anyone tip you in your belt.
It sets a *horrible* presendence that is hard to break from.

Good luck and hope this helps!