When hiring a Belly Dancer for a family-friendly celebration, there are many ways to go about the planning. Talk to your prospective dancer about your expectations and what they can offer. Dancers can often customize their performance to the desired specifications, but most of the time, a prepared routine can be the best course of action.

Here is an example of a short routine for a show and a long routine for a show that often works for me and is fitting for many occasions, including; bridal showers, birthdays, restaurant performances, weddings, and anniversaries.

Short 5-15 minutes Set

15 minutes is the maximum time for a short performance set. 5 minutes is usually the longest length for an “appearance” and is used most commonly for Bellygrams.

• Fast, exciting entrance dance/Veil dance
• Drum Solo dance
• Dance with a cane prop (folk dance called Raks Assaya)
• Short audience participation usually still with the cane
• Finale

Long 20-30 minutes Set

The longer set can be divided into two 15 minute sets with a reasonable time of break duration in between sets. The length between the sets should be determined based on the needs of the occasion and to respect the dancer’s time. This can include a costume change and the second set can be a different style or mood.

A full-length Belly Dance show lasts no longer than 30 minutes. It is completely packed with many dances and audience segments. 30 minutes is sufficient time for a memorable evening and helps the dancer keep up the momentum of the show.

The longer set is best for a stage performance, restaurant show, or a performance geared towards senior citizens in a retirement home.

• Entrance dance (veil)
• Drum Solo
• Cane dance
• Audience participation
• Modern style Belly Dance (I cater this to the client. Some hosts are more interested in certain styles or are interested in a non-Belly Dance performance like Bollywood, but want the dance to be incorporated in such a way that makes sense.)
• Zills dance or other prop dance
• Second drum solo
• Audience teaching segment (depending on the audience type – this can be a mini-class, Zumba-style dance number, or even a Belly Dance line dance)
• Finale
• Photo Ops