Tips for preparing a performance - Music considerations

In the last blog where I talked about seeking out performance opportunities, I mentioned that you could start preparing ahead of getting an actual okay to perform... and I also mentioned that I would write a blog about tips... so this is it. I started writing this post at first, thinking that I would cover a bunch of different tips but then I had so many things to say about music that I felt like it will be better served by putting music as its own post (other tips to follow in a separate entry).


This post (and the following one) won't be delving into being artistic and all that but do keep that in mind anyway. It will be more "Performance 101" type.

Picking out the music is obviously an important step. And one that sounds so easy... yet, you'll find that it's not. Here are a few guidelines that may help.

Duration
Generally speaking, solo spots in shows nowadays have a 5-minute maximum duration allowed. It varies from shows to shows. And, heck, it's now often being shrunk even more. So you want a piece that will be maximum 5 minutes. If you will be doing a group piece, the max nowadays will vary between 7-10 minutes. If you are doing ATS/ITS, a good rule of thumb will be about 1 minute per the number of dancers. So, say, if there will be 6 dancers, a piece that is about 6-7 minutes will be a good one.

Keep it short
You don't have to fill in the maximum time allotted. It's actually a very good idea to leave people wanting more! What's more: you need to be able to sustain it! When you are a new dancer, you will be surprised at how quickly your energy will be sapped out in performance. So you want to keep it short enough that you'll be able to sustain the stage presence and energy level for the duration of the piece. For newly starting performers, 3-4 minutes is again a good rule of thumb.

And I speak from experience on this... My very first solo was like 5 minutes long. I'm pretty sure that my energy level wasn't constant throughout the whole thing. And, man, was I tired after it. My 2nd solo was like 2:45-3 minutes. I forget how long exactly. The energy was much more constant. Since then, I've been hovering in that range from 3:30-5 minutes, generally, going on the lower end (so between 3:30-4). And it's not like I don't have the stamina to do more: I dance 12-20-minute sets at Greek Islands without any issues. Anyway, I'd rather do 2 shorter pieces than 1 long one. More from a 'not boring the audience' point of view than anything. ;)

If you will modify the music... do it well!
If your piece is too long and needs to be cut or you want to put a few pieces of music together or tweak the music however you feel, use a good software to do it and spend the time to do a good job. I've heard countless times bad mixes that make me cringe. It sounds so amateurish. I don't care what your actual level is, you don't want bad editing in your music to detract from the performance. There are a number of people in any area who will be good at it or you may have a DJ friend (or someone who knows someone): don't hesitate to ask for help instead of doing a bad job yourself. I took the workshop with DJ Amar at TF 10 that was about editing music in Audacity. It gave me lots of tips and tricks on how to do it... and made me realize how time intense it can be if you want to do a good job at editing the music.

Oh and while we're on the topic: if you will use more than 1 piece, consider using a software to put them together especially if the show asks for an mp3 version. The main reason for that is that you are much better off sending 1 file than multiple files that risk not being put in the correct order (even though you will have told the person in charge what order to put them in) or being cut short because the person in charge of the music at the show ends your music before the 2nd one pops or there's too much time (or more than you wanted) between the pieces b/c of the equipment used to play the music. Or other reasons... anyway, it's safer that way. Come to think of it, even if you will be providing the music on a CD, it's safer that way too... for some of the same reasons.

The "Performance Ideas" Playlist
You may end up having a ton of ideas of music that you would love to perform to... yet when comes time to pick some music, your mind goes blank. That's why a 'performance ideas' playlist on your iTunes (or whatever else you use) is a good idea (and if you don't have music in mp3, you can make a list on paper or in Word). That way, you can go in, review the pieces, and pick one from the list... or not. ;) But it's at least a starting point!

The music needs to move you or at least make you move
So, when choosing music, it obviously needs to move you. That's obvious, right? What we mean exactly by 'moves you' is stir something inside of you. It needs to create a response. It will usually be a feeling that you'll sense when you hear it (e.g., joy, happiness, contentment, torment/sadness/despair [for the dark inclined]) or it could be something like 'beauty'. Whatever response you have is what is going to make you connect to the music. And that's very important.

