Heart Of Texas Belly Dance Contest

Heart of Texas Belly Dance Contest Produced by Bahaia’s HOT Seminars as part of the Austin Belly Dance Convention www.bahaia.com Friday, June 1, 2007 8pm, doors open at 7:30 Williamson Conference Center 1209 North IH-35 Round Rock, TX 78664

Improvisation is at the heart of belly dance. The hallmark of a truly skilled dancer is the ability to connect and become one with the music, through intimate knowledge of the music and an established, yet flexible, personal movement vocabulary. The Heart of Texas Belly Dance Contest was created to reward the skill of improvisation; a skill so critical to our dance, yet often overlooked and out of place in other contests. Our goal is to provide dancers with a fun and rewarding experience and to give dancers credentials to which the average person can relate. How the contest works: Music for the contest is selected by the Contest Manager, Bahaia*. Dancers compete in small group rounds, or “heats”. The music for each heat includes up to 4 unique song clips. Judges individually score each dancer in each heat. All dancers leave the stage after each heat. Scores are tabulated after each dancer has participated in one heat. Dancers with the top 3 scores return to the stage for the final round. Judges individually score each dancer in the final round. Scores are tabulated and prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. *Amateur Contestants are given a list of source music to study in preparation for the contest. Professional Contestants receive no prior information on contest music and must rely on their experience and a developed understanding of belly dance music and movement. To enter the contest, visit: www.austinbellydance.eventbrite.com Or you may send check or money order to Bahaia PO Box 10411 Austin, TX 78766 Entries must be postmarked by May 21. Online entry will close at midnight on May 21. Read on for information on: Category Descriptions and Prizes Contest Policies Contest Rules Judging Criteria 2007 Judges Frequently Asked Questions

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Categories It is the responsibility of each Contestant to select the appropriate category for their skill level. Amateur Category – Entry fee $30 This category is open to dancers of an intermediate level with a suggested minimum of 2 years of study and some performance experience. You should not have regularly earned money performing as a soloist, with the exclusion of tips or meals or monies won at competitions. Amateur Category Music Source List: It is recommended that you purchase and study each of the following CD’s in preparation for the contest. Not every song will be selected for the contest and most songs will not be played in their entirety. The list is designed to expose you to a wide range of belly dance music. Belly Dance Super Stars Vol. I Itneen, by Helm Jalilah’s Raks Sharki Vol. I (Piranha Records) Tabel Ya Issam, by Issam Houchan Ya Bahaia: Belly Dance Music with Samer Issa Amateur Category Prizes: 1st Place Prize $150 Cash, Crown, Trophy, Donated Gifts from our Vendors, and a Special Dance Opportunity at the Saturday afternoon Festival nd 2 Place Prize Plaque, Donated Gifts from our Vendors 3rd Place Prize Plaque, Donated Gifts from our Vendors The Amateur category begins at 8pm. Check in at 7pm. Professional Category – Entry Fee $45 This category is open to advanced level or professional dancers. Contestants should have at least 5 years of paid -performance experience or be confident that they can compete on a level with those who do. Professional Category Prizes: 1st Place Prize $300 Cash, Crown, Trophy, Donated Gifts from our Vendors, a Special Dance opportunity at the Saturday afternoon Festival, and an Invitation to Return as a Judge for the 2008 Contest nd 2 Place Prize Plaque, Donated Gifts from our Vendors 3rd Place Prize Plaque, Donated Gifts from our Vendors The Professional category begins at 9pm. Check in at 7pm.

Contest Policies 1. No Reservations. When your entry fee is received, you are entered. 2. No Discounts. 2

3. Online entries will be taken until midnight on May 21. Mail-in entries must be postmarked on or before May 21, 2007. No entries will be accepted at the door. 4. Entries will be taken on a first come first served basis until the category is full. The maximum number of entrants in each category is 15. 5. Refunds given only if category is filled or canceled. 6. Category must have 7 or more entries or it will be canceled. 7. Minimum age requirement is 18 years of age on the date of the contest. 8. Disqualification with no refund if participant is visibly intoxicated. 9. Disqualification with no refund for un-sportsmanlike behavior and/or interfering with the contest in any way. 10. Returned checks will be assessed a $20.00 fee. 11. We reserve the right to refuse service/entry to anyone.

