Teacher Training MIA SERRA

[curl1982]

Hi there

I have been belly dancing for 2 years now and would like to gain some qualifications and sort of levels. I looked at Mia Serra's belly dance school in London and could do a teacher training certificate which takes place on 5 Sundays and sounds very good - though its a bit pricey...

I also thought about doing the summer school with JWAAD.

Basically I want to be able to put something in my bio and get some qualifications (which are important for me).

What should I do? I need direction

 

[Kharis]

Hi there

I have been belly dancing for 2 years now and would like to gain some qualifications and sort of levels. I looked at Mia Serra's belly dance school in London and could do a teacher training certificate which takes place on 5 Sundays and sounds very good - though its a bit pricey...

I also thought about doing the summer school with JWAAD.

Basically I want to be able to put something in my bio and get some qualifications (which are important for me).

What should I do? I need direction

Many many years ago, I did the JWAAD summer school. I then decided i was going to do the whole teacher training bit but it was hideously expensive. Then someone advised me to spend my hard earned money on visiting Egypt instead. So I did. You know what, these teacher training schemes vary in quality but all of them are pricey. And the end qualification means diddly squat in the scheme of things because it's still not recognised by any governing body. You can get a recognised NVQ in Movement and Dance or Exercise to Fitness at a much cheaper price. If your insistent on doing this, go for JWAAD. At least it's been around for years and has good health and safety training in place...but then so does the NVQ course.

 

[lizaj]

Hi there

I have been belly dancing for 2 years now and would like to gain some qualifications and sort of levels. I looked at Mia Serra's belly dance school in London and could do a teacher training certificate which takes place on 5 Sundays and sounds very good - though its a bit pricey...

I also thought about doing the summer school with JWAAD.

Basically I want to be able to put something in my bio and get some qualifications (which are important for me).

What should I do? I need direction

I agree with Kharis some way and there are many good established teachers out there with loads of experience who still go off to Egypt and carry on learning here with no need for paper qualifications. But I think it is a good idea for new teachers and many institutions do demand proof of study and safety as do insurance companies which is why I did the jWAAD foundation course over 2 weekends in my area. I had two excellent tutors Kay Taylor and Anne Kingston and am really pleased for the practical advice and reinforcement of technique.
The most important thing for any teacher is to carry on learning herself adn teacher training is not a bad idea.

 

[Bellydeluxe]

The JWAAD Summer School will not give you any qualifications. It is a residential week during which you choose workshops according to your interests and stamina.

A teacher training course aims at teaching you how to teach. It is different from a dancer training course during which you learn how to improve in technique and styles.
The JWAAD TTC includes technique and styles but it doesn't mean that you will become a specialist in Nubian or Mambouti !

If you are planning to teach I am afraid you have to go through both !

I was on the JWAAD teacher training course back in 1998-99 and after being qualified, I still took workshops with Egyptian as well as non-Egyptian bellydance teachers. For me getting a TTC qualification doesn't mean stopping from training. Look at the ballet dancers. They practice everyday even when they are stars.

I know it's expensive but if you choose the right training and the right workshops, it's worth it !

 

[Kharis]

The JWAAD Summer School will not give you any qualifications. It is a residential week during which you choose workshops according to your interests and stamina.

No, but it's a compulsory part of the teacher training course..or at least it was. I recall that that cost in the region of £500 14 years ago...and then there were the compulsory private lessons and hours of workshops with that establishment. The whole caboosh cost in the region of around £2,000.... a lot for a training course that offers no recognised qualification at the end of it. I believe they have now split it into modules to make it more affordable.

 

[Bellydeluxe]

But then it is not Summer School. The TTC week happens to be during the Summer School but that's only if you have signed up for the TTC and been accepted. The organisers use the same premises as there are classrooms and dance studios as well as accomodation. The JWAAD tutors who teach on the JWAAD TTC also teach at Summer School.
It's a bit confusing but the two things are really different.

 

[Kharis]

But then it is not Summer School. The TTC week happens to be during the Summer School but that's only if you have signed up for the TTC and been accepted. The organisers use the same premises as there are classrooms and dance studios as well as accomodation. The JWAAD tutors who teach on the JWAAD TTC also teach at Summer School.
It's a bit confusing but the two things are really different.

Perhaps they are now...but at the time I was thinking of taking the teacher training the summer school was part of the course and you had to do it. You could of course, attend summer school and not take part in the teacher training. I seem to recall there was the compulsory 50 hours of workshops, 5 to 10 of which were private lessons. I'm sure it's all been changed since then, as the reason I didn't do it was it was way too expensive and to be honest, I'm glad in retrospect that I spent my money visiting Egypt instead. I couldn't do both.

Out of curiosity, just how much is the whole course these days?

 

[Bellydeluxe]

I am glad you found what you were looking for. That's what counts in the end. If you're happy with what you get.

You can have a look at the programme which has been changed since the time you were thinking about going on the course.
Teacher Training - JWAAD

 

[jenc]

Interestingly, they don't give a price, but ask you to send £100 just to have your application looked at!!!

googled and found price £1,700

 

[Bellydeluxe]

The £100 is a deposit which is given back if the tutors decide your level is not good enough to be on the course.

The £1700 pay for the tuition given by 5 tutors, the private tuitions and tutoring, the marking of homework (yes, there is homework to hand back !), the assessments and the studios. It is for 5 weekends (Friday evening to Sunday late afternoon) + a full week at Summer School.

Just to give you an info the TTC which Hassan Khalil runs in France cost 2500 euros (10 weekends Saturday-Sunday = 10h)

You should also check prices of the Horacio and Beata Course in Berlin, or the courses now offered in Cairo by Hassan Khalil or Raqia Hassan.

I think the courses are expensive as they don't get any funding from the state...maybe one day

 

[Kharis]

Interestingly, they don't give a price, but ask you to send £100 just to have your application looked at!!!

googled and found price £1,700

Looks like they kept the fee about the same but lowered the hours required, which hour for hour still makes this a pretty hefty 'qualification' to pay for. I guess it helps those who feel the need for assistance with teaching but as pointed out it won't necessarily make one a good dancer. Hell, I've seen some appalling JWAAD dancers! I am very very cynical about teacher training programmes and one of the main reasons is that I took on a JWAAD teacher's year 3 students (around 6 of them) and not a one of them could do any of the basic moves correctly. After 3 years of tuition with this person, they couldn't even shimmy, hip drop or Egyptian walk, never mind do isolations and layers. This compounded my belief that you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear no matter how many 'certificates' you throw at them.

 

[lizaj]

You have to do the foundation course , of course first and that is not too expensive and it's in different locations. I found it very pratical and good basis for anyone thinking of teaching or needing "bits of paper" required by employers these days. Of courser there are other routes through FE teacher training.
I agre with Kharis that not all qualifed teacher appear to have the technque they should but conversely good dancers aren't always able to pass on the skills (bad dancers naturally can't but that doesn't stop 'em !)
The worst offenders to me ar teachers who stop learning themselves, are arrogan enough never to attend workshops or explore new horizons in other ways. How can they inspire their students?

 

[jenc]

I think I may eventually do the Foundation - as I'm burning to teach proper technique - although I need to acquire some more myself first!!