How do I ask my dance teacher to teach more floorwork?

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

I do not want to make anyone mad.

 

[Shakti]

I would inquire about a private lesson if there is something specific you want to learn. Or just mention that you would like to learn, and see what she says.

 

[Yame]

Just... ask? I mean, don't blurt it out in the middle of class, but pull her aside before or after class, or email her, and let her know you'd love to learn floorwork more often. This isn't *telling* her what to do, but letting her know what's on your mind and planting a seed. Then she can decide whether or not to go along with your suggestion.

Most teachers who are worth their salt would be thrilled to know their students have specific topics of interest. Maybe this particular topic isn't a part of her expertise so she may not be able to offer much of it, but you don't have anything to lose by letting her know you are interested.

 

[Darshiva]

Please don't think me rude for asking, but why on earth would you want to learn floorwork if you're so concerned about modesty that it affects your costume choice?

I personally don't teach OR perform floorwork because I feel it ties in too quickly to the bellydancer=hooker trope.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

Please don't think me rude for asking, but why on earth would you want to learn floorwork if you're so concerned about modesty that it affects your costume choice?

I personally don't teach OR perform floorwork because I feel it ties in too quickly to the bellydancer=hooker trope.

I choose not to argue about this.

Just... ask? I mean, don't blurt it out in the middle of class, but pull her aside before or after class, or email her, and let her know you'd love to learn floorwork more often. This isn't *telling* her what to do, but letting her know what's on your mind and planting a seed. Then she can decide whether or not to go along with your suggestion.

Most teachers who are worth their salt would be thrilled to know their students have specific topics of interest. Maybe this particular topic isn't a part of her expertise so she may not be able to offer much of it, but you don't have anything to lose by letting her know you are interested.

Okay I will do that.

 

[Kashmir]

Just ask. However, ... once when I decided to add some floorwork into my classes I had a mutiny. They all thought it was a great idea - until we had to do it. None of my students had the fitness to repeatedly lower and raise themselves - let alone doing anything "exciting". Floorwork takes strong quads, abs and glutes, reasonable flexibility, and good knees and hips and only then can you start layering in the control for graceful presentation.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

Just ask. However, ... once when I decided to add some floorwork into my classes I had a mutiny. They all thought it was a great idea - until we had to do it. None of my students had the fitness to repeatedly lower and raise themselves - let alone doing anything "exciting". Floorwork takes strong quads, abs and glutes, reasonable flexibility, and good knees and hips and only then can you start layering in the control for graceful presentation.

You are so right. Maybe I can start taking private lessons instead. That way, it would not be a problem.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Just ask. However, ... once when I decided to add some floorwork into my classes I had a mutiny. They all thought it was a great idea - until we had to do it. None of my students had the fitness to repeatedly lower and raise themselves - let alone doing anything "exciting". Floorwork takes strong quads, abs and glutes, reasonable flexibility, and good knees and hips and only then can you start layering in the control for graceful presentation.

I know there are differing opinions on floorwork, and valid reasons for those opinions, which I respect. This is probably going to sound weird, but personally, when our class learns a new routine that includes a choice of either being an "up person" or a "down person" (the "down people being those who choose to do the floorwork), I always choose to learn and do the floorwork. At 50, I want to stay strong and flexible, especially now that I'm beginning to feel those first few twinges of Mr. Arthur Itis. I'm bound and determined to fight it and keep moving, and doing floorwork, along with yoga and regular exercise, is helping my body to stay strong.

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

Maybe this particular topic isn't a part of her expertise so she may not be able to offer much of it,

Floorwork in a mixed level class can be a nightmare. It takes a while to build up the strength for even the most basic of movements, and the teacher has to rely upon the students to practice and condition routinely AT HOME, which some will and some won't. For safety reasons, a lot of ACE and AFAA certified instructors won't even attempt teaching floorwork in their once-weekly classes. It's too easy for students to get hurt.

I haven't yet met an Egyptian style instructor who put the focus on floorwork. So if your teacher is primarily teaching Egyptian, don't count on her having a thorough knowledge enough of it to teach it -- or if she feels it's not an integral part of the dance, she may not want to spend the class time addressing it. Private lessons may be an option, or she may refer you to videos or another instructor.

