Five Tips for Making the Most Out of Your Contest Appearance

The two most frequently given reasons for entering a contest is to 1) become a better dancer by working towards a goal and getting feedback from professional judges, and 2) to obtain credentials to launch or bolster a teaching or performing career. Entering a contest is certainly one way to achieve both those objectives, so [...]

Sharon, Winner of the 2005 East Coast Classic

When I was eighteen, I saw a belly dance contest at a mall. The women were young and old, big and small. The music and costumes were fantastic. I thought, “I want to learn that!” I contacted the organizer of the contest and started taking classes with Kismet. That was 1978. Not long afterward, I [...]

Dancing for a Judge

Dancing for a contest is different from dancing for a restaurant audience, a theater event, or for yourself. When you are dancing for a judge, you are dancing for points. You need to meet the criteria that you are being judged upon. If you don’t do that, you won’t score highly no matter how lovely [...]

Hill and Veil Win for Reema

Hill and Veil is a student belly dance troupe from Virginia Tech. They made their first contest appearance at the East Coast Classic in 2006. They were first-time competitors who went into it with an attitude of, “Let’s have some fun.” The founding member of Hill and Veil competed the year before as a soloist, [...]

Contests Aren’t for Everyone

I was so impressed with judging the Queen of the Nile and sponsoring my own contest that, in the past, I recommended that everyone try a contest. With a bit of experience behind me now, I realize that contests are not for everyone. I used to think that contests were not for goddess types. I [...]