Now, when in a group setting, not everyone will react exactly the same way to the music so keep that in mind. We're generally striving in ATS/ITS for something that will make you want to move. Your hips won't stay still when you hear that music. And that's another way to connect with the music. It will also generally make you feel something... it just may not be at the same depth... or it may.

You need to REALLY like that music
In the course of practicing, getting ready, and knowing your music inside out, you will have to listen to the piece over and over... ad nauseam... so you need to really like it enough to listen to it enough. It may happen after a performance that a music is 'burnt'... i.e., you don't want to EVER listen to it again. In the early days of Black Rose Caravan when we were still choreography-based, there were a few pieces that ended up creating this response in us. And, even with the best intentions, it can happen. But do make sure that you can listen to the music back to back to be able to go through the whole process. ;)

Sometimes, you just have to pick!
At times, you will have 20million pieces that you feel like doing because they all sound amazing to you. That's both awesome and overwhelming. Then you just have to pick one. Just like, in the morning, you end up picking one outfit out of your wardrobe, you may need to just pick one. Now, if you know the venue and the theme (if there is one), this may help dictate your choice. But if you don't or there's no theme, then you just have to choose. And, believe me, you don't want to delay the choice for too long. I've been guilty of that many times and then ended up in a time crunch. So just pick one... you can always do the other ones later (make sure to put them on your 'performance ideas playlist').

So... you want to perform...

You've been taking belly dance classes and want to do *something* with it... how do you go about that?


Ask around!
Most shows will have a 'call for performers' but sometimes there won't be. Back when I started doing solo work, actually, calls for performers were relatively rare. So I would ask the hostess if I could participate into the show. Yes, I was inviting myself. It feels odd at first but it gets easier the more you do it. Most importantly, just remember: what's the worst that they will say? They'll say no... that's it. No harm done. No worries.


Performance attached to workshops
Just know that there will be performances that are attached to workshops... so they will require you to take the workshops (either all of the workshops or a predetermined amount) for you to participate in the show. Apparently, it's not like that everywhere but it definitely is in the Midwest. So don't be surprised if you get a reply that states that.


Don't forget Haflas and World Music Nights!
Let your hair down haflas where people just show up and there's like a DJ or an iPod on random playing or you can bring your own music and dance are few and far between. But ISAMETD hosts them every now and then. And maybe Carenza will again once she's back in town (hint! hint!). ;) But those are excellent low pressure moments when you can perform.


Also, remember that we are very lucky to have il Troubadore who do the World Music Nights once a month. It's not a performance like being on a stage... it's actually better! You get the experience of dancing to a live band, in front of an audience that's right there. Most people around here seem to not realize it but, seriously, a lot of people I know would kill to have this opportunity. Anyway, it's another moment when you can hone your performance skills. Even though it's a different setting, it still very much counts.

Prepare for it... NOW!
If you've been contemplating performing, don't wait until you have an okay to start working on a piece. Chances are, you may get an okay closer to the date than you anticipated and then you will feel like you don't have enough time. Also, there are a number of events now that happen on an annual basis so it's getting increasingly easier to prepare ahead of time. (Note: I will write a separate post on tips and tricks that make preparation easier.) The more you do it, the easier it gets, though. ;)

Am I really ready?
If you are contemplating performing, generally, it means that you were ready to perform some time ago. Our sense of preservation and that negative voice are real good at putting doubt in our minds. My stance is that you hardly can start performing too early. As Tempest often points out, the key is doing the best that you can with what you've got. And I always bring up this example but there was one gal that I saw perform many years ago and she was obviously a beginner student and had a limited number of moves that she knew... but, damn, she did them well and had good stage presence. It was a great start.

