Eastern Dance

A hafla is a Middle Eastern Dance party, and most Belly Dance teachers will organise them for their students. The party can take different forms and each organiser will have different preferences. It can range from a more formal theatrical performance to a simple ‘Arabic’ disco.

I have organised several haflas since becoming a teacher, and have tried several variations to find the best ‘formula’

Things you need to consider: When and Where to hold it and What you require. Whether to have a Souk/Stalls/Raffle, should you have an Entrance Fee/Tickets/Advertise, whats involved in an Outdoor Event, how should the Hafla/Party work, how to Decorate, the Performance, Food & Drink and Afterwards

When?
First decide when and where to hold your hafla. Christmas is a popular time as many people are already in ‘party mode‘, and the hafla can provide a nice way to end the term/year. If you have other teachers or dancers nearby who you might invite, just check your proposed dates with them for possible clashes.

You may also decide to use the hafla as a fund raising exercise, so you might like to arrange it co-incide with a significant date, or national fundraiser. You will generally get a better attendance if it's on a Friday or Saturday night, and look out for those sneaky Bank Holidays, or half term breaks!

Where?
When you consider where you hold the event there are several factors you need to consider:

I would recommend having the event at a hired venue as against a friends house or garden as even with the best will in the world problems do occur and it might cause misunderstandings and difficulties.

What?
Looking for a venue may seem a difficult task but start by asking the other students/class members for recommendations in the area of your preference. If a venue is not available some hirers will happily give you some alternative suggestions. Church & village halls, community centres, school halls, sports clubs are just a few. If it is a church hall, however, check they are OK with Belly Dancing first!

When you start to search for an appropriate venue you need to consider various points:

Having found your venue and booked it, you then need to start advertising and promoting it. You need to decide if you are going to keep it small and only for students, or open to spouses, children, families, or a bigger event where members of other groups or members of the public can attend. You might like to consider if you would like a guest dancer or group as an added attraction.

Souk/Stalls/Raffle?
If you are fund raising you may want to charge traders to bring stalls, but make sure there is some time available during the evening for people to shop! Be aware that traders will also need extra time beforehand to set up.

Entrance Fee/Tickets/Advertising?
Try not to over charge but if you are hiring a venue or caterers or if you are paying a guest dancer then you need to cover the costs. If you are fundraising you may like to add a little more to the entrance price.
(I bribe my students to help and perform by offering a reduced entrance fee!)

Decide if you are having tickets bought in advance or will people pay on the door?
If tickets are bought in advance you would be wise to number them and then keep a list, and some people might need a map or written directions. If people pay on the door will you need to limit the numbers? - check with the venue in case there are legal limits.

Some venues will ask you to have public liability insurance and some theatre/arts centres will need you to pay copyright on any pre-recorded music used.

When creating your flier make sure it has all the most important info on it: Date, Time, Place, Venue, Cost, Contact Number. Now you have your flier, you need to use it by either putting out at classes and events, sending to other dancers and teachers, sending to stall holders, and putting up around the venue/area if it's open to the public.

Outdoor Events
I've not had so much experience of these, but you will have extra considerations:

The Hafla/Party
I have found through trial and error that some formats work better than others, and having decided on what sort of event you are holding this will dictate how you conduct the evening and plan the programme. Some events can be very informal and organic, especially if they are for small numbers, but if you are planning larger numbers, you will need to be more organised and formal with a programme so everyone knows what they are doing!

Many teachers have a programme of dances with intervals for eating, free dancing and shopping. If you prefer something less formal you can simply invite anyone who wants to, to get up with their music and dance, but you will still need someone to make decisions on when to have breaks and draw the raffle etc. You might also want to arrange some other activities, such as a fortune teller, or a quiz with prizes.

Consider if you want to have eating before, after or during the performance - will it be disruptive at all, and how long will it take? I also ask for voluntary assistance from my students beforehand with a variety of jobs, otherwise you may be left to do it all your self - especially the clearing up afterwards!

Decorating the venue adds a lot to the atmosphere and consequent enjoyment of audience. Get together other students or friends and decorate in an Arabic style with drapes, candles/lanterns/fairy lights, carpets, cushions and gazebos/tents. Subtle lighting will create a wonderful ambience. If you are having formal seating around tables you may want to decorate these.

Don't leave your decorating until the last minute! Do it in advance and make sure all your lighting or staging is also in place. Also consider the best layout with regard to eating, drinking and seating in relation to each other.
Don't forget a table at the door as a place to pay for entry!

Performance
Make sure you are on hand to greet guests and give directions and take care of the needs of any guest dancers. If you are having a formal programme you will need a compere to announce each act and be a time keeper - if you are doing a stage show you may even need a stage manager! Make sure your lighting and sound people have a list of the acts and their music and know what is needed - it's a good idea to have a printed programme available for audience and helpers. Keep the show rolling with as few hold ups as possible and take advantage of breaks to announce raffle results or give more shopping time.

