Rates for Delaware Area Bellydancers

This information is based on information from area bellydancers. To add your input be sure to contact Lorelei.dancer AT Gmail.com.

How much should it cost to hire a bellydancer?  Dancing in the area and want to know what to charge?  Should a part time or less experienced dancer cost less?   The answer to these questions and more below.

This page is still under construction as ofJan 2012

How much should it cost to hire a bellydancer?

The cost of a hiring a bellydancer varies depending on the location and type of performance.  Samira Shuruk has a resource  including rates in many other areas of the country.  Also do read her rates article.

Remember, though a bellydancer may be performing  15-20 minutes at your event, he/she spends at least an hour prepping her costume and makeup the day of the event.  There is also travel time to get to the event and a small amount of set up one he/she arrives at your event. That is in addition to all the work the dancer you hire puts into choosing and editing music, and practicing for the event.


Typical types of performance with standard rates:
Restaurant  Show
  • description and cost
Short event show
  • description and cost
Longer event show
  • description and cost

Show and a Lesson
  • description and cost


Why else does it cost so much?
Professional costuming can range from $200 to $2000.  One source of mid-range cost costumes is Dahlal Internationale.  Professional dancers also invest in makeup designed for performing professions, such as MAC.




Should a part time or less experienced dancer cost less? 

The short answer is no.

Whether a dancer has another full or part time job, or how often he/she performs is not as important as how much effort he/she has invested in this art.  Once a Middle Eastern dance artist has trained professionally, they should earn the standard professional pay.

This is not to say that more experieced dancers or performers with a particular skill do not charge more, just that less experienced dancers will just not charge less than the standard listed above.

Remember performaing artists do not have typical jobs.  They generally do not have a yearly review process which can lead to raises.  So it is important to start at the standard rate, and work up from there.  If a dancer does not feel he/she is worth the standard rate, then they are not ready to perform professionally.

This is also why bellydancers do not audition for free.  A dancer may meet with a client or resturant owner beforehand, but they will not give a free costumed performance in place of a paid dancer.  

Also not that bellydancers do not generally dancer for all male event such as Bachelor parties.  They do however perform for many Bachelorette parties.  




 

What about  community  events?   What about charity events?

Community haflas are a differnt situation than a professional gig.  At events like this, many performers of many levels (beginner student to professional)  are sharing their work with each other.  It is as much a meetup and networking event as a show.  Sometimes a headlining dancer gets paid at events like this, and in others the cover charge is only enough to cover venue rental or food.

Some dancers do donate performances to charity events, but it is not expected.  Generally a performer donates performance to charities that he or she would also support with a monitary donation.  However, if other performers, DJ's, Caterers are being paid, the bellydancer should be too.