Thread: Can't find the "right instruction." What do I do?

Hello Beautiful Bhuzzers!

It's been a long time since I've posted but I need some advice from you all--particularly those of you who are seasoned dancers or instructors. Sorry if this is lengthy.

I've been doing bellydance for almost 7 years now but I don't take classes regularly. While I am pretty good for someone who doesn't take regular instruction I know that I need to do so, so that I may improve, enhance my skills and take my dancing to a new level.

I take classes but I don't stick with them because I am not satisfied with the way the classes are structured. I feel like I am learning the same beginner steps over and over again and want instruction that's a bit more advanced.

I have taken classes with some of the "most popular" instructors in my area and I am not satisfied with what I am getting from the classes. The instructor whom I enjoy the most, while she is really good and I get more out of her classes than others from a technical standpoint, she talks more than she teaches and I don't feel like I am learning anything new.

The instructor I first started learning from, she is an amazing instructor, but since I started learning from her, her classes have really grown and she now has more than one studio. Because her studio has really grown she has dancers who are students now teaching her classes. I recently took a class with one of her instructors to get myself back on the horse and I was basically learning stuff I already knew, with the exception of 2 steps. The instructor has only been studying bellydance for one year and she's teaching a class. While she dances well for someone whose only been bellydancing since 2007, she didn't breaks things down well in my opinion, didn't seem really knowledgeable and I left the class feeling like I didn't get anything out of it. Well I did learn a new choreography so I can't say I got nothing.

The studio is set up to where you have to pay to take several beginner level courses before you can advance and I don't want to go through this because again, I already know most of what is being taught. There are a couple I find useful that I wouldn't mind taking, but since I can't advance without taking ALL of them, I don't want to waste my time or money.

If I spend money on one more class to only to learn how to do another wrist circle, snake arm, hip drop or maya I am going to scream!!!

I tried my hand at a tribal class but that was just too much going on for me. There are plenty of other instructors in my area but they are too far from me with inconvenient class times or are way too expensive, charging $20 or more per class.

I know it is not best to rely on video instruction but I feel that I get more out of videos than I do from an actual class. I am to the point now that I just want to stick to my videos and take an occassional workshop.

Have any of you ever gone through this? For those of you who are instructors, what would you suggest?

How about private lessons? For these to be effective, you should be able to tell the teacher what you already know and what direction you would like to go in.

oops, ended a sentence with a preposition...

going over the basics is like eating your vegetables.. it's good for you. tinah

Hi Tinah,

The basics are the foundation of every choreography from intermediate to advanced and I have no issue with practicing the basics on my own time.
However I get tired of spending money to learn the same steps over and over again. I'm tired of paying to go into a class and then getting, "Ok! This is how we do wrist circles."

Originally Posted by bintbeled

How about private lessons? For these to be effective, you should be able to tell the teacher what you already know and what direction you would like to go in.

I have considered getting private lessons but they are out of my budget. If I do privates I could probably only do one private session per month. I definitely could not afford to do them weekly. But it may be worth it to do them even if only a couple of hours once a month and just really practice what I learn from the private lessons with what I already know.

Originally Posted by saheli

Hi Tinah,

The basics are the foundation of every choreography from intermediate to advanced and I have no issue with practicing the basics on my own time.
However I get tired of spending money to learn the same steps over and over again. I'm tired of paying to go into a class and then getting, "Ok! This is how we do wrist circles."

consider this, how would the instructor know that you have the basics?

I feel your pain! I get impatient in group classes and, when I took them regularly, would always end up skipping one or two per session. I'm fortunate that the studio I used to attend began offering intensive half-hour technique classes, so I'm dipping my toe back in there and enjoying it much more than I expected. What I *really* appreciate, after a 3-year hiatus from regular class, is getting feedback from the instructor. Obviously, you're not going to get that from a video or, in most cases, from a workshop instructor.

I second Latifa's suggestion about privates. I'm considering this too (as soon as I figure out what I want to work on!) You'll get to work on what *you* want, and maybe after a few private lessons that studio can waive the requirement for taking all the basics classes.

