Respect the Circle and the Leader

Why This Matters

Those of you who are new to the Middle Eastern belly dancer drum circles may not realize that there are many, typically unspoken customs that the drummers have developed and learned.

How You Achieve Success

Pay attention, and show respect.

There are appropriate times, and there are inappropriate times, to showboat.

What You Do

Pay attention!

1. To the circle,
2. To the circle leader, and
3. To the rhythm leader.

Rhythms change tempo, volume, and energy level; and the queues for those changes are sometimes visual. That's so that there aren't words, which might not be heard over a loud circle.

At other times, the rhythm or tempo changes are emphatically verbally communicated; that vocalization becomes are part of the performance.

Respect the dancers

1. The drum circle exists to support the dancers and their performance (within reason); see We are Half of a Performance.

Respect the drum circle leader

1. Although the leadership of the individual rhythms might change along the way, the leader of the drum circle itself remains.
2. The leader has a bunch of responsibilities; they are covered in Leading Djembe Jam Drum Circles page.

Respect the other drummers

Some of the rhythms that we play have long, empty spaces in which a drummer can add their brief flares and solo. Avoid monopolizing those spaces; allow the other drummers in the circle to have their "moments to shine".

This is especially important to drummers who have a long experience of playing solo for dancers. Long empty spaces need to be rare in solo performances, and so those drummers are used to filling the space during every measure. Playing with a group means that you must adjust your style.