Transplanted... Part 3: Integrating
Continued from "Transplanted... Part 2: Introducing Yourself to the Community"
So you have discovered belly dancers in your new hometown and you have introduced yourself to them. Now your work is done, right?
Nope! Now it's time to let the others get to know you a little bit, and more importantly, you need to learn about the people in your community. This phase requires patience. It can take a couple of years to get fully established even if you're actively involved in the dance community. Again, it depends on the goals you want to accomplish.
If you want to perform with a troupe, don't expect the troupe to automatically invite you to perform with them. It doesn't matter if you're the best dancer in the community. A troupe is a family: you can't expect someone to call you family when you have just met. So take classes from the troupe's instructors, even the beginner's class. You'll learn little details and stylizations that make up the troupe identity. You'll also build relationships with the troupe leader(s), who will decide whether or not you're a good fit. If you're an instructor or an advanced dancer taking classes, remember to exercise proper etiquette.
Integrating is about building trust. Some communities are very suspicious and view new dancers as competitors. It also takes time for the public facade to fade away. Then you'll truly see the people in your dance community. When that happens, if there's any drama, you will find out. If it's pretty extreme, you should consider your choices carefully while you're trying to accomplish your goals. The last thing you want is to become an innocent bystander in a storm of drama. Remember that there is always more than one side to the story, and you haven't been involved since the beginning. So make like Switzerland and stay out of it. We're here to dance, right?
Integrating is also about solidifying your network. Getting to know the members of your community will help you figure out how the other members can help you but also how you can help them. You already started to build a network by introducing yourself to the dance community. Now it's time to start showing active support and getting involved. At first, you can simply show up to the events. Then, work your way to actually helping. Ask if there is anything you can do. Distributing flyers around town is always appreciated. Also offering to take pictures and video of performances. There are plenty of other things you can do to get involved in your dance community. You could even start projects like Shimmy Mob or Pomegranate SEEDS. Projects like these help out the general community and provide excellent opportunities to get other dancers involved, too. Eventually, you will build relationships that are mutually beneficial but ideally meaningful. One day, dancers in your community will regularly contact you and give you support. When that happens, you're no longer the new dancer in town.
So you have discovered belly dancers in your new hometown and you have introduced yourself to them. Now your work is done, right?
Nope! Now it's time to let the others get to know you a little bit, and more importantly, you need to learn about the people in your community. This phase requires patience. It can take a couple of years to get fully established even if you're actively involved in the dance community. Again, it depends on the goals you want to accomplish.
If you want to perform with a troupe, don't expect the troupe to automatically invite you to perform with them. It doesn't matter if you're the best dancer in the community. A troupe is a family: you can't expect someone to call you family when you have just met. So take classes from the troupe's instructors, even the beginner's class. You'll learn little details and stylizations that make up the troupe identity. You'll also build relationships with the troupe leader(s), who will decide whether or not you're a good fit. If you're an instructor or an advanced dancer taking classes, remember to exercise proper etiquette.
Integrating is about building trust. Some communities are very suspicious and view new dancers as competitors. It also takes time for the public facade to fade away. Then you'll truly see the people in your dance community. When that happens, if there's any drama, you will find out. If it's pretty extreme, you should consider your choices carefully while you're trying to accomplish your goals. The last thing you want is to become an innocent bystander in a storm of drama. Remember that there is always more than one side to the story, and you haven't been involved since the beginning. So make like Switzerland and stay out of it. We're here to dance, right?
Integrating is also about solidifying your network. Getting to know the members of your community will help you figure out how the other members can help you but also how you can help them. You already started to build a network by introducing yourself to the dance community. Now it's time to start showing active support and getting involved. At first, you can simply show up to the events. Then, work your way to actually helping. Ask if there is anything you can do. Distributing flyers around town is always appreciated. Also offering to take pictures and video of performances. There are plenty of other things you can do to get involved in your dance community. You could even start projects like Shimmy Mob or Pomegranate SEEDS. Projects like these help out the general community and provide excellent opportunities to get other dancers involved, too. Eventually, you will build relationships that are mutually beneficial but ideally meaningful. One day, dancers in your community will regularly contact you and give you support. When that happens, you're no longer the new dancer in town.
Comments