Teaching belly dance is extremely fulfilling and
enjoyable. It’s lot of fun, and rewarding for the instructor and students
alike. There’s nothing quite like the joy that comes from helping women to
discover themselves through a creative art which encourages self-expression.
Watching your students starting out as awkward newbies and blossoming into
beautiful, self-assured dancers is incredible! By the very act of teaching,
you’ll be enhancing the artistic development of your students, and will become
a better dancer yourself, because
you’ll have to consider movement and technique breakdowns such as isolations
and shimmy mechanics. You’ll be forced to drill along with your students, keep
track of posture and body alignment, and invent combinations- all of which can
only lead to cleaner technique for you. Teaching will also supplement your income…or as the case may be, feed
your belly dance addiction!
Unfortunately, in the belly
dance community-perhaps more than in any other dance community-there will always be instructors who have
absolutely no business teaching…at all. The “six week wonders”- women who’ve taken
an introductory course and then set up shop as a qualified instructor- have
been a problem for decades. The saddest part of this phenomenon is that
beginning students will not know the difference, and may be taking classes from
someone who knows nothing about safe posture and basic technique, let alone the
cultural aspects of the dance.
Teaching is a huge responsibility.
In order to be a competent
instructor, it’s imperative that
you have experience, the ability to break down movements verbally as well as
physically, and to have at least a basic working knowledge of what muscle groups are being used and how to
describe where each specific movement is originating from. You need to have more than just a
passing familiarity with whatever style of belly dance you are teaching- you’ve
got to know the signature moves of the style, where it came from, and so on. In
laymen’s terms, you need to know your shit.
There are many ways to start a teaching career, and each one
is as valid as any of the rest. Every so often, it just sort of happens- the
way it did to me. I hadn’t even considered teaching, but I kept getting
requests from friends or other dancers.
I started holding informal Saturday morning classes -in my sister’s
living room! My classes were getting
crowded, and, like, my four-year-old niece would be running in and out of the
room, wrapping herself up in everyone’s veils! It quickly became apparent that
I needed to move to a real studio.
Often a local teacher will move or retire,
and designate a star student to take her place as the instructor; some dancers
start off substitute teachers at the their dance studio, or apprenticing
themselves to an instructor there before beginning their own classes. Many prospective
teachers decide to get certified by master teacher or a dance school, in a
unique format or style of belly dance, while others come to teaching in a more
organic way, developing on their own. Any way is fine, it just depends on what
you’re teaching, and where. Whether you choose to be certified or not, it goes
without question you’ll need a broad understanding of the dance in it’s myriad
forms and knowledge of your local scene as well as the world-wide belly dance
community. You should have been learning from a variety of teachers and
workshop instructors, and broadened your horizons by attending several workshops, festivals and events.
An experienced
performer might be a superlative dancer, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that
she’ll be a good teacher.
Performing skills and a flourishing career can be a definite
plus for a dance instructor, but they don’t guarantee that she will have what it takes to be a good coach.
Teaching is an art form, and some people are blessed with a natural gift for
teaching. Several dancers teach but prefer performing, some do both equally
well and enjoy it all, and there are also those who don’t care for it and don’t
have the patience or personality needed to become a great instructor.
As a
teacher, you’ll be facing a myriad of students, all with different needs, a
wide range of physical abilities and/or talent, and a bunch of reasons for even
considering the study of belly dancing. Some women decide to take classes for
amusement; others are serious trained dancers who want to develop their
skills. You need to be able to
discern the needs of your students and treat them as individuals.
After I was teaching for a while, I noticed that it seemed
like I had an awful lot of students who were coming to me from some sort of
traumatic situation such as a divorce, a mastectomy, an eating disorder,
miscarriage, or just a plain old midlife crisis. I wondered what was up with that, but when I discussed this
phenomenon with other teachers, I found that it wasn’t uncommon. My friend
Suhaila Salimpour told me something to the effect of “When I see women coming into my classes, I know it means
they are ready for a major life change or transition.”