 

[Yame]

Floorwork in a mixed level class can be a nightmare. It takes a while to build up the strength for even the most basic of movements, and the teacher has to rely upon the students to practice and condition routinely AT HOME, which some will and some won't. For safety reasons, a lot of ACE and AFAA certified instructors won't even attempt teaching floorwork in their once-weekly classes. It's too easy for students to get hurt.

I haven't yet met an Egyptian style instructor who put the focus on floorwork. So if your teacher is primarily teaching Egyptian, don't count on her having a thorough knowledge enough of it to teach it -- or if she feels it's not an integral part of the dance, she may not want to spend the class time addressing it. Private lessons may be an option, or she may refer you to videos or another instructor.

Yes. Not all teachers are qualified to teach everything, and certain things don't work well in certain classes as you and others above have pointed out. This is why I say put the thought out there, but don't be surprised or offended if it doesn't change a thing.

Over the years, you get to know your teacher and your class and you know what works and what doesn't, what she can offer and what she can't. My classmates and I are lucky to have a teacher who is both very open to ideas and very knowledgeable of many different facets of belly dance. We have a very small class and we all take full advantage of that, by letting her know the things we like and want to work on, teachers we like that she could sponsor for a workshop, etc. Some wonderful classes and workshops have resulted out of that.

Of course however, I don't expect every class to be modelled after our likes and tastes. If she thinks there is something we need to work on, she will make us work on it no matter how much we dislike it!

 

[LilithNoor]

Is floorwork commonly taught in the Egyptian style? I thought that, given it's still banned in Egypt, it would not be a particularly prominent aspect of the style, so i'm not surprised that your teacher isn't covering it as standard, Ismaila

I've not learnt much Egyptian stuff, and all the floorwork I've done has been either Turkish or tribal fusion. It's unspeakably hard work- I have to drill squats for weeks beforehand if i want to have a hope of doing it right!

 

[Kashmir]

Is floorwork commonly taught in the Egyptian style? I thought that, given it's still banned in Egypt, it would not be a particularly prominent aspect of the style

The only floorwork I've done with Egyptian teachers has been in folkloric styles rather than Orientale - khaleegy, shammadan, awalim. It is quite different from what I think of as American floorwork - ie sometimes it is just a descent to the floor for a short time then back up (the exception being Aida's awalim bum shuffle shimmy)

 

[LilithNoor]

The only floorwork I've done with Egyptian teachers has been in folkloric styles rather than Orientale - khaleegy, shammadan, awalim.

Yeah, shamadan was the only Egyptian style I could think of that might commonly involve floorwork. never heard of awalim- off to google it now!

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Floorwork in a mixed level class can be a nightmare. It takes a while to build up the strength for even the most basic of movements, and the teacher has to rely upon the students to practice and condition routinely AT HOME, which some will and some won't. For safety reasons, a lot of ACE and AFAA certified instructors won't even attempt teaching floorwork in their once-weekly classes. It's too easy for students to get hurt.

I haven't yet met an Egyptian style instructor who put the focus on floorwork. So if your teacher is primarily teaching Egyptian, don't count on her having a thorough knowledge enough of it to teach it -- or if she feels it's not an integral part of the dance, she may not want to spend the class time addressing it. Private lessons may be an option, or she may refer you to videos or another instructor.

Correct me if I'm wrong, Aziyade. Floorwork in Egyptian style is like veil work, right? Neither are a part of authentic Egyptian, but when an Egyptian dancer does either one, it's only for a brief moment?

Yes. Not all teachers are qualified to teach everything, and certain things don't work well in certain classes as you and others above have pointed out.

That is true. My own teacher admits that she's not very good at teaching zills, but she does have advanced students who are knowledgeable in this area, and qualified to teach zill classes. She also attends workshops that includes zill work, and encourages us to attend these workshops.

oO;; I didn't realize until I say Yame's last reply that there was another page! Sorry if my reply above on floorwork is repetitive. :redface:

 

[Pirika Repun]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Aziyade. Floorwork in Egyptian style is like veil work, right? Neither are a part of authentic Egyptian, but when an Egyptian dancer does either one, it's only for a brief moment?

I think Egyptian floor work is little different from roll over the floor thing.

I saw Nagwa Foaud did floor work with Saidi/cane number.


