Stage names
Options
imalexgirl
Posts: 49
Being older, larger, and just a student of belly dance, I am sure I will never have need of a stage name. I have, however, been thinking about selecting a name for myself for what may be a silly reason. I tend to be self-limiting when it comes to my dancing...you know...always worrying about everything under the sun. I am thinking that adopting a name for the dancing me, might help me to focus on dance more, and not all of my "hangups".
Looking for opinions on this. Also wondering what your stage names are, and how you got them.
Shimmy on!
Looking for opinions on this. Also wondering what your stage names are, and how you got them.
Shimmy on!
0
Replies
-
I think that's a very good idea actually. Giving yourself a stage persona gives you a chance to be someone else, be more confident, and just be more of a performer than you might otherwise allow yourself to be. I don't have a specific stage name, but I do adopt part of the name of our troupe as a surname, so I call myself Charlotte Distraction.0
-
I agree with MissDaisy. If you choose a stage name, you become her when you dance! Your stage persona IS a belly dancer; she doesn't worry that this or that may jiggle or this move may not be as polished as that move. She just dances!
I've been dancing for a little over 5 years, and I chose a stage name probably three years ago. I chose Izanami (Iza for short). I liked the way it sounded, and, being an East Asian Studies major, I thought it was appropriate. She was a powerful Japanese creator deity with a fascinating story. I think people choose names for many different reasons. Some choose names close to their own. One of my troupe-mates' name is Katy and she chose Katya as her stage name. Another is Janet and she chose Janna. On the other hand, we have a Kristin who chose Zira. I think you just have to find a name that inspires you in one way or another and roll with it. It's pretty invigorating the first time your troupe-mates call you by your stage name! :flowerforyou:
~Iza0 -
Two different stage names for me. Originally I'd chosen Amahla, which is the Arabic version of my real name, Hope. But my teacher proposed a Persian word that immediately resonated but I forgot to write down -- I will have to check with her!
I am told that our school's tradition is that you don't get a dance name until you solo, but I don't know if that's actually the case -- i haven't checked.
I do recall spending long hours contemplating what my confirmation name would be back in grade school when I was a Catholic -- this has something of the same feeling, of choosing an alternate identity. (I was not confirmed but ultimately changed my name when I was 11 anyway!)0 -
Thanks for your thoughts:) I think I will take a dancer name for myself. Even if I never really need to have it, I think the benefit to my self-limiting behavior will be good. This past month, I have danced solo a number of times at the farm/craft market downtown, so maybe I am entitled to name myself?
Because I am the poster child of diversity, and I love colorful costumes,photos, etc, I have been looking at "Rainbow' in other languages. The Indian word for rainbow is sabrang...I am leaning towards that as my name:)0 -
I liked the idea of taking on another name and building myself a dance persona, so I became Lilith Noor. Lilith was the first wife of Adam, who wouldn't submit to him, and ended up having children with the angel Samael. The myths around her are fascinating, and I would love to capture some of that in my fusion work. Lilith's lore is quite dark though, so I chose 'Noor', Arabic for light, as an additional name, to counteract some of that darkness. If I were dancing for Middle Eastern audiences, I might use it in preference to Lilith. It's nice to have a choice!
To be honest, the attributes I use on stage have bled over into real life as well, some of Lilith's confidence and cheekiness stays with me long after the bedlah is back in its box and the makeup has come off.0 -
Finally catching up with my belly girls; sorry for the delay.
I completely agree that selecting an alternate persona is not only fun and liberating, it can also be a measure in privacy and safety. If you dance publically, you can give your dance name and not your real name.
I have been dancing for 9 years and selected the name Zoya after the first year or so. Zoya means Life in Greek.
Shimmies...0 -
Just joined the group and saw this and wanted to answer too. Pick a name for yourself, be proud of that name. I chose Raya (my name is Rachel and I just liked how Raya flowed for me). Raya is a totally different person than Rachel (ask my friends, they can see the difference.) You'll know when you find that name that is you because you'll feel it and know it is the one.
Absolutely get up and perform, the jiggles are supposed to jiggle and age is just a number: the oldest member of my troupe is 72 and God bless her, she still gets up on stage, smiles her bright smile, and shakes her thing. I hope at 72 I'm still up there dancing as she is. I find that I get on stage, my weight doesn't matter, my age doesn't matter, it's the heart that I put into something I love and am able to share it with others, when I am there I am one of the most beautiful women in the world (and trust me, this is not something I will ever say about myself) with a handful of the other most beautiful women in the world knowing that all you other beautiful women in the world are cheering me on. Next time you get up there and show that beautiful woman that you are, take a minute and hear the rest of us cheering you on (yep, that's us zaghareeting for you) then let loose and show that audience what you got!0 -
I picked my stage name, becuase I wasn't sure how my real life would react to me being a belly dancer (engineer) and it amused me. I picked Zosma which is a specific star name that is Arabic (or Greek, I forget, it's been a while), and it means center or girdle. 1) I'm an astronomy buff 2)I like the idea of my name defining what I'm doing center = belly, I knw bad pun.
One thing to be aware of when selecting a name, find out how it is pronounced in the language as you might pronounce differently based on spelling and not like the native pronounciation. an example a former troupe member had picked Fatima, thinking it was pronounced Fa-ti-ma, but when she was introduced by an Arabic speaker, they did Fat-i-ma, which she did not think was flattering and changed her stage name after that performance..0 -
I don't have a stage name (partly because I've only been dancing a little over 2 years, and have yet to perform a solo - though that will be happening in about a month) but I'm kind of torn on the issue - on the one hand, it feels kind of false/strange to me and a bit like cultural appropriation, but on the other, it seems fairly standard practice. So I'm undecided.
If I do take a stage name, it will be Zayda - a fairly normal Arabic name, "fortunate one", but with the medieval Spanish spelling, as it was the name of a Muslim princess of Seville who became a wife of Alfonso VI of Castile. It fulfills both qualities that I feel are important in a stage name - it's "authentic" and it also means something to me (it has connections to medieval Spain, which I study, and to the intermingling of cultures there, which is quite appropriate as I came to Middle Eastern dance from flamenco).
(But I'm still undecided as to whether I'd ever actually adopt it. It still doesn't feel natural to me…)0
