Going From one to another. A good idea?

[shiradotnet]

I think it's good for a beginner to stick with one teacher/style to avoid confusion. But once the dancer reaches intermediate level, I think the act of taking classes from multiple teachers at once can be very valuable, even if they're all the same style. Not only is it good to learn new ideas for the craft of dancing, but it's useful to be exposed to different approaches with respect to warmups, class structure, choreography ideas, and so on.

For several years, I had somewhere from 2-4 teachers all at the same time. I'd go to different people's classes on different nights of the week. All four of them were the same belly dance style (American Classic), but one was really good at teaching floor work, two were really good at teaching veil, one was really good at teaching improvisation skills, one had a troupe I belonged to, all four taught different step combinations from each other, etc. I learned a lot, and I remember all four of them very fondly. Each had a role to play in helping me develop my own style.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Our studio actually has currently two different teachers who alternate, plus a tribal teacher (there used to be a third who did general classes). We definitely learn slightly different styles from each of the two, but because they're with the same studio, they coordinate their sessions, at least some. I've also taken class at another studio, and while I think the beginner classes would translate from one to the other, anything higher than beginners wouldn't coordinate well with one another. I'd rather take a whole series of beginner-advanced with each studio. That's just my personal experience in this town, though.

Yes, our studio has 4 different teachers: beginner, intermediate 1, intermediate 2, and advanced. We're very lucky to have talented teachers for each level.

 

[LadyLoba]

I wish there were some teachers near me. The closest one I can find is almost 200 miles away. If I had the option, Id definitely switch around once I got past the basics.

My area is so lacking in belly dance...the one woman who took the class that was offered but nobody else showed up to...asked me if I was going to teach. I can't teach. I only belly dance as a hobby for my own enjoyment. I have never even danced in front of anybody before. It would be like somebody who just got an A in Algebra II working as a mathematics professor at a university.

But if it's available...I would think it would be great to at least take some classes from someone who teaches your primary style, and some from somebody who teaches another style you're interested in but not sure of. A lot of the arts do that...you study your main art form the most, but take some classes or lessons in something related..like a fiction writer also takes creative nonfiction or screenwriting...a ballerina also takes some tap or modern dance. I'd love to study primarily American Cabaret (aka american oriental) but Im also drawn to Egyptian..

 

[Ahava_Melantha]

I personally have done this before. One bad thing is that sometimes in smaller communities, certain teachers get extremely terrirtorial and do NOT like sharing their students. umm yeah. and this teacher was one that I learned from, not on a regular. My regular instructor was like okay, expand your horizons, whatever.

so just so you know - my experience.

but on the other hand, my first teachers, there were 2. and no matter how full the class was, there was always a teacher to break a move down for you. and if there wasn't, one of my teachers daughters wold (lol).

and when I went on to learn from their original teacher, no bad blood at all. so you never know until you try.

 

[LadyLoba]

That is a good point about smaller communities. We don't have belly dance here (yet, I hold out hope) but people get VERY possessive and territorial about everything else...so I am sure it would happen with belly dance. That would be my only concern on this too...that it might create some tension with some teachers. But as long as you're respectful about it (and I know you would be) they wouldnt have any legitimate reason to say anything.

 

[Ahava_Melantha]

thats cool then. experienced a lil on both sides of the fence - the territorial and nonterritorial. overall, the ones with more experience and broader training seem less territorial to me.

 

[astro_girl]

Providing you seek out well-trained teachers, I think this is a great idea. The most accomplished belly dancers I've come across have a long resume of a variety of instructors they've trained with. Just like employment experience, I think one could only benefit by learning from a variety of teachers who will all have different styles.