Thread: teaching workshops and looking the part

something that's been worrying me about my cape town trip:

how would students feel about a workshop instructor wearing glasses?

i 'd be putting in my lenses for the show ofcourse, and the veil workshop, but my eyes are really really unhappy at the moment, and after 12h on a flight it'll be even worse, so i'd like to minimize wearing my lenses... and teach the other workshops wearing my glasses. they dont bother me at all and i teach all my weekly classes wearing my glasses. when teaching workhops i've usually made an effort "to look the part", including makeup and lenses...

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

when teaching workhops i've usually made an effort "to look the part", including makeup and lenses...

Look the part, but don't let the part hurt you!

Overall, I think it's fine. I know that I personally don't look down on an instructor for wearing glasses. From what I've seen and observed, students at workshops will care far more that you're comfortable, and able to see and correct them (if you use that style of teaching) than about your glasses. And to some folks, you'll even improve a wee bit, since glasses equate for some to "studious and serious"...

I've seen Carolena Nericchio teach a workshop in glasses - and there could be no doubt in her appearance at all that she is a competent and professional teacher. It seemed natural to me that she wore her glasses while teaching, a bit that we saw the teacher, and not the performer.

since I got my new awesome frames, the few times when I was on tour, and there wasn't much time to get ready between arriving and teaching, I left my glasses on. I just update my eyes and lips with a touch of make-up, check the hair and do it. I like my new glasses that much, and my eyes were happier for it.

i teach in glasses & melos & a hipscarve & look plenty bellydance teachery. tina

I don't see any problem at all with teaching in glasses -- I don't think I would even think about it. Your "look" as an instructor certainly doesn't need to be the same as how you would present yourself onstage.

Now performing in glasses -- that's another thing. I saw a woman recently perform wearing her glasses, and with her fabulous costume it just looked sort of odd. Never saw anyone do that before. Anybody else ever seen anyone do this?

Morocco also teaches seminars (and I assume her regular classes) in glasses and a snood. No one has a problem with that. You are still "on" when you are teaching, but it's certainly not the same as being "in performance".

I've seen student/hafla level dancers who dance in glasses, and it doesn't bother me. But yeah, I think it would be kind of odd to see a pro dancer performing in glasses. I know mine would fall off if I tried it, I like to spin and toss my head too much!

I've had several teachers who wear glasses while teaching. I think its fine!

well, firstly you need to think about your own personal comfort level. If your eyes are annoying you, you will teach less well. I remember being surprised at one teacher that had glasses and severe pull backed hair where I went for a burlesque class once. I also once hired a visiting teacher who was a large lady, and people were prejudiced against how she looked at the start (I could just feel it in the room). I got over my glasses thing, and the class got over their sizist thing the moment the teacher showed that they knew their stuff.

Add Artemis to the list of beglassed teachers. If Artie and Rocky can do it, so can you!

Kitty

No problems with glasses - I'm more interested in their teaching ability. Very hard to teach if you can't see the students clearly.

I would prefer that my teacher look a bit more glamorous than I do at the gym ..l;, but I would not at all expect her to look like she would on stage. Glasses are fine. I always pull my hair back into a pony tail when I teach, b/c I don't want to be distracted by it. I think you would probably be a better teacher in your glasses (because you'll be comfier and non-distracted), so you should wear them.

hi

thanks all. probably worrying for nothing ;-) i know.... i teach my weekly classes in glasses and have been doing so for yeaars... but when teaching outside the comfort of my own school, i've always 'dressed up' a bit more... including lenses.... i know my own students are comfortable with me wearing glasses and shpwing up in just about anything clothes wise too..., i just know how important first impression is. i'll just have to win them over with the contents of the workshop wont i ;-)

i have minus 10 in one eye, and minus 6 in the other. meaning i dont see much at all without them... it's even taken years to find lenses that work for me...

