In praise of good practitioners!

Caroline_afifi

New member
Who are the instructors we have had good experiences with and why?
how were they different and what qualities do they bring?
 

Aisha Azar

New member
Good instructors

Who are the instructors we have had good experiences with and why?
how were they different and what qualities do they bring?



Dear Caroline,
What a great topic!!


My all time favorite instructor is Shareen El Safy. She has time and an eye for every individual person in class, knows her material inside and out, includes cultural anecdotes in every class, corrects with expertise and praises lavishly, is not afraid of those three little words that one rarely hears uttered by people in her position: "I don't know", is not afraid of the dance as vehicle that expresses sexuality. I could go on and on, but I am getting beyond smarmy here. (I should really hire myself out as her publicist!!!)


Other instructors that I have enjoyed are-

Mouna Said, because she will break things down if you want her to, but she is SO in the moment when she is dancing, and teaching is an extension of that with her. You learn ESSENCE, which is a most important element of the dance.

Ahava because she breaks down movement very well and is a dancer who is all heart, soul and great technique.

Sikander Jaad because she is great at breaking down movement and because she has been so very honest about what she presents as dance theatre. She is also very knowledgeable about the folkloric dances from which she gets her inspiration.

Shakira of Ohio, who dances a very fusionistic style, but can present movement in such a way as to help people understand any style themselves. She also studied to be an MD and has an great understanding of how the human body works. Her teaching is fantastic!!!


Sedonia Sipes, because of what she says here about movement, essence, etc. I have not studied with her, but I HAVE taught her students in workshop situations and they all have great basics and usually are so easy to teach. This is because she is doing something RIGHT!!!


Mark Balahadia because he is great at explaining the fine tuning in the different styles when he teaches, as well as correcting students in a truly positive manner.


Ann Higgins in Montana, who teaches only beginning belly dance, but does so with such integrity that her students can easily go on to study with anyone and go into the workshop or classroom with a depth of understanding.


I can name so many who are no longer dancing, but that would not be too helpful. I think Sikander is the only one here who is not still teaching, but I hope to coax her out again one day.
Regards,
A'isha
 

Suheir

New member
Mouna Said, because she will break things down if you want her to, but she is SO in the moment when she is dancing, and teaching is an extension of that with her. You learn ESSENCE, which is a most important element of the dance.

I agree. I also like Freiz Said for the same reasons.

Farida Fahmy, for being intelligent and strict.

Khaled Mahmoud, for the funkiest Khaleegy and the biggest range of arabesques.

Suha Azar, for her knowledge, intelligence and breathtakingly-beautiful Oriental style.

Aida Nour, for refusing to compromise.
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
I suppose for me the person who I have had the most from in recent years is Sara Farouk. She has a background in contemporary dance and understands movement as well knowing exactly where Egyptian dance is now.
Sara is also exceptional at teaching essence and feeling. She taught a mixed ability class lasy year at the Arabic Arts festival and some people had never been to a dance class in their life. It was difficult to tell as she works in a way which everyone understands and is a challenge as it connects movement, music and emotion.
I heartily recommend her to anyone who is visiting cairo and I know she is doing a short selected tour of the States some point in the near future.
The other thing is Sara is very direct and she may frighten some people.
I like this becuase I like to be pushed and not played with in a gentle way. Many teachers are just too nice as they fear not being asked back.

Shareen el Safy was also great but I have only had 2 workshops with her many years ago. I also loved Amel Tafsout for her Algerian and Leila Haddad for her Tunisian. I have had many workshops with good teachers but the environment was not productive for me personally. I work better with a relationships rather than one off workshops.

For lesser known teachers I would say Venus Saleh for her Persian and Armenian. Houda Amrani is just wonderful and she is performing on Sunday at the Arab Arts Festival. She is strict too but her energy is amazing and she is a joy to watch.

I also have alot of respect for many of the teachers local to me. There is some great talent emerging on Merseyside and this could never of happend without them.
 

gisela

Super Moderator
Sahra Saeeda, because she's so incredibly precise with what she's teaching. The context, history and style was ever present in her workshops here in Denmark and she cleared A LOT of misunderstandings about BD among the dancers here. On top of that she has the loveliest, most pleasant personality.

I agree with Suheir on Aida Nour. No compromises there. She could also completely control the classroom even with 50 participants (at the Stockholm festival).
 

