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!

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, fire performers, henna artists, hoop dancers, and more...

Contact us to book Liz DiMaggio or the Memphis Raqs troupe for an event -   Please be ready to provide the following information: 1. Date, Time, and Location of your event 2. The type of show preferred   Follow the links below for more booking information:

 

 

 

 

Get the girls together for a Girls' Night Out Party! Celebrate your birthday with wiggles and giggles! Bachelorette parties or baby showers - we'll keep it girly and fun! Looking for a great place to party? Consider having your party at our lovely Dance Oasis bellydance studio! Or, we'll bring the entertainment to you at 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. You even get to play dress-up in our boutique for some fun photo opportunities!   Party packages start as low as $85. 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!"

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If you are looking for a traditional bellydance performance for your event, we can help. Even though the Memphis Raqs performance troupe specializes in tribal fusion bellydance, director Liz DiMaggio is an accomplished Raqs Sharqi soloist. She has studied Egyptian and Oriental dance from local instructors and renown instructors like Jillina through workshops and conventions. Liz performs this more 'traditional' style of bellydance regularly at Middle Eastern and Mediterranean restaurants and events around Memphis. At this time, traditional Raqs Sharqi performances are not available with the troupe. If you are looking for multiple dancers for traditional bellydance, try some of Memphis' other local bellydance companies, Desert Rose Dance, Dance with Jasmine, or Pyramid Dance Company.

 

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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 DiMaggio has been a herp enthusiast since she was young, and is a herpetologist in her professional life outside of dancing.  She often shares the bellydance stage with one of her partners, Sandy, a 16-year-old, 8 foot long boa constrictor. Liz has worked with Sandy for 6 years, both in her dancing and in classrooms doing educational herpetology programs for children and adults of all ages!

Our reptile dance partners: Sultan - 4 foot 'sunglow' cornsnake Danballah - juvenile albino boa constrictor Pandora - juvenile boa constrictor  (still in training!) 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.*

 

 

 

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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 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. 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.  It may turn out that we have already planned an out-of-town gig or convention on the proposed date of your party, so you'll want to check with us as early as you can in the planning process.

What about out of town and international 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 IRS mileage rate is 55 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.