Mariyah's Blog
Hiring a Belly Dancer for your Wedding? – Mariyah- Sublime Bellydance NYC
October 2, 2013
Traditionally a part of the festivities at many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean weddings, Belly dance is quickly becoming a popular wedding entertainment idea for everyone, and for good reason! Many brides looking for unique wedding reception ideas are finding Belly dance to be a great option! Glamourous, interactive and joyous, A good bellydancer or bellydance group will present a performance with elegance, artistry, fun and the same attention to detail that you have put into planning the other beautiful elements of your reception.
Here are few ideas for incorporating Belly dance entertainment into your wedding reception!
Reception entertainment
This is by far the most popular option for most wedding performances. A show by a solo dancer or a bellydance group at the end of dinner is a great way to provide entertainment as well as energy and motivation to get your guests up for the dancing and party portion of the evening. A show would typically begin with a couple of performance pieces, choreographed in the case of a group, followed by the dancer or dancers bringing guests onto the floor to dance with special attention paid to the bride and groom. Of course, every party is different but the floor is often filled by the end of the show! Another option for timing is to have the show at the before dinner, right after the bridal entrance. Both can work very well depending on the schedule of your reception. Shows such as these usually range in length from 10 minutes to 30 minutes depending on how much audience participation you want and expect your guests to be up for. A show on the shortest end would probably only have time for a brief dance with the bride and groom while a longer show would work best for a reception with large number of guests who you expect to enthusiastically crowd the floor!
Bridal Entrance
Bellydance can be unique and beautiful option for a bridal entrance! Here the focus is very much on setting the stage for the entrance of bridal party and not so focused on the dancers’ show. After a quick but spectacular entrance in a swirl of veils or wings or flickering candles, the dancers will create a frame for the entrance of the bridal party. Often they will then lead the bride and groom across the hall to their table or onto the floor for the first dance. You could also opt for the traditional Zeffa ( Arabic wedding procession with musicians and dancers) or your own unique take on it. Abridal entrance with belly dancers can be customized to each event and couple. The entrance can often be paired with a formal performance either immediately following or later in the evening.
Cocktail hour
Another way to bring bellydance to your wedding is to offer entertainment during the cocktail hour. Since guests are just gathering during this time, cocktail hour performances are also often less of a formal show and more a way to create atmosphere and greet guests as they arrive to the event.
Dance party
Occasionally brides ask that the dancer or dancers arrive a bit later after dinner and cake, once the dance party is in full swing, In this case also, the dancers would provide less of formal show and the focus would be on bringing and extra splash of color, energy and excitement to the dance floor
Whatever you decide, remember that hiring the right entertainment is important and will create lasting memories of the reception for your guests. Be sure to research potential performers, watch Video, read Reviews and know that a budget performer is not a better choice!
For more information about shows and what goes into a bellydancer’s rate, check out www.bellydancernewyork.com/hire and https://bellydancernewyork.com/2016/04/hiring-a-bellydancer-about-rates/
Contact Mariyah today to discuss creating the perfect entertainment for your wedding!
call 347-743-6545 or Email [email protected]
Mariyah is an NYC based professional bellydancer. To learn more, or to inquire about booking for performances, workshops or classes, visit www.bellydancernewyork.com, join the mailing list, or find her on Facebook For group performance information visit Infinity Bellydance
Tags: Arabic music, belly dance, belly dance at weddings, belly dancer, belly dancing, entertainment, glamour, party, performance, specialty, theme, turkish, unique wedding entertainment ideas, weddings