wearing glasses when performing. well, when i first started performing, i was wearing glasses, never had tried lenses, and my optician could not find lenses that matched my euh, defect. they all caused distortions. so i really really hated my teacher then for making we wear lenses!!!.
for myself i've decided that in my student troupe, and for student recital, glasses are 100% fine. i dont want to cause unneccesary discomfort to my students. if audiences dont like it... tough ;-) at our own hafla's i sometimes perform in glasses myself. who cares! the dancing matters right...

for the pro-performances.... hm, i struggled with this. but no, no glasses... (not talking bout myself, but about deciding this about my troupe members)... though, having had the problems i had myself, i do hope i never have a student who cannot wear lenses. i would really hate, hate, to have to refuse someone on the basis of that, remmebering my own double sight, head aches and multi colour view of the world when we couldnt find the right lenses... i have a few students that really struggle with them...

Artemisia

I can't even count how many teachers I've seen in glasses. I believe Aida Nour wears them. And one of the things I've enjoyed re workshops with visiting teachers is seeing them transform from Bespectacled Lady In Sweats to Glamorous Queen Of The Stage.

Hadia will wear them for teaching too as I recall. I think glasses are fine. :)

I would have no problem with an instructor at a workshop wearing glasses. We all know, that individuals often wear contacts to perform but that doesn't mean you have to be uncomfortable and "look the part" when you are instructing a workshop. Personally, I'd much rather have a very competent instructor, glasses or no glasses.

I struggled for years to try to find a suitable contact lens. The hard lens that I first wore was okay for one eye but I could only wear it for about four hours in the other eye. No matter what shaping the doctor did to the lens, it was just not comfortable. Then, they came out with a soft lens for my eye type and wow - so much nicer. I can wear my contacts for hours with no problems. So, I do well understand about people that have problems wearing contacts. It just doesn't seem fair to limit them from troupe performing if they are wonderful dancers!

Whoa, minus 10 and minus 6?!! That is exactly double my script and I thought I was short-sighted! I think we glass-wearing bellydancers should start a support group - Myopic Bellydancers R Us (then again, that'd exclude the long-sighted ones). I agree glasses are fine in the classroom - as are sensible shoes, hair-dos and practice attire. Enhanced with bling and colour. Maybe we can design a line of sparkly bellydance glass frames???

I think it would be awful for a teacher to make students dance in their recital without glasses (against their wishes, that is). Once, in my choir, the Producer decided we weren't allowed to wear glasses on stage because they reflect the stage lights. I point-blank refused to take them off 9I didn't own contacts at the time). Only a person who has 20-20 vision would be so naive. Imagine the consequences if you fell off the stage !

Originally Posted by TediThomas

Morocco also teaches seminars (and I assume her regular classes) in glasses and a snood.

Tedi, I was thinking the same thing!! Glasses and sensible shoes, and she kicked my ass for sure.

I have heard of some well-known teachers that teach in full (full) makeup and giant hair pieces.

Now that's wierd.

Sedonia

artemis, have you considered corrective surgery for your eyes? I know its a very personal choice, but worththinking about. I have two identical twin uncles, one flew to south africa to have the surgery (its cheaper there, and he might have been living in a nearby country at the time - i forget), the other uncle felt it wasn't right for him, (he couldn't accept any level of risk). So the uncle who had it done says its the best thing he ever did, and wishes he did it years ago.

