A-Z Bellydancing Study Course?

[Demelza Aradia]

My teacher is encouraging me to go for the A-Z Bellydance Study Programme. Has anyone here completed the programme, and what did they think of it?

I think that a certified course like this would help boost my bellydance confidence, as I have trouble with this sometimes - I am pretty good for an intermediate but I tend to get star struck by all the incredible performers out there! However, I am well aware that taking a course such as this does not necessarily make you a good dancer, and wonder whether it might be worth forgoing this in preference of my usual DVD based practice and studying with all the teachers I can find? (which I would do alongside the course were I to take it up anyway... my my, bellydance does get pricey!)

Thanks everyone!

Demi

[Kashmir]

If this is the Kati Sharif one, I'd say useful to get a few combinations under your belt. But whatever you do don't get to rely on the combinations for choreography. I was at a perfromance once when other dancers were calling out the combinations and rolling around laughing. It was lame. Even if you can pull it off so ut doesn't look like dance by numbers, this approach goes totally against the spirit of belly dance!

[wildflowr]

If you did want to teach, Keti has a really nice looking program complete with music and teaching plans.
I have her advanced A-Z dvd. The combinations are all very geometric and have a old black & white movie romance about them. They feel like making poetry with your limbs.

I would LOVE to take her training course in Egypt (she's doing it November) & stay for the Spinx Festival (December) *sigh* Keti Sharif's Official Dance Site - Egypt

She really seems to "set-up" her instructors well with ongoing support, which is really nice for individuals who have no lofty dreams of being some star but just want to pass on the joy of belly dance wisdom with a certain sense of validation.

She also has home study courses which reduce the expense by cutting out those mean travel costs... (although going to Egypt would be fun!)
You buy the curriculum- then get assessed by video- each assessment has an additional fee. It comes out to being:

Personal A-Z technique is $320 USD
Personal Advanced is $340 USD
Teacher A-Z is $440 (or I suppose $760 considering you have to have done personal certification prior)
Advanced Teacher is $480 (or $820 given same consideration)

The cost of validation! *sigh*
I think, personally, that it would be a lot of fun and something worth the experience of learning from someone so accomplished; I think it would be gratifying and everyone I have met who took her certification course was really happy with the results.

If you decide to do it- do it for you, not because of what anyone will think but just because you will enjoy it. That's my opinion