How did you choose your Stage Name? 2nd edition

On behalf of Yucy El-Banan, the director of Belly Dance for Life Productions (www.bellydanceforlife.com), It's my pleasure to welcome all of our new members and thank you for sharing your stories and insight about names. I'm grateful to all of you who responded spontaneously as well as to my invitations to the previous thread. The topic of names is interesting above and beyond what we've imagined. So we created this second edition to make the thread more manageable for the collection of more valuabe comments.
Here is the link to the replies for the first edition.
tribes.tribe.net/bdfl/thre...4e03d44311

People are always asking me if Darlina is my real name. It is. When I started mceeing I chose the stage name Kinetica. I still stick with that on the hip hop stage. My nic name is Darla though. It's short for Darlina. (Like Mike is to Micheal). I like when people call me Darla because it feels more personable. I guess that's because it's the name my close friends and family call me. But, I like to use my real first and middle name as my Belly Dance stage name. I don't use my last name with my dancer stage name. So as a Belly Dancer my real and stage name is "Darlina Marie." I like it. And thus is the story of my stage names...and my real name.

Since I've been hosting the Karaoke shows on Sunday nights (check my profile for details) my co host gave me the name "Double Dee Darla." It's kinda funny because people think the name refers to my chest, which is way smaller than a double d. But what it really stands for is "Dope Dj Darla." My co host was just being silly when he started calling me that. But it stuck and now everyone at Maverick's Karaoke knows me as "Double Dee Darla." Hah!

Hello Adel!
Thank you for inviting me.
You know, I find that names that we are born with, sometimes don't represent our true nature or real meaning in life.
My story is more unique, as it took on a magical tone as time went on.
My birth name is Jocelyn Erica, and while I never attached myself to it, it is what it is.
When I was born, my sister, Jessica, was 14 months old. She was unable to say, "baby", and so she called me a "Deedee". This moniker stuck for the rest of my life, and it paved the way for me to be the lively, charismatic, artistic being that I am today.
Now,The magic of which I speak, arose when an Indian friend of mine told me that the word Deedee (however it is spelled in her dialect) actually translates to SISTER! Unbelievable.
I decided from that moment on, I HAD to remain Deedee, as it was too uncanny.
I laugh as my fellow troupe dancers gave me yet another nickname..Deedeelicious...hahaha...for the exotic vibe I seem to exude....I suppose!
Names for dancers can be tricky, as many performers feel they must take on the complete personna, and drop the "american" name, for a more exotic name. Many of my friends took a long time to figure out their stage names...they meditated, read, and figured out names that would help them to move into character more easily.
I loved to hear the reasons they chose their names and love most of them.
The only word that resonates with me, could not be a name for me, as it is the universal word for sound itself, "OM". So, Deedee IS me, and I embody all that a Deedee is...and all that bellydance offers..sisterhood and a bond that keeps me grounded.
Lovingly yours, Deedee

Thanks for the invitation, Adel...

My name isn't a stage name. Bo is my actual name, a shortened version of my legal birth name. Everyone I know, including my parents, calls me Bo. I have been called by this name ever since I was a little kid, and to me it is more my name than my "full" name. It suits me. It is short and to the point, and it often throws people off because they think I'm a guy... which is fine by me. I'm a huge tomboy, and I like making people stop and think.

Bo is a type of staff used in martial arts. That holds no particular significance to me, though I have studied kickboxing. Beau, in French, is your special man-friend. Again, I don't mind a bit of gender confusion, so that meaning is also fine with me.

I use my real name as my stage name. I do understand the many legitimate reasons for taking a stage name - to protect your identity, to separate your bellydance life from your mundane life, or just because your name is something you don't associate with the persona of bellydance. These aren't issues for me: my name is a nickname to begin with, and not a my legal name. I don't feel the need to take on a special persona when I step on to stage. I have performed theater ever since I was in elementary school, and I am very comfortable on stage, whether I am myself or a character. In a way, I'm never not a character when I'm on stage. I don't need the mental switch of hearing another name to clue me in to that part of performing.

Also, as a bellydance who is very heavily into fusion style, I don't feel that my name needs any alteration to fit with the way I dance. I incorporate jazz, breakdance, tribal... I would not call myself a traditional bellydancer in any way, just a dancer or a fusion dancer, and so I don't feel the need to link myself by using a more traditional sounding Arabic name. I'm a very white white girl, and I must admit that I would feel a little silly calling myself by a name that did not represent my heritage - be it Japanese, African, or Arabic, or anything else. Again, I don't think it's wrong to do that if you're comfortable with it, but I would honestly just give myself the giggles, because I don't ever feel like the exotic traditional bellydancer. My style is very modern and fusion.

