How to pick a teacher?

moonstruck

New member
Hi. I hope this isn't seen as misusing the forum, but I'm trying to pick a teacher but I don't know what to look for. I found a site and the teacher has been dancing for a while and has a few vids on her site. I watched them and they look ok... I was wondering if I put the link here could you guys tell me whether you think she'd be a good teacher based on how well she dances? If it sounds silly or inappropriate I apologize in advance.
 

Kashmir

New member
Basically you need to be sure s/he can teach and is safe - both physically and emotionally (lots of psychic vampires out there who just want to be loved). I wrote and article on this years back - Finding a Teacher. What is missing is checking what sort of belly dance is being taught. It would appear that some teachers out there are teaching all sorts of crap and calling it belly dance.
 

Kharis

New member
Hi. I hope this isn't seen as misusing the forum, but I'm trying to pick a teacher but I don't know what to look for. I found a site and the teacher has been dancing for a while and has a few vids on her site. I watched them and they look ok... I was wondering if I put the link here could you guys tell me whether you think she'd be a good teacher based on how well she dances? If it sounds silly or inappropriate I apologize in advance.

THe perfect teacher can dance, inspire, give and be able to break down movements safely and teach sound technique.
 

da Sage

New member
Hi. I hope this isn't seen as misusing the forum, but I'm trying to pick a teacher but I don't know what to look for. I found a site and the teacher has been dancing for a while and has a few vids on her site. I watched them and they look ok... I was wondering if I put the link here could you guys tell me whether you think she'd be a good teacher based on how well she dances? If it sounds silly or inappropriate I apologize in advance.

I'd be happy to look at them, privately if you want.

The important thing with a teacher is does she teach in a way you can learn from? My first teacher was a good dancer, danced a great style, but I did not learn well from her. I was lucky that the next teacher I found is REALLY good! I have friends who think she is amazing too ("the best", "why didn't you tell me about her, you are keeping her a secret!"), and other friends who think she is not good at all ("only for beginners", "she just likes to drill you to death", "she's just not a good teacher"), of course we don't agree:rolleyes:. (this is about the teaching style, I have seen no one criticize her technique, because she is awesome!B)) So remember that all teachers have flaws, you just need to find someone who works for you. If you are not progressing after one or two series of classes and practicing at home, or you don't like going to that class, then try another teacher.:)
 
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Mosaic

Super Moderator
My first teacher I thought was pretty good, until I found my 2nd teacher, then moved to a third (that i am still with, and I also have a 4th. The 4th scared me to death LOL! at first, but she is amazing. I have learn't so much from her and have really forged ahead from her tuition. The 3rd is also a great teacher and I love her to bits we have actually become fast and good friends outside of the dance and travelled together to Egypt in January. She keeps me very grounded:D

I do think personality comes into it, you try a teacher out and you either click or you don't. My 2nd teacher is a good dancer but her teaching skills is a bit too much of the Diva for me, yet others like her. Overall I think you need to give a teacher a try out, to see if you and the teacher click .. if you don't click, the lessons become a chore and not something you enjoy.

Teacher 3 & 4 (mine) are exactly what I need, they are different, but suit my needs and I look forward to classes
~Mosaic
 

Ariadne

Well-known member
The first thing to consider isn't a video of a performance but word of mouth, find others who their students are (or have been in the past) and ask what they like or don't like about the teaching.

Then ask both the teacher and the students these questions:
  • What style does she teach? (Egyptian, Turkish, Folk, Cabaret, ATS, Tribal Fusion, etc)
  • How does she teach? Is it "follow the bouncing butt", a breakdown of each move individually, or a combination?
  • How safety conscious is she? Does she make allowances for injuries or health issues?
  • Is there a warm up at the beginning of each class or are you expected to come early and take care of that yourself?
  • What does she consider Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced? Is it based on completing a certain number of classes or are there minimum skill requirements?
  • What are the expenses involved? Do you have to have shoes for class (what kind), are you required to perform, etc...?
  • What are the hours the classes are available and do they work with your own schedule?

