How To Find A Good Teacher

HOW TO FIND A TEACHER IN A NON-ADJUDICATED DANCE FORM

(Finding a Teacher in Alternative Dance Forms)

One of the hardest things to do in the alternative dance industry is find a qualified instructor. To date, we have no national certification program, no standardized foundation vocabulary, no established professional standard, no dance standards for levels, no standard categorization of the various styles and forms of this dance art and very few certified schools of study for the various styles and forms of this dance art. Because of this, the student must be aware that nothing prevents even the least prepared, least trained person to declare themselves a teacher, offer classes or workshops and perform any place they can convince a person to give them a job.

Unfortunately, some teachers have used this lack of established standard to secure “power”, to create an atmosphere of “gossip as truth”, to discourage students from attending other classes and to attempt to monopolize the dance students in their area. Worse, because there is no certification program, there are self-designated instructors who teach in such a manner as to cause physical damage to their students. Fortunately, this is slowly changing as more communication between nationally recognized instructors occurs and as more instructors take the form seriously.

Some of the more obvious concerns involve those teachers whose training comes from a few months of classes or worse, from watching videos (1). But even good dancers can be poor teachers, since teaching in itself is another art form altogether. And the question of how to select a qualified instructor still remains. Because the bellydance/variants community has yet to establish basic minimum teaching standards, there is no way for potential students to ask what credentials a person has for teaching.

There are some foundations of knowledge and practices that you can look for in a good instructor. In this article we present some basic guidelines to use when you are thinking about taking classes. Throughout the article I will use the pronoun “she” but the issues covered pertain to male instructors as well.

1. Inquire as to the teacher’s dance education background. Who were/are her instructors? How long has she been dancing? Did she intern under another instructor? Has she continued to take classes or workshops? Has she taken time to study another discipline, cross-train in another movement art or cross-train in another form related to classical traditional or modern bellydance? While cross-training is not necessary, it does enhance an instructor’s awareness of body mechanics, the differences and similarities in movement and music use, understanding of music composition, choreographic techniques and body health issues. Knowing your instructor cross-trains also tells you that she is interested in learning as much as she can about dance and teaching dance, and this is all to your benefit. A teacher who cross-trains, who continues to learn, is less likely to damage your body than the video- taught teacher or short term student who decides to “teach”.

You can also seek out those instructors who have made a lifelong study of a specific dance form. In most cases, you will find they have focused on understanding in depth the composition, movement, essence and expression of a specific dance form, and are true master instructors.

2. Does she have a professional attitude? To be a professional means to be engaged in, or worthy of the standards of, a profession. Whether teaching full or part time, a good instructor always maintains and upholds professional standards of instruction. She works with others in her profession to develop and work to a dance standard. She teaches her students not just dance movements, but dance theory, a specific attitude towards dance and related basics such as music, culture, history, professional presentation, choreography concepts and more. She has a professional development plan for herself and her students, including a clear progression plan from level to level and what the student needs to do to move into each level; she usually works around a teacher portfolio (including lesson plans, goals, and more).

Everything the good instructor does is done with a focus on achieving a goal: the proper education and training of her students while presenting the information in an enjoyable format.

Her professional attitude is also reflected in her interaction with and about other instructors. The good instructor has a strong sense of ethics and encourages her students to develop the same.

3. Does she understand the foundations of dance? All dance has eight critical elements, all dance works within the Rules of Three and utilizes six major “tools” of dance. A good teacher has a full awareness of this foundation knowledge and is able to utilize it in teaching her students. A good teacher will help students understand and apply these 8 essential elements: centering, gravity, balance, breathing, posture, gesture, rhythm, and spatial movement. She also has an understanding of the basic structure of dance and the planes and levels of movement, and uses this knowledge to explain movement execution to her students, facilitating accurate learning.

4.What is her philosophy of dance? A good teacher respects the historical/cultural elements behind the dance. She also respects herself and others, including those who have come before her and those who are currently teaching. Beware of the teacher that makes it a habit to denigrate other teacher, who teaches the dance as a form of titillation.

Too often, we find teachers who invest little time in studying the history, culture or developing professional standards because they view dance as a hobby. A student would be well-advised to inquire as to why a teacher would presume to instruct others in a form she has little interest in learning about and even less interest in working towards a professional standard. More, a good teacher enjoys people and enjoys teaching. They are driven by a passion to give their knowledge to others.

5. What, if any, goals does your teacher have in regards to students? Good teachers provide growth opportunities for students in the form of haflas, shows, workshops, and educational materials. A good instructor also has it as a goal to produce dancers who meet a professional standard whether they will go on to become professional dancers or not. A good instructor also has it as a goal to produce students who are knowledgeable in the history and culture of the dance, who are aware of body mechanics and proper technique and who are able to function independent of the instructor. Student recitals, master classes and summer dance camps are often part of the good teacher’s arsenal for proper dance education.

6. Does she encourage students to learn the various styles and study the various options in dance? If specializing in a specific style (for example, raks sharqi, fusion, etc) does she suggest videos or workshops to enhance this style? A good teacher is secure in her skills and knowledge and understands that her style may not be what is best for every student; she can watch a student for a while and then guide them towards another instructor whose style or way of teaching would better benefit the individual student.