Also remember that very few people are natural performers. So this will take time. So you may as well start now. ;)

Record performances
You will want to consider recording your actual performances for 2 main reasons: 1) to see how it actually went and analyze the performance to improve your performance skills; and 2) some shows will require you to submit a video of you performing in lieu of an audition. Since I have this quirk where people forget to take pictures or videos of my performances, I didn't have a video to show for the longest time. So for those performances that require a video, I was hosed.

That being said, one thing that you could do if you really want to put in a bid for such a performance is have someone record you dancing in full costume and all that as if it was a performance but it's in the dance studio or your living room or whatever. I mean, it's not the best, obviously, but it's better than not showing anything.

The dreaded bio/blurb
Once you're accepted in the show, they will often ask you for a bio/blurb that the MC will say or that will be in the program. I nearly guarantee that you will draw a blank. What should I write? Well, you don't have to write a whole lot. I've found over the years that short and sweet will do just fine. I typically write a simple sentence about me (it generally will be "Celeste is a dark belly dance and improvisational tribal style performer and instructor in Indianapolis.") and then add a sentence or two about the piece. That can contain like the name of the song, the artist, etc. or just be about the piece per se. If you need to put something in to bring context to the piece, you can. My stance is that I want the dance to do the talking. ;)

Performance preparation

As I was getting ready for the Ooky Spooky Hafla, I thought that it might be important to blog about performance preparation. I’m talking here about the last minute things that you need to do; I won’t talk about how your piece should have been prepared or anything like that.

THE #1 advice regarding preparation for performing is that you need to be as relaxed as can be! The thing is that performing is very much a mental thing. There is a whole lot of prep that goes before to get the piece ready and don’t forget to do it, of course… but in the last day or so before performing, it should all be about being as relaxed as can be.

Pack your bag
If the performance is out of town, you will want to pack your costume, makeup, etc. Sometimes, even when it’s in town, it’s easier to pack things up. Here are things to include in your performance bag… some are optional:

• Costume – unless you already are wearing it; there usually will still be items from the costume that you will pack like your belt, for example
• Makeup – unless your whole makeup is applied… and even then you probably want some elements of your makeup “just in case” (for example, mascara, eyeliner, eyelash glue)
• Cover up – you can use a veil but, at one point, you want to invest in a cover up that actually covers you up (for example, a kimono, kaftan)
• Hair brush, hair spray, and hair accessories – remember that, even if you did your hair up before the performance, you may want to remove the whole thing before heading home or want to tweak your hairdo
• A personal mirror – you never know what the room in which you’ll be able to change will look like… and even when there are full length mirrors available, there might be a strong competition for a portion of the mirror
• Tampon or pad – you never know…
• Makeup remover towelettes – I have found those especially useful in toning down makeup, especially if I did a crazy-ish makeup first and don’t want to travel with it on my face; and some people can’t stand makeup for long periods of time
• Dance shoes – This is optional and will totally depend on the flooring of where you’ll be performing. I have my infamous Fluevogs that I often wear to get to shows… it’s not just to be stylish… I can dance in them if I need to. ;) So if you don’t know the flooring, make sure to have something to dance in and/or ask.
• Bindi – I often end up putting those on at the venue
• Change of clothes – unless you’re going home straight afterwards but even then we can’t wait to get out of our costumes sometimes after having performed
  

Another tip for packing your bag: if you will be wearing multiple costumes or if you are packing your whole costume to be put on at the venue, pack the items in reverse order of how will put them on. What I mean is that you want to put at the bottom of your luggage your topmost layers (example, overskirt, coin bra) and put at the top of your luggage your first layers (example, pantaloons, choli). If you have to put your costume on while being in a tight space like a small bathroom stall, you’ll be happy you did that as opposed to having to move stuff around in your luggage.

Oh and consider investing in a small rolling luggage to transport your costumes and other items (you can get some dirt cheap ones at Walmart or Target). The advantage of a rolling luggage (besides the whole rolling part) is that it will generally offer an amount of protection from crushing for your items… I’m thinking specifically here of accessories.

