#hoping praying etc that the hair glitch never leaves us again

[yeehawbvby]

Poppy x Caleb BLAST

[bigtimebellydance]

I’m pretty sure I’ve already posted this SOMEWHERE back in the way-backs when I first discovered it, buuut since I can’t find that original post to repost, I guess we’ll just have a li’l do-over here.  Given Mariah Carey’s recent issues on live NYE coverage, it seems a pertinent subject.  (Regardless of where you stand on what happened w/Mariah that night.)

If you’ve ever performed on stage, you KNOW how all kiiiiiiinds of things can go kerflooey at any possible moment when it’s your turn to shine.  Tech difficulties like music & lighting can go up in flames (sometimes literally), you might get funky stages, sticky stages, uneven/lumpy/grass “stages,” audience.. interruptions/”participation,” environmental/atmospheric interference (especially if you’re outdoors), etc. all regardless of what type of on-stage artform you practice.  Most performers seasoned & new recognize that those factors and LOTS more can contribute to a WILDLY varying experience, both for the audience and the performer, making every time you get on stage a unique & heart-pounding adventure.  And on top of allll that, no matter how many times one may perform a song/piece, by the very nature of live performance (voice conditions, sound conditions, personal health, energy levels, mood/emotion of the performer, etc.), EVERY individual performance is different.  

So when those of us who’ve been onstage see a train-wreck like what happened on NYE, it’s a multi-layered experience.  We take in the show as both a fellow entertainer, and as an audience-member.  (And hopefully, we’re ALL rooting for the best outcome & the performer’s success, regardless of which side of the “fence” we may happen to be leaning toward at the time.  After all, this ain’t “Showgirls” or “Jackass.”)  When people go to a show, no one -wants- to see a performer fail.  Folks don’t go to a venue or turn on the telly to watch an entertainer wiff it onstage unless they’re watching something like SNL where that’s the whole POINT of the act, yanno?  (Which is also a great comfort to those of us who struggle w/stagefright.  It’s a important thing to remember; that the audience WANTS us to do well.  They came to see a great show.  They WANT us to succeed.  That’s why they’re THERE.  That’s why they paid their money.)  And that’s why the people BEHIND the show put soooo much work into it.  That’s why the organizer MADE the show- to succeed.  That’s why the stage manager and the lighting guys, the tech crew and props masters (if there are such folks in a show), are THERE to make it frickin’ AMAZING for the audience.  Alllll the focus put on a show is created to SUCCEED, so EVERYONE can have a GREAT show, from the audience to the performers to the people behind the scenes.  The audience wants a great show that makes them happy and uplifted and fulfilled, and the creators & participants want something rockin’ to put on their résumés.  It’s the nature of the beast. 

So.. what do we do when something goes wrong..?  How do we handle it when there’s a wardrobe malfunction, a tech snafu, a forgotten word or a missed step..?  Or a FEW?  Or, Heavens forbid, everything grinds to a hault..? 

Walp.. first let me say that there’s a reason why the phrase “the show must go on” exists.  People have paid their money.  Performers are dressed and made up and ready to go.  The lighting, music n’ tech guys have showed up and everybody’s there to give a thousand percent.  ..And when things fail, THAT’S when you give a thousand and TWENTY percent.  Moments where things hiccup or falter are the times when your mettle as a performer, your real heart & soul are tested n’ shown.  Both reflected back at yourself, as well as to your fellow performers, to your behind-the-scenes crew, as well as to your audience.  And if all goes well, the audience will never know you flubbed a word, or missed a shimmy, or botched a verse, or turned the wrong way, or missed your line, etc.  Because you didn’t let your “woops” show- or stop you if it did. :)  That’s what alllll that practicing and rehearsing is for- to account for allll possible variables- and to be prepared -just- in case the unthinkable happens.  It’s so you are READY, NO MATTER WHAT.  

But of course, we’re all human, and NO act is 100% bulletproof.  Practicing may be armour, but sledgehammers and wrecking balls still happen. ;)  Performer or tech engineer, stage manager or guy whose phone goes off in an intense onstage moment, we all make mistakes.  We all have bad days and moments where we wanna rage at the world or kick things (including ourselves).  We all have days where we don’t have the energy or our hearts aren’t in it.  Or we’re sick.  Or we’re grieving.  Or.. etc.  It happens.  Even in the most ideal of situations and w/the most practice, sometimes flubs happen.  So.. back to that “what do we do when..?”  Basically, we take a deeeeep breath, learn to slow things down in our heads for a moment, learn how to improvise.. how to smile when we feel like crying, running or freezing up.. and we roll with it.  (But if you don’t know how to do those things just yet, that’s okay.  Those are skills that will come with time and experience, and having just about everything go wrong in every possible scenario while you’re getting that experience. ;)  With each new obstacle a performer is faced with, they learn different ways to surmount it.  That’s how they eventually overcome it.  Dance around it.  It’s how you learn.  And how you get better. :)