Phoebedances

New member
My teacher for several years - Faten Munger, in Indianapolis. A beautiful and graceful dancer, but a real taskmaster in class. She could be funny, but was also demanding. We had a lovely old gymnasium at an old church to practice in and she would have us doing turns and walks from one side to the other, just over and over again. :dance:

She also is a complete stickler on arms. I had completely awful control over my arms when I first started dance classes and I still can hear her yelling at me, 'Woman, your arms!! Your arms!!!' :lol: Being yelled at isn't my favorite thing, however, today I can say that I'm always aware of what I'm doing with my arms and they are never just hanging at my sides.

She was very encouraging when it came to beginning to put together our own choreographies and would watch what we had and point out where what we were doing didn't match the music. But then she would make us think of things that would go with it.

In workshops... Leila Gamal is just amazing. So generous and so vibrant and really makes the student feel the mystique and the sensuality of the dance. She did a workshop when I saw her on the dance styles of the Golden Age of Bellydance, describing different moves that famous dancers from Eqyptian film. So very inspiring and she's a joy to watch dance!

When I first started dancing, my first workshop was with Mahmmoud Reda in Kansas city, MO. Unfortunately, I didn't have a good enough base in dance to grasp a 10th of what he was teaching, but I was aware enough to realize just how brilliant he is and feel honored just to be in the same room with him. He was teaching the choreography for a candelabra dance and it was so high energy.
 

Marya

Member
Who are the instructors we have had good experiences with and why?
how were they different and what qualities do they bring?

Caroline, you have started a number of good threads lately, thank you for your contributions.

I want to let everyone know that my favorite teacher is Aisha Azar. I get more out of a private class with her than I do from any workshop.

She is so encouraging and has an incredible movement vocabulary that I could study with her for 50 years an not learn them all. She has also kindly allowed me to use her teaching curriculum of the 10 Fundamentals which gives me a strong foundation from which to teach.

Marya
 

Aisha Azar

New member
Praise, etc.

Caroline, you have started a number of good threads lately, thank you for your contributions.

I want to let everyone know that my favorite teacher is Aisha Azar. I get more out of a private class with her than I do from any workshop.

She is so encouraging and has an incredible movement vocabulary that I could study with her for 50 years an not learn them all. She has also kindly allowed me to use her teaching curriculum of the 10 Fundamentals which gives me a strong foundation from which to teach.

Marya


Dear Marya,
WOW!!!! Thank you so much!! I LOVE teaching and it is SO good to be appreciated in this way. I always look forward to our classes together and its so gratifying to see how much effort YOU put into studying dance and how you continue to grow as a dancer. A great student is a wondrous thing!!
Hugs to you,
A'isha
 

Marya

Member
Dear Marya,
WOW!!!! Thank you so much!! I LOVE teaching and it is SO good to be appreciated in this way. I always look forward to our classes together and its so gratifying to see how much effort YOU put into studying dance and how you continue to grow as a dancer. A great student is a wondrous thing!!
Hugs to you,
A'isha

I suppose I should assure everyone that I receive no compensation from Aisha, other than good teaching.

PS. Aisha is not the only person I have studied with.

Marya
 

Aisha Azar

New member
Instruction, etc.

I suppose I should assure everyone that I receive no compensation from Aisha, other than good teaching.

PS. Aisha is not the only person I have studied with.

Marya



Dear Marya,
..... Does this mean I don't have to pay you the $25 PR fee this week??? LOL! .....
Hugs,
A.
 

lizaj

New member
Sara Farouk every time
Khaled Mahmoud
Aida Nour
Maria D'Silva
Wendy Marlett

back in the dim past:
Amel Tafsout and Wendy Buonoventura. I now realise how lucky I was to go to these ladies early on in my dance life!
 

taheya

New member
Maria D' Silva, Randa Kamel, Khaled Mahmoud, Aida Nour, Sara Farouk have been the best teachers i have studied with so far.
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
Thanks for sharing everyone,for those who just listed...please tell us why they are good.

Sorry, its just that I often see praise lists on forums but it tells me nothing about why they are good. Also some people just put their teacher like it is some sort of competition and they need to defend them.

Not you Marya!
it is really good your teacher A'isha was here to read the nice things you said about her and you explained why you respect her so much.
 

Marya

Member
Thanks for sharing everyone,for those who just listed...please tell us why they are good.

Sorry, its just that I often see praise lists on forums but it tells me nothing about why they are good. Also some people just put their teacher like it is some sort of competition and they need to defend them.

