Dear Alyra:
Help! What do I do when someone has stolen my routine?
I worked so hard on it, and performed it around town, and now I know for a fact that another dancer is copying it. What do I say to her?

Signed,
Shocked at the audacity

Dear Shocked:
I know that you must be feeling helpless and angry, and that is perfectly normal. It is an instinctive response to having your hard work and effort being ripped away from you by a Copy Cat. However, rather than simmering in rage, I think you should look at it from a different perspective. Imitation is the single greatest form of flattery that exists. Clearly, your routine must have been so spectacular that some dancer perhaps without as much talent, came and watched you at least 3 times, jotted down your routine, practiced it at home and then learned it in order to parade about if it was hers. Wow! You must have been incredible to have someone go through such effort to emulate you. Isn't that delicious!

The seemingly frustrating reality is that there is really very little you can do about it. Imitation cannot be prevented, and in some respects, it shouldn't be. Let's reason out why together by going through a few possible scenarios.
You might be thinking about confronting her. Yes, I bet that is a great fantasy lilting about your lovely brain right now. Oh, how I bet you'd love to call her or email her rife with accusations and demands that she cease and desist at once. DON'T do it! Her response will definitely be a flat denial and most likely an ugly comment about you being insane, or jealous or both! She will NEVER admit it. So what have you accomplished? Nothing. You've only made yourself look like a stalker and the next inmate at Belleview.

If you're angry enough, you might be thinking about posting it out on the discussion boards as one long incredible magnum opus flame. A blazing incrimination and warning that there is a copycat on the loose and her name is……I would not recommend that either. It will make you look like a slanderer and a brat whether you're right or you're wrong. You don't want to ruin the very thing you're trying to protect, your REPUTATION! No, no, this is not viable.

Maybe you're thinking of something sinister. A confrontation without an actual confrontation. I wonder if you're saying to yourself, "Well, I'm going to fix her little brass zills!" and in your frothy rage you'll slip on your harem pants to see with your own eyes this copycat in action. You might be thinking that if she indeed copied you, it will only take your presence at the venue for her to realize you're on to her and unnerve her. Most likely, all you'll need to do is meet her eyes and raise one single eyebrow with a smirk to convey that you know she's copied. After that direct but subtle interaction, it would be most unlikely that she copied you again. I say once more, DON'T do it. It's a dirty underhanded blow.

Maybe you won't be copied again, but you've set yourself out as a less than gracious character and you certainly don't want to step down off your pedestal of good manners and etiquette to deal with a gnat who is doing nothing more really than buzzing around your head.
Absolutely none of these options are good and to engage in them is beneath you. But, I think I can suggest a course of action that may make you feel better. It will help you both undermine the copy cat, but in a positive way, while giving your reputation a good notch in the right direction.

First, the best thing to do is to smile to yourself and accept it for what it is, A COMPLIMENT! It might be a compliment from someone you don't respect, but it's a compliment just the same. And, to add on top of that, HOLD A CLASS! Teach that wonderful routine to everyone and anyone who wants to learn it. The result of this is that you BRAND the moves and routine as your own not only do you prevent her from being able to take credit for the routine, but you also make a nice name for yourself as a choreographer. You never know where such great exposed talent will take you. And that is what it's all about really.
These hard feelings only about the fact that someone might think that the beautiful piece of work was created by someone else, instead of you. That some other dancer is out there getting the kudos and the credit. Well, if you get it out there and share it, nobody will think anything except that is your original piece that you so graciously brought to the masses.

Just remember, imitation is flattery! You want to be imitated, emulated, anything you can do to show that you are worthy of being copied. Don't take it hard, take it PROUD. Good for you!

Shimmies,
Alyra