Since any one can purchase a video and declare themselves a belly dance instructor, the need to be selective is highly critical.  Here are some helpful tips to consider when seeking a supportive and legitimate learning environment:

• Ask to observe a class.  Usually the more advanced dancers won't mind (although a beginning class might be reluctant).  You'll be able to see the teacher's style and the way she/he communicates with the students.

• The teacher should start each class with warm-ups.  It is essential for the prevention of injuries to warm up the muscles prior to dancing.  Five to ten minutes is ample time to warm up the muscles.

• The teacher should stress the importance of correct stance, posture, and alignment.  Maintaining the correct stance is crucial for preventing injuries and many poorly trained teachers completely disregard it.  Briefly, the legs should be slightly bent, the weight should be centered in the hips and evenly distributed over both feet, the pelvis should be slightly tucked to flatten out that lower back, the shoulders should be back, and the chest should be forward.

• The teacher should correct any moves done improperly while allowing the students to express their own individual styles.  Students feeling stifled by their instructor should consider trying out a different teacher.  On the other hand, teachers who don't correct or offer suggestions on improvement are wasting your money.  They are there to TEACH.

• The teacher should be playing Middle Eastern (ME) music.  ME rhythms are quite different than American Hip-Hop, and learning the nuances of the music is part of learning the dance.  Other styles are fine for warm ups, but only ME music should be used for drills and choreography.

•  The teacher’s instructional method should match the student’s learning style.  Many students find it most helpful to learn a limited number of moves and perfect those moves before learning new ones.

• The teacher should put together little mini-choreographies for the students to learn.  Not only do these short pieces permit the students to practice the moves, they will also experience transitioning and remember choreography.  This teaching method will help the students to learn longer choreographies later.

• The teacher should encourage improvisation to enable the students to get a feel for choreography.  Many teachers ask each student to improv for 8 counts of 8.  Improving may sound scary, but it is fun.  Furthermore, it helps students to experiment with transitions, as well as explore the application of various moves with the different rhythms.

• The teacher should be professional and respect the students’ time.  The unrelated chit chat should be kept at a minimum and the class should start on time.  If the students pay by the hour, they should receive INSTRUCTION for an hour -- not stories about grandkids, spouses, or pets.

• The teacher should have credentials to support her/his claimed knowledge.  For instance, find out how she learned, who taught her, and what styles are her specialties.  A teacher who studied with Suhaila is going to have a much different teaching style than one who studied with Jillina or Amaya, etc.  Additionally, tribal style is infinitely different than Egyptian cabaret.  If the class isn't fulfilling the student’s wants, then a different teacher with a different style may be more appropriate.

• The teacher should embrace variations.  Teachers claiming "This is the ONLY way to do this dance,” or “This is the only authentic way to do this" are not fully embracing the dance.  Although learning the correct body position to perform a move is important, there are an endless number of variations on how to produce the move itself.

• The teacher should respect the dance as a true art form.  Belly dancing can be quite seductive, but is not to be equated with stripping.  A good teacher will help the students to get in touch with their unique beauty and to feel good about themselves -- no matter what size the students are.

• The studio’s flooring should be accommodating to the body.  Concrete can destroy the feet and legs with repeated use.  A wood floor is better; however, a "sprung floor" is best.  A sprung floor is elevated a few inches from the actual floor and has a bit of bounce to it.  Most ballet studios have this type of floor.

•  The studio’s walls should be mirrored, especially for the intermediate and advanced dance levels.  When students can see what their bodies are doing, they are more able to acknowledge and correct any errors.  Mirrors also enable the students to employ and practice facial expressions and direction of gaze as part of their dance.

• The instructional environment should match the student’s abilities.  A graduated level of classes, like beginning, intermediate, advanced, and troupe enables the students to move up the ladder.  The progression provides a great sense of personal accomplishment for each dancer while the separation of classes keeps the dance challenging and exciting for all students.

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