This is not to say that
you’ll be holding classes in The Land Of The Broken Toys, but you’ll probably
find that many of your students do have
a back-story that isn’t necessarily all about fun or experiencing a new
adventure. That means that in addition to technical skills, as a teacher you’ll
need to hone your emotional intelligence, and be able to zero in with the skill of trained psychologist to
ascertain what makes your students “tick”.
There is no one type of student. Some work diligently, progress quickly
and start performing, while others are just taking the class to lose
weight. Certain students desire
corrections, critique and brutally honest assessment, but to others, this may
seem humiliating. Then there are students who will chatter incessantly,
question every word you say, and act out in other ways disturbing to the class
as a whole. You’ll need to be able to command a class without seeming like a
tyrant, keeping the atmosphere light and fun, but educational. This takes a lot
of finesse and sensitivity.
Whether you’re teaching already or just
thinking about it, here are some points to consider:
Student Safety Comes First
It’s crucial that you practice and teach safe posture and
thorough warm-ups and cool downs. You can never be too careful about this
anyway, but once you throw students into the mix, you are now responsible
for the well being of others. Ask
your students point blank if they are currently dealing with any injuries or
infirmities that you should be aware of. Let them know that it’s all right to
speak up if they have health issues or if a movement feels strange or is
hurting them, and that it’s fine for them to take a breather if they feel the
need to. Remind them to stay well hydrated.
If you think you may be lacking knowledge in
the area of health and safety, general anatomy and biomechanics, then by all
means, before you start teaching you must familiarize yourself (at the very least in a broader sense) through
taking fitness classes and adjunct courses, and also by reading as much as you
can on these subjects. While you are teaching, pay strict attention to the body
alignment and posture of your pupils, focusing on areas that are prone to
injury, especially the spine, hips and knees. Correct your students and
remind them often about their posture.
Begin your warm up with
large, soft movements that articulate every area of the body, before continuing
into some lightly aerobic dancing, lifting the arms above chest level before
beginning to stretch. Static stretching and stretching cold muscles can cause injury.
It was once believed that stretching was the way to warm up, but that theory is
outdated…and dangerous. Once your
students are warmed up, they can begin to stretch. Have them hold a comfortable
stretch without straining, and do not
allow them to bounce. A class cool down is important for injury prevention as
well. Always allow a few minutes for a thorough cool-down at the end of class.
Be sure that the studio where you are teaching has insurance -and
a first aid kit! You may also want
to look into taking first aid or CPR classes and obtain teaching insurance as
well. There are many companies
that offer insurance specifically for dance and fitness instructors.
The Responsibility Of
Knowledge
As a teacher, it’s your job
to shape your students into well-rounded dancers. This is a responsibility that
should never be taken lightly. Not only will your students reflect upon you,
but also you’re assuring the future of our beautiful art form! It doesn’t matter
what style you’re teaching-you have to know fundamental belly dance history.
Students are curious and will have many questions; they’ll wonder about
rhythms, costuming, cultural traditions and the countries they came from, when
to play finger cymbals, song titles, famous dancers of the past and present- and
you need to know the answers. If a
question stumps you, admit you don’t know the answer, but do have research materials on hand or refer the student
to someone who does know.
Focused Teaching Means
Better Learning
Write out your lesson plans
well in advance so you can have your students work towards goals. Plot out exactly what topics you’ll be
going over in each class, so your sessions will have a good flow. Make notes on
any combinations or choreographies you’ll be using and refer to them in class
if you need to. Create class CDs or an iPod play list so you don’t have to
waste time fumbling through your music to find the appropriate track.
Know that even if you’re
teaching a beginning class, your students will have a wide array of abilities.
In any class, there are those with
natural talent and/or prior training, and those who will need to work harder to
get up to speed. It’s absolutely vital that you be prepared for this.
It’s important to know that
there are three basic types of dance students:
Auditory learners need to hear the movements, rhythms and counts described verbally. Visual
learners must have sight
references and like to see the
technique before absorbing it. Kinesthetic learners absorb the movements physically, benefiting from a literal hand-on approach. Be sure to ask a student if it’s
OK to touch them before you do.
Many students are a
combination of all three types, so it’s wise to integrate your teaching with
visual, auditory and kinetic techniques.
