Metamorphosis Belly Dance
- Thread starter angelwingsdevilhorns
- Start date
lizaj
New member
I have to admit to feeling bad whenever criticising a fellow dancer. Even though youtube is in the public domain, I worry when the person dancing obviously is not experiernced even if they claim to be professional.
Being completely aware of my own capabilities..Ok with some aspects of the dance,competant at teaching basics and a reliable dance fellow, I know I am never going to set the world on fire so here I am criticising a young thing who may do things I will never - in the dance world.
But it isn't just those who see her dance in the streets or restaurants( and she links to one that claims to employ the best known dancer in the UK!) of the UK who are being hoodwinked or getting a false image of the art form we all love to promote. If they are teaching, they are passing on bad practise but they will not be the only one here,sadly.I am also concerned that someone who might turn out to be a good dancer is wasting the time when they could be learning and getting better.
Being completely aware of my own capabilities..Ok with some aspects of the dance,competant at teaching basics and a reliable dance fellow, I know I am never going to set the world on fire so here I am criticising a young thing who may do things I will never - in the dance world.
But it isn't just those who see her dance in the streets or restaurants( and she links to one that claims to employ the best known dancer in the UK!) of the UK who are being hoodwinked or getting a false image of the art form we all love to promote. If they are teaching, they are passing on bad practise but they will not be the only one here,sadly.I am also concerned that someone who might turn out to be a good dancer is wasting the time when they could be learning and getting better.
lizaj
New member
[video]http://www.youtube.com/v/ieHkK3N4X1k&hl[/video]
This young lady seems like sweetheart and criticim is obviously getting through if you watch this video. However to say that there is no good teaching around in the UK is not so. If you cannot get to a local suitable weekly class, you don't start teaching before you are ready....you go to privates ..say monthly with the nearest good teacher you can. I do hope "Meta" is reading this. The criticism you claim to be reading from overseas dancers is not the only criticism- it's closer at home and you are giving the impression that there is NO good dancing in the Uk.
We are on the side of any girl or guy obssessed with this dance but we hope pennies are dropping and you get learning soon then you can pass on knowledge.
Teaching beginners is the most important thing you can do. It's not a case of I am "only" teaching beginners..you are teaching them their foundation and without good foundations..where are we?..and that applies to houses and undergarments...and bellydance!
This young lady seems like sweetheart and criticim is obviously getting through if you watch this video. However to say that there is no good teaching around in the UK is not so. If you cannot get to a local suitable weekly class, you don't start teaching before you are ready....you go to privates ..say monthly with the nearest good teacher you can. I do hope "Meta" is reading this. The criticism you claim to be reading from overseas dancers is not the only criticism- it's closer at home and you are giving the impression that there is NO good dancing in the Uk.
We are on the side of any girl or guy obssessed with this dance but we hope pennies are dropping and you get learning soon then you can pass on knowledge.
Teaching beginners is the most important thing you can do. It's not a case of I am "only" teaching beginners..you are teaching them their foundation and without good foundations..where are we?..and that applies to houses and undergarments...and bellydance!
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Ariadne
Well-known member
ummmm..... she looks cold. Really cold.Hey I killed this thread last time, so I'm digging it up again.
As someone who is about to commit novelty Christmas fusion (in the privacy of our hafla) and has been sewing the costumes ALL DAY
Emma_Williams
New member
holy moly what the bloody hell have i just seen....that dancing is terrible. I dont care if I sound a cow but those pants....crikey oh no its just horrible
Emma_Williams
New member
seriously oh my god i have just watched it again and my cheeks are red hot....now i wold never slate a tryer but seeing as she will not listen!!
