PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

• Introduction
• When You're Not in Costume
• Preserve the Mystique
• Collecting Tips
• Smoking & Drinking Alcohol in Costume

• Body Language
• Grooming
• In Conclusion
• Related Articles

Far too many people still think belly dancing has something to do with stripping. And they're not entirely wrong. The Middle Eastern dance performances at the 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago became incredibly popular because they seemed deliciously scandalous to a society which squeezed its women into corsets. The popularity of those performances and the publicity caused by the surrounding scandal led Vaudeville entertainers of the early 20th century to create their own variation, which was known as burlesque. Eventually, burlesque led to the entertainment form known as striptease.

Today, modern-day Oriental dance artists (also known as belly dancers) are still fighting the question, "Isn't that something like stripping?" when they tell people what they do. As a dance community, we find ourselves confronting this all the time. It becomes even harder for us when some of our own dance colleagues do things that The General Public thinks are tacky.

Are you classy or tacky? Your clothing and behavior can make a big difference in how people view you and your dance. Here are some thoughts on how you can gain respect of your audience members, employers, and fellow dancers.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Kaylyn Hoskins, Solon, Iowa.

Sometimes you deal with the public when you're not in costume. You may be visiting a nursing home before the day you're scheduled to dance to examine the performance space. Or maybe you're calling on a club owner to interview for a dance job. Or maybe you're having a business meeting with a videographer you're hiring to produce a video. It's important to be "in character" as the beautiful professional dancer even in these situations.

Whatever the occasion, whenever you're conducting belly dance business, even if wearing everyday clothes, you are still seen as a representative of this dance form. If you show up for these meetings in a stained shirt and tattered blue jeans, you will leave the impression that you don't care about your appearance. A prospective employer will conclude that you probably will look ragged even when wearing the costume.

So, whenever you will be appearing in "normal" clothes but identifying yourself as a dancer, make the extra effort to look just a bit special. Wear a nice shirt with slacks, or a dress, instead of wearing a T-shirt with blue jeans. Put on just a bit of make-up even if you don't normally wear it. Style your hair attractively, and pay attention to your grooming.

It does take extra effort to do these things, but it will pay off in the level of respect that other people pay to you.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision Productions, Glendale, California.

Don't stand around in full costume before your show, chatting with audience members. Wear some kind of cover-up: a nice caftan, a flowing full-length cape, a long coat, or similar wrap.

Part of the impact of your opening dance is the effect of your wonderful costume. There's something magical about exotic music, theatrical make-up, unusual lighting, and a wonderful costume all working together to make your first impression. If the audience sees you before you dance doing mundane things in your costume like chatting with friends, much of that impact will be lost.

After your show is done, change back into attractive "normal" clothes before you reappear. Pat your face and cleavage with tissues to remove perspiration or runny make-up. Your image of glamor or goddess will be lost if you come out to chat with your audience while beads of sweat run off the tip of your nose and down into your cleavage.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision Productions, Glendale, California.

It's usually okay to:

• Pose for pictures with the guest of honor after you have performed for a private party.
• Grab an audience member's hand when pulling him or her up to dance with you.
• Touch your audience victim's hips with your hands in an attempt to make him/her try to shimmy them.
• Teach a line dance in which everyone is holding hands, including you.

However, it's generally best to avoid physical contact with audience members, especially if you are dancing in a place where alcohol is readily available and some audience members are likely to be drunk.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by William M. Smith, Iowa City, Iowa.

There are some things you should never, never, NEVER, NEVER do, except in private for your special partner!

• Never place your breasts on either side of a bald man's head and then shake them.
• Never shimmy your breasts in a man's face.
• Never sit on an audience member's lap, not even when posing for pictures, even if you know him. (The rest of the audience won't realize that you know him, and they'll think you're trying to seduce a stranger in public.)
• Never engage in openly seductive behavior while dancing, such as licking your lips sensuously, doing vigorous forward-and-back pelvic thrusts, or twirling your hair around one finger while undulating directly in front of a specific audience member.
• Never make "porno faces" in your performance.
• Never point your knees toward the audience when doing a backbend.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

I do hope that when you perform your fingernails and toenails are clean and neatly shaped, your hair is clean and attractively styled, and your clothes are free of stains and odors. I hope your costume is in good condition, without looking tattered. I also hope you know why this is important, even for student dancers.

In most professional gigs in North America, audiences expect the dancers to either have hair-free armpits or to have the armpits covered by the costuming.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by William M. Smith, Iowa City, Iowa.

Unfortunately, too many members of the public already think belly dancing is sleazy. When we parade around in costume where the public can see us before or after we perform, or smoke cigarettes while in costume, we reinforce their belief. It doesn't seem fair, but it's reality.

So, if you want people to respect you when presenting yourself as a belly dancer, it's not enough to look and behave like an ordinary everyday person. You need to be just a little more tasteful, a little more ladylike, a little more glamorous than a "normal" person.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Pixie Vision Productions, Glendale, California.

• Public Perceptions: A Double Standard. Explores why the public accepts some rather sleazy portrayals in Broadway shows as good entertainment yet stigmatizes belly dancing.
• A Dance by Any Other Name. Is "belly dancing" the most appropriate name to use for this art form?
• Dear Shira: What About Collecting Tips When I Dance? Shira responds to a question about tipping from an aspiring performer.
• Tips & Tricks for Collecting Tips. Ideas on how to accept tips in a classy way.

• Oriental Dance: A Dance for the Whole Family. Explores the societal role Oriental dance has in the countries where it originated.
• Dancing to Distraction. Do you want your audience to appreciate your dance skill, or to be distracted by other things? Here's a playful look at how to keep the audience focused on your artistic presentation.