My first time performing on grass outside MESSED ME UP SO MUCH I can’t even.  As a li’l half-blind girl, I never went outside to play much because thanks to my depth perception & nearsightedness, I was always falling into holes, tripping over roots, walking into brambles, getting slapped in the face by branches, and I hated that shite.  To this day, I still don’t much enjoy being outdoors- unless it’s on flat/paved ground or by the ocean (which is.. again- kinda flat ground ;)).  So when I first danced under a tree in the grass, while I LOVED the magic of the moment, the tree, the light, the air.. the music and the audience.. as I danced I must confess that yours truly struggled w/every rock & rut my bare feet encountered.  Every dent in the earth, mud patch, tree root.. OMG.  And TURNING ON GRASS??  DEWD.  TURNING ON GRASS.  ..I -still- marvel at how in gourd’s name you can SPIN on freaking GRASS. O.o  ...  

But ya know what..?  Even through my struggles, and even though I -hated- it before, during and after (you should’ve heard how I criticized myself to my fellow performers after I was done, another foul move which is SO NOT kosher dancer etiquette), I still got through it.  It wasn’t easy, but I muddled through, and the ultimate result was the audience seemed to enjoy it, I had a decent performance overall (even with my private, silent struggles regarding the terrain), and nobody (I hope/pray) knew I was basically shrieking “EEK,” “OMG OMG OMG” or “OH SH**!!” inside, every time my foot fell down on something that wasn’t flat, soft dirt.  (No lie, I spent at LEAST 50-75% of that performance internally just dead CERTAIN I was about to faceplant in the grass w/a twisted or broken ankle- at any given second...)

Yet from that experience, I got a little better at learning how to dance on grass.  At dealing w/uneven surfaces beneath my dancing feet.  At NOT showing the uncertainty and terror in my eyes, on my face or in my movements as I performed- or even took/left the stage.  ..So when I did it again the next year, in the same site- I was more prepared.  Better equipped to handle the ruts and the little dirt divots, and that whole lack of spin-ability thing.  I was less “OMGOMGOMGIHATETHISWHYDIDIDOTHISWHATAMIDOINGHOLYSHIIIITE!!!” and more “it’s gonna be okay.  It ain’t easy, I’m kinda skurred, but I CAN DO THIS.”

And that’s just one mild, teeny example.  (Not to mention from one girl who, due to vision impairment/a disability, has certain, very specific concerns, issues n’ needs that don’t necessarily affect other dancers w/different situations/abilities.)  Regardless of discipline or performer, there are some bigtime horror stories about how things have gone wrong during perfectly “normal,” SUPER seasoned, experienced as CRAP performers’ attempts at putting on a show. -Like the ones we see every day.  

Want more from my playbook..?  Here are a few examples:

When I was in Germany w/our high school chorus, I sprained my hand while trying to keep myself upright as I slipped down the last few stairs of this MARVELOUS cathedral, as we entered from the balcony for our performance.  The tears came n’ went as I sang through the concert, holding my hand behind the person in front of me, and when it was all over, my German host family took me to the hospital n’ got me treated. (SHOUT OUT TO MAREN & FAMILY, IF YOU CAN READ THIS!! ♥♥♥)

My chorus teacher tells of a previous choir he directed that performed on a stage w/old globe lights that hung from the ceiling, just above the stage.  -And how in mid-performance, one spontaneously let go and FELL to the ground, crashing to smithereens RIGHT in front of a singer in the front row.  -Who promptly fainted, got carried offstage while the choir continued to sing, -and the performance went on.

And what bellydancer who’s performed with a veil or a sword hasn’t had a prop go awry at one time or another..?  Swords keep spinning or overbalance and fall off, veils catch headpieces or hair n’ fall forward, leaving their dancers blinded and faceless.  Veils get tangled or flung or won’t do their “tricks” at the WORST possible time.. and I’m not even gonna GO into wardrobe malfunctions like bras n’ skirts falling off! *lol*  Plus there’s DJs playing the wrong music, music that won’t start or stops in the middle of your dance (had some of those latter things happen m’self- at times in the same show).  People slip, people trip, knees and heels get caught in skirts.. jewelry n’ belts catch on.. everything...  Ahh.. such possibility for “adventure!” ;D

These are just a few illustrations of how things can go kerschplut in the middle of a show.  But that’s okay!!  Good teachers, and LOTS of experience help prepare you for the snafus!  (I hope early dancers don’t see this and go “aww HELL NO- NEVERMIND THIS NONSENSE!!” -and stop dancing/striving/performing, w/the fear that it’s all bad.  ‘Cause it’s SOOO NOT!  These are dangers that ANY performer will deal with- just in different mediums- over a huuuuge span of performances- the vast majority of which go pretty darned right! ^_^)   No matter the artform, there are LOTS of artful ways of overcoming ”oops” moments. ^_^ The point is, how you deal with the glitches is important.  As a performer, ya just.. kinda hafta learn how to gracefully handle the oopses- and roll with them- like this EPIC footage shows of Unmata doing. :)  Their music wouldn’t play during their show at Jamballah NW, and.. they still danced.  (And EPICLY at that! XD)  -Plus what’s better, their AUDIENCE ended up becoming their rhythm section- out of sheer appreciation and admiration for Unmata’s amazing skill and showmanship!!  (’Cause we all know it took GUTS and STYLE IN MASSES to KEEP GOING!! XD)

So how do you cope when the fit hits the shan..?  Well.. you’ve got a few options to keep a “woops” from stopping you in your tracks.  :)

You can play it off (ohohohoh, I MEANT to do that!)

laugh at it/make fun of it, (hey Mr. Sword, you were supposed to stay ON my head!  Now GET back over here you naughty critter!!)

