Thread: A referral system...will that work??(kinda long)

So I'm here in a big city and I've been talking it up about how excited I am to be taking classes again and just getting back into the groove of things now that my surgeon says it's okay to sweat (i took a 10 week break! everything is healed, but boy am I stiff!!!)....and I keep getting people asking me to teach..w.:

I appreciate their confidence in my abilities but I don't know the stomping ground order around here- can I do here ( a large city) what I did in my previous rural residences? Can I teach a cardio based fitness class that has the distinct element of belly dance (hip lifts, drops, slides, circles, and shimmies)....and hand out the area teachers card for the students who want to really truly learn it all??? It worked great for me, I simply was reaching a wider audience for the area professional, helping her build a larger student base...

Is that considered stepping on toes? .p:: Is that rude once you come into a highly populated area? ..c::

I love spreading the joy and awesomeness of middle eastern dance - and I realize there will always be someone to learn from...I personally will never stop taking classes/workshops, etc....so I want to pursue this work opportunity...but I dunno if it means burning bridges I haven't even crossed yet....

Do you know and talk to the local bellydance teachers in your area? That might be the first step if you want to make sure that you're not stepping on anyone's toes.

They probably won't be thrilled with having a new BD teacher if they don't know who you are or what your background is. Once they know that your class will be different from what they do, that you are qualified to teach according to their standards and that you will refer students to their classes when they want to learn more about BD, they will probably like to work with you.

As someone who moved from an extremely rural and isolated area into a large metropolis, my advice is: tread carefully. Get to know the dancers in the area first. Networking is as important in this business as any other, I've learned. I admit that the first thing I think when I hear someone new is teaching (who I have never heard of) I wonder what their qualifications are. Youtube has me worried, I admit it!

Still, once you are familiar to the other dancers, I'm sure you'll do just fine.

The fact that you are already thinking in terms of what you can do for [I]them[I] through referrals shows that you have the right attitude to be in a collaborative relationship. Personally, I would be thrilled to have a "fitness-oriented" teacher referring students to more traditional classes. Of course, every situation is different. So, yes, get to know the teachers first and then frame your idea the same way you did here--what you can do for them.

Good luck!
Mira

Sorry for the delay.
Thank you for the advice you're all giving! I told the prospective job offer to hold up until the late fall or winter so I have time to find my own feet and see if i want to even take that on while going to grad school full time!! ..l;, ..l;, ..l;, I think it'll be a job in itself to get to know most of the area teachers

This post reminds me of one of the first to which I responded when I became a baby Bhuzzer.

? Question for taobellydancer: it almost sounds from your question and related text that you feel a need to kinda ask permission from "the community" in order to teach classes which, you indicate, are more like fitness classes than traditional dance classes; is this correct?

Deborah

Originally Posted by casbahdance

This post reminds me of one of the first to which I responded when I became a baby Bhuzzer.

? Question for taobellydancer: it almost sounds from your question and related text that you feel a need to kinda ask permission from "the community" in order to teach classes which, you indicate, are more like fitness classes than traditional dance classes; is this correct?

Deborah

Yup. you've nailed it right on the head....g.:

Hey Tao,
I started out bellydancing at a gym, a 4-week session. I didn't think I could dance but always wanted to bellydance. So, perfect that it was being held at the gym, where a gym-gal like myself could feel comfortable. At the end of the session, she re-directed us to some local area teachers. And here I am today and bellydance is what I live for. So, I think it's a cool idea to approach a teacher and talk about a collaborative relationship like that.

Originally Posted by taobellydancer

Yup. you've nailed it right on the head....g.:

You do not have to ask anyone's permission, get anybody's approval, get to know anyone in the "belly dance community," or any permutation thereof to start your own classes!

If your forte is teaching fitness-oriented classes with a splash of BD, then you go for it, girl!

What you will find beneficial for your reputation as a teacher of the type of class you offer is to find some of the best teachers you can in your area and refer your students who wish to continue learning more about the dance to them.

Common sense, of course, dictates that you don't offer competing classes at venues in your area, at least not initially. For example, if the local gym isn't offering anything related to BD, you'd be smart to promote yourself there, but you might want to wait on the parks district where someone is already teaching BD, unless you can verify that she/he is not doing a class anything like your own class.

I have purposely stayed away from recreation centers that already offer BD, even though I might teach either a different style or have a different teaching style or can offer it at a different time of day. I do this to avoid the "who does she think she is, horning in on my gig!" problems. However, recently I have seen a direct competitor offering his/her classes through the same recreation dept where another instructor has been teaching for over 15 years.

Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily; their classes are offered on different days and at completely different times. Not only that, but if you look at dance studios, don't they compete within themselves? After all, there is usually more one Ballet I class, is there not, taught by different teachers? Classes are on different days and at different times to meet the needs of the studio's clientele.

Well, it seems I have started rambling, so I'll end here for now.

Just remember, tao, nobody has a say in what you decide to offer to folks. Just be sure you know what you're doing and that you offer your best. It concerns me that a new kid on the block even thinks he/she needs to get a pass from the powers that be. .p::

You go, girl!

Deborah

You ladies rock my socks so much!
Deborah, thank you for your kind words and allowing a lot of clarity to my situation! Nepenthe, awesome awesome awesome!! I would love to think some of my previous gym students are BD addicts now!! Mira, Brea, Mekyria, thank you too for your advice and thoughts! All of you have helped clear my mind a bit, straighten out the thought process...


I'm formulating a plan to make this work starting in the fall...or sooner