Topics Covered:

TIPS AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION - We followed 5 professional dancers to several of their restaurant shows and to get candid and original footage of them working the crowd. Each dancer talks about her philosophy of tip collection and we explore the arguments for and against "body tipping".

RESTAURANT VS STAGE DANCING - We use footage from the By Dancers For Dancers performance series along with original footage shot in restaurants and nightclubs to show the many venues in which a dancer may end up performing. Each dancer narrates their performance and explains how they altered the show to fit that specific venue.

PROFESSIONALISM - Professional dancers are asked "what makes a professional dancer?" Their ideas and suggestions for being more professional are voiced over their performances.

ASK THE AUDIENCE - We took the cameras into the audience at the last By Dancers For Dancers show to find out more about the audience perspective. We learn what the audience feels makes an excellent performance.

Dancers Interviewed:
Maria, Zaheea, Bahaia, DaVid, Louchia, Sandra, Shoshanna, Summer

ABOUT THE SERIES

"...information that every performer and instructor should have."

What makes a captivating dancer? A captivating dancer knows how to draw in the audience and takes them on an emotional journey with every movement and expression. A captivating dancer shows us a different way of listening to the music without overpowering it and teaches us that there is beauty in even the simplest movements. A captivating dancer knows how to build drama and set up those "wow" moments.

Unfortunately, most dancers simply focus on the mechanics of their movements and don't train themselves in the art of performing. Many dancers mistakenly think that performance skills cannot be learned and feel frustrated that it does not come naturally.

Having sharp isolations and cute combinations are a result of training your muscles, but incorporating stage presence, emotion and musical awareness into your dance require training of a totally different kind. The exercises in this DVD are uniquely designed to help you become a better performer and to push your dance presentation to the next level.

ABOUT THE TEACHER

Michelle Joyce is a professional belly dancer who has performed for audiences around the globe. She has won several awards including 2004 People's Choice Belly Dancer and 2006 East Coast Classic Belly Dance Competition Champion.