[Adishakti]

Hadia’s Teacher Training Levels I & II
Feb/Mar 2008, Montreal, QC

Combined, the training for Levels I & II amounted to 40hrs of study with Hadia. Each course was spread out over three intensive days and have been my most insightful and influential Oriental dance training to date.

Hadia’s teacher training focuses on a wealth of topics including safe and effective warm up, technique, and cool down, the breakdown of movements, correct alignment, anatomy, Oriental Rhythms, maqams, Arabic instruments, lesson and course planning, improvisation, finger cymbals, professionalism and ethics.

Under the instruction of Hadia, each student was expected to break down various movements and teach them to other workshop participants. We were actively involved in anatomical discussions and given countless ideas for delivering technique and concepts clearly to our students. Hadia does not just present you with the information in these workshops, but actively involves each student in class participation and discussion.

Many dance forms while beautiful, do cause damage to our bodies over time. Movements are often created based upon esthetic qualities and musical interpretation without concern to what they may be doing to our bodies and Oriental dance is no exception. Hadia explains exactly why certain movements and posture should be altered or avoided and is able to back up these claims with her anatomical studies. The program was a stark eye-opener for the many bad habits I, as well as most dancers have picked up from various instructors over the years. The changes required to apply what she had to teach during these courses will be many, but they are not difficult with adequate understanding.

This training is beneficial to students seeking to increase their own understanding of technique right up to Master Instructors. As teachers, we have a moral obligation to ensure the safety of our students and provide them with quality instruction. As someone with group fitness training with CanFit pro, I can attest that this program is not based on opinion and preference, but on fact. Hadia’s teacher training program ought to be a prerequisite for every belly dance teacher.

Adishakti
Kingston, ON