Drink plenty! Plenty of water!
You’ll want to drink plenty of water. Sounds corny but, seriously, it’s true. Drinking enough water will hydrate you enough and invigorate you. That being said, you want to monitor your drinking intake (of any fluid) when you get close to show start time… because, well, what goes in must come out. ;)

Bathroom time
I generally do one last bathroom run right before putting on my costume (or right before putting on my belt if I’m mostly dressed up already). And I do this whether I feel that I need to or not… think of it like when you were a kid and mom told you to go before you were heading on a car trip. :p And if you do feel the need to go while you’re all dressed up, just know that it could be the nerves… ;)

Sleep well!
Another corny and self-evident one but the better you sleep, the less nervous you’ll be. Now, of course, first reaction you’re thinking is that you’re too nervous to sleep the night before. What about those other nights that same week? Try to get enough sleep during that whole week. It will be beneficial.

Don’t finish your costume at the last minute!
We’ve all done that every now and then but try to minimize how often that happens. Strive to have all your pieces ready 1 week before the performance. That way, you’ll be able to practice with the full costume at least once but, mostly, you won’t be sewing your fingers off when you should be relaxing.

Hair and makeup practice
Along the lines of practicing with your whole costume, you may want to try your hand at your hair and makeup for the performance, especially if it’s a technique that you have never used before or seldom used. Of course, if you don’t do that, the day of the event, you’ll be scrambling trying to make it do what you want when you are pressed for time.

For this, I will typically pick a weekend day when I have all the time in the world and practice doing all of that. That way, even if I mess up and need to redo or it takes forever, it’s no big deal. You will also get a sense for how intensive and how long it will potentially take you to do that the day of.

To eat or not to eat?
Some performers absolutely cannot dance with something in their stomach so they won’t eat. Others need sustenance to be able to do anything. Generally speaking, you want to ensure that you have eaten enough the day of the performance. Consider bringing snacks for before and/or after if you are in the category who absolutely cannot eat. Just know, too, that it could be your nerves telling you not to eat: you want to have eaten during the day because no one wants to see you faint on stage. Just know your personal limits and don’t let anyone sway you on that: we each have our own metabolism.

To practice one last time or not?
That is another one that is totally a personal thing. I’m one of those who gets more nervous if I practice one last time before hitting the stage. I can listen to the music but I can’t do the moves because that makes me extra nervous. I dare say that the answer to this one is probably the same as what was your answer in school as to whether you should review the material the day of the exam or no. In my case, it was the same thing: if I reviewed the material ‘one last time’, it messed me up more.

Also, if it’s a matter of practicing one last time and getting ready/packing in a crazy fashion because you are running out of time vs. calmly getting ready but not practicing, go for the calm. ;)

Your performance mindset
It will be important for you to figure out what your performance mindset is. What I mean by that is what conditions give you optimal performance potential. And, again, I’m talking mostly mental here... the physical aspects (food, water/fluids, and sleep intake) should have been take care of upfront. From a mental point of view, what gets you ready to perform? Is it peace and quiet? Is it a certain attitude?

You may want to develop some sort of ritual that works in helping you out with this. One caveat to that, though: you don’t want said ritual to be dependent on too many things. Like if you absolutely need green M&Ms with Diet Coke with 3 ice cubes and Nag Champa incense burning, you may be out of luck if you didn’t have time to grab some M&Ms and Diet Coke, there’s no ice machine, and someone is allergic to incense… I’m exaggerating here but you get the point.

In my case, I need to be in a ‘goth club/party’ mindset. As I’m applying my makeup and doing my hair, I put my iPod on random on some specific playlists or artists that get me in that mindset and make me want to burst out and dance. I also need to withdraw myself from the group a few minutes before I actually go on stage. And I will do some breathing techniques as I’m waiting backstage (whatever that may be) for my turn. And then it’s showtime.