Then you just take a good look and see if the answers you have gotten will fit your needs. I know some dancers who won't take lessons from anyone who requires them to perform in public. Some people don't mind doing their own warm up but for others it's a must to have it in class. Personally I nearly took lessons from someone who teaches ITS because I didn't ask her style and I would have hated it. I'm also very technical, I can't "follow the bouncing butt" or I get completely and totally lost, others learn best that way. I will warn you that this is a very expensive "hobby" because it is so hard to say no to one more outfit or trinket, but hopefully you already know that. So whatever the minimum expense is... just double or triple it. ;)
 

moonstruck

New member
The first thing to consider isn't a video of a performance but word of mouth, find others who their students are (or have been in the past) and ask what they like or don't like about the teaching.

Then ask both the teacher and the students these questions:
  • What style does she teach? (Egyptian, Turkish, Folk, Cabaret, ATS, Tribal Fusion, etc)
  • How does she teach? Is it "follow the bouncing butt", a breakdown of each move individually, or a combination?
  • How safety conscious is she? Does she make allowances for injuries or health issues?
  • Is there a warm up at the beginning of each class or are you expected to come early and take care of that yourself?
  • What does she consider Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced? Is it based on completing a certain number of classes or are there minimum skill requirements?
  • What are the expenses involved? Do you have to have shoes for class (what kind), are you required to perform, etc...?
  • What are the hours the classes are available and do they work with your own schedule?

I would like to do this but even after living here a year I've met very few people and none of them have tried any form of belly dance. Most sites list different levels and schedules, but I don't know how I would go about contacting current students... but that doesn't always seem to work either. My first teachers were ok but I was dissapointed how uninformed on the history they were (which wouldn't matter except they pretended to know so much). My second teacher rocked and I wish she still taught but a lot of things came up (plus I left the state). Even though I love ATS I realize it may be hard to find anything too close to that... but I'm hoping if I take classes with anyone I'll be able to network and eventually find the right place for me. This is a video of one of the teachers (I believe they are in this troupe, but not the 'leader'.. site was a little confusing). It looks nice ^^

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb3QfORT65Q
 

da Sage

New member
I would like to do this but even after living here a year I've met very few people and none of them have tried any form of belly dance. Most sites list different levels and schedules, but I don't know how I would go about contacting current students... but that doesn't always seem to work either. My first teachers were ok but I was dissapointed how uninformed on the history they were (which wouldn't matter except they pretended to know so much). My second teacher rocked and I wish she still taught but a lot of things came up (plus I left the state). Even though I love ATS I realize it may be hard to find anything too close to that... but I'm hoping if I take classes with anyone I'll be able to network and eventually find the right place for me. This is a video of one of the teachers (I believe they are in this troupe, but not the 'leader'.. site was a little confusing). It looks nice ^^

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb3QfORT65Q


OK, I liked them.:) I'm not knowledgeable enough to know whether that was ATS or ITS, but I enjoyed it, and if you like that style I'd say it makes sense to study with one of the ladies in the troupe. I am a big fan of just jumping in and taking classes, because you can always try someone else if you don't like your first teacher's classes as much as you thought you would. I agree that it's trickier when you have previous dance experience, or a strong style preference (as you do), but the best way to find your place in the local dance neighborhood is to jump in, work hard, and spend more time listening than talking (especially at first).
 

moonstruck

New member
OK, I liked them.:) I'm not knowledgeable enough to know whether that was ATS or ITS, but I enjoyed it, and if you like that style I'd say it makes sense to study with one of the ladies in the troupe. I am a big fan of just jumping in and taking classes, because you can always try someone else if you don't like your first teacher's classes as much as you thought you would. I agree that it's trickier when you have previous dance experience, or a strong style preference (as you do), but the best way to find your place in the local dance neighborhood is to jump in, work hard, and spend more time listening than talking (especially at first).

Yeah. The only thing that worries me is that they include zills in the beginners class. I have some really nice zills... but even with practice I'm somehow worse than a beginner with them lol. I always thought zills were more of an intermediate thing :)
 

da Sage

New member
Yeah. The only thing that worries me is that they include zills in the beginners class. I have some really nice zills... but even with practice I'm somehow worse than a beginner with them lol. I always thought zills were more of an intermediate thing :)

Around here almost everyone teaches zills right from the beginning. Class levels run from 1 to 3, 4, or 5 (depending on the teacher). I always tell dancers new to the area to start out in level 1 or 2 just to learn the zills and local terminology; they can move up later once they are more comfortable. I'd say take the beginners class, and see if the teacher will let you move up mid-session if their beginner's becomes too easy even with zills.:)

I've been out of classes for a few months, and I'm thinking about starting all over again at level 1, when I am able to take classes again.
 
