Looking for a Teacher?

Here are some hints and tips about where to look for a teacher, and what questions to ask a potential instructor when you find one.

Have in the back of your mind that anyone can set up as a Middle Eastern Dance teacher, even if they have little or no experience in the dance. I have known former students in the past who have studied with me for less than year go off and start their own classes. Some of them have even been cheeky enough to use the fact that they have studied with me, albeit very briefly, to try and give themselves credibility.
Good places to start looking for a teacher are the Internet, your local library, local health clubs, leisure centres, community centres and Adult Education colleges. All these places are useful for either information about what’s on locally, or a commonly used venue for dance classes. Keep a look out in the local press for information about any events, performances or shows featuring Middle Eastern Dance near where you live. Buy a ticket and watch the performance, and if you can’t see any leaflets available that advertise a class, ask the performer(s) if they can advise you.
Once you have located a teacher make contact with her and ask if you can come and see her teaching a class. A good teacher should allow potential students to view one class for free so that you can get a feel for their teaching style and style of dance. I usually encourage potential beginners to come along and have a go at a class aimed at beginners, to give them an idea of what’s involved. Adult Education Centres may not be prepared to do this, but they often arrange 'taster' days, where potential students can sample classes - don't forget to ask about this when enquiring about classes.

Note: for convenience of writing I am assuming that the teacher is female, however I should point out that there are some excellent male teachers around too!
When attending the ‘sample’ class, observe whether the teacher insists on everyone using good posture. Good posture is; knees slightly bent, feet hip width apart with weight evenly distributed over both feet, pelvis in neutral or very slightly tucked to flatten out the back, shoulders back & relaxed, ribcage forward and slightly lifted from the upper spine between the shoulder blades. Does the teacher correct mistakes in posture? Does she move around the class correcting and helping each dancer in a friendly and constructive manner? Does she use a proper warm-up at the start of the class and a cool-down at the end?
Does she wear clothing that gives her students a good view of her body, so that you can clearly see how the movements are done and where she places her feet, or knees for instance? Be wary of teachers that teach their classes in full costume, this is often an indication of ‘style over substance’ and aimed more at enabling the teacher to show off than facilitating learning! If the teacher is wearing a skirt watch to see if she demonstrates the movements with her legs uncovered so that you can see the mechanics of the movement. Also worth thinking about is what the other students are wearing too. Have they been encouraged to wear suitable practice attire (loose clothing, in layers that can be added or taken off as necessary), or are they all decked out in their best costumes? A teacher with a room full of students in full dance costume is either having a dress rehearsal or she is not giving students a chance to perform anywhere in their finery.
Does the teacher use Middle Eastern Dance music in the class? She may use Western music for her warm-up/cool-down sections, but she should be using Middle Eastern Dance music whilst actually teaching dance movements. Does she explain what the music is? This should include the name of the music, its style, what movements are appropriate to dance to it, what sort of instruments are being played, what rhythms are being used. Does she break down the movements both verbally and physically and demonstrate them from different angles?
Ask the teacher to give you a dance biography, either written or verbally, that outlines her style of dance; i.e. Egyptian, Turkish, Lebanese, etc., (more about styles here). Ask her to name her teachers, her influences, and tell you how long she has been dancing & teaching. Anyone who has been dancing for less than 4/5 years is not going to have a wide range of experience and may have a limited teaching repertoire. However, they may be suitable for learning the absolute basics before you move onto to a teacher with more experience. Be wary of any teacher who gives the impression that she is either ‘completely self-taught’ or seems to have appeared ‘spontaneously’. Dancers who are either unwilling or unable to name their teachers may not have been dancing for very long, let alone teaching! (for further reading see my articles 'Credit Where Credit is Due', Ethics & Standards
Ask the teacher if she has the following: Public Liability insurance, a First Aid Certificate, a Phonographic Performance Licence (PPL), the first two being essential for your protection, the last one demonstrating ethical use of music.
Ask if the teacher has a formal teaching qualification (e.g. City & Guilds 730, Community Dance Leader, Post-Graduate Certificate of Education, RSA Movement to Music, or something similar). Even if she has been teaching for 20 years or more, acquiring a teaching qualification shows that she is serious about her teaching. You can be reassured that she will understand the importance of things like proper lesson & course plans, structuring lessons, using a variety of teaching methods and teaching aids, and dealing with a wide range of teaching environments and situations.
Ask the teacher whether she teaches solely by using choreography or does she also encourage students to improvise. Both are important elements of the dance. Does she have classes at different levels so that as you grow as a dancer you have a class to graduate to?
Does the teacher encourage individuality amongst her students or does she insist that they all dance exactly like her? If it is the latter, you may find that creatively you end up feeling stifled, and it can be irritating for people to instantly recognise your teacher from your dancing, rather than being recognised for your own dance style.
Does the teacher provide opportunities for the students to perform what they have learned? This can be anything from a small end of term party, to a haflah or full-blown show. If she’s not comfortable with organising her own events (not everyone is), check that she provides information about events run by other dancers that her students can go to and perhaps perform at. (see next point)
Does the teacher hand out information about dance publications that are available? Does she tell her students about events and workshops run by other teachers? Does she encourage her students to develop their dance skills by studying with other dancers who can provide tuition in areas she is not so knowledgeable in? No individual teacher is an expert in all fields of this dance, so be wary of anyone who claims to ‘know everything’! Coupled with this is the teacher who tells her students that "this is the ONLY way to do this dance," or "there is only one authentic way to do this dance/movement and it’s the way that I say it should be done."

There are lots variations on styles both regionally and on a dancer-to-dancer basis in the Middle East and this applies to dancers & teachers over here too. There is room for everyone, therefore no teacher should be ‘bad-mouthing’ someone else’s style of dance – she should just point out that it is different from her own and allow her students to draw their own conclusions as they learn about the dance. Personal tastes vary from person to person about what sort of food they like eating and the same is certainly true of dancing! What some people love, others will hate – that’s normal!
Be very wary of any teacher who says the following: "This dance is just for women" or "it was originally used in the harem and is a dance of seduction." First of all no-one can say for sure exactly how this dance evolved, as the ancient dancers rather thoughtlessly forgot to write it down for us! Secondly, neither gender nor age is a barrier to learning this dance, and your dress size is not important either! In the Middle East both men and women dance the same movements socially and although it is definitely a dance by women for women in some situations, it is not the province of women alone. There is an element of sensuality in this dance form, but it is not about seduction. The dance derives from folk dancing, which is done by everyone regardless of age, sex or dress size. A good teacher will be able to cite examples of both male and female dancers, and will encourage you to see your own inner beauty regardless of your dress size or looks. On the same lines – does the teacher insist that this is a ‘woman’s dance’? Or does she recognise that this a dance for everyone and allow either sex to join her classes?
Last, but not least, does the class look like fun? If the students don't appear to be enjoying themselves and the teacher appears overly fond of her 'authority', you may find that classes soon become a chore. Many people choose this dance form not just because they like the idea of learning something from a different culture, they may also be attracted by the chance to dress up, to escape the mundane parts of their lives, and most people no matter how serious they are about learning also want to have fun too. So, although a teacher may expect your concentration and attention when she is explaining or demonstrating, she should not mind if you have a smile on your face or if you share the occasional giggle with a friend. There should be a balance between fun and learning and a good teacher will know how to achieve this.

Read some guidance notes on the different types of Middle Eastern Dance here.

This article first appeared in Taqasim Magazine and was updated in July 2005