Students usually attend my Intro & Essentials (beginner/advanced beginner) class for about a year before acquiring the skills to transition to the Continuing (intermediate/advanced) class.  During those twelve months, I aim to continually go over technique and concepts that are the building blocks for all styles of belly dance. Sessions last two months, six to seven classes total, with alternating choreography sessions and technique/concept sessions. Choreography is taught three times in a year and includes a classic song (Zeina, Aziza, etc.), a drum solo, and a pop song. Instruction for dancing with a veil is included during some technique sessions and/or with a classic song. Rhythms and playing finger cymbals are also introduced during technique sessions and reviewed, on occasion.

Usually, after a year or so of classes, students know their own weak areas that need some extra attention. Some areas might need more time in the Intro/Essentials class, but others (like shimmies) may always be a work in progress and can be accommodated in the Continuing class. Please note, not all students progress at the same rate. Some students have more free time at home to practice or also attend the Tuesday night class at Bodyworks, which can accelerate their skill acquisition. Some students prefer to stay in the Intro & Essentials class because the time works better or s/he wants to continue to refine the basics. I don’t require students to go through an assessment to move to the Continuing class, but encourage them to have a chat (in person or email) with me to discuss progress.

To join the Continuing (intermediate/advanced) class, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Basic posture

2. Basic dance movements and isolations (hip sways & shimmies, double hips, hip lifts & drops, hip slides & circles, figure 8 hips;  shoulder accents; upper ribcage shimmies; arm positions, snake arms, stylized hands; pelvic tucks; chest slides, chest lifts/drops & circles; abdominal contractions/releases, undulations)

3. Basic footwork (forward & back, grapevine, 3-step turn, pivot turn, in-place turn such as tip-toe and “hook”, travelling steps)

4. Variations of specific movement types covered – variations of lifts, drops, twists, basic shimmy, circles, figure 8s, undulations, slides (all movements in place and traveling)

5. Concepts of level changes, layering, direction changes, musical interaction

6. Basic rhythms and finger cymbal patterns

7. Basic performance concepts (entering performance space, expressions, posing, incorporating different directions/angles for audience viewing)

8. Basic improvisation and choreography development concepts (adapt known combos, keep moving through mistakes, repeat pattern on both sides, transitions, using less instead of more when unsure of the music, incorporate whole body with movements, poses, etc.)