ASMED is more of a philosophy than a ' School of Dance'. Afra places great emphasis on each student developing their own personal style for both teaching and performing. It is not about learning to dance or teach in Afra's own personal style. ASMED embraces all forms of Middle Eastern Dance (aka bellydance) you do not need to perform or teach Afra's main style (Egyptian Oriental) we welcome dancers of all dance styles i.e. Egyptian, Turkish, Tribal, bellydance fusion and anything in between! During the course students will learn about other dance styles so that they can recognise and explain them to their students. Specialization is fine, provided teachers are able to educate their students about what else is going on in the dance community at large.

During the 3 years students have to be prepared to complete written assignments and projects relating to subjects such as dance history, Middle Eastern culture, dance composition, health & safety, music theory, practical teaching skills, and acquire performance experience in a wide variety of environments and styles of dance. Students are expected to 'prove' their learning by writing up reports and giving lectures and classes based on the subject material of workshops or classes/tutorials they attend. Simply attending a workshop is not accepted as 'proof of learning'.

An important aspect of the course is that students are also encouraged to 'network' with each other, to share best practices to help facilitate a community spirit that will provide each other with support during and after the course. This will provide a network of contacts that will benefit them long after they have completed the course.

Students will be required to undergo regular assessment of their dance skills and will work on improving their personal performance repertoire, as well as honing their teaching skills. Although certain parts of the syllabus are mandatory a degree of flexibility is also built in to allow the course to be tailored to the individual dancer.

Students also understand that becoming an ASMED teacher is an ongoing learning experience. Afra al Kahira offers support to all teachers after they have qualified, ensuring that standards continue to be met, and that teachers are able to continue to develop their performance and teaching skills. Qualified teachers are actively encouraged to do this by setting themselves annual dance projects. These can be either theory or practical based and the results can be passed on to both their own students and other members of the course at events like Teacher Development seminars and Dance Skills weekends, and Celebrating Dance. Afra also provides teaching and performing opportunities for ASMED teachers & students at events like the annual Celebrating Dance Festival. All students and teachers have access to a private online forum where they can meet to discuss any issues relating to the course, teaching methods, problem students, and dance in general. Afra provides a large library of downloadable files, and links to a wide range of information on all aspects of the dance and culture, as well as a large bibliography for research purposes.

The final year includes putting on a dance event 'theatre-style'.  Providing an opportunity to learn about lighting, make-up, stage management, costume design, motivational skills, planning and organisational skills, as well as writing and teaching at least one third of the material performed.

To enroll on the course you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have more than a basic knowledge of at least one form of Middle Eastern Dance, and a reasonable amount of performance experience. Please note that you will be training to teach a performing art, so if you have no performance experience and no desire to acquire any, then this course is not for you. No academic qualification is required, as the syllabus is flexible and designed to take life skills, as well as any formal qualifications into account.

A minimum of 3 years continuous dance study is required. You will be asked to attend an interview and provide in advance, details of your dance background and training, including a video or DVD of you in performance. You do not need to be teaching classes when you sign up but you will be expected to set them up as soon as possible afterwards (with help & guidance from ASMED).

Training to teach in the ASMED way is about ensuring that those who can teach, do so in a safe, informed and professional manner, whilst recognising their individual styles and accomplishments. At the end of the course the student will have gained a working body of knowledge that will enable her/him to teach their students in an environment designed to bring out the best in both student and teacher alike. ASMED teachers & students recognise that they will be students of Middle Eastern Dance and Culture all their lives.

Fees

Tthe annual fees are £250 which can be paid in a one-off payment or in two installments each year. The fee includes the cost of the tuition (not accommodation) for two mandatory training sessions - teacher development and dance skills, and members of ASMED are also entitled to discounted tickets for Celebrating Dance and other events sponsored by the school or put on by Afra. There are no refunds.

For more details or enrolment information  you can contact Afra at: afra@afraalkahira.com