Aniseteph
New member
I agree, and I was in two minds about digging up this thread for this reason. If this had been a student or even an unidentified dancer I'd probably not have bothered (OK, maybe a candidate for the TPBDC thread
).But the outrage won out - I am deeply p*$$ed off to think Joe Public in Folkestone might think this is what belly dance is about. And beginner students... :naghty:
I cannot understand how people can claim to love belly dance so much, then do things like this to it and use I Love It So Much as a defence. Points for wanting to give people the opportunity to experience belly dance, but IMO you owe it to the dance form to recognise when you are not yet up to it.
da Sage
New member
Wow. The girl has not got a clue, has she?
There are people who can learn to dance beautifully from watching YouTube (or friends and family). Miss Metamorphosis, sadly, is obviously not naturally gifted enough to learn that way. And she's selling her classes to students who clearly don't know any better (not to mention dancing for the general public with a level of performance skill that is mediocre at best).
Most people can learn to dance if they spend enough time both in private practice AND in classes with the right teacher for them. Rather than focus on marketing, MM should make it a priority to travel to regular classes with a respected teacher. She might be the only game in town right now (although I doubt it), but bellydance is big and getting bigger. Next year a dancer with strong skills may move into her area and start teaching. Then MM may lose business, as well as get a reputation for being "the dance teacher who doesn't really know how to dance".
I give MM points for publicity efforts, and mega-points for being truthful about her training* (or lack thereof). She has integrity at her core, she just doesn't realize that she's hurting other people as well as her own reputation by the way she conducts business. But I really feel that MM should put new publicity initiatives on hold while she works on her basic dance skills. When I saw her Christmas performance, I was embarrassed for her, and it made me sad.
to MM: You do not need workshops. You need lessons. Regular lessons, and plenty of them. In the UK there is no excuse for not traveling (at least occasionally) to the best teachers - your whole country is what, only 600 miles long? And you have public transportation to die for - if you lived in Montana with 30 miles to the next town, *that's* isolation.
Also, if you want new friends and social time, you should go to the pub or join a club (knitting club, book club, etc.), rather than teach bellydance. Put the public ventures on hold for now. Or if you must teach bellydance, do so at home for free to the friends you already have. Maybe you can recruit one to carpool or take the train with to go to a real dance class.
MM, you could be a good dancer if you worked on the dancing part the right way. Would you rather be a great dancer, or just be a girl who dances where she can and also teaches?
*I've seen people brag about their multiple years of training, and whine about all the "upstarts", when in fact none of their teachers would corroborate the length of time they claimed to have taken classes from them.
There are people who can learn to dance beautifully from watching YouTube (or friends and family). Miss Metamorphosis, sadly, is obviously not naturally gifted enough to learn that way. And she's selling her classes to students who clearly don't know any better (not to mention dancing for the general public with a level of performance skill that is mediocre at best).
Most people can learn to dance if they spend enough time both in private practice AND in classes with the right teacher for them. Rather than focus on marketing, MM should make it a priority to travel to regular classes with a respected teacher. She might be the only game in town right now (although I doubt it), but bellydance is big and getting bigger. Next year a dancer with strong skills may move into her area and start teaching. Then MM may lose business, as well as get a reputation for being "the dance teacher who doesn't really know how to dance".
I give MM points for publicity efforts, and mega-points for being truthful about her training* (or lack thereof). She has integrity at her core, she just doesn't realize that she's hurting other people as well as her own reputation by the way she conducts business. But I really feel that MM should put new publicity initiatives on hold while she works on her basic dance skills. When I saw her Christmas performance, I was embarrassed for her, and it made me sad.
to MM: You do not need workshops. You need lessons. Regular lessons, and plenty of them. In the UK there is no excuse for not traveling (at least occasionally) to the best teachers - your whole country is what, only 600 miles long? And you have public transportation to die for - if you lived in Montana with 30 miles to the next town, *that's* isolation.
Also, if you want new friends and social time, you should go to the pub or join a club (knitting club, book club, etc.), rather than teach bellydance. Put the public ventures on hold for now. Or if you must teach bellydance, do so at home for free to the friends you already have. Maybe you can recruit one to carpool or take the train with to go to a real dance class.