Contest Rules First and foremost, this contest is intended to be a fun and rewarding experience. You should have a good nature, a fun-loving spirit, a healthy perspective on competition and a balanced view of yourself and the dance. Remember that you are only being judged on the dance you do this one day, not on your whole career. 1. All styles of Belly Dance movement and costuming are welcomed. 2. No props of any kind are allowed. This includes veil and finger cymbals 3. Check-in time is at 7pm. We would prefer you to remain on property once you have checked in. If you are not ready to go on stage when it is your turn, you will be skipped and no make-up position will be given. 4. Participants will draw lots to determine which heat they will participate in. 5. Participants will be given identifying numbers to wear on their costumes. 6. Every contestant must enter and exit the stage via the stairs. 7. The entire dance must be performed on the stage. Dancing on the floor is an automatic disqualification. 8. Since there are multiple dancers on the stage for each heat, contestants must not monopolize the stage. Rotation will take place at intervals indicated by the announcer. 9. There will be up to 4 songs selected for each heat. Songs will be edited to 2-3 minutes in length. A diverse selection of belly dance songs will be offered and may include Arabic pop, classics and standards for sharki/orientale, drum solo, folklore, fusion, taqsim and tribal. 10. Contestants will be judged on appearance, entertainment quality, dance skill and musical interpretation. Scores will be given from 1(lowest) to 10(highest). 11. All judges’ scores are final. Individual scores will be kept confidential. Please do not approach judges for comments, as they are not allowed to speak to contestants or each other about judging. 12. Score sheets contain raw scores only (no feedback) and will be mailed to all contestants after the competition. 13. First place winners are not allowed to enter again in the same category for a period of 2 years. The runner-up and all other contestants may enter again the following year.

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Scoring Criteria Scores are from 1 to 10 (1 poor, 5 average, 10 excellent) Scoring in the final rounds is independent from the preliminary heats, not cumulative. Appearance: Neat, clean, and in good taste Appropriate costume, make-up, and hair, suitably fitted to person's body style and dance Exhibits poise and good body carriage/posture Dance Skill: hip and torso articulation, sharp moves, fluid moves, body-line, and turns Hands and arms - graceful and purposeful Level of difficulty – layering, level changes, variety and subtlety Transitions of moves and moods Music Interpretation: Movement reflects and compliments the music Dancer expresses the mood of the music Entertainment Quality: Facial expressions and body language Communicating and conveying emotions such as joy, playfulness, etc. Stage presence, personality and energy Audience awareness Ties: The top-scoring contestant in each heat will be recognized with one bonus point. This additional point will only be added in the event of a tie. If, after the preliminary heats, more than 3 contestants have identically high marks and the tie can not be broken by the addition of bonus points, those contestants will compete in an elimination round. In the elimination round, the judges may select only 3 contestants to move on. Contestants will be judged using a ranking system rather than a point system.

Judges for 2007 Jasmin Jahal, Internationally recognized dance master www.jasminjahal.com Maribel Rivero, Winner of the Miss HOT Seminar Contest 2005 www.maribelbellydance.com Phillip Shurtleff, President of the Austin Belly Dance Association www.abda.org

Frequently Asked Questions 4

Is there a dressing room? A dressing room with mirrors, a clothes rack and water station is available on the 2nd floor of the convention center. We are not responsible for anything stored in the dressing room. What is the stage like and what size is it? The stage is a standard convention style Riser Stage. It is 24 inches high and has steps on one side for entrance. The only entrance for the stage is on the right hand side facing the stage. The stage is 16' x 12' with extremely low pile carpet. The backdrop is in shades of red and orange. You should avoid red or orange costuming so you will stand out more on stage. Must Contestants buy show tickets or register for classes? Contestants do not need a show ticket for admission on Friday night. However, any other activities you wish to attend will require payment. Contestants are encouraged, but not required, to attend other activities of the Austin Belly Dance Convention. Your contestant entry fee includes your admission to the Friday contest/show. If you purchased the Red HOT Deal in addition to entering the contest, you will receive admission for yourself and a guest ticket for a friend or family member. Guest tickets will be issued at contestant check-in, 7pm. Do attendants or escorts need to buy a ticket? Yes. Anyone other than Contestants, Judges, and Staff must have a show ticket. Friends, family, escorts, etc. will need to purchase a ticket or have a “guest ticket” as mentioned above. Tickets are $15.00 for adults, $5.00 for children (under 12). Are video or still cameras allowed? No, only the official video and camera crew may capture this event. Unauthorized cameras will be confiscated. All video and photos become the property of Just Fabulous and Kyle King Photography, respectively. Contestants may purchase video of the contest in which they entered and individual photos of themselves. At no time will they be given or sold to someone else. They may be used to promote the contest in the future, but they will never be sold to a third party. When are the trophies and prizes awarded? Trophies and prizes are awarded at the end of the Friday night program.

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