What is your favorite Audience and Venue?

Marya · 12-31-2008, 01:24 PM

What kind of audience is your favorite? Other Dancers? General Public? Friends and Family? Large or Small? Do you prefer to know the audience or have them be strangers?

What kind of Place to you prefer to dance in? Concert Hall?, Small Intimate Space like a club or restaurant? School Gym? Small theater?

I have performed for a lot of different audiences, one of the hardest was a leadership group I had been with through several days of training and we were wrapping up the sessions with a talent show. No one smiled or clapped along and some of them had very stony looks on their faces. later when I asked about this they said they were just overwhelmed and really loved the show.

Right now my favorite audience and place to perform is up in Spokane, WA USA where Aisha Azar has her shows in a restaurant. The audience is a mix of General Public and other dancers and is very receptive and appreciative. The space is intimate but not too informal. There is a definite space that is for the performers.

I don't like dancing in someone's living room, I volunteered for a baby shower once and that was pretty hard, audience in the round and on the floor, cramped space, etc.

I also don't like big stages where I can't see the audience at all.

Curious what other people like.

Marya

Aisha Azar · 12-31-2008, 02:09 PM

Dear Marya,
My favorite audiences are Middle Eastern audiences and other dancers. I also like the general public.
My favorite venues are club venues that have mood lighting, intimate but not too small, with a defined space for performance, very much like Sri Prasert where we have our shows, though I might make that it little bigger. I also am not crazy about the concert stage. It's too far away for that intimate connection.
Regards,
A'isha

Rassi · 01-02-2009, 07:59 PM

My favorite place was the city art museum. It's a gorgeous building and it was during a wine tasting evening. There were two other dancers with me and we danced from room to room and then out into the garden. It made it an extra special experience for me because my parents took me frequently to the museum as a child. I like general public crowds because I live in an area with little cultural differences so I feel like I'm entertaining and educating when we dance.

Shanazel · 01-02-2009, 08:49 PM

I like to dance with my students, friends and family. I gave up most public performances many years ago and dance has become a social activity for me. When I was still dancing for pay, I particularly liked dancing in isolated lodges and inns where most of my audience consisted of ranchers, road construction workers, and lumberjacks. They were so happy with any entertainment at all that they made me feel like the queen of the world. I wasn't the world's most accomplished dancer, and my audiences knew less about middle eastern dance than they did about nuclear physics, but it was the stuff great memories were made of.

alosha · 01-03-2009, 07:09 AM

i've only performed in public three times, but my favorite so far has to have been at the Culture night in hood river. the music was live, it was a small and intimate croud of strangers and my fellow dancers, and after the performance everyone got up and danced together. it was great fun, and a wonderful way to get my first spontaneous solo out of the way!

Marya · 01-03-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rassi

My favorite place was the city art museum. It's a gorgeous building and it was during a wine tasting evening. There were two other dancers with me and we danced from room to room and then out into the garden. It made it an extra special experience for me because my parents took me frequently to the museum as a child. I like general public crowds because I live in an area with little cultural differences so I feel like I'm entertaining and educating when we dance.

What a wonderful experience, how did the music work? was there a PA system or did you have a quartet following you?

Marya

Marya · 01-03-2009, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanazel

I like to dance with my students, friends and family. I gave up most public performances many years ago and dance has become a social activity for me. When I was still dancing for pay, I particularly liked dancing in isolated lodges and inns where most of my audience consisted of ranchers, road construction workers, and lumberjacks. They were so happy with any entertainment at all that they made me feel like the queen of the world. I wasn't the world's most accomplished dancer, and my audiences knew less about middle eastern dance than they did about nuclear physics, but it was the stuff great memories were made of.

Did the Inns and Lodges Hire you? How did you pull that off? I have a similar situation here, although maybe more tourist in the summer, but the only performances I have are the ones I organize myself and I can only gather the energy to do that every few years.

Marya

Shanazel · 01-04-2009, 08:05 AM

Yes, they hired me. I danced on a regular basis at a couple of places. How'd I pull it off? Basically, I turned up at these places and said, hi, I'm a belly dancer, I charge x-amount of dollars for x-amount of time, are ya interested? If so, we arranged a time and shook hands on it. Advertising was pretty informal. The venue might stick a sign in the window, but mostly word got around via boondock grapevine. Usually I was the only dancer, but sometimes I split a job with a friend.

Mind you, I'm not talking Old Faithful Inn or The Cabot Lodge here- these were isolated places that served food and alcohol and usually had gas pumps out front and a few groceries in another room. I loved it. I drove forty miles in a blizzard one time, fully expecting three people including the two owners and me. We had a full house, probably because everyone in the area was cabin crazy and I was the only show for miles around. What's driving through a little snow compared to cabin crazy?

Marya · 01-04-2009, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shanazel

Yes, they hired me. I danced on a regular basis at a couple of places. How'd I pull it off? Basically, I turned up at these places and said, hi, I'm a belly dancer, I charge x-amount of dollars for x-amount of time, are ya interested? If so, we arranged a time and shook hands on it. Advertising was pretty informal. The venue might stick a sign in the window, but mostly word got around via boondock grapevine. Usually I was the only dancer, but sometimes I split a job with a friend.