Here is Samia Gamal's floor work

 

[Amanda (was Aziyade)]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Aziyade. Floorwork in Egyptian style is like veil work, right? Neither are a part of authentic Egyptian, but when an Egyptian dancer does either one, it's only for a brief moment?

Basically, yeah I think so -- but also, there's what was done THEN and what was done NOW. My own teacher is quite the veil fanatic and uses it a LOT -- a lot more than you ever saw Egyptians using in the 90s. I haven't seen any of the Raqia generation (or her students) take to veil quite so much, and I don't see the Aida group pushing it. But that's just my limited observation.

I think SOME floorwork (as evidenced by shamadan and the awalim stuff -- and old Fifi Abdo video - lol) is certainly authentic to Egyptian dance, but like other people have said, the kind of floorwork I personally think of (cause I'm American) is the American style, where the dancer would wear the big circle skirt and could literally crawl around the floor, unhindered by her costume. The modern Egyptian costuming really doesn't allow for that kind of movement -- and it does seem to be "looked down upon" by many of the Egyptian instructors I've worked with. But not all.

Is it still illegal? I don't know -- but floorwork requires a venue that can really show that off, like an elevated stage, and most of the performance video coming from Egypt now does not show a venue where floorwork would be appreciated.

There were a lot of things that were "illegal" in Egypt at one time or another, but various famous dancers were able to get away with. Morocco's location videos show I think Aza Sharif doing a whole routine based on the "dance hall girl" and she is able to get away with more because she's playing a character. Technically Dina's belly chain constituted a covered navel -- simply because she was Dina. lol.

 

[Lara]

Please don't think me rude for asking, but why on earth would you want to learn floorwork if you're so concerned about modesty that it affects your costume choice?

I personally don't teach OR perform floorwork because I feel it ties in too quickly to the bellydancer=hooker trope.

Because she likes floorwork? I love floorwork. It makes me happy. I also need to be super conservative in my costuming. The naysayers here claim it's not about dancing, just the costume, so I make sure it stays about the costume and not the dancing. Floorwork CAN be very classy, dramatic, etc. without being raunchy.

Yeah- just ask. If the teacher isn't comfortable teaching floorwork (not everyone is) ask if she can point you towards resources to help you study that specialty.

 

[shiradotnet]

Correct me if I'm wrong, Aziyade. Floorwork in Egyptian style is like veil work, right? Neither are a part of authentic Egyptian, but when an Egyptian dancer does either one, it's only for a brief moment?

Floor work used to be part of authentic Egyptian style, but it was banned in the 1950's when the government was trying to clean up the nightclubs.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

Yeah, my dance teacher wants my back to be stronger before I get started on the floor work. I am so glad that she cares.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Basically, yeah I think so -- but also, there's what was done THEN and what was done NOW. My own teacher is quite the veil fanatic and uses it a LOT -- a lot more than you ever saw Egyptians using in the 90s. I haven't seen any of the Raqia generation (or her students) take to veil quite so much, and I don't see the Aida group pushing it. But that's just my limited observation.

I think SOME floorwork (as evidenced by shamadan and the awalim stuff -- and old Fifi Abdo video - lol) is certainly authentic to Egyptian dance, but like other people have said, the kind of floorwork I personally think of (cause I'm American) is the American style, where the dancer would wear the big circle skirt and could literally crawl around the floor, unhindered by her costume. The modern Egyptian costuming really doesn't allow for that kind of movement -- and it does seem to be "looked down upon" by many of the Egyptian instructors I've worked with. But not all.

Is it still illegal? I don't know -- but floorwork requires a venue that can really show that off, like an elevated stage, and most of the performance video coming from Egypt now does not show a venue where floorwork would be appreciated.

There were a lot of things that were "illegal" in Egypt at one time or another, but various famous dancers were able to get away with. Morocco's location videos show I think Aza Sharif doing a whole routine based on the "dance hall girl" and she is able to get away with more because she's playing a character. Technically Dina's belly chain constituted a covered navel -- simply because she was Dina. lol.

Floor work used to be part of authentic Egyptian style, but it was banned in the 1950's when the government was trying to clean up the nightclubs.

Thank you very much, Aziyade and Shira, for your replies. I think now I remember this discussion in another thread, and someone mentioning that floorwork is/was illegal in Egypt, but my memory isn't what it used to be anymore!