Metamorphosis Belly Dance

[Shanazel]

I don't want to be unkind, but if you are going to teach dance or anything else, you need to be firmly grounded in reality and not spinning in a shiny bubble of self-gratification. You appear to be looking for a different kind of stage for yourself and your perceived abilities. In becoming a teacher, your attention and energy must shift from yourself to the welfare of your students. What do you really have to offer people with so little experience yourself?

Let's say you find yourself in front of a roomful of hopeful beginning students. What are you going to do with a beginning dancer who learns even faster than you did yourself and who outdistances you within the first few weeks when you've taught her all you've learned yourself? How are you going to feel when you get a more advanced student in your beginning class who already knows more than you do but doesn't have the self confidence to move into a higher level class? Do you know how to deal with the painfully shy student, the incurable talker, the person who argues about every word you say? What do you do with a student who faints dead away during class?

And worst of all, how are you going to feel if a student is injured because you didn't catch a dangerous posture or bad habit in time?

There is more to teaching than being a fast learner. Do yourself and your potential students a favor and put your energy into being a student yourself before you leap into teaching others.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Very nice web layout.

Okay, now for the stuff that you probably don't want to hear, but we only do this out of concern for you and for the sake of bellydance. It's nothing personal, but as you can see, a lot of things are rather unsettling with the forum members here, and we only want to guide you into being more realistic.

I've only completed my second year in bellydance class, and I still feel very much like a baby. No way would I feel ready at this point to take on the responsibility of teaching others, even if I were a quick learner. As already mentioned, there is SOOOOO much more to bellydance than just learning the moves. You have to put those moves together, and use them in such a way as to express the music you're dancing to. Speaking of, dancing to ME music is more than moving to the music. You need to do research to make sure that what you're dancing to won't offend your audience, particularly an Arab audience. You don't want to dance to a dirty song, or dance inappropriately to religious or politically-themed music (for instance, doing a happy-happy, joy-joy dance to a melancholy song about people dying in a war).

Speaking of understanding, you mentioned something on your site about understanding the culture. How much research have you done on Arab or Turkish culture? From what little you have said online, it seems that you've received quite a bit of misinformation. Although I love Indian culture, it is a culture on its own, and bellydance has nothing to do with it.

How many Arabs or Turkish people have you met/known? Depending on where you live, you might not have the opportunity in everyday life, and although it isn't really necessary to know them personally to enjoy bellydance, if you're going to make a statement about "understanding the culture," I think knowing the people is the best way to do that (but don't make friends with Arabs or Turkish people for the sole reason of understanding their culture. No one likes feeling used). This forum is a wonderful way of meeting people from all parts of the world, people who are sweet, friendly, kind and helpful. The more experienced dancers, teachers, and knowledgable people here will be glad to answer any questions you have, and help you in your education of bellydance.

One other thing I saw on your web site---I saw what looked like tweets from your Twitter page, and in one of them, you told someone to just keep practicing, and they will bend, and bend, and bend. That really concerns me; was this person trying to learn the backbend? The backbend is not a move for everyone. It's not a good idea to give advice on such a potentially dangerous move on Twitter, and if you're not experienced enough to know if someone executes a move like that wrong in a classroom setting where you're actually THERE, then you're just setting yourself up for a lawsuit giving such general advice on Twitter.

Please, please reconsider teaching at this time. I know you're probably very excited; you've certainly spent some considerable time/money promoting your workshops on your site. You haven't really even had enough time to settle into a style yet.

O.O It's 3:33 in the morning...I seriously need to get to bed...Oo...zzzzzzzzz...

 

[jenc]

I have had a look at the Workshop content - I wouldn't expect intermediate dancers to learn 2 dances in an hour. Even if they are very simple sequences, you have a list of techniques to teach first. 7 different elements to a one hour workshop! Looks like enough for the first 6 weeks of a course.

Have you tried this out first with a couple of friends - preferably ones with 2 left feet to mimic the true situation, as there are always one or two of those in any beginner group.

 

[Aniseteph]

I wouldn't expect intermediate dancers to learn 2 dances in an hour.

Quite. As a complete noob I was challenged just following the teacher doing hip drops and horizontal 8's.

