Teachers?!

[gypsy]

I just finished an introductory course. On the last class I asked my teacher if what we are practicing falls into Raq Sharqi. She looked at me as if I just burst into flames. It was obvious she had never even heard the term.
Should this be a red flag that I should look elsewhere for further classes?
I absolutely LOVE belly dancing and very much want to continue learning and dancing.

 

[lizaj]

I just finished an introductory course. On the last class I asked my teacher if what we are practicing falls into Raq Sharqi. She looked at me as if I just burst into flames. It was obvious she had never even heard the term.
Should this be a red flag that I should look elsewhere for further classes?
I absolutely LOVE belly dancing and very much want to continue learning and dancing.

Might she not just be surprised that a beginner should use the term?

If you have enjoyed the course and feel you have learnt something why leave?

However it never does any harm..in fact it's a good idea once you are through an introductory course to try an additional teacher?

Good luck and Welcome!

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

I just finished an introductory course. On the last class I asked my teacher if what we are practicing falls into Raq Sharqi. She looked at me as if I just burst into flames. It was obvious she had never even heard the term.
Should this be a red flag that I should look elsewhere for further classes?
I absolutely LOVE belly dancing and very much want to continue learning and dancing.

LOL. Funny image

Welcome to the wonderful world of what-is-bellydance-really.

If your teacher is telling you that she's teaching Egyptian style, then she shouldn't be surprised if you're asking about Sharqi or Balady styles. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if a student used the phrase "Raqs Sharqi" because I would just assume she had been on Shira's website and was taking it upon herself to learn as much as she could.

If your teacher is an ethnic Greek or Turk, she might not be familiar with the term. Or if she's really only studied American Oriental and hasn't had access to the internet, she might not know the phrase. Tribal teachers SHOULD know it, but I can see how they might not.

Most students will never know a teacher's educational background, or they feel they don't need to know. As a result, a student doesn't really know how to evaluate a teacher until she's had quite a few classes under her hip belt. There are a lot of teachers out there who CLAIM to teach Belly Dance, but what they're really teaching is a kind of Creative Movement class, using a lot of torso and hip work. That's okay, if that's all you're after.

If you want a more "authentic" (which is a tricky word in itself) approach to the dance, then you may find yourself looking for a new teacher down the road. If you are drawn to Egyptian music and a more Egyptian style of dance, you may want to seek out a teacher who specializes in Egyptian. If you like Tribal music and the Tribal aesthetic, you'll eventually want to find a Tribal specialist.

My answer to your question really depends on your relationship to your teacher, what you already know, and what you expect to get out of classes. It sounds as if you may outgrow this teacher pretty quickly, so yes, you may want to start looking for supplemental instruction.

 

[Kashmir]

It is entirely possible to be a good teacher without speaking Arabic - and even more so if she teaches Turkish style What would be a better indicator is what she does with your question. If she comes back after some research and says something - that's a good sign. If she's a closed book and already knows all things belly dancerish - that's a bad one.