I found out what works (and what doesn’t) for me over the years. I encourage you to find your own way doing things. And don’t worry about being ‘antisocial.’ Most other performers will understand the need for you to do your own thing to get into the proper mindset.

What if the conditions are not optimal?
So you didn’t sleep enough, you’re running on caffeine, haven’t eaten since breakfast, and your hair decided to have a mind of its own… or some version of that. Well, you still gotta make do and, in good Tim Gunn fashion, “Make it work!” You can still put yourself into that performance mindset although it will be a tad harder. Mostly, what it means is relaxing as much as you can. When you feel these things happening and a surge of panic, take deep breaths, maybe walk a few steps while just relaxing (maybe grab a glass of water). You can also call and/or text a husband, friend, moral support and vent your frustration for a bit. Works wonders! Again, you want to seek a calm state of mind.

It's Belly DANCE!

I think that there are 2 items that are sometimes forgotten when it comes to belly dance performances: it’s DANCE and but let’s not forget also that it’s BELLY DANCE.

It’s Dance!
I’ve seen a number of performances where the dance is out the door. What I mean by that is that the performance ends up being a mechanical and automaton-like stringing of moves one after the other… it’s almost like exercise on stage.

There is indeed a place and time for the mechanical aspect: that’s in practice and/or in class when you are drilling moves. You do them over and over again mechanically to get the hang of doing the moves. But there comes a time when you need to depart from the straight up metronome version and flow from one move to the other. Definitely, you should follow what the music is dictating and flow with it… not fight against it! And you should be able to do that even without music! I mean, there should still be a nice flow even without the help of music.

For the heck of it, I was looking at the Merriam-Webster definition of ‘dance’ (which is not really helpful, by the way) and it said ‘generally done to music.’ That is, dance can happen without music! You can look at Onca’s 3rd Coast performance from this year to see that. You can also give it a try in your practice. I found that enlightening personally.

In a way, having such defined moves as we have in belly dance is both good and bad. It’s good because it gives you a strong framework to work with. It’s bad because the framework can end up confining you if you let it. Last weekend, I was watching Step Up 2 The Streets and it dawned on me that, in hip-hop, modern dance and all that, while they do have some framework now, if you go back to how it started (or even if you analyze the dance), it’s a flow of moves... of limbs and body parts doing something. (Actually, a strong parallel could be drawn to the early days of belly dance over here before we catalogued it all.)

The point here is to remember that it’s dance and not be too attached to the metronome numbers.

And, yes, it’s applicable to ATS/ITS
While ATS/ITS has a framework that needs to be abided by (more so than other genres of belly dance), you can still flow with the music… or at least you should attempt. We most certainly have slightly modified some combos before for them to fit with the music that we were going to dance to. In general, if you do your homework and do your home practice to the piece you will be performing ATS/ITS to, you will find that some moves/combos will fit better to some music and others you will naturally censor because it just doesn’t work well.

You can also ensure that you start something at the start of a phrase. That will go a long way in respecting the music. You can even slightly customize the tempo of the move to fit with the music. And, believe me, dancers WILL follow you. There are still some rules to follow, of course (like starting the move/combo on 1 and not on 2) but you still have some wiggle room… and that makes the performance so much more interesting.

It’s Belly Dance!
I don’t know if, in an attempt to do something different, to try something more creative or artistic, or for whatever else reason, but there have been performances I’ve seen where, really, it was entertaining, it was dance, but it wasn’t belly dance. If you will label your piece as something that is belly dance, there needs to be more than just 1 chest circle. There is a misconception that the lack of belly dance is only seen in fusion pieces. I’ve seen it in all subgenres lately.

So, although I encourage everyone to be more dance-y, please remember to keep your belly dance movements in… and in control too. You should be able to name more (or show if you don’t know the name) more than one move for your piece. I strongly recommend everyone to assess their piece for this. I do that all the time. I love to mix in more dance-y and flowy items but I always ensure that it’s still belly dance.