MM, you could be a good dancer if you worked on the dancing part the right way. Would you rather be a great dancer, or just be a girl who dances where she can and also teaches?
*I've seen people brag about their multiple years of training, and whine about all the "upstarts", when in fact none of their teachers would corroborate the length of time they claimed to have taken classes from them.
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Caroline_afifi
New member
Re. the talking clip.
3.00-3.30mins.. this is the most important part for me.
I cannot do gardening, infact I am pretty crap at it and I can only do the basics.. and not very well. I am under no illusions about this, and have no intensions of publicly parading my garden with pride.
At no point would I put myself in a position of 'sharing' what i have learned and taking money for it either, or building a sophisticated website which gives people the impression that I am more 'green fingered' than I actually am.
Re the performance at the Christmas lights thing.
Dancing and sharing for free amongst friends is great.
Public performing is another issue.
I get the feeling these dancing clips, public performance and talking to camera about yourself is purely about you.
When advertising yourself as a dancer expressing an artform from another culture, there is a much bigger picture to consider... an important one.
To be honest, I think you are running before you can walk. Whilst you may prefer this as it satifies something within you, I appeal to you to consider how it make this dance look and what message this sends out to everyone else.
This dance is not easy and accessible and far too many believe it is. Other people may look at you and think 'I can do that' and they too will set up teaching... the story continues and the situation goes from bad to worse.
I say this to everyone out there.
Think long and hard about what you are doing and the message it gives to people.
3.00-3.30mins.. this is the most important part for me.
I cannot do gardening, infact I am pretty crap at it and I can only do the basics.. and not very well. I am under no illusions about this, and have no intensions of publicly parading my garden with pride.
At no point would I put myself in a position of 'sharing' what i have learned and taking money for it either, or building a sophisticated website which gives people the impression that I am more 'green fingered' than I actually am.
Re the performance at the Christmas lights thing.
Dancing and sharing for free amongst friends is great.
Public performing is another issue.
I get the feeling these dancing clips, public performance and talking to camera about yourself is purely about you.
When advertising yourself as a dancer expressing an artform from another culture, there is a much bigger picture to consider... an important one.
To be honest, I think you are running before you can walk. Whilst you may prefer this as it satifies something within you, I appeal to you to consider how it make this dance look and what message this sends out to everyone else.
This dance is not easy and accessible and far too many believe it is. Other people may look at you and think 'I can do that' and they too will set up teaching... the story continues and the situation goes from bad to worse.
I say this to everyone out there.
Think long and hard about what you are doing and the message it gives to people.
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lizaj
New member
Just to let everyone know that the area this young lady is from is not a desert for belly dance teaching. In fact one of the best known teachers and dancers in the country is in a nearby town and there are other "qualified" teachers within a few miles. But this is the problem I find wth some students in the UK..if there isn't teacher within 10 minutes drive, then they claim they can't find one..so she isn't alone in her claims.
Caroline_afifi
New member
Well I am afraid I would take the hard line on this... better to have NO class at all.
Sorry.
Sorry.
lizaj
New member
I'm saying that if SHE tried hard enough she could find a class instead of bleating that there are no teachers near her.There are in Dartford and other parts of Kent!
I agree no way should she call herself a teacher and what...... possessed the good burghers of Folkestone to hire her to prance around to a religious ditty in a black bra and pants...I'm not even a Church goer and I was offended!
I agree no way should she call herself a teacher and what...... possessed the good burghers of Folkestone to hire her to prance around to a religious ditty in a black bra and pants...I'm not even a Church goer and I was offended!
Emma_Williams
New member
what I find very disturbing about this is the fact that those who have not access to the internet or those who may have no dance experience may have no idea just how bad she is. Sadly a lot of people (inc myself many moons ago) fall for the whole qualifications thing and some ladies who are thinking about lessons might think of going to her because she has a BA in performing Arts and they will just assume Belly Dance comes under this umbrella as a performance art and that she is therefore qualified to teach.
