Time limits

[Aniseteph]

(Aaargh I'm taking refuge from heated debates on another thread. This is a nice straightforward one)

I've got a flyer for a festival where there's an open stage with time limits (3 min solo, 5 min troupe. seems a bit discriminatory, but anyway...). Most pop songs are over 3 mins, and more traditional bellydance usually a lot longer.

So I'm wondering if any of you have dealt with this, and what do you do? Restrict yourself to a limited range of music, get out the editing software and make cuts, or fade out early? Or cheat and hope the organizer doesn't time your music?

 

[Moon]

Hi Aniseteph,
I think it's so cool you want to perform on the festival! I hope I'll ever find the courage to do such a thing.
About the time limit thing, I surely would not cheat. If the organizer finds out, you will have a really stupid, unprepared end of your performance and it will be a real anti-climax for the audience. Also, if everyone would cheat, there would be no time left for the dancer who come last, and that would be extremely horrible for them, because they have also practiced.
I have no experience what so ever on this, but I think it's better to either choose a song within the time limit, or "cut" a longer song. However if you decide on the latter option, take great care nothing goes wrong with the lyrics!

 

[Aniseteph]

Hi Moon - it's only student performances at a BD event so not that scarey and I wouldn't be being that brave! I thought I might get away with 3 mins without outstaying my welcome, then I looked at my music collection and couldn't find anything very inspiring under 3 mins, hence my question.

 

[Mouse]

I haven't had to solve a problem like this personally, but cutting down some music that you like sounds like the way to go if you can rather than try to dance to something you find uninspiring.

 

[Viv]

I deal with this all the time, both in performing at workshop shows and with the troupe. Almost always you'll find groups get a few more minutes than solos, in part because if your staging an entrance and exit, a group of people will take more time than a lone dancer to get on and off the staging.
With our troupe we find that 3 to 4 minutes is about the attention span of adverage-joe the audience member durring a show so we try to keep solos to right around the three minute mark maximum.
You definately don't want to go over because some organisers will simply stop your music if you run over. I have seen that recently happen to someone who'd I'd consider a "big name" dancer so I would say its a really bad idea to tempt pushing the time limit.
Your best idea is to find a piece that you really like and see if there's a point where you can cut and fade any piece you like to fit the time limits. I highly recoment investing the the Roxio Easy Media Creator software, which is what I use to cut all our troupe and solo music. If you have a decent software to do your editing with you can take the center of a song if that's the part you really like, or from the middle to the end, beginning to middle, whatever suits your fancy. It takes some practice to cut music smoothly but it's well worth learning how since odds are you'll be doign that a lot in your dancing over the years.
I don't know if anyone else has another suggestion for good music editing software. Hopefully some others will chip in their two cents on editing programs?

 

[Mouse]

Cool Edit Pro is a good program. I think the new version is called Adobe Audition or something like that.

 

[Aniseteph]

Thank you everyone! I think the cutting and fading sounds the way to go (I might even find something inspiring enough to make me actually do it ).

I had a go at editing before to make myself a ringtone; the editing worked really well but by the time it got to my less-than-top-of-the-range phone it was rubbish, ha ha. Husband has just found an ancient freeware version of Cool Edit on the computer, and if it is not up to the job I will look into your recommendations.

Off to take the electronic scissors to my favourites then!

 

[Marisha25]

I have a CD "Belly Dance With Amira Mor" and there is a a 2:06 min (I believe) drum solo. Since drum solos can be quite short but very energetic (plus no words to cut off) and fun to watch I think they may be a good choice for a short number.

 

[Mariesaffron]

Aniseteph, this topic is a good for me, ( the one about timing your performance ) I do obey it, agree with the fact that it is Very dificult to cut a number to a 3 mins or less in Oriental music the songs are longer than 3 mins, but all ways happens that performers go over time, and I had though well I have my number chopped just to came here and see a solo that have been going for 8 mins, or the same dancer have 2 numbers in a row of 4 mins or more each,

 

[Aniseteph]

drum solos

I found at least two short drum solos but I am pretty sure my technique is not up to it yet, even for two minutes!
I think I'd rather inflict dodgy edits than a dodgy drum solo on the world. Although ther ARE fun...

 

[Miss_Winnii]

I have often the same problem, in Turkish music, there are songs of 3,4 minutes , but especcially egyptian music can be 12 minutes or longer....
It isn't only that you audience is getting bored, but making a cherography of 4 minutes is sometimes about 5 evenings of work, if you are with 2 dancers.
Maybe you should cut the music in parts...Tough I dont now how to do that...One of my best friends is a Dj, and he often assist me

 

[Scimitar_Moon]

I would say go for a short, upbeat drum solo. Even if your technique isn't advanced enough, don't worry. Don't feel like you have to hit every single accent in the music. For example, in the video clips of Salome she performs to Sahra Saidi (sp?), a drum solo from the Bellydance Superstars Vol 1, and you can see there how to do a drum solo without doing pops and locks left and right to every single beat, and still pull it off beautifully.
Another piece of advice: use the stage, don't stay on the same spot. Move around, use the space you're given, otherwise the audience's attention is focused solely on your technique.
Good luck!
~Elena

 

[Maria_Aya]

We end with the same problem but i have different reasons.
I dance and love arabian music and we are speaking about 15 to 20 min pieces. For arab audience I go for them this way, but for greeks errrr.
I love the song to have a drama finale, or a finale anyway, so I keep that part.
Usually i edit the between and cut some of the chorus etc.
Good luck
maria aya

 

[Safran]

We did a 10+ minut oriental dance with a friend once at a spring concert of our studio. Later, some friends from the audience said that in the end, they expected a finish at every element, but it just wouldn't come. Not that they didn't like us dancing Now, when I look back at the video of it, I can't believe how long it actually was and sort of feel the same way...

A short drum solo is a good choice. It keeps the audiences attention up because of pace and they can even contribute by cheering and clapping to the beat.

I haven't really done any cutting myself and honestly, I am a bit afraid to do it. Knowing just a dozen words of Arabic, I might somehow cut out the most significant part lyrics-wise, or just make the song senseless. Maria's idea to take out the chorus is a pretty safe bet though.

Aniseteph, let us know what you've decided to work out. Whatever it is, I am sure you'll do jut beautiful at the festival!

 

[Aniseteph]

Hello everyone! Just went to first class of new term and everything is so out of practise I wouldn't dare inflict my dancing on the world just now
But thanks for the ideas, it has cleared things up in my mind and I'm going to learn how to edit a bit. And not write off the drum solo's so quickly.
Hopefully the dancing will get better and I'll feel more confident some time in the future.
A xxx

 

[Salome]

When I need my set to meet certain time requirments I use Cakewalk to edit my music into the alloted time I've been given. I find it pretty user friendly and very helpful.

 

[elle21]

Hi Aniseteph,

What event was it you were thinking of performing at? I think you should go for it! Let me know if you need a hand cutting the song, I'm queen of dodgy edits!

I have a mac, so use garageband, it's excellent.

 

[Ludmilla]

sorry, wrong thread.............