Shimmy for the Storm

[alonewiththemoon]

I am probably crazy, but I just started a ball rolling with the Northeast Belly Dance Association on a belly dance benefit for the Red Cross' hurricane relief effort. A post came through on a mailing list that I'm on from a dancer who fled NO and is staying along with several of her troupemates at another dancer's house (the House of Wayward Bellydancers, they're calling it). All the stories are heartbreaking--I lost it several times watching the news last night--but reading of a dancer like me, who lost her job, her home, her everything but is hit hard by the loss of her costumes, her music, her expression of herself--that hit me very hard.

So I'm looking for a venue, I guess. I'd take pretty much any date, preferably a weekend afternoon or evening, as long as it's a couple of weeks from now to allow for promotion time. A venue that might donate the space or reduce the cost would be extra nice. For now, I'm checking into the Arlington places--the American Legion, the Elks Lodge. I think somewhere like the Zeitgeist would be too small, and I'd like somewhere that has a bar or food service since that makes people happy (and the venue more likely to reduce the cost, if they can make money at the bar). I'm not sure what to expect in terms of attendance, but I'd imagine people would want to contribute. I don't think there will be any shortage of dancers wanting to perform; the community really pulled together for the tsunami relief effort, and I think this is affecting us all even more because we are more likely to know people in NO, have visited there, etc.

Anyway, any advice would be good, and I want you all to promise to buy tickets even if you don't actually show up to the event.

Comments

[rojagato.livejournal.com]

If anyone has any pull with the Saters, I see some empty dates for Downstairs coming up (Mondays and Thursdays). Upstairs looks booked solid.

All Asia Cafe looks like it's closed now to almost the end of September, but if someone knows the booking guy and can get a hold of him, it looks like they have a couple of dates open that last weekend.

[alonewiththemoon]

I was thinking about the ME, maybe the upstairs on an afternoon, but I hadn't looked at the schedule yet. Maybe I can talk to Sahar on Sunday...

I wasn't at all thrilled with All Asia as a venue--my other complaints aside, half the room can't see the stage. It's ok as a "work the floor" kind of venue but not for staged performances, which is what I want to go for, for maximum dancer participation.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Paisley, I've been floating the idea of a benefit show on the 15th downstairs at the Middle East. Maybe we can combine the talent/events.

You can email me directly at darkblacksky at yahoo dot com.

[rojagato.livejournal.com]

Hey, Steve! This is badriyaz's call, not mine. Rest by email.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Paisley.

Something new and exciting came up that might work out really well.

Look forward to email.

Steve

[cris.livejournal.com]

A raffle would also be a good way to get other folks involved, and raise the profile for the event (it's also a win-win for raffle donors as they'll be encouraged to promote your event and thereby promote their own role in supporting it) The raffle also allows folks to contribute money above and beyond the door fee for the event. Like, when we did the AIDSride fundraiser at the AL hall in Arlington, returns from the raffle were about triple what we made at the door.

[alonewiththemoon]

oh, that's a great idea. Did you have to deal with taxes and receipts and so forth? I'm hoping to keep this as simple as possible.

[cris.livejournal.com]

depends on the donor's requirements. On request, we wrote out receipts for donors, stating usage, monetary value and what not, but not everyone did since the prize was either too small to really qualify as a charitable deduction or the person just wanted to keep it simple as well.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

The downside to raffles is if the state requires you to file for some sort of gaming permit. Yes, seriously, CT does this, and afaik so does RI. I don't know if MA does.

However, if you do have a raffle, I'd totally donate something for that, too.

[spitcurl.livejournal.com]

Yay!

I've been checking halls for parties and even the non-profit pricing, such as an event like this, is high. But lemmee ask around...

[cris.livejournal.com]

also, as another aside, would you want a contact for the George Dilboy hall in Davis? their rental rates were pretty comparable to the Arlington Hall, plus you get the benefits of better T access and a later closing time (in case that matters)

[spitcurl.livejournal.com]

I <3 the Dilboy. Since this isn't as fancy as a club, I'd totally volunteer to help you decorate this place appropriately for this event, Z. If you go that route.

[rojagato.livejournal.com]

Me, too. Also flyering.

[spitcurl.livejournal.com]

I'll doodle something. For flyers. With design. You know. Stuff. I can do that.

[alonewiththemoon]

Thanks you guys, I will undoubtedly take you up on that!

[armandae.livejournal.com]

If you can have a jpg/img of some sort popped online of the flyer, I can print and "utilize" company resources and distro through MIT, et al. Lots of hallways, lots of bulletin boards ;p

[alonewiththemoon]

That would be great--better T accessibility is a good thing! Plus there's no chandelier in the middle of the dance floor to interfere with canes, swords, veils, etc. ;)

[spitcurl.livejournal.com]

Hey Z! Myn sent me here, so I send you there: http://www.livejournal.com/users/sonofabish/402549.html

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

I don't have any suggestions offhand, but I will definitely buy a ticket whether or not I can attend.

[atalanta.livejournal.com]

wouldn't one of the halls donate the time? for this cause?

[safirasilv.livejournal.com]

If you're on the bellydance-me mailing list, please post info once you have it.

[alonewiththemoon]

You'll be seeing a post there soon, once it goes by the moderator :-)

[julishka.livejournal.com]

i'd totally like to help out where i can, too.