Why Do Belly Dancers Charge What They Do?

Creating a quality dance performance requires years of practice and careful study.

Belly dancing (AKA raqs sharqi, Arab dance, Arabic dance, or Middle Eastern dance) is a beautiful and intricate art that audiences of all ages enjoy. It is a field of expertise that requires years of careful study, considerable cultural knowledge, and expensive costumes and specialty props. Many people do not realize the amount of time, effort, and expense that goes into creating a belly dance performance. 

First, belly dancers are highly skilled performers who have undergone years of training. Many belly dancers study under a master teacher—and often many other teachers—for years before they are ready to perform. They must perfect their technique, learn about the various styles and regional dances, learn the music inside and out, and understand the cultural context of the dance. All of this training requires a significant investment of time and money. The wage paid to your dancer acknowledges the hard work and dedication they have put into their craft.

Creating dances is no easy feat, and it’s another crucial aspect of belly dancing that requires a lot of time and dedication. Dancers need to come up with unique moves and choreography that showcase their skills and captivate the audience. Rehearsals are a significant part of a belly dancer's routine. They spend countless hours perfecting their technique, practicing different moves, and working on their stage presence. If they are preparing a group performance, even more rehearsals are necessary to perfect formations, staging, and synchronizing everyone’s movements. These rehearsals require a lot of discipline and dedication, as dancers need to be in good physical shape to execute their moves, and cultivate the ease and charisma to delight the audience.

Additionally, bellydancers must have a deep understanding of the cultural context of the dance. This is a living art form practiced by real people living in SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa, a decolonized term for the Middle East) countries, and there is a rich cultural history behind it. It is important for practitioners of this dance to understand this history and cultural significance, so that they can create a culturally respectful performance. This knowledge can take years of careful study to acquire.

One of the most critical aspects of belly dancing is choosing the right music. This involves listening to countless songs, analyzing their rhythms, and matching them with appropriate dance movements. This process can take hours, sometimes even days, as dancers strive to find the perfect music that will enhance their performance.

Let's also talk about the belly dancer's look, including their costumes and props. Belly dance costumes are not your average dance attire. They are elaborate and ornate, often adorned with Swarovski crystals, beads, fringe, sequins, and other intricate details. These costumes cost hundreds—even thousands—of dollars, and they are all handmade by skilled artisans. Belly dancers need to look the part, and these costumes are an integral part of their performance. Investing in quality costumes not only makes the performance visually stunning, but it also helps to support the artisans in SWANA countries (most often Egypt and Turkey) who create them.

Dancers spend a considerable amount of time altering, repairing, cleaning, and packing their costumes and accessories for performance. Packing takes a considerable amount of time, as the dancer must plan for various conditions and scenarios, and ensure that they have everything they need.

Finally, there is the time that dancers spend doing their hair, applying makeup, and ensuring that everything looks perfect. This requires a lot of skill and attention to detail, because stage makeup is very different from everyday makeup.

The wage paid to bellydancers ensures a quality experience because of the years of training, knowledge, and expensive costumes necessary to create an entertaining and culturally appropriate performance. By investing in bellydancers, we are supporting a beautiful and important art form and acknowledging the hard work and dedication that goes into creating it.