NOTHING SACRED: Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down
Recently, I've been hearing a lot about Fat Chance Belly Dance again. I've heard commentary on their "pure" choreography bits that we on the Right Coast haven't seen yet, how they are evolving through membership changes, even the fact that people'll love to have a new performance video from them. But what I'm not hearing talk on is something that's impressed me about them for years. They've developed an impressive amount of raw business savvy, moreso than the average business-oriented dancer.
Now, I am simply an outside observer; I don't know if it was just Carolena, or the entire troupe, who built the business, or even how it came together. I've read a few interviews in the past, and own most of the videos. It's easy to guess that being in San Francisco helped quite a bit, as there are a number of excellent alternative and women-friendly businesses in the Bay Area. But, still, the first step is obvious; they have a dance style, a product if you will, that captures the hearts and minds of people both in and out of our little field.
Even those who don't care for it, take notice of it. For me, and for my friends, our interest was sparked because it was new, intimate, and powerful, a unique way of looking at the traditions of raks. Having ATS as a style, and Fat Chance as the troupe to look up to, has been a boon for raks, overall.
That aspect, of drawing the viewer in, is the core of selling anything. Fat Chance's videos link the dance troupe to their progeny, offering the budding dancer a chance to reproduce that feeling on their very own stage. In some ways, it's like telling someone "you, too, can be a rock star!". Those videos, from what I can see, provided one of the cornerstones for a strong business selling to dancers of all stripes, not just ATS ones. And that's important, because, somehow, we need to develop new business models. As much as I hear griping about ATS style, and Fat Chance, the question on people's mind should be, "What did Fat Chance do that made it so popular, and how do I reproduce that success with my own style?"
Maybe it's all in how Nojum Al-Sharq did it. That's the new troupe a few of my friends (and fellow troupe-mates in another local dance troupe) put together. First off, their style is powerful; tightly focused raks routines that would not look out of place at any show or seminar. Except there's an energy, a flair to them that, frankly, I don't get to see too often. It's good to see people developing out of what we'll call the "old school" as well, where raks shaquri is the order of the day.
Moreover, they are successful in the "pure show" format, something usually eschewed for that old standby, the seminar/show format. Even better, it was done here, in Charlotte, NC, which is far from a thriving center of raks excitement. But yet, with minimal advertising, they filled to capacity (and maybe a little beyond...) the main dance room for a local Fred Astaire. 100+ people. Almost all the dancers were from out of town, and only the troupes came. Barely any advert involved. But they turned the place out, and are looking at a 300 to 500-seat place for the next show. How? Lots of skill, a little luck, and lots of positive word-of-mouth.
See, Fat Chance, Nojum al-Sharq, and the rest have multiple skills. Not just focused on dancing, these groups are developing an array of skills that will elevate the form of raks. Business, Marketing, Music, Cultural, Historical, the list goes on, and is rarely touched upon in our history, either oral or written. There's almost an unwritten rule that "just learn the dance, and the rest takes care of itself." This rule falls dead apart when you analyze the big successes in our form.
Many of us want to break into dancing as a full-time job. But it takes far more than simply being the best dancer, to be a successful dancer.
========================================
Well, I finally got the new performance video out of Fat Chance. I've not ordered it yet, but it's likely to be picked up after I survive Christmas.
OK, honestly, I was afraid to write this, and afraid to post it here. Why? Because I didn't want people saying "You compared Carolina to Ray Kroc!"
Which is bollicks. The integrity of Kroc's business decisions aside, it's clear from everything she's said or written that Carolena is an artist, first and foremost. That she (and others) have carved a living out of their art makes it more compelling. I wish -- and hope -- more raks dancers can make this happen, as well.
Now, I am simply an outside observer; I don't know if it was just Carolena, or the entire troupe, who built the business, or even how it came together. I've read a few interviews in the past, and own most of the videos. It's easy to guess that being in San Francisco helped quite a bit, as there are a number of excellent alternative and women-friendly businesses in the Bay Area. But, still, the first step is obvious; they have a dance style, a product if you will, that captures the hearts and minds of people both in and out of our little field.
Even those who don't care for it, take notice of it. For me, and for my friends, our interest was sparked because it was new, intimate, and powerful, a unique way of looking at the traditions of raks. Having ATS as a style, and Fat Chance as the troupe to look up to, has been a boon for raks, overall.
That aspect, of drawing the viewer in, is the core of selling anything. Fat Chance's videos link the dance troupe to their progeny, offering the budding dancer a chance to reproduce that feeling on their very own stage. In some ways, it's like telling someone "you, too, can be a rock star!". Those videos, from what I can see, provided one of the cornerstones for a strong business selling to dancers of all stripes, not just ATS ones. And that's important, because, somehow, we need to develop new business models. As much as I hear griping about ATS style, and Fat Chance, the question on people's mind should be, "What did Fat Chance do that made it so popular, and how do I reproduce that success with my own style?"
Maybe it's all in how Nojum Al-Sharq did it. That's the new troupe a few of my friends (and fellow troupe-mates in another local dance troupe) put together. First off, their style is powerful; tightly focused raks routines that would not look out of place at any show or seminar. Except there's an energy, a flair to them that, frankly, I don't get to see too often. It's good to see people developing out of what we'll call the "old school" as well, where raks shaquri is the order of the day.
Moreover, they are successful in the "pure show" format, something usually eschewed for that old standby, the seminar/show format. Even better, it was done here, in Charlotte, NC, which is far from a thriving center of raks excitement. But yet, with minimal advertising, they filled to capacity (and maybe a little beyond...) the main dance room for a local Fred Astaire. 100+ people. Almost all the dancers were from out of town, and only the troupes came. Barely any advert involved. But they turned the place out, and are looking at a 300 to 500-seat place for the next show. How? Lots of skill, a little luck, and lots of positive word-of-mouth.
See, Fat Chance, Nojum al-Sharq, and the rest have multiple skills. Not just focused on dancing, these groups are developing an array of skills that will elevate the form of raks. Business, Marketing, Music, Cultural, Historical, the list goes on, and is rarely touched upon in our history, either oral or written. There's almost an unwritten rule that "just learn the dance, and the rest takes care of itself." This rule falls dead apart when you analyze the big successes in our form.
Many of us want to break into dancing as a full-time job. But it takes far more than simply being the best dancer, to be a successful dancer.
========================================
Well, I finally got the new performance video out of Fat Chance. I've not ordered it yet, but it's likely to be picked up after I survive Christmas.
OK, honestly, I was afraid to write this, and afraid to post it here. Why? Because I didn't want people saying "You compared Carolina to Ray Kroc!"
Which is bollicks. The integrity of Kroc's business decisions aside, it's clear from everything she's said or written that Carolena is an artist, first and foremost. That she (and others) have carved a living out of their art makes it more compelling. I wish -- and hope -- more raks dancers can make this happen, as well.
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