Memphis Bellydance

Let Memphis Raqs entertain your guests at your next event, and they'll never forget the experience! Our professional-quality shows can be catered to accommodate any audience or theme, from more traditional Middle Eastern dances to those with an edgy, urban contemporary twist! Tell us what type of party and crowd you are aiming for, and we will fit our performance to your needs! Follow the links below for details on some of our specialties:

*FROM AUGUST to OCTOBER, Memphis Raqs stays booked with festivals and fairs, which are usually planned months in advance. If you are planning an event during these months, please contact us as early as possible, and please don't be disappointed if we are already booked as early as 3-4 months in advance for these time frames.

Memphis Raqs dancers have a wide array of tricks under our hip belts - zils (finger cymbals), Middle Eastern drumming, canes, veils, swords, poi, fire and snakes!

We also enjoy partnering with other local entertainers to bring you an entire evening of amazing entertainment - ask about our co-op performances with live musicians and drummers, henna artists, LED hoop dancers, aerialists, burlesque, and more...

Please be ready to provide the following information:
1. Date, Time, and Location of your event
2. The type of show preferred

Scroll down for more booking information:

Get the girls together for a Girls' Night Out Party! Bachelorette parties, birthdays or baby showers - bellydance has been part of girls' night out parties since the beginning of time!

Looking for a great place to party? Our studio is decorated with a global flair, with incense and candles to set the mood. Plus your girls can shop in our global boutique! We'll even take care of clean up.

Or, we can come to a venue of your choice!

We'll do a short lesson in bellydance with all your best gal pals and then you'll sit back and watch a short performance by the ladies of Memphis Raqs.

Party packages start as low as $125 for up to 16 guests. Hip scarves or finger cymbals can be included as party favors for $15 each with 2 weeks advanced notice. Email us for our complete list of party packages:

"I just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful time this past weekend. I will always remember this special day!"

"Thanks so much for a woooonderful experience!"

If you are looking for a traditional bellydance performance for your event, we can help. Even though the Memphis Raqs performance troupe specializes in contemporary tribal fusion bellydance, director Liz London is also an accomplished Raqs Sharqi soloist. She has studied Egyptian, Lebanese and various Oriental dance from local instructors as well as internationally-renown instructors Jillina and Sabah. Liz performs this more 'traditional' style of bellydance regularly at Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants and events around Memphis.

Memphis Raqs is proud to provide professional quality snake-dancing performances - the only of its kind in the Mid-South!

Snakes have been revered in cultures across the globe throughout the ages as powerful, mystical animals. Many of the movements of bellydance are mimics of the slow, undulating motions of these creatures, and dancers have been incorporating them into their performances for hundreds of years.

* * * *

Liz London has been a herp enthusiast since she was young, and was formerly a herpetologist at the Memphis Zoo for several years. Liz has worked around reptiles of all kinds for over 8 years, both in her dancing and in classrooms doing educational herpetology programs for children and adults of all ages!

Our current reptile dance partners:

Sultan - 4 foot 'sunglow' cornsnake

Danballah - juvenile albino boa constrictor

Add a snakedance to your booking package for a small additional fee.

*Snakes may not be available at certain venues due to space restrictions or at certain times due to temperature and feeding requirements. Our animals' health and safety always comes first.*

Looking for that extra *wow* factor? Hire Liz (DiMaggio) London of Memphis Raqs for a spectacular evening of fire and dance artistry. Liz couples the the mesmerizing flickers of flame with the fluid elegance of dance to create a show that will be sure to leave an impression on your guests.

Previous engagements include the Dixon Gallery's "Art on Fire!", South Main Trolley Night, Cooper Young Night Out, Pyratefest, and the Delta & MidSouth Fair.

*We also have LED Lighted and 'flag' props for a fire-alternative in venues where fire is not allowed:

LED POI

SILK FLAG POI

How long is the show?
We can cater our show to your specifications, from as short as a 10 minute demonstration to a 30 minute full troupe set. We can also split our show to 2 or 3 short sets of 10 minutes each over the course of your entire event.

Is it appropriate for children?
Absolutely! We perform at all types of family-oriented events, from festivals to children's birthday parties. Children love our brightly colored costumes and music and are the first ones to jump up and dance with us! Be sure to let us know what your audience will be so that we can cater our show, because we are also happy to perform for mature parties with a mature theme (i.e., 40th Birthday Parties for women rediscovering their inner sassiness!) We wouldn't perform the same show for a festival that we would for your "Sassy Girls' Night Out" party or for a rock band's CD release party! Note: We do not perform for all-male audiences, bachelor parties, or 'bellygrams.'

Who provides the music?
In most cases, we will provide our own music in the form of a CD or an iPod. (Client provides sound system) We also can use live musicians if requested in advance to co-op with local area musicians. In some cases, the client may hire us as 'ambient' entertainment, meaning we don't provide a choreographed performance set, we are simply living art that adds to the theme of a party. In these cases, we can 'perform' to ambient music provided by the client. We have also performed at band shows where we actually perform with the band to one or two of their songs, but we require at least 2 weeks with a copy of the music that the band will play at the show.

What kind of music is used?
We'll cater our music to your event's theme and audience. We can perform to anything from tribal drumming to Nine Inch Nails! If your party has a theme, we'll accommodate it - having an Arabian Nights party? We'll use more Arabic music with a modern flair. Having a Bollywood party? We'll use music with Indian influences. Having a Halloween party? We'll dance to an Arabic version of "I Put a Spell On You!" (If you are looking for a traditional bellydance show for an Arabic audience, Liz will use a variety of classic Arabic tunes, drum solos, and modern Arabic pop songs. )

Is tipping appropriate?
Tipping a performer is traditional in the Middle East to show the audience's approval. In the West, tipping dancers is usually associated with exotic and adult entertainment, though. We try to find a balance between the two cultural differences. At appropriate shows (festivals, restaurants, street shows), we'll put out tip jars or baskets with instructions on "Tipping a Bellydancer." We do not accept tips in our costumes, period. Showers of bills are accepted, but we prefer the discreetness of simply dropping it in our baskets. For private events, we do not put out tip jars.

How far in advance should I make the booking?
We require a contract for every performance to be confirmed at least 14 days prior to the event. At busier times of the year, expect our booking calendar to be filled about a month in advance. Exceptions can be made for small events with few requests, like a short set with basic props. If you are hoping to have us choreograph a dance to the guest of honor's favorite dance, we need at least 2 weeks to do it! As soon as you start thinking about hiring the entertainment for your event, shoot us an email and we'll start bouncing ideas around. We'll send you our show packages and get the details about your party and start discussing options, and we can start planning our show. Don't feel silly contacting us months in advance - especially if your event is during the holiday season.

What about out of town shows?
Memphis Raqs is based in Memphis, TN, but we perform all over the MidSouth. If you live 25 miles outside of midtown Memphis, you'll need to book early and expect traveling fees. The current mileage rate (2011) is 50 cents/mile, so you can expect to pay around that rate for us to travel outside of 25 miles. For shows more than an hour away, we might require lodging fees.