As Printed in the Quarter 4, 2004 Issue
of The Belly Dancer Magazine
And Now… A Word From Our Sponsor - - - Part 2
By: Sian Lane
I think the most exciting thing about dancing at belly dance festivals is the atmosphere. You know when performing at one that the people in the audience truly love and appreciate the dance. They love the best of the dance. They love the worst of the dance. The look. The feel. The joy. They love it all. From base beginner to seasoned pro, those smiling faces sitting in the chairs are there because they are devoted to watching the dancers, dance.
Summer is fast approaching and the hafla, festival, gala, shindig, jamboree, bash, party, fair, back-yard family reunion - dance gig season is fast approaching with it. For most of us dancers, it's the busiest time of year.
For us sponsors, it's also the toughest. All of our laboring over flyers and mail-outs and dancer registrations and vendor sign-ups and web up-dates and revamping formats and address list up-keep and dance spot line-ups since last summer are coming to fruition. THE BIG EVENT! (For years, we called ours 'the damn festival'.)
Everyone wants these events to go smoothly. From the big wigs to the little guys. Everyone wants to enjoy what he or she came for.
And with that smooth-rolling, enjoyment-filled, let's-all-have-a-great-time idea in mind, I give you the second edition of 'walk a mile in my sponsor moccasins' wisdom. Or, how to brown nose big-time, part two.
Showing up. This may seem like a really stupid point to make in an article, but I assure it's not. I've seen this happen many, many, many, many times. (Did I mention I'd seen it happen many times?) At our event. At other events. A dancer commits the crime of a NO SHOW (gasp and Snidely Whiplash music here).
Now, to do this kind of atrocity is just plain rude. Not to mention presenting an extremely unprofessional demeanor. It's like flashing a billboard size neon sign saying 'I HAVE NO RESPECT FOR OTHER PEOPLE'.
Even if you are not a 'professional' dancer, you are attending and/or performing in a professional venue, so please act accordingly. A phone call, an e-mail, a fax, pass a note, lipstick on the mirror, pony express, it doesn't matter how… in this day and age of easy communication at your veritable fingertips, it's impossible to believe that you couldn't be bothered to let someone know you wouldn't be there.
Yes, we all have emergencies, and I pre-forgive anyone for not showing up when there's a legitimate crisis. But a snagged fingernail, or that you woke up with a pimple on your chin doesn't constitute a catastrophe of epic scale. Babs have danced while pregnant, with stitches, through surgeries, with depression, arguments, with kids hanging on our skirts, with casts, and on bad hair days. You can too. The only legal excuse in our troupe for not dancing is a broken eyelash. Period. (And haven't we all danced through that! Guys disregard that statement).
Up until a couple of days before the event itself, you can always call or e-mail your sponsors. If they aren't there, leave a detailed message. Make sure whoever takes the message spells your name correctly and has a current phone or e-mail for you. Poor Mr. Sian has tried very hard to learn the spelling of some of those Arabic names, but he's hopeless at it (I love him anyway). And I suspect many other spouses; children, neighbors and pets are too. So make sure you spell your name out letter by letter. Make the respondent read it back. Double check that they got your number correct. Oh, and if you get a machine? Be clear and concise. Spell your name and repeat your phone number twice. Speak slow and clearly. Garbled messages are just as frustrating as no message at all.
Two reasons for this nit pickin' process.
We may need to get in touch with you to confirm any information that you left. It's essential that we know who you are and what we are doing with your dance spot. There have been cases where she said, he said, I assumed, and the whole process went in the toilet. Kind of like a game Campfire Whispers. And wasn't that dancer unhappy with the results? You bet. Try to be clear.
And…we usually have lots of candidates in backup mode, just chomping at the bit for an opening to fill. So be kind to those on the waiting list. It's nice for them to be notified as soon as possible, so that they can get their dancer crap together. Get their music recorded (if they haven't already done so), pick a costume and put their face on.
On the day of your scheduled performance, you may have to try another couple of methods.
A message hand delivered by a friend that is attending the festival or hafla might be a good idea. Or, look through your confirmation paperwork for a cell phone or contact number for one of the sponsors. Or, worst case scenario, look in the phone book for the number of the facility itself. Someone there may be able to get a message to the sponsor or stage crew.
Please do not just not show up. Doing a 'no show' will not curry favor with anyone, and YES, we do keep names.
Checking in.
Somewhere on any application or registration or confirmation, there will be a check-in time prerequisite. Make a note of that sponsor's time needs and plan accordingly.
It's simply imperative that we know you are there. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Check-in time is also the perfect time for you to catch up on anything that may be happening with us. It's a good time to give us your music and make sure we have your introduction. The closer to your performance time it gets, the more stress gets involved. You lose your ability to think of what you wanted to say about yourself, your fingers start to shake and you can no longer stand on one leg to get your cover up, up.
Sponsors on the other hand, start to panic if you haven't checked in. And because they haven't heard from you, they may even start prospecting for someone to fill your time slot. (It's not like there ain't any dancers around at these do's or anything.) Nobody wants that to happen. You lose your chance to show off that incredible new costume, your credibility, and the sponsor loses faith in you.
