Recently a well known dancer approached me at a show and shared this story:

"Delilah, I have a confession to make. Please hear me out! When I began to learn to bellydance my teacher gave me a pirated copy of your videos . I used them everyday and I did the ritual warm up religiously. I learned a lot from them and I felt very guilty for using and profiting from them when I hadn't paid a cent for the teaching I was relieving. So finally I did buy the entire set from you at a workshop.

The dancer continued her story: "When I put them on my TV and read your opening statement on how making illegal copies of tapes is illegal and most importantly deprives the artist of their livelihood, to which they are entitled, I felt even worse because it was the first time I'd seen it. My teacher had gone to the trouble of erasing the first part when she made me this illegal copy. I knew better, she knew better, and she had erased this important bit of ethical reminder so we all wouldn't feel so guilty. In so doing, we were also guilty of not passing on ethical thinking to our fellow dancers. So Delilah, I just wanted to ease my conscience by confessing this story to you. I paid for them and proudly own my own set. I know better and I carry and pass on good ethics to all my students now. I also recommend they buy a set of your tapes"

I smiled at the courage and honesty this young dancer had to come forth like this. Yes, this is a flagrant crime dancers, musicians and just about everyone makes all the time. The technology is here so people feel they have the right to steal other people's work. Well, burglar keys abound but most people don't feel they have the right to burgle their neighbors.

Music, video, printed words, art and photographs can be easily reproduced; and most people do so, to varying degrees. Somehow society has adopted a different attitude towards its artists. Funding by organizations for artists is at an all time low, and individuals think nothing of compounding the problem by violating the artists' copyright whenever it suits them. My husband and I are both artists, we have two children, no safety net and no retirement. We've dedicated our lives to our work and we're living on the edge.

Here's something to remember when you are feeling caught up in your poor man/woman mentality. Keep this in mind when you think you're saving a few bucks for yourself by giving your money to the manufacturer of blank cassettes and pirating for yourself (or your friends) a copy of someone else's hard work: If you treasure this music/video/artwork---enough to make yourself a copy in the first place---then you must enjoy it. Correct? You should want the artists to continue their work to make more enjoyable works. Am I right? Without the support of those who truly value the work, it cannot exist. Where else is the support going to come from? People who don't like it aren't going to buy it. Does this make sense?

Something else to think about : A live Saturday bellydance workshop with a professional is usually $40- $50. Sadly, this is very low compared with workshops in other fields of Dance/Music/Drama. However, you can't rewind the teacher like you can a video. Paying $45 for a special interest video you can study with for days or years can easily surpass even that value.

My opening statement on our next video will read something like:

This video is intended for private home use. It is not intended for library loan except under special contract arrangement. If you've paid for this video, the artists are very grateful for your support. Your support will further future works. It is illegal and unethical to copy this video for any reason unless proper permission is sought and granted. Pirating is rampant. If you did not pay for this video through the producers of this video, whether you borrowed it, been given an illegal copy, or library loan; and if you have profited in the way of physical education or enjoyment, the artists request that you volunteer to make a financial donation or purchase legal copies through Visionary Dance Productions. You may then consider that you have righted the injustice. Honorable support is essential to the livelihoods of the artists involved and to the quality and growth of the arts in general. Thank you and good Karma!

On a positive note, I looked at the young dancer inquisitively - "You did the ritual warm-up everyday?" She swore she did. That pleases me very much. That is the secret foundation to my teaching, yet it goes over the heads of many dancers. She agreed, she knew the power of it because she did it regularly!

I was supposed to leave the club early that night because I had an early appointment the next day, but I decided to stay and watch her dance. Wow! I was impressed. Obviously she had been studying with my videos; and she had studied well for she had mastered even challenging trademark moves such as the "tail spin". Her strength and presence was commanding. She had full body awareness, a trait of the practice of the ritual warm-up. Her dance was superb, graceful, sensuous, and joyous! She has grown into one of the most ethical and honorable dancers and instructors I know.