Originally Posted by saheli

I have considered getting private lessons but they are out of my budget. If I do privates I could probably only do one private session per month. I definitely could not afford to do them weekly. But it may be worth it to do them even if only a couple of hours once a month and just really practice what I learn from the private lessons with what I already know.

Saheli, at your experience level, a private coaching session once per month is going to be more valuable than weekly classes that don't challenge you.

You should develop some goals and then find a teacher who will help you work on them.

Originally Posted by Taj

I feel your pain! I get impatient in group classes and, when I took them regularly, would always end up skipping one or two per session. I'm fortunate that the studio I used to attend began offering intensive half-hour technique classes, so I'm dipping my toe back in there and enjoying it much more than I expected. What I *really* appreciate, after a 3-year hiatus from regular class, is getting feedback from the instructor. Obviously, you're not going to get that from a video or, in most cases, from a workshop instructor.

I second Latifa's suggestion about privates. I'm considering this too (as soon as I figure out what I want to work on!) You'll get to work on what *you* want, and maybe after a few private lessons that studio can waive the requirement for taking all the basics classes.

I talked to the instructor and they will not waive the basics requirements, not even with an audition. I think it's a money-making thing.

I know something I do not get in a weekly group class is a feedback. The last class I took, whenever I'd ask questions the instructor would be real short or look at me funny and would not break certain things down for the class and never took the time to correct anyone doing the movements wrong. It's that kind of stuff that annoys me and makes me want to keep my money in my pocket. Bellydance is expensive to take up and I at least want to feel like I am getting my money's worth and I never feel that in a group class.

I second (third? fourth?) the private lessons. I think once a month is completely adequate and gives you time to practice and do your 'homework' between sessions.

Also agree with ssipes that you should agree goals with the instructor to get the most out of the sessions.

Saheli, I think most teachers are willing to work with students on a budget. I have some students that come once a month, and I give them enough homework to keep them busy and growing in between.

Saheli,

I will co-sign with the advice here thus far. Begin taking private lessons. These are invaluable and worth the investment. Like any fine art, unfortunately the higher you move up in this dance, the more you can be expected to invest more time and money. Doing private lessons with a qualified (notice I did not say popular) instructor will make your investment pay off in the future.

Years ago, during a segment of my structured learning development, I stopped taking regular classes in my local area and began booking time with instructors one on one. I would fly or take a train to actually study, not just do a workshop. Usually for an entire week or weekend. I also was pretty surprised that "famous" instructors were not as expensive as I thought they were. Actually, workshops with the same instructors were more expensive than a batch of private lessons. Then I began seeking the instructors of the "famous" dancers. It made the experience more endearing, educational, and I gained 2 dance mentors. One American and one Egyptian. To this day, their guidance and support was worth just as much if not more than the local classes. This is not to say local classes are moot, by all means. But there does indeed come a time when more intensive one-on-one training with an instructor is needed.

If you can't afford it now, save up and make it a special birthday trip. That is how I first did mine! ..l;,

Good luck!

Lotus Niraja

Originally Posted by saheli

I talked to the instructor and they will not waive the basics requirements, not even with an audition. I think it's a money-making thing.

Just for curiosity's sake, was "the instructor" that you talked to the actual instructor that you think teaches well, or was it one of her minions? If it was a minion, that person might not feel empowered to make decisions, and I'd suggest asking the studio owner.

If this were the only behavior that's making you raise your eyebrows, I'd suggest that maybe they're trying to apply the policy consistently. In other words, if they made an exception for you, however worthy you might be of an exception, then they'd feel compelled to make exceptions for others as well - others who might not be as worthy as you.

However...

The last class I took, whenever I'd ask questions the instructor would be real short or look at me funny and would not break certain things down for the class and never took the time to correct anyone doing the movements wrong.

This, combined with the refusal to let you audition to skip the basics, does suggest to me that the studio owner is more interested in money than in providing a useful classroom experience to her students. The fact that she has handed over instruction responsibilities to unqualified people says a lot.