Address it (woops, I goofed!) and keep dancing,

NOT address it n’ recover/recoup as smoothly n’ deftly as possible (I.e. make like a cat n’ pretend nobody saw that- while you do your best to ENSURE that no one does.)  Just keep rolling n’ stealthily cover the Woops up,

go with something COMPLETELY new by improv’ing like a CHAMP, (accidentally spin into your troupemate, fake a moment of a tete-a-tete style standoff until y’all can resume)

treat it as a trial for a new moment to incorporate into the act (oh wait, this 3/4 shimmy works better at that moment w/the music anyway- YAY!)

get the audience in on it (um.. HELLO STRANGER whom I just draped my ENTIRE veil over in the front row!  Thanks for holding that for me! *shimmy shimmy*) 

Etc. :)

And heck, if you have to, you can even stop n’ start again if something really, reeeeallllly goes awry.  (I’ve seen it done on a few bellydance stages m’self, and when I was a kid and doing my first big performance, I did that once too.  I fluffed up a line, started my song at the wrong place, broke into tears & ran off stage.  ..But after a minute, got back up there- having told the MC through tearstained eyes n’ gritted teeth “NO, I WANNA TRY IT AGAIN.” 'cause I REFUSED to not do my performance n’ let that horrid mess be how I let things end.  -Yes.. I was stubborn.. even at around 6. ;))  But I would only recommend this as your LAST possible recourse.  ‘Cause this option does kiiinda stop the show.. and there’s not always an opportunity to get a reboot.  Still, it does take courage!

No matter HOW you do it though, the point is; be a good sport, be humble, and KEEP GOING, ‘cause the show REALLY Must Go ON.  (Besides, most folks weren’t THERE at your rehearsals anyway, right..?  So if you miss a step or flub a word, unless it’s the National Anthem, how do they know your “oops” wasn’t an intentional part of the show..??  The only way they might know you’ve messed up is if you SHOW them by freezing, freaking out, etc.  So ROLL with it, ‘cause they may never know! ;D)

As performers, we hafta remember that Ish* Happens, and that it’s not the end of the world if it does.  (After all, NO ONE is ever totally, 100% perfect.  NO performance is perfect.  ‘Cause again, ALL.  ‘OOMAN.  Our meatsack bodies have limits unfortunately, and sometimes that’s hard for our limitless brainsacks to wrap our minds around.)  -And we artists really CAN be our own worst critics!!  Sure, that moment might SUCK, but even if we’ve flubbed it, we CAN still be okay. ‘Cause there WILL be other shows, and like we said at the beginning of this ramble; the audience, the production co, EVERYONE WANTS us to succeed! ^_^  The important thing is to RECOVER.  (And do so w/as much grace and finesse as possible. ;))  After all, people have come to see us put on a show, and THAT’S what we’re there to do. :)

Either way, no matter how big or small the flub, I guarantee you that your audience (not to mention your fellow performers, stage crew- & yourSelf, down the line) will appreciate you and your craft, tenacity n’ heart LOTS more if you KEEP GOING with your show if you goof/things go pear-shaped.  ‘Cause it takes GUTS to perform, and it takes even MORE guts to keep going when things go wrong.  -And most folks can appreciate that.  No doubt, it’s easier to stop, cry, freeze like a deer in headlights, or turn around and stomp off stage.  (All of which are commonly a part of the learning process, so if you’re a student and have done these things, NO WORRIES.  PLEASE DON”T GIVE UP.  Just get back up there and KEEP PERFORMING.)  But it’s tougher to KEEP GOING.  -And people recognize that.  A -true- BADASS will get back up on that “horse” and RIIIDE it through the storm, with gusto! ^_^  ..So do your thang, and everyone will appreciate that even when things DIDN’T work, even when you slipped and got yer dress all torn, YOU still shined.  They’ll remember that YOU didn’t let even the WORST stop you.  And that takes some SERIOUSLY quick wit, bravery, and cojones!!  (Or ovaries, or.. whatever you prefer. :))  

Sparkling is never easy.  But sparkling while pewp is actively raining down n’ you’re totally slipping in it is the mark of a professional. ;)  It shows everyone that no matter what, you can comport yourself with perseverance, class, poise, grace, humbleness, skill and strength of character- which is what will keep everyone cheering.. even after the music has long stopped. ♥♥♥

♥