My Classes: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
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Natural Beauty Belly Dance? Does that look exclude people who [wear makeup/process their hair/have silicon in their bodies/have tattoos/shave/wear deodorant]?
What style of belly dance do you teach in weekly classes? Are you teaching authentic Middle Eastern dance, or tribal, or cabaret, or fusion, or what?
Are your classes going to be too serious for me?
Am I going to feel self-conscious about my [age/appearance/background/whatever]?
I am totally uncoordinated / have no rhythm. Can I really learn to dance?
Will belly dance help me to get in shape, lose weight, and tone my abs?
I've never taken any classes, but I'm from the Middle East, so I grew up doing belly dance. Should I go straight to the advanced course?
What should I wear to class?
Are these classes for women only? Is belly dance for women only?
Is belly dance sexual? Sensual? A dance of seduction?
How long does it take to learn belly dance? How long before I'll be ready to go pro? Can you get me a job?
What do I need to know before my first class?
Natural Beauty Belly Dance? Does that look exclude people who [wear makeup/process their hair/have silicon in their bodies/have tattoos/shave/wear deodorant]?
Not at all. "Natural Beauty" is simply the attractive quality of confident authentic self-expression. Natural beauty rejects the idea that bodies and faces are more valuable when they are altered to conform to the narrow standards of images in mainstream media, but joyfully embraces personal style. Natural Beauty Belly Dance is not a reflection of ephemeral beauty ideals, but a celebration of the beauty we create through artistry.
What style of belly dance do you teach in weekly classes? Are you teaching authentic Middle Eastern dance, or tribal, or cabaret, or fusion, or what?
I teach clean versatile technique for artistic belly dance, emphasizing precision, musical interpretation, and an uncontrived natural beauty aesthetic, and adaptable to cultural, tribal, and fusion styles. My students gain grace, coordination, confident presentation, and a "finished" look to their movements.
In beginner and intermediate classes, I use Middle Eastern music and teach material that follows the conventions of traditional styles: Egyptian, Turkish and Lebanese Oriental dance; theatrical folklore; theatrical Oriental dance; and American Cabaret belly dance. But, I follow a Western classical format (warm-up, foundation drills, center-floor, across-the-floor, and choreography), and I teach intentional use of the arms, footwork, traveling movements, and turns. I break down movements with a level of precision most often associated with layer-intensive tribal fusion or contemporary cabaret, and use intricately detailed isolation combinations, but do not tension movements in the manner of mainstream tribal fusion and avoid the self-consciously "sexy" posturing of cabaret. I favor delicate styling, classical lines in the arms and shoulders, and body language that gives an impression of openness and honesty. My curriculum includes finger cymbals and other props, including cane and fabric (veil).
Upper level classes explore belly dance as a medium for creative expression within and beyond a traditional context, and include work for abstract, conceptual, and narrative dance theater. In non-traditional work I am especially interested in lyrical fusion, circus fusion, and unusual props; fantasy themes with both dark and light overtones, including medieval, magical, pagan, and retro glamor concepts; and tragicomic vignettes.
Are your classes going to be too serious for me?
Maybe! It depends on what you are looking for. I take dance seriously, and I design my classes for disciplined and focused students. You'll be encouraged to work hard and will probably find some of the moves challenging. But classes also acknowledge the diverse needs of adult students, and support fitness, self-discovery and personal growth, cultural exploration, and meeting new friends. Beginner classes in particular are designed to provide a welcoming environment to have fun and try something new. At all levels, students will find a nonjudgmental rapport, and respect for the challenge of balancing dance training into a busy life of adult responsibilities and other interests.
Am I going to feel self-conscious about my [age / appearance / background / whatever]?
I make a warm, comfortable, nonjudgmental classroom environment a top priority. It's certainly possible that you may be the most young or old or [whatever] person in class, but you'll be in a diverse population composed mostly of thoughtful and sensitive women with strong individual identities. Most of my students are in their twenties or thirties, but classes usually include older and younger students too. Students represent the many ethnicities of New York City, with body types across the spectrum of shapes and sizes. Classes nurture positive body images and encourage healthy realistic ideals.
I am totally uncoordinated / have no rhythm. Can I really learn to dance?
Not everyone can become a star, but if you're willing to put in time and effort, all of the steps will eventually fall into place. Especially if you don't have a lot of natural ability, learning dance requires commitment and patience. A sense of humor helps too! To get the most from your class, work at your own pace and level, and don't measure your accomplishment against how others are progressing. If something doesn't make sense, ask! Consider supplementing classwork with private lessons. Accept that you may get frustrated sometimes, and push yourself to stick with it. Mindful repetition is the key to mastering dance vocabulary, and things will get easier with every class.
Will belly dance help me to get in shape, lose weight, and tone my abs?