Over the years, I’ve seen this debate of what constitutes belly dance on like tribe and other message boards. Well, belly dance, if you notice, will use your core a lot. A lot of the moves originate from somewhere between the top of your chest to below your hips. If these portions of your body aren’t moving much in your piece, you’re probably not doing enough belly dance.

This art form is beautiful… don’t be afraid to showcase it in a dancer’s manner, using musicality and, yes, your core belly dance moves!

Cohesion

I posted already in a previous blog about Synergy of elements in your dance (see http://celestesmusings.blogspot.com/2010/08/synergy.html ). This time, I’m tackling cohesion, which should really have been a first step. Whereas synergy is all the elements working together to enhance the performance, cohesion is all the elements fitting together… i.e., cohesion is the first step and then, if you’re lucky and/or have planned well, synergy will be the next level.

Head scratching
I’ve seen a lot of performances over the years that have left me scratching my head… some of them are downright bad… but, you know, it’s not that often that it’s just plain bad. What happens often instead is that it leaves you scratching your head because the elements individually aren’t bad but putting them together didn’t have a good result. If you’ve ever watched Top Chef, you’ve heard the judges say something like “These ingredients together weren’t working… there was no relationship between them.” So we’re talking about the same principle here.

For example (and not that I’ve seen that specific example…), let’s say you’re using some classical music from the 18th century, wearing a post-apocalyptic type of costume, hair is totally 80s, facial expression is uber upbeat cabaret, and you’re doing some folkloric moves. Okay, this example is really farfetched but I’ve seen some that approach that level of schizophrenia.

Common thread
So you want a common thread throughout the elements. That’s how you can make cohesion work. Again, if you watch Top Chef and/or Project Runway, the critiques will often touch on that. It’s the same thing for dancing. It needs to make sense why those elements are brought in together.

Stand alone piece
And I’m not talking about explaining away why you chose all those elements and how they make sense to you… if it’s truly a good idea, it will need to come out in your dance so that it will be obvious in the piece that you are presenting. It’s getting increasingly rarer that you will get an intro before your piece… and even if you do, they may mess up what you wrote… there are some pieces that maybe would benefit from having a program so you could read about the piece (and programs are nearly a thing of the past... even rarer than the intros)… but if the idea is too intellectual and not enough represented in dance, then it’s not fully developed for the dance medium. Your performance needs to be self-explanatory as much as possible.

Back to cohesion
So back to the original point… and that farfetched example… if you love all those elements, it’s cool… but maybe you shouldn’t pair them together. It would be better to do individual pieces centered on one of the items and run with that thread… explore it in more depth. You’ll be surprised (agreeably so) with what you’ll find!

Discordance
Discordance can be way cool… but the way that this is done the most effectively is when only ONE item is opposite to the rest. It’s a statement when you do that.

Not all concepts are usable
Just a note that not all concepts are usable… there are things that are much better in your head and they should stay there. And it’s a matter also of some concepts, while interesting, may not be usable for your medium and maybe another medium would be better. So it may not be a danceable thing but would make for a great thing to write about… then why don’t you write about it? I’d like to read it!

Just do it!

Part of ATS/ITS is obviously the whole leading and following thing. Following is generally not too nerve-racking (although you still want to make a good effort at understanding the cues and executing the appropriate movement). What trips up most people is leading. I’m not going to talk about exactly how you go about leading (i.e., the technical aspect) but more the mental preparation. And although the frame of mind that I had for writing this blog was about ATS/ITS, a lot of it is applicable to other styles of dance.

That’s why we drill
So you’re nervous about leading and whether you will do the moves correctly. Well, you know what? That’s why we drill those moves over and over again. The idea is that the moves will become so ingrained in your body that they will just flow. What will happen eventually is that you’ll do cue XX and the move that goes with it will just come out. That’s how much you want to know your moves. It makes your life much much easier.

Overthinking is a killer
I’m a big overthinker for most things… but definitely NOT for leading. If you start overthinking, that’s when you’ll second-guess yourself as to whether you should trust your body that you had the correct follow-up to a cue or whether you are doing it correctly on the beat and it all goes downhill from there. Just trust your instincts. Trust that your body knows what it is doing.