The teacher so the kids can make friends and know that their school environment is friendly and safe. If you let kids pick they will end up licking the same people tp be partners with.
 

Jujube

New member
I haven't been dancing long, but I love my teacher. She's fun, inspiring, and a lovely dancer. She knows a great deal about different forms and styles, and is very approachable. There's another teacher at the same place that I just don't click with. I've seen some of her choreographies and I find them foolish, and I just don't click with her vibe. I don't plan to study with her.

But another teacher will be starting soon, and I might check her out. I won't leave my current teacher, but if I click with the new one, I'd like to have the extra study.

The one thing about my current teacher that I don't love is that she is overly encouraging. When she goes around the room after class telling everyone how awesome they are doing, it makes me discount any praise she gives me. I can't tell if I'm really doing something well, or she's just stroking my ego.

Jujube
 

maria_harlequin

New member
I don't really trust word of mouth when it comes to belly dance teachers because everyone wants different things. For example, if you happen to talk to me or any of my troupe members about my teacher, you'd hear nothing but good things from us but if you go to class, you may not like it because it's nothing but body conditioning and drills ala Suhaila Salimpour style. But we're into that so it's okay.

What I usually do is ask if I can take a trial class or if I can pay for a drop in class (if it's a course you can ask if you can pay for the first class instead of the entire course) and see if you like her teaching style.

And the video you posted is definitely not ATS. I have a pet peeve with ITS so I'll just stop here :lol:...
 

lizaj

New member
I don't really trust word of mouth when it comes to belly dance teachers because everyone wants different things. For example, if you happen to talk to me or any of my troupe members about my teacher, you'd hear nothing but good things from us but if you go to class, you may not like it because it's nothing but body conditioning and drills ala Suhaila Salimpour style. But we're into that so it's okay.

What I usually do is ask if I can take a trial class or if I can pay for a drop in class (if it's a course you can ask if you can pay for the first class instead of the entire course) and see if you like her teaching style.

And the video you posted is definitely not ATS. I have a pet peeve with ITS so I'll just stop here :lol:...

Why is that clip not ATS? Do you think that because it may be choreographed or because it is ITS and not strictly FCBD?
I do understand the issues surrounding labels in tribal.
The troupes I dnce with call themselves Tribal Fusion because although we use "ATS" moves and combinations from all the pioneering American Trbalists , we usually choreograph for performance.
Don't stop there but do..start a thread..I'd be interested :)

And to nderline what you sy about trying out a class, when I was working for myself the year before that I always charged for a coirse but would offer anyone a free try-out class before they commited. One of the colleges I worked for aslso allowed that on one or two occasions when a student came in mid course.
 

maria_harlequin

New member
Why is that clip not ATS? Do you think that because it may be choreographed or because it is ITS and not strictly FCBD?
I do understand the issues surrounding labels in tribal.
The troupes I dnce with call themselves Tribal Fusion because although we use "ATS" moves and combinations from all the pioneering American Trbalists , we usually choreograph for performance.
Don't stop there but do..start a thread..I'd be interested :)

And to nderline what you sy about trying out a class, when I was working for myself the year before that I always charged for a coirse but would offer anyone a free try-out class before they commited. One of the colleges I worked for aslso allowed that on one or two occasions when a student came in mid course.

The moves they use are not pure ATS vocabulary. And whether a piece is choreographed or not does not determine if it's ATS, because FatChance belly dance choreographs some of their pieces depending on the venue. What the troupe in the video was doing was borrowing elements from Carolena Nericcio, the creator of ATS and throwing in Tribal Fusion moves (including one that I can see as one of Sharon Kihara's signature moves).

In order to call what you're doing ATS you HAVE to be using ATS vocabulary, developed by Nericcio of FatChance (Tribal Pura). Not Blacksheep. Not Gypsy Caravan. Not Unmata. Anything else is either what people call ITS or just Tribal. These moves can be very similar (Blacksheep does a shimmy flatfooted, FatChance does it on relavae. Blacksheep uses both the right and left side, FatChance only works the right) but it does not not make them ATS format.

