Community and social networking.

Current  thinking tells us that online marketing is the only way to do it since no one under the age of 75 reads local papers these days.

Whilst Facebook and Twitter are "social" networks they have become powerful community and business networks too.

This year I paid close attention to the dynamics of marketing within the Bellydance community I am part of on FB.

Most of my Bellydance peers advertise their studio shows and workshops by creating a FB event and inviting all those they think would be interested (or sometimes everyone on their friends list). They will also share the event on their wall and post it in any groups and fan pages they are part of related to dance.
FB is set up to inform your friend list when you click "join" on the invite page, which means you'll be inadvertently advertising your friends event. After you've RSVP'd you can also invite others to the event and share it on your wall, creating even more advertising for your friend.
  I noticed that a few dancers said they'd be going to all events (thus advertising for their friends) whilst others don't respond to any invites at all, even for events they were performing at. 
Some dancers share their friends events whist others never do.
Posting events on people walls without permission is generally not well received.

So should you or shouldn't you share?

It boils down to how you use Facebook - Is it a personal platform you use to connect with friends and family far away? To express your deepest thoughts and desires? Post funny pictures of cats?

Or do you actively use FB to connect with your local dance community?  (If you're anything like me its all of the above)

If its the latter - then yes you probably should.

Why? Because Community is built on reciprocal support.  What does that mean? Community, at its base, is the relationships shared by a group of people connected by a common interest. Relationships are successful if there is equal give and take between those concerned.

I'm not saying you need to fill your wall with every event, or page you're invited to, nor do I think its possible for us all to attend every show or workshop on offer.

I'm suggesting we shine a bit more light on each others talents.  I'm hoping the success we wish for each other might reflect back on us that little bit.

Some of you are probably reading this and thinking "well that's all very nice but its not good business practice to advertise for the competition"  If we were all selling apples Id agree with you.
If we believe our own advertising we are each presenting this art form in its many facets of style, technique and mood, where each dancer brings something of her own to the stage - certainly not apples and apples. Really, we predominantly learn from and perform for each other.  Art isn't created in a vacuum.

May 8 2012 - If you've read this and you follow my posts on any social networks you may be wondering why I don't practice what I preach?  Well - I began to feel like a lost, lonely cheerleader - ra ra-ra-ing away all to myself in my corner.  Though I shared most event info on my own, my troupe and my business pages, the favour was not returned or acknowledged in most cases.  Although I have in the past bought tickets for and attended shows and workshops hosted by most of the teachers in my area, my own shows have not been well attended by the community.
 I don't really know what to make of this, and have tried (kind of unsuccessfully) not to take it personally. 
Now?  Im unsure how to proceed in being a proactive community member having seemingly failed in my attempt to illicit change by creating an example... sorry 'bout that Gandhi.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world."

Mahatma Gandhi

Self Critique

If you are anything like me, you view video footage of your performances with equal parts of glee and dread.

My own view path is - obsess about how fat I may look, obsess about how moves I thought were fabulous look like nothing and obsess about how I made such and such mistake at this or that point.

I'm more inclined to be obsessing about mistakes in choreography with my troupe. Because I'm more inclined to be making errors there.  I don't learn choreography easily. It takes me a very very long time, which must have been a tedious pain for my past teachers, and my students! Sorry guys.  This is quite frustrating because I even do this during my own choreography's. My deduction, that I made the mistakes because the choreography's of my teachers didn't flow in a way that made sense to me is nullified by my oopses in my own!   I've realised that if I run through a choreography without doing all the moves properly - this fumble through is what I present - not the real dance as it was intended.

For an Improv performance I find that I fall into patterns - hip drops anyone? What's interesting about this is that I don't think of hip drops as being my favourite move. They are so well installed in my muscle memory they are now the go-to move...where I go-to too often.
I will see that I'm not executing some movements as clearly as Id like, pops and locks look like gentle slides and lack oomph, or travel steps and turns lack the energy I was trying to convey.
I might see that I've developed same bad habits, I had no idea that my arms had sunk to waist level. since this is a pet peeve of mine, best I sort that out! Elbows up!
And posture - whats going on with my posture?  And of course there are moments of WTF was THAT? 