She notifies students of other events and classes so they can do some exploring within the venues. It is the responsibility and obligation of the instructor to be aware of what various teachers in your area have to offer, and to see how the individual student may benefit from each instructor. It is also a teacher’s obligation to avoid recommending those teachers she may feel are unqualified or who teach in an unsafe manner.

7. Does she sponsor workshops, guest teachers or encourage students to attend same? A good teacher always seeks to provide new learning opportunities for her students. The field of bellydance,, American danse orientale, alternative dance forms and folk/folkloric dance is so vast that no one teacher can know everything. A good teacher also knows that students gain by attending workshops and classes taught by other teachers. She sponsors guest teachers and workshop presenters for her students to ensure they are gaining as much opportunity to learn as she can provide.

Be wary of the teacher who discourages students from studying under other teachers, and/or tries to prevent students from learning about dance events sponsored by other teachers. If your teacher is not sharing information with you regarding other events and teachers, this might be an indication that she either does not want you to be able to compare her with others or she is not actively enough engaged in the dance community outside her own classes. Being engaged in the dance community is another way to keep sharpening your own awareness and education so a disengaged teacher may not be that interested in improving her own skills or knowledge.

8. Does she understand how to teach safely? A good teacher has an understanding of body mechanics: how a body moves, the planes of motion, the way a body works to create a movement- how bones, joints, muscles and emotions work to affect movement- and explains these to her students. She stresses the basic position and good posture. . Understanding body mechanics ensures the instructor will take care of your body.

Without this basic knowledge, an instructor can actually harm the body. Also, when a teacher understands body mechanics, she is able to help those students who have special problems- whether it is arthritis, spinal problems, knee or leg problems, shoulder problems, etc. Understanding how the body works to create a movement enables the teacher to do her work better.

A student will often find the good teacher has a library of books not just on costuming, but on the theory of dance, body mechanics and more. The good teacher never ceases learning and providing her students with opportunities to learn.

9. Does she take time to learn about the cultures and people from which dances originated? A good teacher has some knowledge about the cultures represented by ethnic dance, especially raks sharqi, from which our alternative dances such as fusion, synthesized and integrated dance grew.. She takes time to explain the historical basis of dance and takes time to address misinformation. She’s not afraid to admit what she does not know, and helps students seek good resources for information. She encourages an atmosphere of learning. Often, the student will discover the good teacher not only knows various forms of alternative dance, but is well-versed in folk dance and folkloric dance.

Be careful, too, of the teacher who has little or no interest in learning traditional forms of dance. It is from a base of knowledge of the traditional forms that fusion, or new forms, are built. In fact, fusion cannot be performed or taught unless the teacher has an understanding of traditional forms- without the foundational knowledge, fusion and other alternative dances become a hodgepodge of cultures and costuming and style rather than a true fusion.

10. Does she offer regular classes in understanding the music? A good teacher understands the rhythms in the music and the emotions and takes time to educate her students in this form. She does not need to be a musician, but a good teacher should be able to identify and explain the foundation rhythms of the dance form. A good teacher will also ensure this information comes to her students via workshops or other teacher suggestions if necessary.

She is also aware of the theatrical nature of gesture and emotional expression in dance and helps her students work with these elements of dance.

11. Are her classes run professionally? A good teacher should have a grasp of simple business concepts so that her classes are well-organized and well-planned. Her classes have a beginning, middle and an end. Classes should have a curriculum plan, established levels of progress and a way that students can move into new levels of experience and training.

She provides students with resource lists for books and music to ensure they have a way to follow-up her training. She starts on time and shows respect for her students while teaching them to respect each other. She has knowledge of the legal issues surrounding music and dance copyright laws and instructs her students in same.

Since marketing is essential to business, you often find the best teachers giving lectures and presenting programs to educate the public regarding ethnic dance.

A good teacher also supports the music industry that feeds her by being properly licensed to use music in the studio and in performances. The teacher who masters the business side of her art ensures all licensing is in order, all taxes are paid properly, proper contracts are used in the class and workshops and all business records are maintained. This ensures there are no distractions to keep her from offering her students her best efforts.

12. Does she have a strong sense of ethics? There are instructors currently teaching who encourage unethical practices, who do not present a case for ethical behavior to their students. Teachers who encourage unethical behavior will ultimately harm both themselves and their students- but not before they have done much damage. Also, be wary of the teacher who spreads malicious, possibly unfounded gossip about other dancers- it is almost a guarantee that you will be her next target. Stealing someone’s good name through spreading falsehoods or innuendo is as bad as common theft. Stealing jobs, undercutting and other questionable practices are as bad.

13. Does she care about her community? A good teacher gives back to her community. She offers lectures and programs to educate the public regarding alternative dance. Dance is a community event and the good teacher ensures that her students are seen as contributing members of the community.

In Conclusion

While these elements do not guarantee a good teacher, you will usually find these qualities in the better instructors. Since it is your time, effort, health and money that is going into the classes, it is wise to seek out the best instructors available. And teachers, remember it is the responsibility and obligation of the instructor to be aware of what various teachers in your area have to offer, and to see how the individual student may benefit from each instructor.

(1) See “Video: Tool or Teacher? Substitute or Supplement?”