Anyway, I hope that lends to your discussion. Thanks again for the invitation to participate.

Well, interestingly enough not many people have aked me this question. I chose my name from a dream. I received a letter in the dream. It was a plain white envelope with a pretty blue edging around the border. The name it was address to was: Selena Kareena. How strange , I thought as I looked at it; I wonder who that could be? Then it dawned on me~Oh wait a minute Kareena, well that is a variation of MY name, Karen. "Selena"/ well I don't know where that came from? It wasn't until later I realized that Selena is a variation of Selene the Greek virgin Goddess of the moon. This has great meaning to me NOW! At the time I had NO IDEA of what life was about to unfold for me. I have not the time to tell it all now. In short I was to go through many Big Life altering changes. The Triple Aspect of The moon Goddess I later learned was one the prominent dietys ruling over such life altering events,
She is Three in ONE. Selene(themaiden),Diana(the mother),Hecate(the Crone)
I have come to much knowledge of the essence of many mysterys since that day so long ago. SHE has become my teacher/Guide. I carry an altered version of her name as a symbol of who I have become/like her and yet out of great respect I spell my name a little differently. SO, you see, I did not pick my name. it was "Gifted" to me. A strange story, I know. Thanks for asking. I have rarely told anyone.
Blessings of Earth Sky and LOVE,
in perfect truth beauty and LOVE,
Lady Selena Kareena
Great Thanks to you Adel, for continuing to produce those Wonderful masters/Composers of the Great Egyptian Classics, all my favorites!
I have been recently "gifted another name as well, but that one is for my private use.

Great topic Adel! Mine was the very easiest for me to choose...someone else gave it to me. My teacher, Yucy, bestowed it upon me because it was so close to my real name, Jennifer or Jenny. It means in arabic "paradise". Thank you Yucy! I'm glad that someone else did it for me because I fret so much over the smallest choices. So since a stage name is something that sticks with you, who knows how many times I would have changed my mind and been indecisive trying to find just the right name! I really felt like something when after a few years of taking classes, I finally recieved a stage name. It was also so exciting when people would recognise me at some of the shows and call me by my stage name to say they've seen me before, or that they enjoy watching my performance. That has got to be the ultimate compliment for somewone who still feels like a beginner because of the stage fright and nervousness!

I've never told my story to anyone. In fact, I can count on my hands and toes the number of people who actually know my real name (excluding family).

Before I tell my story I'd like to say that to me, a name does NOT define who I am, nor does it put me in a certain "persona" or frame of mind. I guess this stems from my traumatic childhood - I learnt to detach myself from "names" at an early age. You might as well call me "number 384619" for all I care (and NO that number has no meaning - I just randomly typed it on the keyboard now. :-) ) I've also been performing since I was 5 and slip in and out of characters like you change your clothes. In fact, I blogged about this "issue" on myspace not too long ago - about the fact that sometimes I don't really know WHO I am anymore because I always seem to be in character depending on who I'm with and what I'm doing. Another topic to be saved for another day ...

My story begins as a child when my family moved from the city to the a small country town. I start here because I don't remember any name-calling prior to this time (I was only 5 and earlier memories are vague). My legal family name lends itself easily to a variety of insults and, well, kids will be kids ... I endured a lot through primary (elementary) school. I thought things might improve at high school (larger town - older people) but I even had to endure teachers mispronouncing my name at roll call leading to fits of giggling and snickering from the other students. At this time I dreamt of getting married for no other reason than to change my family name. Sad, isn't it? (My parents separated when I was 7 so I didn't really have a huge attachment to my father's name, and the incessant name-calling made short work of any attachment I DID have.)

After moving away from home and family to attend university, my modelling career bloomed. For safety reasons all my profiles were listed under my first name only. Then I met the man of my dreams and decided "hell, if we're going to marry eventually I might as well start using his name right now!" Thereafter becaming "Belinda Webster". I even changed my car's number plate to BEL--W. Several years later I would regret this as my prince charming transformed into an ecky-consuming bisexual. If you think removing a tattoo is difficult try removing an ex-'s name when you've already embarked on your entertainment career and have TV and film credits in HIS name!!!!!!!!! And so I kept the name - much as I wanted to remove it from my life. Besides, as I said before a name is just a name to me (as opposed to how others perceive me). Actually, his name has been quite helpful here in Korea. When Koreans ask me for my name and I tell them they always question the spelling of "Webster" and so I reply "You know, same as the dictionary." And they DO know, as obsessed as they are with learning English. So, that is the story of my entertainment stage name.

