I got an iPad for Christmas from my fiancé and his parents. I didn’t really ask for one since I am so attached to my laptop, but I was so glad that I got it! It literally hasn’t left my side since Christmas. As soon as I was up and running, I was thinking about ways to use it for my belly dance practice and business.

I am going to post just a few apps that you can use to enhance your dance with an iPad or other tablet computer. The caveat is, of course, that you can do almost all of these things with a standard desktop or laptop computer, or even an iPhone, but the benefit of the tablet is its speed, portability and size. Keep in mind that I have been using my iPhone for much of these things over the past year, but an iPad is so much better (except for I have to be connected to wifi, unlike my iPhone that uses 3G).

For practicing and choreographing:

• The Notes app (FREE): This app is built into all iPads (iPhones and iPod touches) and it is designed to be like an old-fashioned legal notepad. I first discovered it for choreographing when my fiancé and I were driving down to Florida over the holidays. I was bored in the car and I knew I needed to work on my choreography for my upcoming classes. I had previously choreographed half of two songs but I had yet to write them down. Luckily, I had recorded the choreo with my iPhone, so I had it available, and I also packed my iPod. At the time, I borrowed my fiancé’s iPad because it was before Christmas and I decided to write some stuff down. It was so funny, I felt like I was in a Mac commercial, because I was literally holding 3 Apple devices. I didn’t know what app to use for writing notes and I was limited because I couldn’t get on the Internet. For the past few years I have used Google Docs to transcribe my choreographies. I tried all of the “productivity” and note apps and I hated them all. I felt that they were so hard to use and I started getting frustrated. When my fiancé suggested Notes, I was like, “Duh!” and I spent a happy hour working on my choreography notes. As soon as we were connected to the Internet I was easily able to e-mail the notes to myself and they now happily live on my iPad. I may upload them to Google Docs at some point, but for now, I am very happy. The added benefit is that the Notes app syncs on both my iPad and iPhone, so I can take my choreographies with me anywhere!



• The Camera (FREE): Just like the iPhone, the iPad has a built in camera with the ability to record video. This is probably the best tool at my disposal for improving my technique and writing choreographies. When I got my iPhone last Christmas, I started recording every dance that I work on. However, the small screen of the iPhone is quite annoying and it often topples over because it has to be propped up on its side. So, I’m happy I have the iPad for this purpose now. I can set up the iPad using its case and even point the camera so that I can see what’s on the screen at the same time (warning: lower resolution). I will be using this app frequently. The only downside is that the size of your iPad controls how much video you can store. I only have a 16GB iPad, so I might have to start saving videos to my computer or our home server at some point.
• YouTube (FREE): This is another built-in app that I use frequently. Of course you can use it like you would on your computer to watch amazing belly dance videos, create playlists and save your favorites. However YouTube is integrated with the camera app so that you can easily upload videos to your YouTube account. It is the easiest way to upload videos ever. I use this tool to upload choreographies for my students.
• iPod (FREE): Another built-in app that can substitute for my iPod as needed.

For business:

• The Square (FREE-transaction fees apply): This app has been around for the iPhone and other smart phones for quite some time and they now have an app for the iPad. The square is a device that plugs into your headphone jack and allows you to take credit card payments. This is an easy way to collect payments for classes and performances. I, for one, bring my square with me everywhere. There is also the PayPal app, but I’m not a PayPal fan, so I prefer the Square. The app and device are free, but there is a service charge to use their program.



• Evernote (FREE): Evernote is a cross-platform program that lets you save notes, pictures and websites in one convenient spot. You can tag and categorize items in Notebooks. It also syncs automatically to any other device or computer that has the Evernote app or program installed. (Tip: Evernote has an awesome Chrome extension). So if I am on my laptop, iPhone or iPad I will have access to the same exact stuff (if you are connected to the Internet, of course). To be honest, I have only used Evernote to organize my wedding planning, but I can see how it would have a myriad of uses for business. One of these days I may just use Evernote instead of Google Docs.
• Google Apps ($2.99): I just downloaded this app today and I haven’t had a chance to really delve into it. It is a one-stop shop for all of your google products (including Google Voice), plus it features social networking sites likeTtwitter and Facebook. I downloaded it because I absolutely HATE the way Google Docs works on my iPad and I was hoping this would be better (it’s not). As I mentioned earlier, I use Google Docs for my choreography, but I also use it to track all of my belly dance business expenses as well as hosting documents that I post on my website. The problem with Google Docs is that there is no app for it. You simply have to access the page via Safari and then it automatically sets you up in mobile view. Mobile view is a pain to work with and when you switch to the regular view, everything is messed up and slow. I know that Google and Apple are competitors, but it would really behoove Google to make an app just for Google Docs. My two cents.
• WordPress (FREE): I love this app and I am using it to post this entry! You simply add your WordPress website (supports both WordPress.com AND WordPress.org) and you can add/edit pages or posts. I am using it for this website and my wedding website and so far, so good. You can’t manage specific details like appearance or widgets, but when I just want to post a class update or new performance, I am able to do it quickly without having to fire up the laptop. Everyone who uses WordPress to host their website should download this app on their iPad.

So, that is all I can think of right now, but I’ve only had my iPad for a couple of weeks. I’m sure I will find more uses as time goes on. I’m looking forward to a great year in dance with my trusty iPad in tow to keep everything organized!

Comment if you have any additional apps to recommend or if you have any feedback regarding the particular apps that I reviewed.

organization, technology, tips