First lesson feeling

[Sherezade]

Hi, there. I don't know if this is the right place to post this thread, but I thought it was suitable.

My question is: how was the feeling after you attended your very first class? I attended an open class two months ago and left feeling completely frustrated and thinking bellydance wasn't for me. Maybe the teacher didn't do easy moves for a beginner or I just felt embarrassed, the truth is that when I left, I felt so awkward that I thought I'd never try again. Thanks to a good friend of mine, I recovered my interest in bd. She said she had felt exactly the same and that this type of feeling is normal.

So, how was it with you?

 

[Imeera]

Hi Sherezade!! As I said before I learnt from DvDs before finding a class. Not that I didn't want to go just that I couldn't find one, it took me 3 months in the end :lol: But it was so worth it! I came back from the lesson beaming, I had so much fun. I laughed at all the mistakes I made. The teacher I have is so full of energy and joy its hard not to enjoy it. The class had a wonderful overall feeling, however, this was probably down to me getting used to the moves off the DvD first. I remember when I first started learning I was frustrated and confused because I didn't have anyone to help me (until I found this forum!). Another woman in my class one lesson (I think it was her fourth ever lesson) struggled, and she said afterwards she was so frustrated and angry with herself that she couldn't do it, a few lessons later with practice at home she could do it! So you might have just been feeling awkard and prehaps feel like you can't do the moves you want, sometimes I feel like I am not doing them correctly but I actually am doing them better than I think and got annoyed at myself for no reason :lol:, but I promise it will pass with practice.

If you want to try again go for it, maybe give the lessons another go. Though I would recommend learning off DvDs first to gain confidence in your moves then try the class again and see how it feels. Or learn off s DvD as well as going to the classes so you can spend more time on indervidual moves and perhaps get more detailed instruction. Its up to what makes you feel more comfortable =]

As for if your teacher wasn't doing moves that were beginner enough, that may be the case. What kind of things was she teaching?

 

[Sherezade]

Well, she introduced lots of arm movements together with hip moves. Maybe it isn't that difficult, but for me it was because I'm still in a phase when I still can't do it all. If I start moving my arms, it looks like my mind "forgets" about hips and the result is catastrophic.

Anyway, I'll doo as you say until I find a good class for (total) beginners.

 

[Imeera]

I would say that was a bit hard for a complete beginner, even I can't do that now! Though my teacher does that too however she keeps it simple or we don't have to follow. But yeah a class is an amazing thing to go to but its no good if its not your level =] There are loads of beginner DvDs out there, I think Mosaic gave you a link for a collection of instructional DvDs. What style are you interested in Sherezade?

 

[Sherezade]

Well, I'm still too new to give an opinion about styles, but I prefer the traditional to the fusion or tribal. Is there a big difference between, say, Moroccan bd and Egypt bd? Or Lebanon and Turkish? I'm still so new I can hardly find differences.

 

[Imeera]

Well, I'm still too new to give an opinion about styles, but I prefer the traditional to the fusion or tribal. Is there a big difference between, say, Moroccan bd and Egypt bd? Or Lebanon and Turkish? I'm still so new I can hardly find differences.

Yeah, I find tribal and fusion interesting and fun but prefer to dedicate my time to Egyptian, I love the emotion and story telling in it, Baladi is also something I am working on. Though I am still working all the differences out, but getting there. Slowly :lol: I think I kind of know what the difference between Turkish, Egyptian and American styles are. But I am not very sure myself. I suppose the basic moves like hip drops ect are the same, but the way its danced is different. Like different accents in language. I know in Turkish there is more spinning and hair flicking and floorwork, Egyptian is more emotional (it was used in films a lot and develpoed there so its used to tell a story) and use the locks ect for accents but in American they use locks for most of the dance instead of just accents to the music. I think though, don't take my word for it! I could be completely wrong xD You can find infomation on it. But I think the best thing is to see the dances the difference between theory and practice kind of thing, look up dancers you KNOW are Turkish, Egyptian ect and look at the dance and try and compare, thats what I am doing at least. But its really hard :lol: How long have you been learning belly dance for?

 

[Mosaic]

When I first started I took 2 private lessons to see if it was something I really wanted to do, had a great teacher for those first 2 lessons and fell head over heels in love with BD -she put me in touch with a local teacher who taught a beginners group and I never looked back. I found a 2nd teacher who pushed me that bit further then a 3rd & 4th, I continue with my 3rd & 4th teachers to this day. I was with teacher 1 for 18mths & 2 for 1 year, have been with teacher 3 for 6 years and teacher 4 for for close to 5 years.

When I first started I felt like I had 10 sets of arms when I was trying to put arms with various movements, it is like anything new, takes time to get the hang of things, so don't panic if it takes time to get the co-ordination going.

In my beginners class I concentrate on getting feet and hips working together, and teach basic arms so they get the hang of incorporating arms, after a while I begin to introduce more arm movements. Hang in there, it will all begin to fall in Place after a while
~Mosaic

 

[Greek Bonfire]

Well, I'm still too new to give an opinion about styles, but I prefer the traditional to the fusion or tribal. Is there a big difference between, say, Moroccan bd and Egypt bd? Or Lebanon and Turkish? I'm still so new I can hardly find differences.