I may be being overtly critical of myself.  I may not be. these things I'm picking out are important aspects of how Id like to represent my dance.  I ask myself - is what you were trying to convey being seen.  Is the cheeky mood you hear in your music visible to the audience? Or are they so underwhelmed by sagging posture and half done moves that that goes right over their heads? Wheeee!

How I looked - Make sure my costume looks and feels great from all angles so I don't get a surprise malfunction on the night or in the dvd. Remember that film adds on 5kgs, for future reference....
Lacklustre moves - practice - every time I drill it must be with a consistent intensity, so that the isolation's are clear and clean every time I perform them.
Choreography Mistakes - practice,  being confident in the choreography will mean I'm less nervous and if I'm calmer I wont fluff up.  Focus, being right there in the performance instead of in the head of the nearest audience member who's face shows they don't get what you're doing or the really excited lady stage left who's whistles and howls of enjoyment are trying to distract me from what comes next in the dance.
Stretching beyond the go-to - practice again, if I need more variation I need more moves that come to me naturally in the heightened adrenalin heavy performance state.
WTF Moments - I suspect that there will always be some of these in my Improv. :)

I realise that I'm beginning to sound repetitive - practice practice practice and more practice.

Aside from the technical aspects of looking at what I need to work on in my dance. I find it quite emotionally draining. I look at my work and think - you know nothing! And with that comes intense feelings of  sadness and disappointment. Ive found the quote below to be of some comfort:

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others"
— Martha Graham

Syncopate 2 - The gathering

The first weekend of spring begins bright and sunny - I start my day by ironing some silk veils I hope to sell at Syncopate , Johannesburg's only community based bellydance event. Which features many other dance styles. I'm looking forward to meeting dancers from all over South Africa.

The hall is already set up when I arrive at 9am, organisers are busy adding the finishing touches to the decor.  they've had to change their plans somewhat drastically as the stage cant be used because the resident drama group has neglected to remove their set from the stage - rendering it useless for dancers - despite having a month's warning and repeated requests to remove it. Drama Queens

My stall gives me a great view of the hall and dancers begin to arrive to attend the workshops on offer.  I'm a bit jealous as my workshop fund had to go towards buying a new microwave - I'll have to wait till Amira decides to do another sword workshop to figure out what to do with the thing other than wear it as a hat.

I get to meet quite a few facebook friends for the first time and I sell some of my old stock.  My profits are quickly chewed up by the food stalls and the mehndi Artist at the stall next to me.

The day flows by quickly and soon dancers begin to arrive for the evening show, which starts almost on time... not due to late dancers but to late guests.The most memorable performance for me was the Classical Indian performance by 6 dancers 2 of which were tiny 4 or 5 year olds. They performed with precision and grace exactly like the older dancers. I admired their dedication.

There were, flamenco, tango, bollywood, sword, fire, hip hop, greek and bellydance fusion, ATS, folk and cabaret performances from beginners, professionals and hobbyists of varied skill levels.

Sunday is a little quieter - though no less fun my Mehndi stall neighbor has been replaced by a tarot card reader and his partner selling angel cards and esoteric books.The smell of yummy samosas and incense waft through the hall.  We are performing in tonight's show and my preperformance nerves begin to appear.  This show features different dancers and styles from the night before, I don't get to see as much of it as Id like as the hall is full and I have to peep round the corner of the doorway. We are in the last last set so I have lots of time to build up the nerves.  Happily this time I don't make any big mistakes and we get a nice round of applause. The show ends with drummers and the dancefloor is filled with dancers and audience members happily wiggling with joy to the beat.

Highlights - Dancing of course! - and the Classical Indian dancers, getting to visit with my bellydance friends, meeting dancers from outside of Johannesburg, seeing so many great dance styles, costumes and performances.
Lows - not having the stage, though everything works well in the end the stage would have have allowed more movement in the hall, as once it was full there was no way to get to the food stalls at the back or for dancers to get to the few available seats on the other side of the hall.

