When are We Ready to Teach – Part 1
Back to Articles
Here is Hadia, jumping back into (or out of the box) in response to Kim Pechet’s response to my article “BUT I ONLY TEACH BEGINNERS”.
First of all – although Kim did mention the subject of the article in her reply, she omitted the primary point of the article, which is that when someone teaches a beginner, in ANY field, they have the responsibility of establishing the first almost indelible footprints in the virgin territory of the student’s cerebrum. The tracks that they lay down are a complex, highly specific pathway of neurons – connections that correspond to unique complex motor skills i.e. movements. Once a pathway and the corresponding motor skill is well established (this is called an Engram) it is extremely difficult, sometimes almost impossible to UNLEARN this ENGRAM. It becomes a reflex. It suffices only to begin to think about the movement and it is done. So, the main problem to be considered is the consequence to the student if the Engram “motor skill/movement” is INCORRECT and even physically harmful.
I would like to say that although our dance is an Eastern art form, unfortunately we don’t have Gurus to guide us and to tap us on the head and tell us it is time to teach. In the Middle Eastern countries, it is socially forbidden for good women from good families to become public dancers. Everyone dances, but to BE a professional dancer is “haram”. Thanks to the pioneering work of Faridah Fahmy and Mahmoud Reda, Folkloric performances were eventually considered to be acceptable, but oriental (belly dance) is still highly disrespected, especially with the recent rise of Islamic fundamentalism.
Understandably, it would be rather difficult to develop a group of Guru’s in a culture where dancers are likened to prostitutes. Our art form was not even taught in the Middle East (except for the folkloric companies) until about 10 years. The great dancer’s did not learn to dance in classes. As a result they have no model for teaching methodology, except to do what they do best – DANCE and let us follow.
The concept of Middle Eastern dance classes and schools was actually born and flourished in the occident. However, a formal occidental, institutional pathway is not really available to us as an alternative to our Eastern Gurus. We lack a consistent body of information – an organized, correct and safe Core Curriculum.
As Western dancers tried to interpret what our Eastern teachers “showed” us and let us follow, many movements and skills were misinterpreted. Gallant attempts to demystify the movements led to some pretty creative and sometimes bizarre things that do not even reflect the dances as done in the countries of origin.
Yes, we are indeed caught between a rock and a hard place and all of us are trying to find our way into some kind of cohesiveness and legitimacy.
No Gurus… No Belly Dance Colleges… What to do?
There are several approaches we can take to lead us to effective and authentic teaching methods which will not harm our students.
1. Study other dance forms that have structured, coherent and consistent systems of training. Then use the structures and concepts as models to apply to Middle Eastern dance (this does not mean that you are going to subject your students to a jazz class if they are there for belly dance training).
2. Study basic anatomy courses from a legitimate source to understand muscles and joints and to be aware of their functions as well as potential dangers of incorrect use.
3. Work with a qualified physiotherapist or massage therapist who has extensive training in REMEDIAL EXERCISE principles and protocol and apply this information to your dance class.
4. THEN after studying anatomy and achieving an understanding of how the body is actually working, watch and observe all the Great Dancers. Absorb their style, dance movements and techniques.
5. Take a course in How to Teach and apply that information to your Middle Eastern dance knowledge.
6. Study with a wide variety of different teachers and follow your body’s wisdom when trying to determine what is the correct way to do something (if it hurts and is tight and uncomfortable or confusing do not do it or look for an alternative approach)
If you follow these 6 recommendations diligently over a period of many years, YOU WILL PROBABLY FIND YOUR WAY TO GREAT TEACHING SKILLS.
Alternatively, I would like to recommend my Certification Teacher Training Courses. These two courses offer a distilled version of 35 years of my life and teaching experience, and are one possible pathway to provide you with valid and valuable information to prepare you for or to augment your teaching career. I can confidently say that I am qualified offer these courses.
I have studied multiple forms of dance, yoga and pilates. I have studied with many of the Greatest Masters including Mona al Said, Dina, Lucy, Ibrahim Akef, Ibrahim Farrah, Ahmed Jarjour, Farideh Fahmy, Raqia Hassan and Sema Yildiz plus many North American and European dance instructors. I have also lived and worked in the Middle East, including Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria and Egypt.
Additionally, I am a Registered Massage and Manual Therapist and have post graduate training in a very wide range of massage and osteopathic techniques. I have taught Massage Therapy for several years and presently teach post graduate courses in Advanced Therapy Techniques to Registered Therapists. Over the past 8 years I have developed an extensive application of anatomy and kinesiology specifically applied to Middle Eastern dance movement.
The first course, level one, presents a comprehensive body of the technique, required fundamentals, history, applied anatomy, injury prevention and teaching principles. This information is yours to digest, work on and apply in preparation for the next level.
In the second course, level two, you are assessed in your comprehension and knowledge of this information, as well as receive corrections and refinement of technique. You are tested in your knowledge of anatomy and are required to demonstrate and explain its application to oriental dance technique and correct alignment. It also includes ethics, business basics, and teaching a short class to the other students.
If you demonstrate a solid understanding of this information and these skills, then you will be awarded a certificate of achievement which qualifies you to teach beginner to intermediate levels.
A certificate is a certificate is a certificate! Because you are required to have a solid working knowledge of the information in my course and can demonstrated this before you earn your certificate, there IS a quality control measure in place. Understandably, there is no enforcing body or association in place to control or monitor instructor qualifications, but this is definitely a step in that direction. Ultimately the responsibility lies with you as an instructor! This is a responsibility that you owe to your students to ensure their development and well being, as well as to the legitimacy and continued growth of our art form.