 

[Aniseteph]

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 , I was gobsmacked by this one.



rotest:

 

[lilith71]

Uhh...awful! As a newbie dancer of one year I would be thoroughly disappointed learning that!:naghty:

 

[gisela]

OMG! I don't know what to say. So this girl teaches, performs at parties and at a restaurant?!
Sorry Metamorphosis, it's great that you work hard at your dreams but I think you should focus on learning more YOURSELF first (with a good teacher) and not teach to others just yet. If you really want to share the beauty of bellydance to people why not refer them to the best teachers? Why have them learn something substandard?

Is this the routine you teach?
YouTube - Kent Uni Choreography - Sissokio - Sharise Song

 

[teela]

I watched this routine and I was rather disappointed with the quality of the choreography of this routine. It is important for all dancers, no matter the field, to get a solid foundation before going on to be a professional.

 

[Jane]

Oh my. This makes me so sad. I need to go hug my puppy. We tried to help her yet she persists. I don't like to squash anyone's dreams or enthusiasm, but I'm quite floored.

Is this the end product of giving praise regardless of having truly earned it? :think:

 

[jenc]

I wonder who was this girl's teacher if she thought herself ready to teach. how could she possibly think she was good enough to teach if she attended a good teacher who was herself a skilfull dancer. from the vids posted - I have watched more than one - I would say that this person was not even an above average beginner!

 

[lizaj]

I refrained from posting her endless bellydance diaries on Youtube but I have to comment on this.
That is cringeworthy,Metamorphisis..please please go and get some tuition.
Refrain from teaching if you are.
And who on earth thought it was appropriate for a young woman to belly dance in a see through pair of pants and a bra that looks suspiciously like underwear on a chilly winter afternoon in Folkstone? Is the local authority so desperate for talent to celebrate an event like this!?
Dreadful! Damaging!

 

[Sarahamh]

It IS sad, because this girl has killed any chance of ever having respect in the belly dance community with this 'spectacle'. Mind you, it also makes me quite angry to see this being presented as bellydance, what ideas about bellydance must the audience have left with...?

 

[Sarahamh]

Ah, Liz, we were typing at the same time, but you said it better than I did. If she is teaching that she is going to cause some serious back damage to her students.

She doesn't want to know, it looks like all you tube comments are being immediately removed. :shok:

 

[lizaj]

She has disabled commenst but I have posted one on her channel..see if you agree and can add. Can we drive the message home?
Mind you I wouldn't have liked this if she had been a good dancer. Prancing about in front of a christmas tree in sheer "harems and a widgy little black bra in the cold midwinter. On the stage with Aladdin at the local theatre but not on the High Street..aargh....
..and forgive me for also mentioning that..Christmas is a religious festival for some.

 

[Sarahamh]

Done. Sigh. I hope she listens.

 

[lizaj]

Done. Sigh. I hope she listens.

No she has disabled and she doesn't accept messages. Somebody is happy in her deluded little bubble.
I am sorry to be cruel at Yuel but what goes on at haflas, good, not so and indifferent is a different matter..they are closed to all but fellow dancers and family and friends. We do not present a public image there as we do on the High Street in parades and performances. SIGH!

 

[Sarahamh]

Yes, I noticed that...
Hopefully the message will have gotten through to her in some way, its ok to say that ignorance is bliss but I am sincerely concerned for anyone who takes a 'lesson' with her.

 

[jenc]

The only message I posted was how long have you been bellydancing and THAT was removed. I could have been an admirer!!!. Should I have said That was mesmerising - how long have you been dancing - cos it truly was!!!

 

[Sarahamh]

The only message I posted was how long have you been bellydancing and THAT was removed. I could have been an admirer!!!. Should I have said That was mesmerising - how long have you been dancing - cos it truly was!!!

I saw Liz's comment and mine was in the same vein - we were both polite, and helpful, but I suppose she's afraid any suggestion that she may not be 'quite' at Randa Kamel's level might hurt her business.

 

[Afrit]

Oh my! If I was a teacher and she were my student I think I'd want the ground to open up and swallow me. But she is teaching??????? :shok: