|
5. What should you be learning in your classes and what should your teacher be offering?
Your teacher should be proficiently knowledgeable on music, rhythm, different styles of Middle Eastern dance and different props.
Personally I feel that she should at least know:
- Advanced veil work
- Sword
- Candles
- Sagat
- Cane dancing
- Double veil
- Drumming
- 1 style of cabaret
- 1 style of folkloric dancing
- This is a basic break down of some of the movements I teach as well as props taught and at what level. It is not fully comprehensive but can help serve you as a basic guide:
Beginner Basics Class layout
- Basic posture and stance
- Hip circles
- Three step turn
- Grapevine
- Basic shimmy
- Walking with a shimmy
- Shoulder shimmy
- Shoulder bumps/pushes
- Snake arms
- Arms with a lean
- Rib slide/chest slide
- Rib lift/chest lift
- Chest drop
- Chest circle / rib circle
- Head slides
- Head circle
- Hip lift
- Twisted hip lift
- Hip snaps
- Large hip circle/ Body roll
- Backward HipRoll
- Figure of 8
- Forward Hip Roll
- Arabian walk / Horse walk
- Egyptian walk / Hagalla
- Kashlamaal
- Stomach placement basics
Props
None
Experienced beginners
- Chest undulation
- Egyptian shimmy walk
- Choo choo shimmy / Hip Shimmy
- Basic Floor work
- Undulations
- Hip drop
- Reverse fig 8
- Inward fig 8
- Maya / outward fig 8
- Downward Hip puch
- Chest fig 8
Props
- Basic veil work
- Skirts
- Candles
- Students should spend at least 3 months per prop – PLEASE NOTE this is not sufficient to master an item, but only learn the basics of each.
Intermediate Basics
- Pony step / Horse movement
- Basic folkloric movements eg. Saidi jumps/Hops
- Different turns e.g.. Step back turn, spot turning, etc. and how to incorporate into dance movement to assist in flow
- Floor work
- Hip drop with a kick
- Back bends
- Start combining certain movements
Props
- Smaller veils
- Basic folk dancing
- Tambourines
- Basic Sagat
- Students should spend at least 3 months per prop – PLEASE NOTE this is not sufficient to master an item, but only learn the basics of each.
Experienced Intermediate (Follow onto Intermediate Basics)
- Further combinations of movement
- More advanced floor work
- Shimmy + undulation
- Incorporating shimmy into more movements
- Presentation skills
- More about rythms and musical knowledge
Props
- More advanced sagat
- Cain dancing
- Double veil
- Fans
- Drumming
Students should spend at least 3 months per prop – PLEASE NOTE this is not sufficient to master an item, but only learn the basics of each.
Advanced
- Start working on combinations of props
- Advanced floor work
- Creating choreography
- Development of personal dancing skills and personality in the dance
Props
- Dagers
- Trays
- Pots
- Advanced folkloric dancing
- Fire
- Veil and sagat combinations
Girls at a professional level (of dancing who wish to later perform or choose not to perform)
- Learn performing skills
- Stage presence
- Audience communications
- Rounding of skills learnt through all the other levels
- Technique and show choreography
Props
- Wings of Isis
- Shamadaan / Candelabra
- Sword
- Combinations of props learnt at all levels
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Different people progress at different speeds through learning basic movements and depending on how much and how often they practice.
I strongly feel that the leaning process should not be rushed and a proficient amount of time should be spent at each level, especially from intermediate onwards. I am not talking in months here!
Use the above as a guide to measure what you have learnt should learn and even at what level your teacher resides!
Over and above the class layout, your teacher should:
- Teach at least 2-3 choreographies per hear. She should endeavour to teach you at least one choreography per prop. Choreography although it can seem mechanical helps with drilling in the information, movement and style and I see it as a great aid to teaching.
- Teach you how to work as a solo dancer – she should do some solo work in class where you get to practice how to dance on your own. Ask her for advise when you are unsure.
- How to structure and put together movements – This is so things flow together and your dancing is not stilted.
- Musicality, music interpretation, styles and rhythm should also form part of your syllabus.
A good teacher knows her own limitations and will encourage you to train through other people by making available their different styles, techniques and energy through well organised and structured workshops, exhibitions, educational trips, dance festivals and trips overseas for training and experiencing the Middle Eastern culture.
This is especially important from intermediate level up.
There is not one dancer who can claim she knows all there is to know about this beautiful art form and thus the need to supplement students knowledge with high-quality training from others who are more knowledgeable or offer a different view on Middle Eastern dance.
It is the trait of an excellent teacher to encourage and allow her students to grow and excel in what she is teaching to the point where they are better than she is! This is done through sharing all of what you can!
|
