how people classify their styles for teaching

[Caroline_afifi]

well, I have to look at this as a question with regards to our approach as to 'what is belly dance?'

Some people include folk styles amongst this classification.
I am interested to know and how people classify their styles for teaching etc.

I tend to think we all have a different approach to this as many argue that the term 'Belly dance' as a name does not have a specific cultural history.

 

[Salome]

Hi Caroline,

Hope you don’t mind but I moved this to its own thread.

While I have studied (and still study) folk dances and different Oriental styles my specialty is American Oriental and when I am teaching this is the form I teach from and in. So that is what I say in teaching advertisement.

 

[Shanazel]

I teach strictly American Oriental. I've studied other styles throughout the last thirty years, but I use what I've learned to add texture to my chosen style rather than to try and branch out into styles I'm not qualified to teach.

 

[lizaj]

MY class is entitled Beginning Belly Dance and students are told it is the Egyptian style. I do introduce some folkloric steps later but I'm really all about getting to grips with the basics and listening to the music ( I only play Egyptian music ,American produced Arabic music). The intention is to give them a vocabulary of moves so they can bop with confidence and I do do a simple choreography at some stage so they can practise putting moves together using the music.
My other class is tribal style dancing and I asked that students had belly danced in the past and apart from 2 (who have left) they had. I use American Tribal Music and I hope this "class" is evolving into a troupe.
I am not about fitness and know I lose students because of this. When I first started teaching I asked my teacher/mentor who started me off by undersigning me with the dance association for insurance about wether or not I should go against my "grain" and teach for fitness ie bellyaerobics. And she said never do what you don't want to..it'll show and you'll lose 'em anyway. So I stick with introducing, drilling,demo,guiding and the ones who really want to do it well, seem to like that. Being an employee I am reliant on a minimum number but hey ho I don't have to worry about rent,expenses and publicity!

 

[shiradotnet]

I call my classes "belly dancing" without a descriptor identifying the style. In my Level 1 class, I try to keep my material 90% Egyptian Oriental. My logic is that Egyptian is the foundation upon which all other styles were created, and therefore it should be the foundation that students begin with before they start playing around with the derivative styles. So, if someone asks me what I teach, I tell them that for Level 1 it's based on Egyptian style.

For Level 2, depending on my mood and the desires of my students, I may include other styles. For example, I might teach American-style veil work if that's what the students want. I usually don't teach folkloric styles except as they relate to something a student could incorporate into an Oriental routine such as a hagalla shimmy or a bit of Saidi hopping.

In my Belly Dance for Exercise Class, I teach a mixture of styles and tell the students that's what I'm doing. I use folkloric moves such as Saidi, Turkish 9/8, and debke for the cardio section, I use American-style veil work for the upper body toning, etc.

 

[Kashmir]

I teach "Middle Eastern Belly Dance" - mostly. For the first 8 weeks the students are introduced to basic physical movements - isolations, travelling steps, combos - but they also watch videos of a range of belly dancers from Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey plus some from North America, Australia and New Zealand; they watch on video about 15-20 minutes of first (or second at the most) hand folk styles; learn some background cultural and historical information such as music, rhythms, and simple Arabic words.

After most groups choose to learn via choreography. I do include some veil if that is what they want and also provide at least one folkloric class a week - usually one of the Egyptian styles which is what I am most familar with or sometimes khaleegi.

However, even those that do not do a folkloric class will learn some if they stay long enough to do a grown up Orientale - as these always include some folkloric elements.

 

[Daimona]

I call my classes "belly dancing" without a descriptor identifying the style. In my Level 1 class, I try to keep my material 90% Egyptian Oriental. My logic is that Egyptian is the foundation upon which all other styles were created, and therefore it should be the foundation that students begin with before they start playing around with the derivative styles. So, if someone asks me what I teach, I tell them that for Level 1 it's based on Egyptian style.

Same applies for me whenever I'm teaching beginners, except I usually don't use the label "Egyptian". Since I'm not Egyptian myself, I'm using westernised teaching methods and I know I'm inspired by other styles, I'm not calling my style Egyptian - although most of my teachers have had an Egyptian foundation and other would probably call my style Egyptian as well.

If I teach a choreography class (even on basic level), and there is some folk elements in the music, they'll learn some folkdancy moves (e.g. saiidi etc) to suit that part of the music simply because not doing saiidi to saiidi music would be weird..

 

[ImmanMussa]

I strongly believe "dance from within yourself not outside yourself"..and let it be the basics

 

[Machiavellia]

I'm taking a break from teaching to develop my dance further right now, but when I teach basic technique, it's based on muscle isolation and control and good posture. I don't teach any style at the most basic level, just like I didn't learn particular styles in beginners ballet or tap or jazz-- just movement. So I guess a beginners class with me is fairly neutral.

When I teach choreography I use a variety of music and draw on a number of movement vocabularies so while a given piece might have a more specific style, I refer to the style as "modern belly dance".