Consider:

• They are short with you and look at you funny? I'm guessing that's because they actually aren't capable of answering intelligently, so they're trying to use intimidation to make you keep your mouth shut.
• They don't break things down for the class? They probably lack the ability to analyze and explain the move.
• They don't correct people who are doing the moves wrong? Well, either they are timid about confronting someone with a correction, or they are unskilled at recognizing bad technique and correcting it.

The above points, combined with the fact that you say these assistant instructors have been dancing for only about a year, suggests to me that the instructor is more interested in taking people's money than she is in ensuring that they receive a quality classroom experience in exchange for their money. I wouldn't waste another dime on those group classes.

I concur with those that suggest one private lesson a month may be your best option, providing you have a local instructor whom you deem good enough at teaching to provide your money's worth in a private lesson. Go into it with a specific plan for what you want to do in the lesson, and tell the teacher in advance so she can collect her thoughts before the lesson itself.

Chiming in on the once a month private lessons with a qualified teacher advice. Sounds like the best way for you to go now.

You ladies always give such wonderful advice. I hadn't seriously considered private lessons as an option before but I think this would in fact be the best way for me to go.

I will contact the teacher who I really like to get her prices for private lessons. But before I do this I think I want to write down not only what I want to get out of private instruction but what my bellydance goals are overall so I can make a more informed decision.

Shira, a friend of mine took a class with another one of her minions. The instructor was teaching mayas and one of the students asked her which muscles are used to execute the movement, to which her response was, "You use the muscles that it takes." What the h**l?! LOL! My friend also left the studio because she felt the director was too money-grubbing.

Lotus, it not so much that I don't want to spend the money. Since I am on a budget I just don't want to feel like I am walking away empty-handed or that I am wasting my money. I want a return on my investment so to speak. But I will save for at least one workshop per year with a known dancer. That would be invaluable for me.

5th-ing the private lessons once a month. My teacher is in Chicago, a 90 minute drive each way for me, so there's no way I can afford to do weekly classes with her. Like Bintbeled mentioned, she gives me lots of stuff to work on in the meantime and it's been extremely effective in improving my dancing.

You are on the right track with going in with specific goals. This will also help you get a lot out of private lessons.

I contacted my former instructor about the private lessons. Her private instruction is very reasonable. My friend and I are going to start semi-private lessons next week.

I sent her my list of areas I want to work on. She was impressed with my list. She says I am way too advanced for beginner classes and will help me improve on those specific areas at my own pace.

I'll update you guys and let you know how it goes. Thanks again for your advice!

Originally Posted by saheli

I contacted my former instructor about the private lessons. Her private instruction is very reasonable. My friend and I are going to start semi-private lessons next week.

I sent her my list of areas I want to work on. She was impressed with my list. She says I am way too advanced for beginner classes and will help me improve on those specific areas at my own pace.

I'll update you guys and let you know how it goes. Thanks again for your advice!

Sounds like you have a great plan! Good luck.

Souzan

Originally Posted by saheli

I contacted my former instructor about the private lessons. Her private instruction is very reasonable. My friend and I are going to start semi-private lessons next week.

I sent her my list of areas I want to work on. She was impressed with my list. She says I am way too advanced for beginner classes and will help me improve on those specific areas at my own pace.

I'll update you guys and let you know how it goes. Thanks again for your advice!

Good for you for making a list! It sounds like you're well on your way to finding a study regime that works for you. Zen Buddhist hubby always tells me that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear" and perhaps you were simply waiting to get organized and focused

As you venture forth on your private lesson adventure, I'd suggest making up a practice journal/notebook. I confess to being a complete belly-nerd when it comes to this (I've got, ergh, 10 notebooks full - about 2 per year of dance!) but they come in so helpful, especially when you hit your next learning plateau and want to review everything you've learned. Everyone has a different method of taking notes so there's not necessarily a clear set way to do it, but if you can find a way to jot down your thoughts, ideas, "lightbulb" moments, and struggles, you'll be amazed at how much you can grow as a dancer.