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

[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

[Mahabellydance]

I second this! I've done level one and two as well and am so grateful that this training is out there. Hadia is an unparalleled instructor in her field and if you get a chance to take this invaluable course - do it! If you don't get a chance - make it happen! ;p

[Taj]

Sounds like this would be good training for non-teachers as well, Adi?

I wonder if Hadia will start allowing her program to be taught by some of her graduates. That'd be nice, as she's always so far away!

[Adishakti]

Originally Posted by Taj

Sounds like this would be good training for non-teachers as well, Adi?

I wonder if Hadia will start allowing her program to be taught by some of her graduates. That'd be nice, as she's always so far away!

Oh, for sure! I don't think it'd be suitable for beginners, but anyone of the intermediate/advanced level could really benefit from it on many levels. If you plan to take the course, I'd suggest doing her technique course this summer or at the very least getting her DVD set to familiarize yourself with her technique. The teaching course breaks down movements, but if you are not familiar with her technique to begin with, it could potentially eat up valuable time.

It would make you much more aware as a student and who you trust with your body. I'm not sure how to say this tactfully, but most people are harming their students on some level. There are certainly movements I will not be doing anymore or teaching my students!

Dance in general isn't very kind to our bodies - especially long term. But Oriental dance can be made beautiful AND safe. To me, it's a no-brainer! Especially if you're not 20yrs old anymore. This is a dance we can safely do right into our senior years if we take care.

The lovely Maha is helping to organize levels I & II in Toronto this summer.

[Mahabellydance]

That's right a few fellow Hadia fans and myself are working to bring Hadia here for teacher training courses here in August and Spring 2009. It's really not that hard to bring her if you're interested. You can find her at Belly Dancing -- Hadia's - Welcome to Hadia's Middle Eastern Dance -- Hadia's Belly Dancing.

:)

[Lauren_]

Originally Posted by Adishakti

There are certainly movements I will not be doing anymore or teaching my students!

Can you elaborate a little on this? Sounds like really important stuff! Which movements?

[Adishakti]

Originally Posted by Lauren_

Can you elaborate a little on this? Sounds like really important stuff! Which movements?

You know those cool-looking tick-tock movements where you angle each hip down alternately? Very back for your lower back and discs. I used to teach mayas with the heel up to start, then graduate to flat-footed to encourage use of abs and obliques to drive the movement rather than the legs. Also very bad for your lower back and hips. I'll be teaching an alternative to the tick-tock thing, and mayas will be taught with the heel up.

Other typical things that I don't do, but TONS of people adapt this bent-knee, pelvic tuck when dancing and it's very bad for your knees and lower back. It creates an imbalance in your quadriceps as the outside muscles gain more strength than the inner muscles and it pulls your kneecap outwards (kneecap is situated on top of these muscles). The pelvic tuck is often described as being done to help support the back, but that's gross ignorance. The back is supposed to be curved and keeping the pelvis tucked crushes the discs and grinds vertebrae together. You do not want to cause permanent damage to those discs, or it'll cause some serious irreversible (and painful) damage.

It's not that you can't tuck in your pelvis, but maintaining any posture too much is going to cause damage and/or discomfort.

Plus this whole - don't let your head move while your lower body does it's thing... also not good on your lower back or hips and it's much prettier to let your upper body dance too. All this jarring that's going on too... terrible whatever joint you're bashing into place.




The anatomy and safety was more thorough than my CanFit Pro training! You aren't forced to memorize muscle and bone names, but rather UNDERSTAND how they work and how they can be applied to dance in safe and effective ways.

[Adishakti]

Here's an old video of me... at 1:34, I do some of those tick-tock things. Bad, bad.

YouTube - Adishakti - El Fen

And you know, if I remember right... I was having lower back issues when I was working on that piece which makes total sense to me now.

As for posture, I hate to post an example, particularly since this girl is so adorable, but it's important. Here she talks about protecting the lower back, but this is a very popular posture in belly dance that is detrimental to your body. (The tuck harms, not helps).

YouTube - The Art of Belly Dancing: Video Lessons...

Most hip movement, within a comfortable range of motion does not harm the back at all. I'm not saying you can't bend the knees or tuck the pelvis... it's just not a posture you should apply as a standard or neutral in dance. Besides that, try tucking like this and bending the knees... hold it... now walk. Does it look pretty? ;-)

Anyhow, I think that's about all I should share... There's tons more, but this will give you an idea. For more info, you've got to take the course. ;-) Hadia does a much better job at describing these things than I do, anyway! And better still, she clearly illustrates and proves her findings.

[Rafiqa_Sadah]

Does Hadia (or do you) recommend any sources to learn more about the physiology ...any books, videos? It's good to have this info for dancing, and even general movement, exercise, etc.

[Adishakti]

Originally Posted by Rafiqa_Sadah

Does Hadia (or do you) recommend any sources to learn more about the physiology ...any books, videos? It's good to have this info for dancing, and even general movement, exercise, etc.

I'd have to ask her, but my guess is she'd just say "take the course"
I have a lot of books here from my CanFit Pro training, but unfortunately, a lot of it is outdated. It'd be interesting to see if they've made any updates. (Canada's CanFit rivals the US' Ace certification).

[Rafiqa_Sadah]

[quote=Adishakti;139201]I'd have to ask her, but my guess is she'd just say "take the course"

I saw *that* coming!!

Ah, well, in the meantime I will just have to soak up all I can from Zahrah!

[Adishakti]

[quote=Rafiqa_Sadah;139207]

Originally Posted by Adishakti

I'd have to ask her, but my guess is she'd just say "take the course"

I saw *that* coming!!

Ah, well, in the meantime I will just have to soak up all I can from Zahrah!

Yeah, I can totally see her saying that as a first response, but I will ask her anyway.

Zahrah is your teacher? Lucky girl!!!! Such a sweetie and a very talented dancer, indeed!

[Rafiqa_Sadah]

Yep. I take classes with both her and Sabra; and I know my technique education has been lacking with previous teachers.

[Lauren_]

Thank you for sharing! I was familiar with those, EXCEPT for the mayas with heels down. (some of it I learned from Hadia in the first place!) Interesting about the mayas.

I teach soft knees & a 'neutral' pelvis, not fully tucked but not relaxed all the way back either. I wonder whether that's within the range of what she meant?

I get students who've worked with videos coming in with that bent-knees, hard-tucked pelvic posture -- ugh. But to a noob, how could their local small-town instructor POSSIBLY know better than Suzy Famous-Tassles who's produced a DVD and is therefore a World-Renowned Expert???

[Taj]

Poop. I *like* doing those tick-tock hips. But you're right--they don't *feel* good.

Maybe just this one dance.

[ssipes]

Originally Posted by Adishakti

You know those cool-looking tick-tock movements where you angle each hip down alternately? Very back for your lower back and discs.

Are you saying that weighted down hips in general are bad? As in Souhair Zaki's signature movement? Because that takes out a huge chunk of the modern Egyptian movement vocabulary.

Sedonia

[shems]

Originally Posted by Adishakti

The lovely Maha is helping to organize levels I & II in Toronto this summer.

I hope this wont overlap Ahlan Cairo Nights in Dallas. I think I'd really like to attend, but I promised myself Ahlan this year.