Don’t edit
Unless you’re about to replicate the exact same pattern as the leader before you (and even then…), don’t edit what you’re about to do. The main reason for that is that it’s then putting you into the left side of your brain, so in the analytical side, as opposed to keeping you flowing… and the overthinking will ensue… as well as the negative talk that we (too often) give ourselves. In addition, that will generally make you hesitate and, thus, will break the moment.

That’s why we practice together
You know, those rehearsals when we just do improvisation together? They’re as crucial if not more than drilling moves. You can drill moves on your own, at home. While you can do exercises on your own that will practice your leading abilities, it’s never the same as having some folks in the back relying on you to cue a move. So it is really important that you do those group practices. But please relax in them. You can totally mess up in those and it’s all in good fun. We’re all learning together when we do those practices.

Let go of perfection
In practice and in performance, you will mess up… you will cue something that you didn’t mean to or cue something wrongly. No biggie. As long as you don’t have a face of “OMG, I messed up!”, few will know. And your dance partners won’t flog you at the end. Seriously. We’ve all messed up. It’s perfectly fine.

Just do it!
To borrow the Nike slogan (it’s a damn good one), what it boils down to is that you need to Just do it! It’s that simple! Sounds complex and all but, really, all that you have to do is take a deep breath and take a proverbial plunge… you need to just do it! And the more you do it, the easier it gets. Trust me!

Soliciting feedback

Finally, the long-awaited follow-up blog on soliciting feedback. Or maybe it wasn’t long-awaited! :p Ahem…

Note: This post will be about the person soliciting the feedback and not about how to give feedback/critique. Also, the post is really about soliciting feedback about improving your performance quality as opposed to how to do a move better.

Soliciting feedback is a hard thing to do at times as we often don’t really want to know. However, that’s one of the ways that we get valuable information of what to work on to improve our dance.

Who should you ask?
First off, you need to figure out who you should ask for feedback. Here are some of the characteristics of an ideal person to request feedback from:

• Honest: You want to find someone who will be honest with you. That is, someone who will really tell you the positive, negative and anything in-between. As such, close friends make bad persons to ask… they will be afraid of hurting your feelings and may not tell you the whole truth.
  
• Similar style: You want to ask someone who does the same style as you do or similar enough. The issue is that the person can only talk about what she/he knows and the comments and advice that you will get will come from that knowledge… and it will most likely not be appropriate. For example, if you were to ask me to critique a Turkish piece and give you feedback on what to improve on, I would be a baaaaad choice… while I could indeed give you my opinion and my feedback on what I saw, I most certainly don’t know enough to point you in the right direction. Also, I could potentially say that I liked something that is a big no no for the style… you never know.
• Someone you look up to in dance: You know, someone who makes you say/think “I want to be like her when I grow up in dance.” (And, hopefully, you don’t want to be ‘just’ like her but you with some of her skills… but that was already a topic for a portion of a blog.) If you can find someone who you are looking up to, someone who has performance qualities that you want to emulate, you will find a lot of valuable information from said person. The person could tell you how she/he went about working on whatever item you like from her style and that could be useful for you. Also, you will get that person’s perspective on your dance.
  
• Ideally, an instructor: Not all instructors are created alike, of course, but a lot have the knowledge and skills to give you pertinent feedback and critique and will be more apt to tell you how to work on whatever. Again, make sure that the instructor is one who will tell you the truth, though… I mean, some will be hesitant to tell you things because they want you to come back to their classes and/or workshops. Hopefully, this is not the norm.

Off limits?
Do you think that someone is really off limits to ask feedback from? Probably not. As I mentioned in the previous section, most instructors will do it… you need but ask…

Paying for feedback
What? Some people pay for feedback? Why, yes. Yes they do. I’ve most certainly done that. Generally speaking, it’s considered as a private session since the instructor spends time reviewing a performance and helping you figure out how to improve aspects of your performance. It’s totally customized for you. Believe me: it’s money well spent.