Don’t be afraid of boring the
class with drilling, repetition helps students retain what they’re learning by
engaging muscle memory. Make sure to demonstrate any movements or combinations
by facing towards the class, away from the class and offering a side view. Keep
an eye on your pupils, checking frequently for posture, body alignment, weight
placement, and incorrect or unsafe technique. Don’t single anyone out- offer
corrections in a generalized way.
Have the class perform technique and combinations facing towards-and
away from- the mirrors. Experiment with spatial orientation and
add variety to your classes by forming lines, making a circle, dividing the
class into groups and having them perform for each other.
Foster A Structured
Learning Environment
Having a set pattern for your
classes will aid your students in efficient learning. Creating a learning
environment that is fun, challenging and informative will keep your students
interested and encourage them to strive for their personal best. It will also
help them retain what they’re learning, because they’ll grow familiar with your
methodology and know what to expect from you-and what is expected from them. How
you create this framework is your decision. I like to structure my classes this
way: A few minutes of gentle, full-body activity followed stretching; technique
drills, then either new movements, short combinations, a specialty or
choreography, and finishing up with a cool down.
Teacher-Student
Relationships
Keep your interactions with students relaxed and pleasant;
building a learning environment that is fun, challenging and informative.
Create an atmosphere of respect, for the dance itself, from student-to-student,
and for you as their leader. Sometimes students get excited and like to chat
with each other, ask questions and make comments; allowing for a little of this
is fine, just don’t let the class run away with itself! Through compliments and
positive reinforcement, encourage your pupils to focus on the curriculum
instead of socializing. Provide positive feedback and keep your critique
constructive and gentle. Notice the personal qualities students have to offer,
help them feel good about their unique development and progress. Have them
strive for excellence without creating an atmosphere of competition. Try not to play favorites- there will
always be a few star students, but those who don’t shine as brightly or who are
more reticent need your love, too. While some of your students may be your
personal friends outside of the studio, during class, maintain a slightly
removed but open and friendly professional distance…you are, after all, the educator. Cultivate your leadership by being a role model.
Every so often, you might be
faced with a problem student. This can take many faces, including (but not
limited to) know-it-alls who’ll always have a “better” explanation than you do
and take it upon themselves to offer correction to other class members; the
ultra-needy types who constantly hog your attention, extremely competitive or
aggressive pupils, or those who use precious class time for gossiping, joking
and fooling around Don’t let
anyone usurp your authority; nip these behaviors in the bud as soon as they
start, or it will be a continuing problem. In some cases, a light admonishment
in class will do the trick; otherwise a private talk before or after class is
in order. If the problem child continues to turn your classroom dysfunctional,
sadly, sometimes the only option will be to ban the student and offer her a
refund.
Establish Goals and Create
Opportunities
There are many ways to get
students enthused about learning to dance and becoming a member of the local
dance community. Establishing goals early on will give your students something
to strive for. Students always
respond well to this and delight in measuring their personal successes and
accomplishments. Compile a class mailing list and send out newsletters letting
your students know about belly dance performances and events happening in your
area. Have a video night where
students can watch clips of famous dancers or dance-related movies; hold a halfla
or dance party in your studio where
everyone can dance and mingle. If your students are ready, you might want to
form a student troupe that also holds rehearsals outside of class, with the
goal being to perform.
Don’t be jealous or a separatist- know that your students
will only benefit from learning from a variety of teachers.
A great teacher is a generous
teacher!
Invite guest instructors or
lecturers to teach workshops or talk about specialized styles. Network with
other studios, dance schools or instructors within your community or recommend
that your students explore taking classes from others, whether belly dance or
some other form of dancing.
The Teacher Needs Homework, Too
The most important thing you
can offer your students is knowledge. It’s your duty to keep abreast of what’s
going on in the Middle Eastern dance community, whether locally, nationally or
globally. Continued study and
research on your end will only make you a better teacher… so don’t be afraid to
attend workshops side-by-side with your students. Subscribe to belly dance
trade publications, join Internet forums, seek out other instructors with
specialties and learn from them, do research on line or at the library.
Set an example for your students by
showing them that learning is a never-ending process!
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