Belly Dance Tip: Performance Introductions and Bios

Most of us have trouble writing introductions and bios to preface our performances.

What Not to Do

Some of us write:

"Hi. I'm Princess Glitter Unicorn* from Poughkeepsie. I'm happy to be dancing for you today. Thank you, Ms Sponsors-a-lot, for producing the event"

The above says nothing about you.

Or, some write:

"Hi. I'm Princess Glitter Unicorn*..." and proceed to list everything they have ever done, inflate their credentials, embellish as if they were born in a special dance clamshell, and proclaim themselves the originator of all things good and true.

The above is just overkill and pretension. Your dance itself should show audiences how wonderful you are.

What Should Be In It?

So what should be in your intro?

A good rule of thumb is to write four short, complete sentences:

1. Who you are and where you are from: "I'm Princess Glitter Unicorn* from Poughkeepsie."
2. Either:
   1. Something about your dancing: "I'm trained in ___ style" or "I've been dancing ___ years" or "I'm an award winning ___."
   2. Or, a humanizing statement: "When I'm not dancing I ___" (complete this sentence with information about another hobby, work, school, or home life)
3. Any special notes about your performance at this event: "The dance style I am doing or already did at this event was ___" or "My music today was ___" or "My dance today was inspired by ___".
4. No more than two (2. Dos. Deux. Zwei.) plugs for other things: "I teach at ___", or "I'm going to be at ___ next" or "Ask me about Avon."

Your mileage may vary.

*This would be your stage name if you have one. What belly dancers tend to call "dance names" are usually called "stage names" by the rest of the world.

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Michael Baxter, Santa Clara, California.

Another Option

Another method is to hand your introduction card to a friend to write it for you, and you write theirs for them. It is easier to write one for someone else.

• Selecting Photographs to Use for Promotion. By Saqra. Choose photos that tell the viewer what you want them to know about your dancing.

• Entrances, Song Transitions, and Stage Presence. By Saqra. Connecting with your audience.

Saqra (Seattle, Washington, USA) is a powerful dance artist and a master instructor. Her fluidity, grace, and technical skill is highlighted by her friendly demeanor and clear joy of the dance. She did not inherit the diva gene.

Saqra won titles in Belly Dance USA (Oregon), Belly Dancer of the Year (California), Belly Dancer of the Universe (California), Wiggles of the West (Nevada), and many other competitions. She was voted "Best Kept Secret of 2005" and "Instructor of the Year 2008" by readers of Zaghareet Magazine.

Saqra's journey in this dance form began in 1977 and has led her to study with many of the best dancers in the world, including in America, Canada, Turkey and Egypt. Saqra continues to travel and study both in the USA and abroad and prides herself on proper research for anything she teaches. Folklore, fakelore, and stage creativity: all three are valuable, and Saqra clearly presents for each what they actually are. Saqra is constantly expanding her expertise in the traditional ethnic forms of the dance, the modern stage variants, and the continuing evolving fusion techniques, all these areas combined keep her material fresh and current.

Saqra is widely known as an event promoter, musician, music and instructional video producer, and a registered hypnotherapist in the state of Washington. That is enough stuff to start explaining what she has been doing in belly dance since 1977. Visit her at www.saqra.net

PHOTO CREDIT: Photo by Michael Baxter, Santa Clara, California. In the photo, Saqra is holding her Teacher of the Year 2008 Award from Zaghareet Magazine.