Thread: Beginner Level II Class Suggestions Needed

Hi Folks,

I just finished a 5 week beginner session and am now heading into another 5 week beginner level II session. I've taught the beginner part several times so it's pretty comfortable for me, but I'm struggling a bit with part II. Part of the class is learnng a piece of choreo for an optional performance at the end of the class, but I'm not sure what else to cover.
In part I we covered: hip hits/bumps, hip drops, hip & chest circles, hip & shoulder shimmies, arms, chest lifts, figure 8's, undulations/reverse undulations. We also started over up down but have not successfully moved that into an Arabic walk.

We've also worked on how to tie moves together to make combinations and a few simple traveling steps (grapevine, 3-step turns, etc.)

I think part of the class will be to focus on improving the moves but I'm torn about what else to add or how to make the most of these next 5 weeks. Any suggestions folks have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Kimberly

Originally Posted by kimsinclair

Hi Folks,

I just finished a 5 week beginner session and am now heading into another 5 week beginner level II session. I've taught the beginner part several times so it's pretty comfortable for me, but I'm struggling a bit with part II. Part of the class is learnng a piece of choreo for an optional performance at the end of the class, but I'm not sure what else to cover.
In part I we covered: hip hits/bumps, hip drops, hip & chest circles, hip & shoulder shimmies, arms, chest lifts, figure 8's, undulations/reverse undulations. We also started over up down but have not successfully moved that into an Arabic walk.

We've also worked on how to tie moves together to make combinations and a few simple traveling steps (grapevine, 3-step turns, etc.)

I think part of the class will be to focus on improving the moves but I'm torn about what else to add or how to make the most of these next 5 weeks. Any suggestions folks have would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Kimberly

Increased hip work, hip circles, traveling with hip circles, traveling with alternating chest circles and hip circles, 3 step turns with hip hits, 3 step turns with hip hits in a box. It's never too early to work on musicality, fitting movements into the music so that they make sense, intro to the different stylistic variations on music.

My level ones did the basics, level 2's refined the moves and started working on combinations.

If this is Suhaila format ignore the rest of this post, but if you're just looking for beyond-basic movement vocabulary to add to your list for next session you might include jewels, drop-kicks, belly contractions & pops, traveling inside circles & mayas, big hip circles, omis, 3/4 shimmy up and down (hagalla), twists, choo-choo patterns, and/or add to what you're covered with level changes, turns, and transitions.

Originally Posted by kimsinclair

In part I we covered: hip hits/bumps, hip drops, hip & chest circles, hip & shoulder shimmies, arms, chest lifts, figure 8's, undulations/reverse undulations. We also started over up down but have not successfully moved that into an Arabic walk.

We've also worked on how to tie moves together to make combinations and a few simple traveling steps (grapevine, 3-step turns, etc.)

Kimberly, how long are your classes that you've managed to pack all of that into 5 weeks?! I'm a good teacher, but I don't think I could get students to cover that sort of ground in one month, and have the moves being done with any significant quality of movement, nor really sticking in their "muscle memory". To be honest, I think that what you have taught in 5 weeks was far too much for any brand new beginner to take in. You're also including undulations/reverse undulations which are not a 5 week job as far as most teachers are concerned- these are moves that require strong abdominal control, and if students don't have that control, they risk hurting their backs.

If this were me, I would be focussing on Posture and Quality of Movement, sticking with those basic moves, maybe adding variations, but drilling them solidly, drilling transitions, making combinations using those basics/variations, and adding accents to give variety.

Originally Posted by beafarhana

Kimberly, how long are your classes that you've managed to pack all of that into 5 weeks?!

I was wondering the same thing!






(Nothing to suggest really, but curious to hear other opinions.)

I teach a lot of the same for my beginner classes. For my adv. beginners, I continue these, and add things like hip circles and travelling moves. A lot of time is spent on tweaking all the movements.
If you teach them good posture, and the proper way to do moves(I always remind my students that if they don't watch what they are doing they will hurt themselves and they are encouraged to practice responsibly...)they will be fine. My undulations are taught against a wall or on the floor before they do it standing up, and that's how they practice at beg. level.
I've found that many, many girls have already tried doing these on their own, and without a wall/floor aren't doing it right before they ever get to my class!!