Belly dance has many wonderful fitness benefits. Training builds strength, balance, flexibility, stamina, alignment, and coordination, and may ease body stiffness or pain. While many quintessential belly dance movements happen in the torso and activate core muscles, the arms and legs also play an important role in the dance. I teach belly dance as an intentional and deliberate discipline, so my students also enjoy the benefits of cultivating a "mind-body" practice. Increased awareness of posture and body lines confers poise and grace, and can create a more streamlined and confident silhouette.
However, as with any mode of physical activity, results depend on the frequency, length, and intensity of your workout. To see the greatest benefit, you'll need to attend class several times a week or practice outside of class. For beginners, most belly dance moves provide low-intensity exercise. You'll need to master movements before you can dance fast-paced choreography, so you will have more opportunities to raise your heart rate as you advance.
Because I teach history, context, and theory, most classes also include some lecture. If you're looking for a pure workout, you may prefer a dance-fitness class offered at a gym.
I've never taken any classes, but I'm from the Middle East, so I grew up doing belly dance. Should I go straight to the advanced course?
Probably not. Growing up with Middle Eastern social dance will probably give you a great familiarity with a cultural style, but doesn't necessarily confer the foundation of clean versatile technique that students build through formal training. Just in the same way that a native speaker of Arabic or Turkish certainly has a perfect authentic accent but may not be a particularly interesting conversationalist, native dancers need more than style to be interesting performers.
Whatever your cultural or ethnic background, I recommend that students with no previous formal training start in my beginners' course. (Or, if your immediate interest is deepening your cultural expression rather than broadening your skill base, you may do better with another teacher).
What should I wear to class?
Please see: Guide to Classroom Attire.
Are these classes for women only? Is belly dance for women only?
Unless noted, you may assume that all students in a class are female. However, most classes accept male students.
If you follow religious or cultural rules that don't allow you to participate in dance activities where men are present, please contact me before you come to class: in most cases I can make arrangements to officially designate a class as women-only.
If you're a man who is interested in taking class, please let me know; I will designate a class co-ed if it doesn't create a problem for existing students.
Many belly dance movements come from social and folk dance and are done by men, women, children, and grandparents alike. In traditional Oriental dance, cultural attitudes favor female performers, but a few male performers have found success. In tribal, theatrical, and other contemporary belly dance, roles for men are more open. Like female dancers, male belly dancers make choices--about style, costuming, personal appearance, and stage persona--that influence how they will be perceived. Some male dancers challenge gender stereotypes; others appear quite macho.
Is belly dance sexual? Sensual? A dance of seduction?
If you want it to be, sure! If not, no!
Not everyone is an independent thinker. Some people will always see anything named "belly dance" in light of religious or cultural stereotypes with which they are familiar, and never take the time to look at what they are seeing and draw their own conclusions. So some people may deem all belly dance as sexual, in either a positive light--as an intriguing sensual or seductive expression, or even as an expression of sacred sexuality; or in a negative light--as something to be kept private that becomes sordid and shameful in the public sphere, or as something demeaning that reinforces sexist attitudes.Someone who does not have a preconceived impression will see that dance movements take expression from the context of a performer's style, skill, venue, costuming and appearance, music, and musicality. While belly dance may be sexual, or sensual, it may also be sweet, joyful, fiery, elegant, poetic, bold, playful, soft, strong, feminine, masculine, natural, unnatural, robotic, lurid, or really anything.
In theatrical dance, I am interested in all of these possibilities.
In the traditional belly dance that I perform and teach, I make no effort to be sexual, but I don't consider sexual expression to inherently be distasteful, approval-seeking, or hostile to the interests of feminism. Rather than trying to be "sexy," I strive to appear warm and genuine. I create some dances that are elegant and poised, some that are earthy, and some that are playful and fun.
How long does it take to learn belly dance? How long before I'll be ready to go pro? Can you get me a job?
It often takes dancers 1-3 years to develop technical proficiency, and 5-10 years to develop fluency. But it really depends on your natural ability, resources, and focus. As with most things, what you put in is what you get out. If you have a dance background, attend multiple weekly classes, practice outside of class, work with a private coach, and have a narrow focus on one particular style, you may become quite good in a matter of months. For most dancers though, a slower trajectory is more realistic, and more advisable. "Cramming" dance is like cramming for a test -- you'll be more solid with movements built over time. No matter how quickly you learn, there's no actual endpoint where you're "done." If you've made a serious commitment, you'll find there is always room to go deeper.
Going pro requires different levels of skill for different contexts. Your appearance, personality, and ability to promote yourself are equally important factors that will affect your success.
I focus more on dance as artistic expression than as commercial entertainment, so I create performance opportunities for students in theater settings. In class, you'll learn dance moves that can be used in traditional shows; I can answer questions about nightclub and party work; and I'll try to provide networking opportunities for aspiring professionals. In general, though, students focus on self-expression rather than expression limited by the constraints of pleasing an employer.
What do I need to know before my first class?
Please see Classroom Etiquette.