Does Your Teacher Have Your Best Interests at Heart?

Gilded Serpent posted a link to their article recently, and it was very timely. I have been working on a blog post about a very similar topic. I enjoyed this one very much. Some highlights include:

"Is your teacher qualified to give you a proper foundation for technique as well as cultural references?
When searching out a Belly Dance teacher, don’t be shy about asking for the teacher’s credentials. If you are going to spend time and money learning to Belly dance, make sure you start the journey off with the right teacher so you won’t have to back-track later."

and

"Are your teacher’s classes and troupe a positive and healthy environment?
Most teachers of Belly Dance truly love to teach so they can pass their knowledge on to others. However, teachers exist who thrive on belittling and controlling their students. This type of environment may not be apparent at first glance, which is why it is important to occasionally take the time to analyze your dance classes and troupe experience."

The only ones I don't entirely agree with are the "develop your own style"--for ATS dancers, it is important to concentrate on a collective style, so it doesn't always apply to all teachers of all styles--and the 'performance opportunities' segment. I don't feel performing is a forgone conclusion for everyone. I think dance is a performance art, yes, but many seek it for reasons other than performing, and those motivations should be honored.

In fact, I think some teachers stress performance much too much, rushing students through the basics and trying to get them into troupes and on stage quickly, to the detriment of strong technique. 

I believe students should feel they have been prepared to perform--groomed for success!--and when they do perform it is earned through hard work and proven skill.

So read this brief article and see what you think!
http://www.gildedserpent.com/cms/2013/02/18/does-your-teacher-have-your-best-interest-at-heart/#

Mm Mm Monday - Kami Liddle

I don't know what this "white room sessions" business is. I only know that it is not only stunning, but showcases Kami Liddle's incredible talent beautifully. I always liked Kami, but in recent years she has matured so much in her dance, I find myself enjoying her more every time I see her. She has softened and "ripened" for lack of a better term.  I think this video really brings this growth to the fore. Just a white room...and Kami.

Mm Mm Monday - Daria Mitskevich

Daria Mitskevich is a stunning dancer.  She makes complex skills look effortless, has incredible stage face, and her musicality is enviable. There are quite a few videos out there of her to enjoy, but here is a taste to get your started!

Kick-Ass Arms with Tracy Anderson

I have always prided myself in having strong arms. Long before I was a dancer I was a restaurant busser (traditionally a male role because of the strength and stamina it required) and a waitress (lifting heavy trays = buff arms).  What is more quintessential as an image of strength than flexing your biceps?

So when I began tribal bellydance, and got to experience the dynamic, strong, structured arm work that this style favored, it was part of the love affair for me. As a teacher, it is a guidepost I love to see my students mark as they grow in the dance: how long can you hold your arms in dance posture? the longer you can hold is almost a badge of your love and dedication for this art form. 

So enjoy this 8 minute video to help build your lady-guns!

Reversal of a Policy - Men in Class

So I recently made an announcement regarding the change in my "no men" policy for my bellydance classes. The announcement was thus:

"I am finally opening my regular classes officially to all genders next session. If you want to know the story of why I made my classes women only in my early years of teaching until now, I am more than willing to tell you why. But even given very good reason, it has never sat entirely well with me to exclude men from my classes. 

I decided the day that our beloved John Compton passed that it was time to let the past be the past and move forward with my heart. I have had many male dancers who have inspired me during my dance life, and it has become impossible to imagine that I could continue to keep eager, willing, and potentially wicked-talented men--perhaps a future John Compton!--from coming to my classes and share in the joy that is bellydance.

To any men who may have been hurt or offended by my policy in the past, I apologize for ever making you feel unwelcome or under-valued in the  dance world. As I said, I am willing to explain why it is that the policy came to be--it wasn't always my policy, but one that grew out of specific experiences in my early years teaching and was a choice that was right for me at the time. But as of now, that policy is overturned.

I welcome your thoughts or questions should you have any. As always, my door is open. 

When the Roots run Deep, the tree grows mighty."

I did get some initial queries as to why my policy was put in place in the first place, and I am happy to share my experience for those who are curious.

I initially did not limit my classes to women only. I was very pleased and even proud that I was opening my doors to all genders--something which at the time most studios I knew of did not do, and was nearly unheard of in tribal/ATS studios, a style which was considered the domain of "female empowerment".  So I was a bit of an odd-one-out with my open door policy (another outlier was my mentor Paulette Rees-Denis of Gypsy Caravan, from whom I took my largest dose of inspiration in my formative dance years). Within my first couple of years teaching, however,  I had two incidents with male students who made me ultimately decide to limit my classes to women only.