I guess the term ATS, like "belly dance", has been thrown around so much that people equate anything in a 25-yard skirt and tassels to be ATS when it's done in a group and improvised. Like how Kleenex is a brand of tissues, but has become an umbrella term to describe all tissue brands out there. Not saying that I don't enjoy watching other troupes with their own thing going on (I love Blacksheep!) but credit should be given when deserved and if you're not using only ATS vocabulary, then don't call it ATS.



What is ATS?
 
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lizaj

New member
The moves they use are not pure ATS vocabulary. And whether a piece is choreographed or not does not determine if it's ATS, because FatChance belly dance choreographs some of their pieces depending on the venue. What the troupe in the video was doing was borrowing elements from Carolena Nericcio, the creator of ATS and throwing in Tribal Fusion moves (including one that I can see as one of Sharon Kihara's signature moves).

In order to call what you're doing ATS you HAVE to be using ATS vocabulary, developed by Nericcio of FatChance (Tribal Pura). Not Blacksheep. Not Gypsy Caravan. Not Unmata. Anything else is either what people call ITS or just Tribal. These moves can be very similar (Blacksheep does a shimmy flatfooted, FatChance does it on relavae. Blacksheep uses both the right and left side, FatChance only works the right) but it does not not make them ATS format.

I guess the term ATS, like "belly dance", has been thrown around so much that people equate anything in a 25-yard skirt and tassels to be ATS when it's done in a group and improvised. Like how Kleenex is a brand of tissues, but has become an umbrella term to describe all tissue brands out there. Not saying that I don't enjoy watching other troupes with their own thing going on (I love Blacksheep!) but credit should be given when deserved and if you're not using only ATS vocabulary, then don't call it ATS.



What is ATS?

Yes thanks for that but I did say I understood the issues and actually I don't see anywhere that the film is labelled ATS and the poster was sayng she wanted something close to as poss to ATS .
AND I also said that although we do Carolena's moves, we don't call ourselves ATS because we choreo.
There are now I suppose only those trained by FCBD who should be calling themselves ATS but it will take some time until people get out of the habit. I attended a workshop with other students who will mostly have assumed they were learning ATS moves and cues. I know to call it ITS (out of respect for Carolena) but they would be mostly confused. The teacher , a well known American refered to the moves differently but it will take a long time for people to refer to Improvisational Tribal Style routines other than by ATS and indeed they will use it to define between Tribal Fusion (inspired by Rachel Brice)
 

maria_harlequin

New member
Yes thanks for that but I did say I understood the issues and actually I don't see anywhere that the film is labelled ATS and the poster was sayng she wanted something close to as poss to ATS .
AND I also said that although we do Carolena's moves, we don't call ourselves ATS because we choreo.
There are now I suppose only those trained by FCBD who should be calling themselves ATS but it will take some time until people get out of the habit. I attended a workshop with other students who will mostly have assumed they were learning ATS moves and cues. I know to call it ITS (out of respect for Carolena) but they would be mostly confused. The teacher , a well known American refered to the moves differently but it will take a long time for people to refer to Improvisational Tribal Style routines other than by ATS and indeed they will use it to define between Tribal Fusion (inspired by Rachel Brice)

Someone posted earlier that they didn't know whether what they were doing in the video was ATS or ITS so I decided to clarify it for them.

And I know you wrote that you clearly do not call what you're doing ATS and that you're also familiar with the issues, but I wrote what I did as general information for other readers as well that may not be able to distinguish between ATS and ITS and other similar forms. I'm sorry if it came out sounding like I was saying you didn't know the difference or what was going on.
 

lizaj

New member
Someone posted earlier that they didn't know whether what they were doing in the video was ATS or ITS so I decided to clarify it for them.

And I know you wrote that you clearly do not call what you're doing ATS and that you're also familiar with the issues, but I wrote what I did as general information for other readers that may not be able to distinguish between ATS and ITS and other similar forms. I'm sorry if it came out sounding like I was saying you didn't know the difference or what was going on.

I was bothered that you didn't say why it wasn't ATS in the post as well as giving the link. I was concerned that someone new just skimming the post would be very confused. I know I often miss links but then I have old eyes;):)
 
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