Thank you everyone for some great suggestions. This is very helpful. Yes, you are right it is a lot to cover in just 5 weeks. Each class is an hour and 15 minutes. I usually pick 2 or 3 moves and introduce them each week. We work them with and without music and each week we continue to review. Some were introduced only briefly (such as undulations) and we do start with our backs to the wall to limit potential injury. One term I tried offering it at a much slower pace and attendance just plummeted. I'm not sure if it's because I teach in the gym or if college students (pardon the stereotype) have a hard time slowing down their pace. All of my students have done very well but we definitely need to spend some time refining technique. However, It's nice to have at least one new thing to introduce each week.
Thanks again.

I have my 'foundation' level classes broken down into four 6-week sessions, and we focus on a different 'family' of movements in each one Basic shimmies, slides, circles are part of every class (I use them in warm ups so we have to!) and I try to get one walking step, one spin and one shimmy into each class, beginner thru advanced because I think it is important to keep those things ever-fresh.

for the focus topics- I have travel instensive, slow & sinuous (taxim prep), drum solo prep (shimmies & locks) and veil (lots of spinning, arms & traveling)- all of these are at a basic level- I am not actually teaching drum solo or taxim to beginners, that is just how I frame the class in my own mind (we have really exciting names like session a, b, c, d...)
You could break it up any number of ways, but I find it helpful to have a 'theme' in my own mind when planning.

it's tricky to find that balance between teaching too much so you can't break things down sufficantly or they don't have enough time to absorb it VS teaching so little that students either get bored or frustrated when they are in class feeling like they need to learn something that takes months of practice by the end of the period

i remember being in class where the teacher was trying to teach us beginners a 3/4 shimmy (i think it was a 3/4 shimmy anyway..... ^_^) and she explained it a few ways, our hips were trying to make sense of it and she was frustrated, since we had to do it for the combo she was teaching us, and she exclaimed "i don't know how else to explain it!" in a tone that implied she had explained it well and there was something wrong with us for not having gotten in after 2 minutes. this is why i stress to the students that their bodies will catch up if they understand it, offer a lot of individual feed back, and then move on after some practice time. i want them to feel like they can move at their own pace (to the extent that they can participate in class safely)

i don't teach past first beginner level, but the way i think of it beginner levels are where you build movement vocabulary (and introduce musicality, culture, etc with enough emphasis to make sure students understand their importance and existence, but not so much that they are overwhelming) and what gets done with that vocabulary is refined and elaborated on in intermediate and advanced levels.

I had a pretty aggressive beginner class that was 10 weeks. The first five weeks we spent doing drills. Hip drops -3 ways, basic shimmy, ab work, hip circles, shoulder circles, basic traveling steps, etc. I spent the hour working on form and technique.

The next 5 weeks we spent the first half hour doing the drills, one after the other with no time for explanation. The second half hour was spent doing a choreography where I introduced a few steps that we didn't drill.

I wouldn't pressure a 10 week student to perform a solo. Even if it is choreographed. That's a little to soon in my opinion.

I had students do a brief improv at the end of class only after they had taken 20 weeks with me and the second ten weeks was mostly working on how to do that improv solo and most of the students had taken at least one BD class before they came to me.

If you're teaching them a choreography with the option of performing, I'd say the whole session will pretty much be taken up with that! They will need to drill the transitions, counting out the music, spacing themselves out evenly, entering and exiting, smiling... plus learning the choreography and drilling them on technique - that's a ton of stuff for only 5 weeks. If you are going to introduce new moves I'd keep it to only a few, and have that be a variation of moves they already know: ie travelling or bouncy hip circle.

Thanks again folks - again such helpful ideas. Yes, I realize that learning choreo is a but much but students have been pushing for an opportunity to showcase what they are learning and are very excited about a student showcase. It's a friendly and understanding audience so it should go well and I'm keeping it all very simple so the students can have fun which is what is most important. Plus perfoming is optional. No pressure.
Thanks again!
Kimberly

If you've taught your beginners quite a few moves in the first session, try doing something that allows the moves to 'sink in' in the next session. That is, don't teach new moves, but do something that allows them to practice and perfect what they've learnt. So, drill the moves but with varying arms. Or develop movement combos that match various rhythms. Use the basic moves in a simple choreography. Dance them saidi style vs cabaret style. Or use a veil to frame the moves.

I think at 5 weeks your students may not have quite mastered their new moves, and rather than overloading them with lots more technique, you can do some things to keep it interesting whilst in a 'consolidation' phase.

Great suggestion, Jewel. I do similar in the 12-week sessions that I teach. The first 6 weeks are spent working on technique, while in the final 6 we drill the movements already learned and combine them into a choreography.