Checking in is also pretty simple. You walk up to whoever has the job at the moment. Give them your name and dance time. Drop off your music and intro. Answer any last minute questions. Or ask some that you might have… and, ta da… you're done. How easy it that?
The check-in time for our festival is one hour before your assigned time. That's pretty normal for most events I've attended and danced at. The sponsor is then aware that you are on the grounds, and you have lots of time to go change and shellac your hair into place.
Besides, showing up well before your dance time shows that you are supporting the other performers. Gives you tons of time to schmooze, and of course, that all-important extra time consumer… shopping, shopping, shopping.
We also ask our performers to be dressed and back stage fifteen to twenty minutes before their scheduled performance time. That way, there is no question of where you are, or if you're ready. It also saves us a ton of running around (bad for the sore tootsies) and abandoning our post in search of you. We also freak out pretty easy. Don't mess with our heads, please. It can also help prevent the unthinkable… and the following is a true story. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.
"And now, ladies and gentleman, please welcome the lovely, lovely Stardust", Miss Sian the announcer woman says. Much clapping ensues and exotic music flows out over the grounds. "Hey, Mr. Sian, I'm gonna run to the little girls room."
Wait (as I'm half way to the loo)… why is the front row waving at me? What are those people in the audience saying? There's no dancer on stage? WHAT???? OH-MY-GAWD!!! True story folks. I introduced an empty stage. It wasn't pretty.
Being prepared for time inconsistencies.
This is a big one kids. Five minutes seems like such a tiny little thing, until it's five minutes of dead air and empty stage. Then it seems like a truly monstrous thing. Lemme tell ya, it's something that rivals Godzilla.
Boy, does this relate directly to behaving like a professional. As I said before, even if you are not a professional dancer, remember you are performing at a professional venue, and should use conduct befitting the occasion.
And if you are a professional?
Of course you checked in one hour before your dance time, and are already aware of any preceding problems that may be happening with the performance schedule.
Of course you were dressed and ready to perform twenty minutes before your time slot, backstage, present and accounted for, AND prepared to deal with any and all schedule problems.
Of course you are warmed up, geared up, ready and willing to step into your professional dancer shoes and do whatever the sponsor requires to keep the show running smoothly.
Why it just makes sense. You are a trained professional after all.
Here's another true story…
Miss Sian is stage-managing at a big belly dance event. Informing everyone that checks in we are running about fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Hmm, I see coming quickly up on the schedule a well-known, seasoned and supposed PROFESSIONAL dancer who has not checked in. Does anyone know if she is here? No? Now it's getting way too close for comfort to her dance time and still she has not checked in. Show is still running ahead and I have no way of knowing if she's aware of the situation. I go looking. And looking. And looking. Finally, I spy her sailing in the door with her entourage in tow and buried under costumes.
'Oh, Miss Nightingale… we are running fifteen minutes early. Can you be ready? oh…my mistake. You can't possibly (said in droll Mimsy voice) be ready to go on a single second before your assigned dance time? Yes, yes… I know…(but can you even be ready by your dance time?) uh-huh. Ah, I see, all your devotees are coming at that specific time to see you perform (and not one nano-second earlier, mind you) and you can't possibly go on any sooner. Yeah. Okay.'
Very professional. NOT!
Now, here's how many things I can spot in this tale that smack of the dreaded and incurable 'I am queen, bow to me' syndrome.
First, her thinking that she was so important, she didn't have to check in.
Second, not being prepared for any glitches in that thar time thang.
Third, not being present at any other time but her dance time to support any other dancers.
Fourth, that people will only come to see her.
Fifth, and if they do come, they will cruise in the door at three seconds to lift off, be able to push through the crowd, to the stage area, find a seat and enjoy the performance. Not possible.
Sixth, it just isn't professional behavior, darn it.
Seventh…I totally lost respect for her, and well gosh, I wanted to spank her (see, I told you we take names).
And, just so's ya knows, the very next 'superstar' was ready to go waaaay early, backstage and waiting quietly. She went on without a hitch and managed an outstanding performance - to a packed house - fifteen minutes early. (Take that Miss Nightingale.)
I guess there might even be a number eight in here somewhere too.
The sizeable festival, any event like it, or even the littlest hafla is not your own personal showcase (unless of course, you are the featured performer). It's someone else's big shebang. If you want to be queen and star in your own one-person Broadway production… put it on yourself.
Try to be anti-outrageous with your demands. Otherwise, you get tagged as the hard-to-please, you-know-what!
So, to re-cap this edition.
Show up, or at the very least try to get in touch with someone, somehow.
Check-in at or by any appropriate time deadline. Or, at the very least try to get in touch with someone, somehow. (You seeing a theme here?)
Be prepared mentally and physically for time inconsistencies. I think maybe just be prepared for anything would be applicable here. So many things can happen at a festival that no one can pre-determine everything. Use your belly dancer noodle.
And on that note, I will say adieu for now and start on part 3.
Music!
