I'm 55, and I've always been overweight, a wallflower and somewhat alienated from my body, if that makes sense, but seven friends called or wrote to say I should try belly dance, and my husband surprised me with beginner lessons at the local rec center. It was the coolest gift ever, and also the scariest.
At the first class the teacher taught the basics, and I was the only one out of eleven who hadn't taken the class before. I felt enormous and awkward, but I liked it and wanted to learn more, so I asked the teacher for resources to practice with at home. You know, maybe YouTube videos, or dancers whose DVDs she could recommend.
The next week she forgot my request, and she forgot again on week three, when she passed out music and copies of the 27 steps of choreography she wanted us to learn. In a beginner's class.
At class four, she still hadn't remembered, so she said to send an email reminding her. I didn't hear from her and when I saw her in the fifth class she said she never got my email.
In classes leading up to week five, we'd spend 45 minutes learning the basics and the last 15 on choreography, which was incredibly confusing, but by class five she was teaching only her choreography, which changed as she decided hips might work better here, and let's add a shoulder shimmy there, or do this three times instead of six... rendering the written directions (which I pasted below) useless.
I asked if she could spend more time on the basics since I've had trouble with my knees, but she said basics are too boring, and to make sure I never straightened my knees. That's it.
I'm planning to quit the last three classes since she'll only be teaching choreography, but I want to stop by and give her a letter saying why, and I may send a copy to the director of the rec center.
I know there's a belly dancer inside me. We live in a small town in central Pennsylvania, and she's the only teacher here, so I'll use videos to practice with until I find someone else.
My reason for writing is, what do you suggest I say in the letter?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Starling
Oh, here's the choreography:
INTRO- FACING REAR. 8C SHOULDER SHIMMY
lAC Rock step, (r foot), Double hip thrust, R& L
2. Repeat 4c rock step, turn to Lwith double Hip thrust
3. Repeat again, Double Hip Thrust to face front.
4. Repeat 4th time, after 4c rock step, 4c Hip circle bounce.
5. RHip uu/dd (switch feet)
6. L Hip UU/dd.
7.3 pt turn to Lt., 3 pt. turn to Rt.
8 .R Hip isolation, 4c, L. Hip isolation 4c
9. Hip circle 6c. Shoulder shimmy 2c
10. Rock step to left side, then to right, 4c ea.
11. Figure 8 with accents. (Start Rhip)
12. Step point (start Rfoot) fwd 6c, Pivot turn to face rear.
13. Hip pushes out, LRLR 4C
14. Hip shimmy, 4c.
MUSIC CHANGE. (Facing rear)
20. Basic back 8c
21. Camel Right 6c, shoulder shimmy, 2c
15. Mya step R&l x2, 4C
16. Look back over l shoulder, Look back over R. shoulder. lc ea.
17. Step slide step, start Rfoot, 6c. , Pivot step, 2c to face front,
18. Accent shoulder shimmy, facing front
19. Harem waltz, 8c
22. Camel Left 4c, hip circle bounce 2c.
INSTRUMENTAL- CHANGE LINES
23. Back line step point fwd, 8c.
24. Front line, step point back, 8c.
25. Isolated (R) hip around self, Bc
26. Hip thrust walking fwd. 8c, RlRl with shoulder shimmy
27. Camel off, first line to R, Back line to L.
END.
At the first class the teacher taught the basics, and I was the only one out of eleven who hadn't taken the class before. I felt enormous and awkward, but I liked it and wanted to learn more, so I asked the teacher for resources to practice with at home. You know, maybe YouTube videos, or dancers whose DVDs she could recommend.
The next week she forgot my request, and she forgot again on week three, when she passed out music and copies of the 27 steps of choreography she wanted us to learn. In a beginner's class.
At class four, she still hadn't remembered, so she said to send an email reminding her. I didn't hear from her and when I saw her in the fifth class she said she never got my email.
In classes leading up to week five, we'd spend 45 minutes learning the basics and the last 15 on choreography, which was incredibly confusing, but by class five she was teaching only her choreography, which changed as she decided hips might work better here, and let's add a shoulder shimmy there, or do this three times instead of six... rendering the written directions (which I pasted below) useless.
I asked if she could spend more time on the basics since I've had trouble with my knees, but she said basics are too boring, and to make sure I never straightened my knees. That's it.
I'm planning to quit the last three classes since she'll only be teaching choreography, but I want to stop by and give her a letter saying why, and I may send a copy to the director of the rec center.
I know there's a belly dancer inside me. We live in a small town in central Pennsylvania, and she's the only teacher here, so I'll use videos to practice with until I find someone else.
My reason for writing is, what do you suggest I say in the letter?
Thanks for your thoughts,
Starling
Oh, here's the choreography:
INTRO- FACING REAR. 8C SHOULDER SHIMMY
lAC Rock step, (r foot), Double hip thrust, R& L
2. Repeat 4c rock step, turn to Lwith double Hip thrust
3. Repeat again, Double Hip Thrust to face front.
4. Repeat 4th time, after 4c rock step, 4c Hip circle bounce.
5. RHip uu/dd (switch feet)
6. L Hip UU/dd.
7.3 pt turn to Lt., 3 pt. turn to Rt.
8 .R Hip isolation, 4c, L. Hip isolation 4c
9. Hip circle 6c. Shoulder shimmy 2c
10. Rock step to left side, then to right, 4c ea.
11. Figure 8 with accents. (Start Rhip)
12. Step point (start Rfoot) fwd 6c, Pivot turn to face rear.
13. Hip pushes out, LRLR 4C
14. Hip shimmy, 4c.
MUSIC CHANGE. (Facing rear)
20. Basic back 8c
21. Camel Right 6c, shoulder shimmy, 2c
15. Mya step R&l x2, 4C
16. Look back over l shoulder, Look back over R. shoulder. lc ea.
17. Step slide step, start Rfoot, 6c. , Pivot step, 2c to face front,
18. Accent shoulder shimmy, facing front
19. Harem waltz, 8c
22. Camel Left 4c, hip circle bounce 2c.
INSTRUMENTAL- CHANGE LINES
23. Back line step point fwd, 8c.
24. Front line, step point back, 8c.
25. Isolated (R) hip around self, Bc
26. Hip thrust walking fwd. 8c, RlRl with shoulder shimmy
27. Camel off, first line to R, Back line to L.
END.