I was recently in a class witha well known dancer who had near on full make-up and special costume on (it looked like she'd had some special practice costumes made.) I figured that she probably hasn't been awake during the daytime for sometime, and this is how she presents herself to the world now. One day, we will all forget how to go bare skinned (as I do most of the time), or to do 'natural' looking face !

i hope you do wear your glasses. you should feel comfortable to be yourself. besides you will look both "belly dance" and "teacher" :)

i wear glasses all the time except for performance. if i am teaching, its more important to me that i can see the students well to help with their movements, than to struggle with the slightly diminished vision i get from contact lenses. quite frankly, i don't think students generally care so much about that kind of thing. they are more interested in learning quality material from a qualified teacher.

hope it goes well.

surgery would not get me to zero, but to minus 2 or something. i dont want to take the risks involved, and then still need glasses anyway... and riks NOT being able to wear lenses. that would be even worse for dancing than now.

if my eyesight deteriorates further (which it has been doing over the years) one option is a lense implantation, combined with corrective surgery.
the problem for all those ops is that they want your eyes to be more or less stable (not deteriorating further)... and mine are a bit unpredictable apparently

Originally Posted by Bellydancingcaroline

artemis, have you considered corrective surgery for your eyes? I know its a very personal choice, but worththinking about. I have two identical twin uncles, one flew to south africa to have the surgery (its cheaper there, and he might have been living in a nearby country at the time - i forget), the other uncle felt it wasn't right for him, (he couldn't accept any level of risk). So the uncle who had it done says its the best thing he ever did, and wishes he did it years ago.

My darling, when you come to teach me at JoY next year, you can wear your specs and I'll wear mine!

you should see me do my veil wraps in specs.. quite spectacular..

Originally Posted by lizajuk

My darling, when you come to teach me at JoY next year, you can wear your specs and I'll wear mine!

I don't care if you wear glasses or not. What I'm concerned with is the subject matter.

Not meaning to go off topic but, are there contact lenses for reading? Will that effect my normal vision. I am often given hand outs in class and I can't read it without my glasses and then i'm trying to dance and keep them from falling off.

hey
yes there are contact lenses for reading, there are even multifocal contact lenses (like glasses can combine both a part for far away and a part for reading), though i'm not sure i understand how they work, something to do with circles...

and if your glasses fall off, time to get a new pair and get it properly fitted. my posture improved a lot once i started getting glasses that 'stayed put'.

Thanks Artemisia!

I wish you could find some solution for the surgery. It´s totally woth it I promise you. I just came back from Turkey, where I got corrective eye surgery and my vision is now 100%. I used to have a hard time with lenses, I always got headaches from using them and I only did so during performances. As soon as it was over I had to take them out and I always tought with glasses and can´t see any problem with that. Let me know if you want some info on the doctors in Turkey. They are really really good, much more advanced in technology that I could ever have dreamt off and much better than here in northern europe.

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

surgery would not get me to zero, but to minus 2 or something. i dont want to take the risks involved, and then still need glasses anyway... and riks NOT being able to wear lenses. that would be even worse for dancing than now.

if my eyesight deteriorates further (which it has been doing over the years) one option is a lense implantation, combined with corrective surgery.
the problem for all those ops is that they want your eyes to be more or less stable (not deteriorating further)... and mine are a bit unpredictable apparently

in turkey??? werent you scared? (not that its a third world country, but you know, i mean, having it done in another country, different language, hospital and dokters you dont know..whow! brave girl!!!
it scares me to death anyhow, never mind going abroad for it.
so glad it worked out for you?
so what was your myopy (english?) before surgery? also pretty strong glasses?

yes, do email me the info on the eye clinic you went too... hmm, i dont think i'd dare though. i have to make a check up appointment with my eye docter again in a few weeks, i'll bring up the subject again. she already set we might need to look elsewhere as the loca clinics might be too conservative. though i actually dont mind that, i'd prefer getting a procedure that is truly tested, and not something experimental...?

Originally Posted by Soheir_Iceland

I wish you could find some solution for the surgery. It´s totally woth it I promise you. I just came back from Turkey, where I got corrective eye surgery and my vision is now 100%. I used to have a hard time with lenses, I always got headaches from using them and I only did so during performances. As soon as it was over I had to take them out and I always tought with glasses and can´t see any problem with that. Let me know if you want some info on the doctors in Turkey. They are really really good, much more advanced in technology that I could ever have dreamt off and much better than here in northern europe.