 

[Tracey]

for me it depends

Hi Caroline

most of my teaching I put under the umbrella of Modern Egyptian , although I use that less and less these days as the distinction between what was available here in the UK when I started teaching and now has changed.
I do always always at some point in my various now weekly classes introduce them to other forms of both music and dance , folklore from various places as this is part of the party for me and where you can discover new moves and techniques to bring to your cabaret.

I have three very different weekly groups now from my own class on a Monday to a very young crowd for a University then a community project based around esteem building and fitness . I tailor them all differently as each group has seperate needs , my project one we visit emotional stuff more this would die in the water with my university girls , for me that is what teaching is about , tailoring to the needs of the group before you workshop or weekly

 

[Eve]

well, I have to look at this as a question with regards to our approach as to 'what is belly dance?'

Some people include folk styles amongst this classification.
I am interested to know and how people classify their styles for teaching etc.

I tend to think we all have a different approach to this as many argue that the term 'Belly dance' as a name does not have a specific cultural history.

I mostly try and keep it simple and call it bellydance unless someone wants to get in to a discussion about it what I'm doing or taught by. I do try and give my group a taste of styles as best I can so they can round out what they know and may get a feel for or indeed think they may want to investigate further.

 

[bellybaby]

I peg my classes as 'middle eastern fusion' dance. I teach both egyptian and turkish tyles but also bhangra and folklororic dance.
I also find that the words 'bellydance' also has a bit of a stigma to it. a lot of people think its only for young, thin waifs. And also some people pin the term as sexual so i figure 'middle eastern fusion' covers pretty much anything and everything!
Bellybaby x

 

[lizaj]

I peg my classes as 'middle eastern fusion' dance. I teach both egyptian and turkish tyles but also bhangra and folklororic dance.
I also find that the words 'bellydance' also has a bit of a stigma to it. a lot of people think its only for young, thin waifs. And also some people pin the term as sexual so i figure 'middle eastern fusion' covers pretty much anything and everything!
Bellybaby x

Funny that..I find people expect their belly dancers to carry a littl bit extra padding. I think slender girls have to work hard especially in the boob department when it comes to costuming.You are right about the young bit but then that goes for everything..singing dancing acting when it comes to women performing.
It is sensual..if it's done properly...sensual or even sexy doesn't actually have to be that tacky or incongruous .It can tasteful, fun etc.
And as for Middle eastern Fusion..I wouldn't see that covering some of the stuff I have just watched on a performance DVD from a UK show or even the event I organised. I suppose we just go with the flow at times but my flow is just Egyptian and ATS.
I do like to watch Turkish style but I can't imagine trying to get to grips with it as well as Egyptian. I suppose if I had started with a Turkish style teacher that's the way I'd have gone.

 

[Caroline_afifi]

I peg my classes as 'middle eastern fusion' dance. I teach both egyptian and turkish tyles but also bhangra and folklororic dance.
... so i figure 'middle eastern fusion' covers pretty much anything and everything!
Bellybaby x

I dont want to sound pedantic here but how does Bhangra fit into 'Middle Eastern Fusion'? :think:

 

[Jane]

I call it belly dance in advertising because otherwise no one here will know what it is. As soon as they get in the door, I give a more elaborate and specific description of what we are doing.

I teach things in units, so what I'm teaching will change. We spend a flexible block of time on Baladi, Egyptian Oriental, drum solos, American Style Belly Dance, a little Turkish, etc.

It's been my experience that intermediate students have a clearer understanding of a style when you concentrate on one thing at a time. My original teacher just danced the choreographies in her repertoire in every class, regardless of style, and we followed the bouncing butt. Her students, including me, never had any idea of what we were doing besides "cabaret belly dance". Of course, that was the way most teachers taught then.

She still puts "Cabaret Belly Dance" in all her advertisements. Meh. I always hated the term "Cabaret".

 

[Caroline_afifi]

Hi Jane,

I dont see a problem with what you are doing at all.

I have a problem with people re-defining this dance through advertising 'belly dance' classes complete with a Middle Eastern image to attract people then dressing them up as count dracula or some other form of fancy dress and dancing to 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' and then calling it creative belly dance.

I mean... no wonder people are confused and dont have a clue what this dance is about. It seems more people pay their money for a 'belly dance' class and learn anything but these days.

 

[Maria_Aya]

I call my first year : Basic Arabic, where is around 100 different teqnical things going on, from posture to hands to hips, belly etc
Second year: Arabic I, adding veil, zills, assaya and rythms
Third Year: Arabic II, continuing I year and adding things and more info on the cultural side, and specific styles
.... well... this year I have my Arabic IIIII class going on, its 6th year, and we are working on the classic composers of arab world, from Mohamed Abdel Wahab to Farid el Atrash etc, but ofcourse we had again some of these before.

xoxoxo