Not you Marya!
it is really good your teacher A'isha was here to read the nice things you said about her and you explained why you respect her so much.

Well.... I could provide quite a list, but I figure most people on this forum can decide for themselves based on what they read.

Since most people don't know me perhaps I should assure people that I didn't write what I did just to be nice to Aisha. I really have studied, via workshops or camps, with a wide variety of "name" teachers and she is the best teacher I have had. She is also one of the best dancers I have seen live. I have seen a lot of the same "name" teachers dance too.

Marya
 

taheya

New member
Maria d' silva for her dedication to teaching authentic Egyptian dance style and her passion, emotion in the dance and patience with her students. Randa Kamel for her incredibly powerful dance style. Also when she teaches she gives her all to her students, ensuring that everybody has got what she is trying to teach- a wonderful amabassador for Egyptian style as she loves this dance and wants to raise standards- just brilliant. Khaled Mahmoud (ditto Suheir)for his great khaleegi and fun, gentle teaching manner. Sara Farouk- for showing me the 'umph' needed for egyptian style, a wonderful innovative teacher. Finally, Aida Nour for being true to Egyptian dance and for staying grounded. She usually teaches very simplistic yet strong choreos, I have learnt alot form her.
 

taheya

New member
Well.... I could provide quite a list, but I figure most people on this forum can decide for themselves based on what they read.

Since most people don't know me perhaps I should assure people that I didn't write what I did just to be nice to Aisha. I really have studied, via workshops or camps, with a wide variety of "name" teachers and she is the best teacher I have had. She is also one of the best dancers I have seen live. I have seen a lot of the same "name" teachers dance too.

Marya

I would love to see a video of you Aisha..have you got any?? Any on youtube? Please post if not!
 

Aisha Azar

New member
YouTube

I would love to see a video of you Aisha..have you got any?? Any on youtube? Please post if not!

Dear Taheya,
Thank you for your interest. I just don't have that much film of me that is good enough quality to put on YouTube, I don't think. Not only that, but I also don't know how to do it!!
Patrushka Pavlovitch of Fact and Fable wants to film my dance company's next show. Maybe she will get some good footage.
Maybe Marya has something, I am not sure but I will ask her. I really am not that overly excited about appearing on YouTube, but I will see.
A'isha
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
Well.... I could provide quite a list, but I figure most people on this forum can decide for themselves based on what they read.

Since most people don't know me perhaps I should assure people that I didn't write what I did just to be nice to Aisha. I really have studied, via workshops or camps, with a wide variety of "name" teachers and she is the best teacher I have had. She is also one of the best dancers I have seen live. I have seen a lot of the same "name" teachers dance too.

Marya

Hi Marya,
Yes, I understood, which is why I counted you out.
It was more of a question to those who had listed people.

I am more curious about what people liked about that particular teacher.
It is good to hear what people like about someone in particular.
Teaching is also an art in itself. I admire anyone who takes the time to study the art of education.

What did people like about Randa and others?

School has a set formula of education which is administered to the masses but it only suits a certain percentage of the population.
What makes a class good for you and which environment is the most effective for your development?
 

taheya

New member
Hi Marya,
Yes, I understood, which is why I counted you out.
It was more of a question to those who had listed people.

I am more curious about what people liked about that particular teacher.
It is good to hear what people like about someone in particular.
Teaching is also an art in itself. I admire anyone who takes the time to study the art of education.

What did people like about Randa and others?

School has a set formula of education which is administered to the masses but it only suits a certain percentage of the population.
What makes a class good for you and which environment is the most effective for your development?

Randa is extremely dedicated to improving the standard of the dance and this really comes across in her teaching. She gives attention to everybody in the room and drills and drills until you get it ( if that is possible!!). Undoubtedly a powerhouse of a performer but also excellent at teaching and connecting with everybody in the room ( in spite of the language barrier- she often needs help translating what she means but this does not hinder the learning).
 

Caroline_afifi

New member
Randa is extremely dedicated to improving the standard of the dance and this really comes across in her teaching. She gives attention to everybody in the room and drills and drills until you get it ( if that is possible!!). Undoubtedly a powerhouse of a performer but also excellent at teaching and connecting with everybody in the room ( in spite of the language barrier- she often needs help translating what she means but this does not hinder the learning).

Yes, I consistently hear this about Randa!

She is such a sweet person too.
I know her but have never had a class with her as I will not stand in amongst the thousands shouting 'I am Spartacus'
 
Top