When planning your programme remember to give dancers time to change costumes if doing more than one dance and also vary the format. If you are having a very informal gathering you could operate the music and lights yourself. Make sure your sound system is loud enough with a room full of people! You might like to have someone videoing or taking photo's of the performance.

Food & Drink
Food or drink to share or a caterer? I've always asked people to bring food and drink to put onto a collective table, all you need to do is provide plates, cutlery, cups and serviettes, and bin bags to clear away rubbish.

Of course a caterer will do all this for you, but you will need to convey info to them about the facilities at the venue. A caterer will need to be reflected in the cost - at a small event I went to we paid £8 each, but the teachers husband had cooked a wonderful hot Middle Eastern meal for all of us!

If you are asking participants to provide the food you may choose to ask for Middle Eastern. If some people want to bring hot food make sure you have the facilities and helpers to do this- finger or buffet food is much easier to deal with.

You may decide to provide soft drinks or leave it to the audience to bring their own, but make sure you provide cutlery, cups, plates etc. I usually use paper and plastic as it's easier with the clearing up afterwards. Having someone to supervise the food and drink is very useful.

Afterwards
Announce the end time during the evening - if you finish with a disco slot you can start to begin clearing up whilst it's going on! Make sure you have sufficient help so you can finish tidying up in good time and leave the venue as you found it. Some venues will let you clear up the next day with out charging you if you prefer.