Don't expect to know the differences overnight. It takes a long time as each style takes time to master, even though the basic moves are the same. I think most of us here would admit that we are still learning them!

 

[Sherezade]

Thank you all. Good to know it wasn't just me who felt awkward at some point. :lol:

@ Imeera - I've been learning for 3 months now, but with a DVD (Luscious with Blanca, Neon and Sarah Skinner).

@ Greek Bonfire - That's what I thought right away. They can't be that different, maybe apart from some movements.

@ Mosaic - You would be a nice teacher for me. Going step by step and veeeeeery slowly. :lol: I'm a real slow learner as far as coordination is concerned. I used to be the worst student at Physical Education at school.

 

[Belly Love]

I just started bd not too long ago and I can understand how you feel. At the begining you have all of these fantasy thoughts swirling in your head and then you actually try to do it. At first it can be a bit discouraging 'cause you feel so akward and think it will take forever to learn, but you will get past that. Once you start getting one move, then two moves, then three moves down, you will start to "feel it". Then your fantasy thoughts will come back again and you will be enamored all over again :dance:

 

[Sherezade]

I just started bd not too long ago and I can understand how you feel. At the begining you have all of these fantasy thoughts swirling in your head and then you actually try to do it. At first it can be a bit discouraging 'cause you feel so akward and think it will take forever to learn, but you will get past that. Once you start getting one move, then two moves, then three moves down, you will start to "feel it". Then your fantasy thoughts will come back again and you will be enamored all over again :dance:

You got my feeling, Belly Love. I guess I had created too many expectations and had hoped to feel very well after the lesson. That's why my enthusiasm came tumbling down. At home, when I practice some movements from my DVD I feel much better. Maybe because I don't feel I have to do like the other students. The problem was that this class was a mix of beginners with intermediates and we all danced together, like in a kind of choreography. There was even a time when I had to stop and just went on looking at what they were doing. That's when I felt really bad. Anyway, it's long gone and not an obstacle anymore.

 

[LilithNoor]

I got lucky- the first class I went to was great, and although I joined partway through the term she was really good about breaking the moves down for us newbies. She got us in posture, taught us enough of the footwork that we could step through the dance with the other students and generally ensured that we felt like Samia Gamal by the end of the class (not that we'd ever heard of Samia Gamal in those days).

I tried out another class about six months later. The teacher arrived looking like she'd just stepped off the rowing machine. She didn't say a word about posture, plunged straight into a choreography without breaking down the moves, and finished the class early so she could run through a different choreo with her intermediates.

Guess which teacher I'm still learning with?

 

[Sherezade]

I got lucky- the first class I went to was great, and although I joined partway through the term she was really good about breaking the moves down for us newbies. She got us in posture, taught us enough of the footwork that we could step through the dance with the other students and generally ensured that we felt like Samia Gamal by the end of the class (not that we'd ever heard of Samia Gamal in those days).

I tried out another class about six months later. The teacher arrived looking like she'd just stepped off the rowing machine. She didn't say a word about posture, plunged straight into a choreography without breaking down the moves, and finished the class early so she could run through a different choreo with her intermediates.

Guess which teacher I'm still learning with?

Not hard to guess, LilithNoor. :lol: I guess my teacher was also a bit like your second. And guess what? She also finished the lesson earlier. My friend even commented with me that it looked as if she wanted to get rid of us. Not a good attitude and I hope that when I start attending classes I'll get a better teacher. I'll need a very patient one!!

 

[Shara]

I am a quick study on moves, but I am VERY slow at picking up choreography.... even when I am the one who wrote it!!!! Don't feel bad if you don't pick it up quickly. I go to workshops and quite a lot of workshops focus on a choreo. I sometimes go to the back out of the way and take notes and watch. I don't go to workshops for the choreos. I go for techniques, information, inspiration, and style pointers. You will also get faster at picking up choreo as you do it more, but some people (like me) are still kind of slow even at their best! Not all of us can remember a choreo just by going through it 3 times!!!! A good teacher will also let you say, "I need help with that" and he or she should be able to help you. If they don't have time, they have too many people in the class. Don't get discouraged! It is not an easy dance, but it is well worth the effort!
(It took me an entire year to learn to roll my belly in one direction).

 

[Sherezade]

Hi, Shara. Thanks! Well, I think that for the 3 months I've been learning (with a DVD) I've already got some movements quite right, but there are others that are still too confusing for my coordination, which is what I need to practice. Sometimes it's difficult to pass from a movement to another. Even moving my hips and arms at the same time sometimes confuses my brain. As I said somewhere earlier, when I lift my arms, it seems that my brain forgets about going on moving hips and vice-versa.

Anyway, thanks for encouraging me. I also believe it will be quite rewarding when I feel I'm able to do something even if I'll never be a professional.