Was it fun?  Yes it was!  Should you go next year? Definitely!

Playing Favorites

"Who is your favorite local dancer and why?"

What an interesting question.  Everyone has their pet peeves and things they wish their fellow dancers wouldn't do but what about the positive side of that?

I love watching performers who are IN the performance.  Ones that are giving everything to the performance. What does that mean?  Its not that easy to explain, the best I can do is that they dance like they mean it!


I go into raptures watching dancers with lovely technique - dancers who's performances showcase this art form's intricate controlled movements with seemingly effortless grace.

I'm enchanted by dancers who really dance to the music, as if it resonates from their bodies instead of somewhere outside of themselves.

I enjoy watching a dancer take a prop and make it her own, like an extension of her self.

I'm very taken with group choreography's where there is interaction between the dancers, where they move as separate parts of one entity.

I respect dancers who stick at it, working hard to improve, grow and learn.

I like dancers who aren't interested in pulling other dancers down.

I'm all for dancers who treat themselves and their audience with respect

I adore dancers who pay attention to their costumes. No self advertising intended : ). The costume is the very first thing the audience registers, it  (sometimes more than the dance) represents the level of commitment to a performance.

I'm happy to watch dancers who exude a joyous kind of confidence.

I'm glad to know dancers who don't see every meeting with another dancer as the time to roll out their CV.

I think its great when dancers take the time to understand the origins of our dance.

I'm delighted that there are so many dancers interested in creating a thriving dance community in South Africa.

And lastly, I have a soft spot for dancers new to performing finding their feet on stage, The shift that happens when they realise that they are enjoying themselves up there, that all the hard work has culminated in this 3 minutes.  What I love most about these dancers is that they got up there in the first place.

The Leap

In my work I get to meet dancers from all aspects of the bellydance world from beginners to professionals who've been performing for over a decade.  I also meet women who have stopped dancing or are thinking about ending their love affair with glitter and sequins.

These are the dancers I'm thinking about more and more lately.  They tell me that after many years of dancing they are looking for something "more".  They tell me their teachers focus on choreography and nothing else.  They have the basics and all that's on offer now are slightly more complex choreography's. They are looking for "more".

Sometimes they are blaming their teachers for not going deeper into their art. They want more moves, more intricate combinations, more personal attention.

The missing link - The Leap that needs to be made has several bounce points.

  It is reasonable to expect a few people in an art class to be naturally talented, some who are not as gifted will work at their chosen field in order to get the results they want, others will decide on a less demanding hobby. Bellydance is advertised as a dance that is natural for women's bodies, sure, in it's original form as a folk dance it can be danced by anyone.  The difference between a folk dance and a performing art is vast.  I'm not saying that only natural dancers should take bellydance classes, I'm saying that we shouldn't advertise it as a dance anyone can do when in reality it is a complex art requiring much hard work and practice to master, as well as being loads of fun.
 
A teacher gives the students the paintbox, she gives them a colour by numbers picture to paint when she shared her choreography's with them.  The next step is for them to create their own art using the paintbox they have.  Some students attend workshops with other teachers hopefully adding colours to their set.  There is no magic colour that will make a students dancing suddenly amazing. The magic colour comes from the student herself, dancing in class once a week isn't going take you to the next level, depending on your natural ability you may become better over time, but once a week practice is not enough, specially if that practice is choreography focused without drills, musicality and expression lessons.  "The key to effortless dance is consistency in your practice" - Rachel Brice

Creativity is the brightest colour in the box, but the paintbox doesn't come with it automatically installed. Without creativity you are not an artist. Your teachers cannot hand you creativity, this you need find on your own.  What is the key to unlocking creativity?    Be like the child you once were and allow yourself the freedom to play with the palette you have, do this in the same way you did then - without judgement.

So what am I rambling on about anyway?   It is is up to you and you alone how good or bad a dancer you are. It you feel your teacher isnt covering what you want in class, book a private lesson or find one who does. If you want fancier combo's - make them up yourself. If you want fancier moves - master the basics so that you can effortlessly be creative with what you already have.