Timing
You definitely do NOT want to ask for feedback right after you’re done performing… that’s when you are at your most vulnerable and will generally not be in the best frame of mind to listen anyway. So you want to at least wait one day. Any time after that is fine. Note, though, that if some time elapses, it might be beneficial for whoever you are asking the feedback from to have a video to go by to trigger the memory of the performance, if the person saw the performance live.

Frame of mind
So, when you’re going to ask someone for feedback on your dance, you want to make sure that you are in an ‘open’ frame of mind. You need to be able to listen. And when I say ‘listen’, I’m not just saying hearing the words that are being said but actually understanding what the person is saying. So doing active listening.

Don’t be defensive
You may feel attacked or end up going on the defensive. Try to resist the urge. Don’t try to explain what was going on unless it’s something that will help the person give you tips on how you could have done something better. Actually, during the Mira Betz intensive, we received two critiques (one at the very beginning and one at the very end) and, during the time that we were receiving the critique, we were instructed not to speak but just take it in. It was hard to do but it was indeed very helpful. The goal was mainly so that we wouldn’t go into the defensive mode and excuse away some things. So you may want to even resist the urge to speak at all, especially if it’s to say anything that starts with ‘but’.

Don’t twist the words
I’ve been guilty of that many times over when Jeff (my husband) gives me feedback/a critique. In that specific case, I wish that I was perfect and all that… and it’s the typically husband/wife misunderstanding. But I’ve gotten much better at not twisting his words. It may happen in the course of the discussion that you will misunderstand what the feedback really was… even if you’re doing active listening and even if you’re not defensive. Take words at face value unless otherwise specified. So if the person says that XX could be improved, it doesn’t mean that it’s crap… it means that it’s an area where you may want to work on.

Follow-up questions
Now “the” time when you can speak (and should speak) is if you have a follow-up question. It may be because the person wasn’t clear so you’re not quite sure what the point is. Or it may be because it’s bringing another idea that you have. Or what if it was in a different setting. This will engage you in a conversation with the other person and it’s generally all good and fun… but do remember to go back to the original conversation. I’m real good at digressing so that happens to me a lot.

But I feel like crap now!
Hopefully, the person giving you the critique did a good job of stressing out areas where you did well. That being said, it’s super easy to kind of dismiss those and focus on what else was said… so those areas for improvement and all that. While, yes, some dancers that you look up to are near flawless, it’s important to remember that no one is perfect… not even them! So there will always be room for improvement, just like you can always bend your knees more and lower those shoulders more. ;) It most certainly doesn’t mean that the performance was bad. But, yes, even your best performance so far can be made better… and that’s what you’re learning: where to go to next.

Whoa! What a list!
After some of those feedback sessions, you may end up with a relatively long list of items that you could tweak. While it can seem like a daunting task, don’t feel like you have to incorporate everything all at once! Some of the items on the list will be technical aspects: those can be handled in drills so the more you drill those items, they will ‘magically’ (i.e., through work and effort) get better. There are other items that have to do with performance quality so you want to pick maybe 1 or 2 of those items and work on them for your next performance; you want to pick those that are actually applicable for your next performance and/or those that could have the most impact. Since performing requires so much and thinking of so many details, you don’t want to overwhelm your brain with too many additional items to keep in mind. ;) Once you’ve successfully tackled some issues, tackle other ones.

Suggestions – not mandatory
Unless it’s something related to potential injuries (for example, if you keep doing this move this way, you’ll hurt yourself), it’s also important to realize that whatever you are hearing are suggestions. It’s up to you to decide whether you will incorporate the items that you were told in your critique. No one really is the end all be all belly dance authority; therefore, realize that you may have a different take and that it may be okay… you still want to assess whether the item could have some application but there comes a point where some things will be subjective … and you most certainly can agree to disagree.