PERFORMANCE OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES:
As a student of Hourglass Bellydance I want for you to get what you want out of belly dance and this means different things to different people. For some dancers, it means attending class only once or twice a year as a drop in student and for others it means attending class 3 times a week, enrolling in several belly dance workshops a year, and performing weekly. It is important for you to find the level of participation that you are content with.

I feel it is important to provide performance opportunities because while I never require students to perform, I do recommend it because I believe it completes the belly dance experience. These are the options available for those who wish to perform.

Hourglass Recital: The Hourglass Bellydance Recital will be held once a year. During the recital, each class will contribute one or more routines. Students will also be involved in a a final bow or finale. Beginning dancers will assemble a costume of their choosing. I provide a list of guidelines for dancers to follow when choosing and assembling a costume. A common question is, “Do I have to show my belly?” No. As a matter of fact, some professional belly dancers never show their bellies. Another common concern is cost. When students first begin belly dancing, they are unsure as to how long they will continue. For this reason, I don’t ask new students to assemble, purchase, or sew a particular costume. How much you spend on your costume is up to you. I will bring several examples of costuming possibilities to class. Also, each dancer will be asked to provide a dish or drink for the recital.

Hourglass Performance Troupe: The Women of Hourglass Bellydance is a group of dancers that enjoys performing on a regular basis. The troupe performs at various venues such as Bayfest, Bailando, the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Renaissance Festivals, Padre Staples and Sunrise Malls, various restaurants, retirement homes, schools, etc. When you are involved in belly dance, there are always performance opportunities. If you are interested in performing with the troupe you will need to do the following.
1) Study, practice, and learn one or more of the Hourglass Bellydance repertoire of routines. Make sure any routine(s) you plan on doing are performance ready. That is, you are welcome to perform any of the troupe routines, as long as you know the routines and they are performance ready. You will then rehearse with the troupe in order to confirm performance readiness and to determine your placement in routine(s) formations.
2) Assemble or purchase the one or more of the troupe costumes. Soloists will choose their own costumes.

Important:
I will be informing all students as to upcoming performances, anticipated routines, costumes, and rehearsals, so that those wishing to attend can plan accordingly. If you wish to perform at a certain venue, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can plan for your attendance and place within the group formations.

Lorrie Pierce