As for my "dance" name, I wanted something that had a similar meaning to my first name - Belinda which means "beautiful". I love the look of dancers spinning gracefully across the stage - it reminds me of a flower being blown across the ground by the breeze. Hence the name "Azhaar" which means "beautiful flower". I also liked the idea of blossoming and growth as I think artists/dancers are forever learning and expanding our skills and knowledge. So I started to use the name "Azhaar" but I had problems with the people who knew me as "Belinda" - they were confused about what to call me when others were around - Belinda, or Azhaar? Then I realised that if I spelt Belinda as Belynda and tacked it on in front I got "Belynda Azhaar" (I like the way it rolls off the tongue) which lends itself readily to "Bellydance with Belynda Azhaar" ... as much as I HATE that word, however it is necessary for the GP and uninitiated. ;-) Interestingly, another often thought meaning of Belinda is "beautiful serpent" or "beautiful snake" (which fits me aptly well I think, haha) so translation of my dance name becomes "beautiful flower snake" which amuses me no end as "kotbem" (flower-snake) is a common insult used by Korean men to describe Korean women who are beautiful on the outside but scheming bitches within. I can just imagine their eyes popping out if I explained my dance name in this way. HAHAHAHAHA

So, that is the not-so-short story of my two stage names. :-D Thanks for reading.

Thank you for the invitation, Adel. What an interesting topic.
Vahana is not an Arabic name. When I began dancing professionally, I wanted a stage name. This was not unusual for me because I had used a stage name, of sorts, in college too. So, I am sure the FBI has a long list of alias names for me. lol

So, I wanted to use my first initial "V," since all my variations on my name have always used the "V." I had a book, "The Dictionary of Sacred Signs and Symbols." I knew I wanted a name that would symbolize the transformation I had made when I became a dancer. So, I guess a bit of background is in order -
I was at a stage in my life that was very much lacking feminity and balance. I worked in a "man's world," and to be accepted, had let go of the essense of being a woman. I was an active competitor in Muy Thai, and that is a very aggressive and masculine sport. Plus, I had lost a baby and learned I had serious fertility issues. I felt so removed from my inner aphrodite that I was completely off balance.

One night, I went to a retirement party for a collegue and friend of mine at Dar Maghreb in Hollywood. I saw a beautiful curvaceous dancer that resembled all things feminine and I was mesmerized. That was on a Friday night. I started Belly Dance classes on the following Sunday and have loved every minute of it.

Back now to finding my name. So, when looking through the book of sacred symbols, I came across one interpretation of Vahana - "swan incarnate." That pretty much sumed it up.

Other translations - Hindu tradition says that every human being has the task of, and the destiny of, becoming the vahana, or vehicle, or incarnation, of God. In Hindu iconography, the swan represents wisdom, grace and beauty. Nuf said to convince me.

Now, I am Vahana. My given name often seems foreign as Vahana sums up everything I was looking for and all the positive changes I made in my life. Of course, my very favorite name now is "Mommy."

Peace,
Vahana

Well, I actually got my name from one of my first teachers. She "named" me and I voluntarily accepted the name Almaz, which means diamonds. I love it because it is a special, unique, old and less used name, nowadays.
When I first started dancing, I equated it to the phrase" a diamond in the rough." And still think back to that and remember my beginnings..Where I started, to where i have come to on this exiting journey of Middle Estern dance!!
Also, there is a famous Almaz in an old Egyptian movie with her lover Abdel Hamouly, check it out!! That is a running joke with some friends :)

Hello Adel! Thank you for the asking me about my name. I am finally responding :)

When I began bellydance classes in Sep/Oct 2004 I had no idea what was about to happen to me. My life changed :) I had my first performance with our student troupe Les Femmes Joyeuses in March 2005 and discovered that I had quite the love for performing and was actually quite a ham! Something happened, I was still me, but then I was this new person that bellydance brought out of me. My teacher (and now very dear friend) Nadhira Maher had been belly dancing since the 70's and had performed in this area quite often, had asked me if I had come up with a dancer name. A dancer name!? wow! I can embody this other person that's inside me and make her part of me.. so my search began.

While I was at work, I talked with a Hindu friend of mine about this new and exciting world I have discovered and that I was searching for a dancer name. He looked at me and said, "Urvashi" I was smitten with the name :)

That night I had a dream. I was this Urvashi. My skin was light cocoa. I was surrounded by other women who were bathing me in rose water and then they applied henna to my body. I could feel and smell everything. The soft candles flickering around the room, the warm water, the scen of rose and clove oil and the henna the soft talking and laughter... When I woke up, I knew this was the name for me, and then I began researching the name.

Urvashi is made of of the word ur which in Sanskrit means "thigh"
Urvashi is a Apsara (celestial dancer) and has a beautiful story about her creation, her love, and her curse
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urvashi)

I chose Chandani as my surname because Chandani means Moonlight in Hindu.