Mind you, I'm not talking Old Faithful Inn or The Cabot Lodge here- these were isolated places that served food and alcohol and usually had gas pumps out front and a few groceries in another room. I loved it. I drove forty miles in a blizzard one time, fully expecting three people including the two owners and me. We had a full house, probably because everyone in the area was cabin crazy and I was the only show for miles around. What's driving through a little snow compared to cabin crazy?

Shanazel,

No TV reception I take it?

You must have had a wonderful time. I don't think I would drive through a blizzard for anything again, having done it a time or two already.

Marya

Shanazel · 01-05-2009, 03:51 PM

Very likely not, at least way up in the southern mountains of Wyoming. This was in the days before satelite television. I was about 23 at the time I drove through the blizzard- ten feet tall and winter proof, if you know what I mean.

12-31-2008, 01:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
Marya Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Oregon, USA Posts: 795	What is your favorite Audience and Venue? What kind of audience is your favorite? Other Dancers? General Public? Friends and Family? Large or Small? Do you prefer to know the audience or have them be strangers? What kind of Place to you prefer to dance in? Concert Hall?, Small Intimate Space like a club or restaurant? School Gym? Small theater? I have performed for a lot of different audiences, one of the hardest was a leadership group I had been with through several days of training and we were wrapping up the sessions with a talent show. No one smiled or clapped along and some of them had very stony looks on their faces. later when I asked about this they said they were just overwhelmed and really loved the show. Right now my favorite audience and place to perform is up in Spokane, WA USA where Aisha Azar has her shows in a restaurant. The audience is a mix of General Public and other dancers and is very receptive and appreciative. The space is intimate but not too informal. There is a definite space that is for the performers. I don't like dancing in someone's living room, I volunteered for a baby shower once and that was pretty hard, audience in the round and on the floor, cramped space, etc. I also don't like big stages where I can't see the audience at all. Curious what other people like. Marya

12-31-2008, 02:09 PM	#2 (permalink)
Aisha Azar V.I.P. Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest USA Posts: 5,313	Favorite audience/venue Dear Marya, My favorite audiences are Middle Eastern audiences and other dancers. I also like the general public. My favorite venues are club venues that have mood lighting, intimate but not too small, with a defined space for performance, very much like Sri Prasert where we have our shows, though I might make that it little bigger. I also am not crazy about the concert stage. It's too far away for that intimate connection. Regards, A'isha

01-02-2009, 07:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
Rassi Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 110	My favorite place was the city art museum. It's a gorgeous building and it was during a wine tasting evening. There were two other dancers with me and we danced from room to room and then out into the garden. It made it an extra special experience for me because my parents took me frequently to the museum as a child. I like general public crowds because I live in an area with little cultural differences so I feel like I'm entertaining and educating when we dance.

01-02-2009, 08:49 PM	#4 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 8,558	I like to dance with my students, friends and family. I gave up most public performances many years ago and dance has become a social activity for me. When I was still dancing for pay, I particularly liked dancing in isolated lodges and inns where most of my audience consisted of ranchers, road construction workers, and lumberjacks. They were so happy with any entertainment at all that they made me feel like the queen of the world. I wasn't the world's most accomplished dancer, and my audiences knew less about middle eastern dance than they did about nuclear physics, but it was the stuff great memories were made of.

01-03-2009, 07:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
alosha V.I.P. Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: The Dalles, Oregon Posts: 2,196	i've only performed in public three times, but my favorite so far has to have been at the Culture night in hood river. the music was live, it was a small and intimate croud of strangers and my fellow dancers, and after the performance everyone got up and danced together. it was great fun, and a wonderful way to get my first spontaneous solo out of the way!

01-04-2009, 08:05 AM	#8 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 8,558	Yes, they hired me. I danced on a regular basis at a couple of places. How'd I pull it off? Basically, I turned up at these places and said, hi, I'm a belly dancer, I charge x-amount of dollars for x-amount of time, are ya interested? If so, we arranged a time and shook hands on it. Advertising was pretty informal. The venue might stick a sign in the window, but mostly word got around via boondock grapevine. Usually I was the only dancer, but sometimes I split a job with a friend. Mind you, I'm not talking Old Faithful Inn or The Cabot Lodge here- these were isolated places that served food and alcohol and usually had gas pumps out front and a few groceries in another room. I loved it. I drove forty miles in a blizzard one time, fully expecting three people including the two owners and me. We had a full house, probably because everyone in the area was cabin crazy and I was the only show for miles around. What's driving through a little snow compared to cabin crazy?

01-05-2009, 03:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
Shanazel Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Rocky Mountains USA Posts: 8,558	Very likely not, at least way up in the southern mountains of Wyoming. This was in the days before satelite television. I was about 23 at the time I drove through the blizzard- ten feet tall and winter proof, if you know what I mean.