Sigh
There should be some way that people are legally not allowed to teach....can you get insurance without going on courses in first aid etc? Does she have these?
You cant teach various art forms without decent checks. My father was a guitar teacher and had to have insurance for having people in our home. The things he got grilled on by the insurance companies was a joke.
People could get injured by her, left financially out of pocket from paying for rubbish, others could get disillusioned and start lessons of their own....the list of consequences is endless. This needs to stop, people should have to take maybe some sort of written test or intervew on ME dance as well as some sort of teacher training before they can set up. It should be illegal!!
Sigh
There should be some way that people are legally not allowed to teach....can you get insurance without going on courses in first aid etc? Does she have these?
You cant teach various art forms without decent checks. My father was a guitar teacher and had to have insurance for having people in our home. The things he got grilled on by the insurance companies was a joke.
People could get injured by her, left financially out of pocket from paying for rubbish, others could get disillusioned and start lessons of their own....the list of consequences is endless. This needs to stop, people should have to take maybe some sort of written test or intervew on ME dance as well as some sort of teacher training before they can set up. It should be illegal!!
lizaj
New member
The cheapest way to get insured is through the dance association MADN and they are now asking for proof of some kind of training although they previously went on recommendation, general teaching qualification and first aid qualification . There are community dance assocaitions who run schemes but how much of a check they do on belly dance technique I have no idea. Who inspects belly dancers..no one?
Not that training is necessarily the answer..you will go to great teachers who started before there was any! These schemes came along AFTER the most experienced teachers started.
Another point? So people trot along to classes in church halls and is teacher insured at all? Who knows? She may do to her cost.
But I am sure a broker will find an individual a policy at a cost!
The young lady in question seems to have done a lot of marketing and taken advice so I hoped they advised her on PLI.
Not that training is necessarily the answer..you will go to great teachers who started before there was any! These schemes came along AFTER the most experienced teachers started.
Another point? So people trot along to classes in church halls and is teacher insured at all? Who knows? She may do to her cost.
But I am sure a broker will find an individual a policy at a cost!
The young lady in question seems to have done a lot of marketing and taken advice so I hoped they advised her on PLI.
Emma_Williams
New member
I am an ex PA student and we dont know about insurance my a level was PA and my degree was theology/PA and my friends who did strait PA did not study insurance.
Emma_Williams
New member
it doesnt tell you about marketing....it tells you about equity cards etc and you get a very short module on finding work etc and you create a portfolio on what youwant to do next ie teach by doing a pgce or act, theatre tech etc etc. The modules in the whole 3 years was
Directing
street theatre
a module called from the page to the stage
playwrights
Stage Direction
film vs stage
Wrting module on play wrighting
Contemporary dance
Theatre in schools
a whole module on antigone
Jazz
Fosse
Shakespeare
Media and Marketing (not how to set up your own business but how media affects pa)
Then I stopped and the last modules were on your portfolio which was reviews and a diary of theatre performances and then a performance piece.
Directing
street theatre
a module called from the page to the stage
playwrights
Stage Direction
film vs stage
Wrting module on play wrighting
Contemporary dance
Theatre in schools
a whole module on antigone
Jazz
Fosse
Shakespeare
Media and Marketing (not how to set up your own business but how media affects pa)
Then I stopped and the last modules were on your portfolio which was reviews and a diary of theatre performances and then a performance piece.
da Sage
New member
Someone I respect pointed out that this was an obnoxious statement on my part, and in retrospect I agree. I haven't experienced UK transportation myself, so I have no right to express an opinion about whether it's good or bad. I apologize for my abrupt and uninformed evaluation and pronouncement of the ease of using UK transportation and negotiating English terrain.
I do notice, however, that although M finds it too difficult to travel to study bellydance, she does travel to teach bellydance.