Belly dancing has very little in the way of teacher certification, unlike other established dance forms, resulting in a great variety of instructors, classes, and even movement names. A ballet or modern dancer will teach belly dancing with those guidelines–perhaps not what ethnic or folkloric dancers need. Aerobics instructors might focus more on exercise than aesthetics. A yogini’s presentation of belly dancing could be more inner than outer. And when it comes to the myriad genres that have evolved from ethnic and basic belly dancing—Cabaret (Egyptian, Turkish), Folkloric, Ethnic, American Tribal Style, Gothique, Burlesque—some instructors teach a student in their genre, but not important belly dance foundations.

How can students discern what kind of a class they are getting into when they sign up at the local recreation department, community college, or workshop? How can an instructor be a wise, accurate and caring teacher?

The following checklist may be helpful in creating classy classes:

• The dance room: clean, mirrored, with good sound production and floors.
• Warm-ups and cool-downs of every body part at beginning and end of class.
• A conscious dance teacher warns students about hurting themselves.
• The instructor rotates large classes so everyone has a chance in front.
• Corrections in class should benefit all; other topics need to be discussed elsewhere.
• Instructors need to disclose that there is no standard movement vocabulary in belly dancing (yet). A “camel” in one class may be a “snake” in another.
• A teacher who does not emphasize posture is teaching incorrectly. The ability to articulate movement correctly is based on posture: straight back, bent knees, lifted chest, and front-rotated hips
• Clarity about what genre is being taught and when.
• Teachers who offer items for sale should be aware that it may not be fair to students to require them to buy an expensive costume for a class recital.
• Understanding and authoritative presentation of music and movement.
• Communicating clearly the physical and spatial aspects of dance.
• Patient basic movement explanation and drills until every student gets them enough to practice.
• Orderly and coherent verbal and physical instruction.
• A left-handed student may have difficulty following a right-handed teacher and needs to know about it.
• Movement instruction should begin with footwork, adding hips, torso, arms, head, spatial movements and focus separately, with the music’s rhythm and melody, and then combined.
• Gradually adding more complex movements/combinations/choreographies.
• Learning when to stop is important in a choreography.

Vintage Belly Dance Picture, Source: www.joyofbellydancing.com/vintagephoto

• An instructor who cares about authentic belly dancing will teach and drill finger cymbal playing from the first class, eventually including dancing/playing many of the most common rhythms–quads, triplets, chiftatelli, ayub, bolero, beledi, masmudi, saidi, and karshilama. Finger cymbal playing is unique to our art.
• Good belly dancing instruction should include training in other props–veil dancing, Egyptian stick and cane, and Turkish balancing props, at least.
• The importance of arm, hand and foot placement should be stressed.
• Students should learn about and practice dancing to taxim and drum solos.
• Definition and articulation of stage presence, mood and level changes.
• Once a student has good basic abilities with movements, combinations and choreographies, improvisational solo dancing becomes valuable; also guidelines for making a solo choreography.
• Costume discussion is important, (by genre)—learning to enhance the positive and distract from negative body image issues.
• Make-up instruction should be provided for all performing students.
• Some students enjoy learning how to make their own costume pieces.
• Personality issues should not dominate the class. Teachers need to be impartial in their instruction and performance selections; and students need to show respect for whatever teacher’s class they are in, or find another class.
• Last but certainly far from least, classes should be fun exercise; the instructor and student should smile at each other and laugh together often.

Source: www.joyofbellydancing.com

The seeker can Google a potential instructor and then email direct or call with questions. Chances are an established teacher will offer good training. References from another student or teacher may be useful. Students may be able to pay for one class without making the commitment to a semester or series.

No matter how much an instructor has to offer, students need to become belly dance consumers and go to events, watch performances, buy DVD’s, and study with many different teachers in various workshops.

We are all students and we are all teachers, riding in the belly dancing chariot together. Much can be learned from a bad instructor. Instructors can learn about how to teach from their students. Let’s all make classes with class together!

* * *

(www.joyofbellydancing.com)

“Shimmy from the Heart!” jherico@cox.net. Comments welcome!