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Organising a Hafla
A hafla is a Middle Eastern Dance party, and most Belly Dance teachers will organise them for their students. The party can take different forms and each organiser will have different preferences. It can range from a more formal theatrical performance to a simple ‘Arabic’ disco. I have organised several haflas since becoming a teacher, and have tried several variations to find the best ‘formula’ Things you need to consider: When and Where to hold it and What you require. Whether to have a Souk/Stalls/Raffle, should you have an Entrance Fee/Tickets/Advertise, whats involved in an Outdoor Event, how should the Hafla/Party work, how to Decorate, the Performance, Food & Drink and Afterwards When? First decide when and where to hold your hafla. Christmas is a popular time as many people are already in ‘party mode‘, and the hafla can provide a nice way to end the term/year. If you have other teachers or dancers nearby who you might invite, just check your proposed dates with them for possible clashes. You may also decide to use the hafla as a fund raising exercise, so you might like to arrange it co-incide with a significant date, or national fundraiser. You will generally get a better attendance if it's on a Friday or Saturday night, and look out for those sneaky Bank Holidays, or half term breaks! Where? When you consider where you hold the event there are several factors you need to consider: Where do the participants/students and guests live and how far will they have to travel? How easy is it to find? Does it have an appropriate setting for your needs: grassed area/garden good car parking easy to get to by public transport? Does the hall or venue fit your requirements? I would recommend having the event at a hired venue as against a friends house or garden as even with the best will in the world problems do occur and it might cause misunderstandings and difficulties. What? Looking for a venue may seem a difficult task but start by asking the other students/class members for recommendations in the area of your preference. If a venue is not available some hirers will happily give you some alternative suggestions. Church & village halls, community centres, school halls, sports clubs are just a few. If it is a church hall, however, check they are OK with Belly Dancing first! When you start to search for an appropriate venue you need to consider various points: Do you want an indoor or outdoor event? See below for outdoor event info. Given the likely number of people attending what size venue? What facilities does the venue have: toilets, disabled access, stage, sound system/lighting, changing rooms, extra rooms/space for food/souk, heating and lighting, kitchen, tables and chairs. Depending on what kind of activities you have in mind there are some other points to consider: what type of floor surface is it? Is there a bar available? Are there other events on at the same venue? Are there restrictions as to what you can and can't do? Is it being used immediately before and after your event? Will it be possible to decorate the hall and if so can it be done beforehand? How much does it cost, and will you be charged extra for any setting up and clearing away time? Look out for extras like a meter for heating or lighting. Having found your venue and booked it, you then need to start advertising and promoting it. You need to decide if you are going to keep it small and only for students, or open to spouses, children, families, or a bigger event where members of other groups or members of the public can attend. You might like to consider if you would like a guest dancer or group as an added attraction. You then need to decide on a few details so you can create a flier or poster: What time do you want to start and finish? Are you having a souk or stalls or raffle? Are you having food and/or drink to share or bringing in a caterer? How much to charge as an entrance fee? Will you have tickets sold in advance or on the door? What time do you want to start or finish?- If you have a formal programme of dances including an interval you can work out roughly how long the evening will be. Bear in mind parents with small children may want to go home earlier. Souk/Stalls/Raffle? If you are fund raising you may want to charge traders to bring stalls, but make sure there is some time available during the evening for people to shop! Be aware that traders will also need extra time beforehand to set up. A raffle is also a good way to raise extra cash for a cause and is good fun! Entrance Fee/Tickets/Advertising? Try not to over charge but if you are hiring a venue or caterers or if you are paying a guest dancer then you need to cover the costs. If you are fundraising you may like to add a little more to the entrance price. (I bribe my students to help and perform by offering a reduced entrance fee!) Decide if you are having tickets bought in advance or will people pay on the door? If tickets are bought in advance you would be wise to number them and then keep a list, and some people might need a map or written directions. If people pay on the door will you need to limit the numbers? - check with the venue in case there are legal limits. Some venues will ask you to have public liability insurance and some theatre/arts centres will need you to pay copyright on any pre-recorded music used. When creating your flier make sure it has all the most important info on it: Date, Time, Place, Venue, Cost, Contact Number. Now you have your flier, you need to use it by either putting out at classes and events, sending to other dancers and teachers, sending to stall holders, and putting up around the venue/area if it's open to the public. Outdoor Events I've not had so much experience of these, but you will have extra considerations: Hiring a marquee or tent; what sort of seating or tables will you need or will you rely on carpets and cushions - you may need ground sheets too Do you need an alternative venue if the weather is bad? Will the dancers perform on grass/carpet/staging? What kind of lighting if it's in the evening? Where will you get power for lights/sound system (making sure it's safely out of harms way!)? Are there toilets and changing rooms available or will you need to hire them? Neighbours: consider how music, lighting, parking cars will affect them How will you arrange the food/catering and the clearing up afterwards? The Hafla/Party I have found through trial and error that some formats work better than others, and having decided on what sort of event you are holding this will dictate how you conduct the evening and plan the programme. Some events can be very informal and organic, especially if they are for small numbers, but if you are planning larger numbers, you will need to be more organised and formal with a programme so everyone knows what they are doing! Many teachers have a programme of dances with intervals for eating, free dancing and shopping. If you prefer something less formal you can simply invite anyone who wants to, to get up with their music and dance, but you will still need someone to make decisions on when to have breaks and draw the raffle etc. You might also want to arrange some other activities, such as a fortune teller, or a quiz with prizes. Consider if you want to have eating before, after or during the performance - will it be disruptive at all, and how long will it take? I also ask for voluntary assistance from my students beforehand with a variety of jobs, otherwise you may be left to do it all your self - especially the clearing up afterwards! Hall Decoration Decorating the venue adds a lot to the atmosphere and consequent enjoyment of audience. Get together other students or friends and decorate in an Arabic style with drapes, candles/lanterns/fairy lights, carpets, cushions and gazebos/tents. Subtle lighting will create a wonderful ambience. If you are having formal seating around tables you may want to decorate these. Don't leave your decorating until the last minute! Do it in advance and make sure all your lighting or staging is also in place. Also consider the best layout with regard to eating, drinking and seating in relation to each other. Don't forget a table at the door as a place to pay for entry! Performance Make sure you are on hand to greet guests and give directions and take care of the needs of any guest dancers. If you are having a formal programme you will need a compere to announce each act and be a time keeper - if you are doing a stage show you may even need a stage manager! Make sure your lighting and sound people have a list of the acts and their music and know what is needed - it's a good idea to have a printed programme available for audience and helpers. Keep the show rolling with as few hold ups as possible and take advantage of breaks to announce raffle results or give more shopping time. When planning your programme remember to give dancers time to change costumes if doing more than one dance and also vary the format. If you are having a very informal gathering you could operate the music and lights yourself. Make sure your sound system is loud enough with a room full of people! You might like to have someone videoing or taking photo's of the performance. Food & Drink Food or drink to share or a caterer? I've always asked people to bring food and drink to put onto a collective table, all you need to do is provide plates, cutlery, cups and serviettes, and bin bags to clear away rubbish. Of course a caterer will do all this for you, but you will need to convey info to them about the facilities at the venue. A caterer will need to be reflected in the cost - at a small event I went to we paid £8 each, but the teachers husband had cooked a wonderful hot Middle Eastern meal for all of us! If you are asking participants to provide the food you may choose to ask for Middle Eastern. If some people want to bring hot food make sure you have the facilities and helpers to do this- finger or buffet food is much easier to deal with. You may decide to provide soft drinks or leave it to the audience to bring their own, but make sure you provide cutlery, cups, plates etc. I usually use paper and plastic as it's easier with the clearing up afterwards. Having someone to supervise the food and drink is very useful. Afterwards Announce the end time during the evening - if you finish with a disco slot you can start to begin clearing up whilst it's going on! Make sure you have sufficient help so you can finish tidying up in good time and leave the venue as you found it. Some venues will let you clear up the next day with out charging you if you prefer. Then sit back and congratulate yourself.