Thread: Things to work on in intermediate class !

Any suggestions of things I can work on with my intermediates. I dont want them to get bored. I have had them for a while now. I feel like I am losing inspiration. I plan to break down a different rhythm each work and work on movements that work with each rhythm. Any other suggestions or ideas. Thanks

What have you done with them so far? (so we don't suggest that!)

some of mine are weird but I'll throw them out there:
have you started improv with them? if not, good time to
facial expressions. it's all part of the dance. sure, they may be able to do a great camel but if they are pulling awkward faces when they are doing it then it detracts from the overall look
zills? (I regret that I didn't learn zills from beginner stage...I think it is harder to learn them once you know how to dance)
spatial awareness? I know that sounds weird but if you haven't addressed it with them now is a good time to...coz once they are professional clients will be well peeved with a dancer that bumps into them, sends plates flying etc.

Our teacher focused alot of stage presence and being aware of our posture for the intermed. class. She also, threw in some salsa lessons when it started to get dull. We all really liked that.
Hope this helps!!!

My intermediate (2nd level) students work on
- Layering (shimmies over undulations, hip slides & hip circles at this level)
- Traveling shimmies (3/4 up, down & out, choo choo)
- Rhythms & movements/combos that go with them, and finger cymbals
- Cleaning up technique, building strong posture & arms
(I'm pretty lenient with my Level 1 folks, but if they decide to stick with it, it's time to clean up any bad habits they may be forming)

I also teach several choreographies at this level designed to teach the differences between styles. We do American-style veilwork, Saidi w/cane, Egyptian sharki, etc.

I sometimes include a little floorwork, especially with chiftitelli rhythms.

I find intermediate the hardest level to teach because I want to start introducing them to the many aspects of bellydance outside of basic technique (styles, rhythms, music, props, etc) but then get frustrated when I realise they still need to learn and drill so much technique. So I tend to do a mix. Usually I'll pick 2-3 'themes' of subject matter for each term (~9 weeks). One will always be techniques, such as speeding up 3/4 shimmies, layering shimmies, 'internalising' undulations, etc. Then I'll pick 1-2 things from the following:
- Props (veil, cane, zills, later balancing);
- Studying a few rhythms (listen to basic rhythm, practice moves, listening to the rhythm in songs);
- Choreography
- Improvising (early on, just some short, guided exercises. As they advance, we might 'study' a particular song - talk about the feel of the music, what moves go with it, practice various ways of improvising to it)
- Particular dance style (khaleegy, saiidi, 'Cairo' style, etc).

In each class we might work on two of the themes (albeit always with a bit of technique thrown in), but varying each week to cover all three over the term.

I take the same tack as jewelbellydance- there's always going to be "Technique"- posture, grounding/elevation, drilling, bringing in new variations, things I learn at workshops (I love to share the shiny new stuff I learn!)

Then there will be an Interpretative element, which I often use as a theme for each term/semester of 10/12 weeks, so we can explore it in some depth. It may be learning a Choreography, or Improvisation, or it may be working more on personal interpretation- expressing emotion, "acting" a character, allowing one's personality to infuse one's dancing- or it may be a specific style (Khaligi, Sa'aidi, Baladi, Golden Age Oriental, Modern Oriental, etc) or a specific skill (Veil, sagat, floorwork, creating dance combinations)

This term the Interpretation side is a bit of a experiment- I'm teaching Dance Creation, so they learn how to create their own choreography. We've only just started, so I'm not sure how successful it may or may not be, but it seems to be appreciated.

- props (veil, cane, zills)
- "songs every bellydancer should now"
- change the warm up every now and then
- "my first solo"
- rhytms
- specific styles
- combinations and what to do with them
- layering
- arm drilss
- isolation drills

and generally, when feeling lack of inspiration as a teacher; it's time to take some workshops/private classes/intensive week/ get new dvds, new cds... and get some new imput for yourself, half a year later that starts seeping into my classes...

artemisia

Oh yes, workshops! It's so exciting bringing back a taste of a 'style' that I've picked up in a workshop. I'm never quite sure if the students are as excited as I am, though. Aida Who? Yasmina of Where???!!!

I have gone to a few workshops, but lately they have been lacking. I took a drum workshop that was really great last weekend, but it was a drum solo. I wish we had more technique workshops. SOmething with more substance. I really enjoy hearing your ideas. I gain more inspiration from you ladies that have been teaching awhile. Thanks

Great thread! It's nice to see what others are doing. I do layering shimmies, strength and flexibility training, greater emphasis on posture, props, rhythm identification and zylls. Also polish presentation.

Of course, technique refinement as well!!

hi katina!

i set my intermediate classes up so that they're in themed 8 week sessions. this helps me out because, if i have a structure, then i don't have to worry too much about what i'm going to do in class that night Plus, being incredibly anal about recording things for posterity and to pass on, this gives me plenty of time to create weekly handouts for my girls. Here are some of the 8 week sessions I've done in the past (and am planning to do in the future!):

* Props I (candles, veils, balancing)
* Props II (cane, more balancing with different objects, double veil, mini-choreography)
* Basic Rhythms (1 rhythm a week, last week review)
* Classical Combinations (pure Egyptian style combos)
* Drills (8 weeks of drilling set up in combinations to review technique)
* Zils (how to play, new and old movements with them, etc)
* Folkloric (history and types of folkloric dances)
* Floorwork (drilling to prepare for it, movement, and a choreography for it)
* Create your own dance (we work with 2 pieces of music...and each dancer selects movements and emotional stylization that will go with specific sections)
* Cabaret Combinations (using more American Cabaret style movements)

I try to vary it between an 8 week session of learning movements or combinations with one of choreography - alternating between the two so that my students will have LOTS of material. Often I'll do a couple weeks in between sessions where we review. I also teach tribal improv/fusion and WOULD consider possibly doing a fusion type class for my intermediates, but I like to keep that separate. You could always do "intro" classes though (run a class that was an "intro to gypsy, turkish, tribal, fusion, etc. stylization" for example. Hope this helps!

hope this helps!

Wow Misha that is very helpful. You have a lot of really great ideas. That has helped a lot. THere has been many exciting ideas here.

There was a thread on the old bhuz about "brain teasers." That would be great for an intermediate class.