This post is longer than a usual Sparkly Belly post. here to download the PDF version, so you can download & add it to your resources and read it off-line 🙂
Want to become a professional belly dancer?
Last month, I asked “what are your belly dance goals?” in Sparkly Belly’s Facebook group. The answers were very inspiring.
As I read the answers to my question, I realized there are so many dancers who are working to become professional dancers. And I’ve been thinking how I can help these dancers.
Now, becoming a professional belly dancer can mean many different things. It can mean:
- Teaching regular lessons – locally, online, etc…
- Teaching workshops – locally, abroad, online etc…
- Having regular performance gigs – restaurants, weddings, events etc…
- Touring
Or it can mean reaching certain skill levels.
Whatever your definition of professionalism may be, many aspiring professional dancers work on techniques, musicality and overall knowledge related to belly dancing.
That’s great! And that’s important.
But I feel there’s an important component of professionalism that is often neglected.
What do you think it is?
It’s the business skills.
Your Love for Dance + Business Skills = Professional Belly Dancer
I’m not a professional dancer, but I have been an online entrepreneur for 3 years, and business, along with sewing and DIY projects, is my passion and inspiration.
And I often feel sad when I see performing artists not taking care of the “business side” to make themselves successful at what they love doing.
“How can I fill up my classes?”
“How do I convince potential clients that I’m a professional belly dancer that is worth what I’m charging?”
If you have similar questions, and you’re not sure what to do, here’s good news for you – we are doing a Business of Belly Dance series for the next few weeks here at Sparkly Belly 🙂
My goal of running this website is to empower as many belly dancers as possible. So in this series, I’ll share what I learned and noticed about the business of belly dance, so you can start taking the step to make your dreams come true.
The first week – this week – we have an introduction… a very good one!
Introducing… “Introduction to Business of Belly Dance”
To help you get started on realizing your dreams, here I’ve compiled some of the best articles I’ve found on the topic of “Business of Belly Dance” in a book format.
You can download the free PDF version here.
It is a huge and deep topic, but I’m hoping this will help you pursue what you love, in a sustainable way, so you can keep doing it for many years to come. 🙂
Introduction to Business of Belly Dance
Chapter 1: Teaching
Teaching seems like a logical next step for advanced dancers, but regular dance lessons don’t prepare you for teaching others how to dance beautifully like you do. Here are helpful posts.
New Dance Teacher? 4 Tips to Start Off Right
Simple 4 tips to starting your teaching career. Great reminders 🙂
Experience is not the MOST important in being a teacher
Worried about your experience? Francesca tells you that experience is not the most important thing, but focusing on something else can be more effective at becoming a great belly dance teacher.
For belly dancers, this post is GOLD! Keti tells you how to open a studio and start teaching in a very organized format. I would make a checklist based on this post and check off each point as I go.
Chapter 2: Performance Gigs
If performing is your next step, it’s important to get a few business details right from the beginning so you’ll be a happy performer and have happy clients. Here are some things to consider.
Performing Yourself into Poverty?
Here’s another post by Francesca, and I’ve shared this post on Facebook too already. Great advice on sticking to your professional belly dancer rate, and also a useful tip on getting performance experience before you feel comfortable charging fees.
This is related to the above post, but this is something you may or may not encounter. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Guidance on How to write a performance contract
One smart lesson I received from my previous instructor is to have a performance contract to clearly show to clients what you and they agree on. But how do you write one? Here are 2 very helpful posts on this topic.
- Sign on the Dotted Line – Contracts for Belly Dancers – Mahin’s take on writing a contract
- Takin’ Care of Business: Dance Performance Contracts – Princess Farhana’s take on writing a contract (with a sample contract)
Chapter 3: Organize your own events
Maybe you are more inclined to organizing haflas, shows and other events for the community of your dancers. Here are helpful tips on how to do it.
How to Plan Smooth Running Belly Dance Events
A perfect insider’s’ guide to running dance events by Mahin! I love her blog since it’s full of great, practical information, and this one is no exception. Get ready to take notes!
How to Organize a Hafla
Informative posts by 2 Dancers.
Organizing a Hafla – This one is by Bastet Belly Dance.
Professional Ambitions: Organizing a Hafla – by Sophia Ravenna.
Chapter 4: Marketing
The word “marketing” can be quite intimidating or mysterious if you are new to the world of business. And yet knowing how to market yourself can affect the success of your professional dance career.
What Belly Dancing Taught Me About Personal Branding
Good, relatable article on personal branding. How are you different from other dancers?
Great discussion on this topic on Facebook.
4 Mistakes Dancers Make on the Internet
I personally think Princess Farhana not only excels in dancing techniques but also in marketing (and I will talk more about this later in this blog series). And I couldn’t agree more with this post.
How to Make a Website for Dancers
Well, Princess Farhana says the first mistake that dancers make is not having a professional website. A professional-looking website helps you convince your clients that you are a professional belly dancer and worth what you are charging. So here’s my tutorial video on how you can make a professional looking website yourself! You don’t need to be tech-savvy to do this. Trust me, when I made my first website, I didn’t know anything about html, difference between software and hardware, the meaning of domain.
Bonus chapter: Got questions?
This is a Facebook group run by belly dancers for belly dancers. Great place to ask questions related to the business of belly dance. You’ll find so much wealth of knowledge here!
I hope you found some useful information here! If the information presented here is overwhelming, take it step by step. I put together the above information to HELP YOU get started on your journey to becoming a professional belly dancer, and NOT to stop you from pursuing it.
I love seeing people do what they love, as I know how satisfying it is for myself. 🙂
Allow yourself to do what you love. I’m cheering you on!
Good luck!
As I mentioned earlier, I’ll have the DIY website tutorial for you next week.
And again, you can get this entire article in a PDF format below so you can refer to it in the future!
Click here to download the free PDF version here.
Do you have other good business resources to share for belly dancers? Or do you have tips? Please share in the comment section below 🙂
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling!
Photo credit: pixabay.com
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