I was given a spirit name of Ocean Moondance back in the mid 90's before I even had an inkling of dancing so I wanted to keep ties to my spirit name.

It's also interesting that Urvashi is an Apsara and that Apsaras are female spirits of the clouds and waters in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Funny because I dont think I ever realized that association until just now..

*ooo I got chills*
hehe!

It was destiny :)

Sorry it has taken me a while to answer this, but I have had computer problems and I just got back online. How I choose my name Jenia. I knew that I wanted something unique with maybe a hit of exotic toss into the mix. My real name is Jean, but my nick name is Jay or Jeanie. I played around with the letters of Jeanie and I came up with this. I am sorry it is not much of a story. I hope you have enjoyed it
Jay

Shokran Adel, interesting thread to participate in! I'm honored to be invited!

My dance name was given to me by one of my beloved teachers, Dunya of NYC. I hadn't really thought about it much before. I was on the edge of starting my dance career and she thought it would suit me well. She thought I had movements that were regal so the name would amplify that character. It means diamond in Arabic. It took a while for me to get used to being called Almaazah. But I did get used to it. I moved from Austin, Texas after many years and have lived around the world. I introduce myself to the dance communities in each city I lived in as Almaazah. That has been different because most people in Austin would still call me by my real name -- off stage. Everywhere else in the world I was only known as Almaazah.

My recommendations on figuring out a name for yourself is to look to your teacher or dance sisters who know you very well. The name should reflect your stage personality. Do research on the name before using it. With the internet it is so much easier to do research and come up with ideas than when I got my name. I was given a wrong spelling when I was given my dance name. I was later told by a kind Arab man that it meant something like an appetizer or potato chip. Aghast! I was horrified and quickly changed the spelling. It pays off to do your homework and not depend on one person's translation.

It seems that there is a movement towards using your real name as your stage name. I've known several dancers who have decided to use their real name. A few have even changed from a stage name back to their birth name. Some people feel more themselves with their birth name. I enjoy having my dance personality which is really an extension of my every day self. Using a stage name makes it all more exciting.

Happy Hips! Almaazah

My name has been given to by by my first teachers boyfriend, a Lebanese musician.

It was never explained to me what it meant other than "It's a nice name" :-)

Over the years I got several versions:

Moroccans: "It's a hot wind that blows from the south"
Lebanese: "It's kind of a flower"
Egyptian: "That's not a name! Never heard it!"
Syrian/UAE: "My cousin/sister is called like that!"
Clever book about Arabic names: "She with the grace and the walk of a gazelle."

I chose the last version of course :-)

Most people spell it Maysun, but since it's pronounced may-soooon and the Swiss have this tendency to put emphasis on the first syllabe (maaahisun), I chose a French spelling of Meissoun. And because my boyfriend made my logo in capitals, I write MEISSOUN

The long gorey story is that my first teacher expected us to come up with stage names for our first performance. i hated this and was completely opposed, until a flyer was mailed to me from a teacher I'd taken a workshop with and I guess she couldn't reconcile "Charlie" as a girl, so she typed in "Char Li"......I stayed with that for quite a while.

Then I went to a Dancemeditation retreat and after the first time I whirled, the teacher later came to me and said, the whole time I was watching you whirl, I kept hearing the name "Shamsi" over and over. She said, take it or leave it, but I didnt' know if you had a dance name already.

I wasn't super thrilled by it at first, but then it grew on me and .....to make a long story stranger - growing up I'd always surrounded myself with images of the sun, so much so that friends and family were always giving me little statues and posters, anything with a sun on it. And about 3 years before I was offered the name Shamsi, I moved to a town called "Sunshine" (where I still live)... so Shamsi it is....by God, the Universe and everyone else - I am, Sunshine.

Another here to thank you for the invite. :}
These are some fascinating replies here, I'm looking forward to perusing that 1st post as well!

As for my "dance" name, I'm yet another who finally settled on my birth name. I've used cheesy aliases all over the internet in the past, but once I started dancing I decided to just be myself.

hii Adel this is SavVas so the answer my stage name is my given Last name my family came to the US from Greece about 95 years ago and it use to be my great great grandfathers First name ... you see up till then in Greece no family had a set last name when a child was born he would be given the name of his father and then one of his grandfathers as to honor them or if there was another family member they wanted to honor they would do the same , so every child in the family could have different...
about 80 years ago Greece started asking for there people to keep one last name
.... SavVas is also the name of a Greek saint and means " The Sabbath Day "
........ as of a few months ago to honor my great grandfather and the grandfather that just passed i dropped the rest of my name and now my only name is SavVas so yea i'm the man with one name LOL ...
well if there is any thing more you would like to know just ask and i'll try to answer faster :-)
.......................... thanks again ................^v^SavVaS^v^...