Maki (Bellydance Evolution Cast Special)

1. Could you tell us about the competition to be a cast of Bellydance Evolution?

To enter the competition, it was pretty straightforward. Once to you sign up and pay the entrance fee, we had to learn a choreography from Jillina from a video clip they send you. Then you had to submit a video of yourself dancing the choreography along with a clip of you doing your own dance. Once you submit these videos and upload them onto the Bellydance Evolution site, your competition submission is complete. People who visit the site and view the videos can vote on the videos of the contestants they like and rate them. The contestant with the most votes got the People’s Choice award. Then, the tough part… you wait to hear if Jillina has selected you to be part of Bellydance Evolution!

My strategy was to show Jillina that I could dance her style and also bring something interesting to the table. I tried to dance her choreography with her stylization and her technique as much as possible and then show her my style in my section. I think being versatile and showing you have the potential to do anything she asks of you is key.

2. What is your strength as a cast of Bellydance Evolution?

I think my strengths are my work ethic and that I am a team player. The way I approached my experience was to try and enjoy it as much as possible and soak in every moment. Being cast in the show was a great experience and I loved dancing with a team of such professionals! We all understood that we were brought together to create a great show and to represent bellydance as best as possible. Because we all had this common goal and understanding we were able to put together an amazing show and gel together as a group in only 10 days. At the beginning, I wasn’t sure what the other girls were going to be like but Jillina and her Sahlala Dancers really set the tone of teamwork and inclusiveness from the beginning which carried through till the end. Since the show I was in was the one being filmed for the DVD, there was a little more pressure to deliver clean shows. This might have been one of the reasons that Jillina had cast many of her own dancers and dancers who have done the show before. Ziva (another contest winner) and I were the only brand new girls to the group so I felt like Jillina had put her faith into me so I had to step up and not disappoint!

3. Do you have any advice for dancers who will apply the competition of Bellydance Evolution?

Entering a competition is always a little nerve wracking because you are putting yourself out there. I always approach auditions and competitions the same way, I try my best and work hard but know that at the end of the day, if I didn’t get picked/win, it’s not the end of the world. I think you have to be realistic and accepting of whatever decision is made. It’s not my show, it’s not my production, Jillina has every right to choose who she sees fit. It takes someone who is a strong dancer of course but also someone who can pick up choreography quickly, adapt to changes, apply feedback quickly and can dance her style. Not getting picked isn’t necessarily a reflection of your dance ability but it just means you are not the right fit for this particular show. As this is a cast with many group dances, you have to be able to dance as one unit and understand you are part of a bigger picture. If you do get in, enjoy every moment, have fun and be ready to work hard!

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