How to Find a Belly Dance Teacher

Shakira has really added to the popularity of Middle-Eastern Dance these days. Some people refer to this style of dance as Belly Dance, but that is really a misnomer. The proper title is Oriental Danse or Raks Sharki. Whatever you call it is a very fun style of dance that promote fitness and flexibility. Shakira probably comes by it naturally (with a lot of training) because she is half Lebanese and half Spanish. It would be hard to guess which half is better at moving their hips.

Here are some of the things to keep in mind when looking for a Middle-Eastern Dance teacher:

Search the web:

Most experienced Belly Dance teachers have a web page. There are web listings that specialized in listing Belly Dancers and Belly Dance Teachers. Do a web search on "find a belly dance teacher," Middle-Eastern dance teacher, Raks Sharki or Arabic Dance. Do a search on Middle-Eastern Dance Associations. Most teachers belong to some association or are known to the other dancers.

Type of experience:

There are teachers today who are doing more modern dance that Oriental style. Many teaches have experience in more than ones style of dance, but make sure you Belly Dance teacher really knows Belly Dance.

Other searches:

In the event that you don't find a teacher in your community from a web search, there are other avenues to search. You can call your local Parks Department, Greek or Middle-Eastern Restaurant, Entertainment Agency, New Age Book Store, Dance Studios, SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism.) local University, Cultural Club, Adult Education Classes, or Health club.

If you have for instance a Health Club but, no local teacher, you may be able to have the teacher make arrangements with the Health Club to teach a class. Write you local Parks Department and see if they will arrange a class. Many teachers are willing to travel if the class is large enough to make it worth while.

Number of years of experience:

How many years has your teacher studied? How many years teaching experience does you teacher have? Beware, anyone who goes on e-bay and buys a hip scarf can all themselves a Belly Dancer these days. The experienced teachers usually belong to Middle-Eastern Dance Associations or due to years of experience int heir community are known among the dance community.

Kind of of dance experience:

What kind of experience does you dance teacher have? Does it include nightclubs, Middle-Eastern restaurants, with live bands, belly grams, festival performances, and ethnic parties? Make sure you instructor has a wide variety of experience.

Style of dance:

In the world of Middle-Eastern dance there are many styles to choose from. Make sure that your teacher has some experience in the style that you want to learn. If you want to learn Tribal and you may not be happy with Egyptian style teacher. Most students don't know enough about the dance when they start a beginners class, to know the difference. But, if you do want to pursue a certain style make sure you find an instructor in that style.

Style of teaching:

Some teachers have everyone jump in like an aerobic class and other teachers are more focused on going slow and working on form. If one style doesn't work for you, find a different teacher. Many students take with more than one teacher. Teachers are all human and have different strengths.

Location:

Regretfully, the teacher close to you may not be the one you want to take classes with. Many times other dancers or students car pool for classes and workshops. So, find a friend and be willing to do some travel. The buddy system makes it more fun anyhow.

Cost:

Ah, yes the moolah thing. The cost of a classes may vary. It will also depend on the kind of class you take. Is is a large group, semi-private of a private lesson. the cost will vary. I suggest you commit to a minimum of 8 classes. It take that long to begin to assimilate the moves. i

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