Such a thing to say, we all know any audience is a good audience! This article is about how to be a better audience when it comes to seeing a Belly Dancer. In America (and I'm sure elsewhere as well) we are trained in 'audience politeness' from an early age; meaning, we sit quietly and calmly with our hands folded in our laps, and we applaud when the show is over. Well, for the most part, Belly Dancers prefer something different! By reading this you'll come to understand the what/why/how-to be the best audience for a Belly Dancer you can possibly be!
First of all, don't be afraid to look. Belly Dancers are fully aware that all eyes are on them, and have to be comfortable with that fact long before they ever step on a stage! If the dancers eyes come across yours, smile. Nothing is worse than an angry, sour or pensive facial expression to make the dancer wonder what happened to you that day, causing you such visible pain. Belly Dancers especially interact with their audiences, the give and take of energy and emotion, so enjoy it! Secondly, CLAP AT WILL. Whenever you see the dancer execute what appears to be a difficult move, or if there's a particularly attractive portion of her dance you admire, please feel free to start clapping along with the rhythm or beat or even just applaud. If it is a slower portion of the music, clapping is still fine, although this is the time in her show where she is feeling the music internally, she may not even be much aware there is applause! This goes for vocal encouragement as well! Which bring me to Zhaghareets! If you are capable of this wonderful trilling of your tongue (against the roof of your mouth) please indulge! For some, it starts as a zhaghareet and becomes a 'woo-hoo!', which is fine-the more you practice, the better you'll get at it! I know we're not talking about the time I danced at the Tweeter Center for the KISS concert (gotta love the Camel cigarette promoters for their Turkish Gold cancer-sticks!) but a hoot or a holler is very welcomed! Vocal encouragement is rather traditional for the drum solo portion of a show, where the dancer is demonstrating her stamina and skill in a very overt manner, perhaps with a choo-choo like hip shimmy on her toes, traveling around herself or the room. While is a Greek environment you may hear shouts of "Opa!" in Egyptian Arabic Clubs you might hear "Aiwa!" which translates to YES. Perhaps you'd like to tip the Belly Dancer. I'd much prefer a lively audience to a well-tipping audience, although quite often they are one in the same! (See also my article on Tipping Etiquette ) Never mandatory, there are a variety of ways to achieve this, depending on the venue. Get off your tush and dance with her/him! I cannot speak for all Belly Dancers here, but in my travels and teaching I have met many a dancer, and haven't heard of one not enjoying a dance partner on occasion! Obviously if the dancer is on an elevated stage or in a concert hall it's probably not a good idea (sometimes the result of Tee-many Martoonies!) but in a restaurant or nightclub, the dancer will usually give a sign or straight out ask. If you desire, it would be OK to get up and dance with the dancer while tipping when she is dancing in your vicinity, during an upbeat section of her music. This is just a summary of ideas, and your suggestions are always welcomed, and rest assured that just by showing up to support your local Belly Dance artist you are being a fantastic audience as is! |